Awards

International Family of the Year

The 2009 Knights of Columbus Family of the Year, Leland and Mary Ann Vetter of Torrington, Wyoming, and their children – Marie, Diana, Thomas, Steven, Benjamin, Nicholas, Andrew, Paul, Kathleen and Alexis – stand with Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson and his wife Dorian, and Supreme Chaplain Bishop William E. Lori.

This year’s Knights of Columbus International Family of the Year gives real meaning to the phrase, “In Service to One, In Service to All.” The husband and wife of this family, and their ten children, who range in age from 2 to 27, have compiled a record of service to the Church and their community that is truly extraordinary.

Leland has been a member of the Knights of Columbus for 33 years, and has held all of the council offices at Council 6623. He has been the Tootsie Roll Chairman for 20 years, a bingo volunteer for 25 years and a member of the parish council. When it snows in Torrington, Leland is out before dawn plowing the church parking lot. He raised funds for the parish hall expansion and helps train parish altar servers. He was recently appointed by the governor of Wyoming to the state Community College Task Force on Education, and he teaches at Eastern Wyoming Community College. Two of his sons are Knights. His brother Austin is a priest who attended the North American College in Rome.

Mary Ann spearheads Thursday Eucharistic devotions and makes sure all the hours are filled. She organized a “Mom’s Group” which provides spiritual formation and retreats for the women of the parish. She visits shut-ins in the neighborhood and takes care of other mothers’ children to give them a break, and she and Leland are very involved in pro-life activities.

The Vetter children are active volunteers in the parish and the community. They are the latest of five generations of Vetters, all descendants of immigrants who settled in North Dakota in the 19th century. In fact, Leland’s parents were the North Dakota Knights of Columbus Family of the Year in 1994, and they came in third for the international award that year.

Top Recruiter

As a special recruitment incentive, the Order’s Top Recruiter for the fraternal year received a trip to the Supreme Convention in Phoenix.

This year, the Order honored Past Alberta State Deputy Walter N. Streit,  who brought in 204 new members last year while maintaining a rigorous schedule as  state deputy.

State Deputy and Mrs. Neil C. Gannon from Alberta escorted Past State Deputy and Mrs.  Streit to the stage to be recognized as the 2008-09 fraternal year’s recipient of the Orderwide Top Recruiter Award.

Century Club

Councils that add 100 members over suspensions and withdrawals are eligible for the Order’s prestigious Century Club Award. This year, six councils qualified for the Century Club Award, accounting for 810 new members.

The Century Club Award winners are:

1. Council 7813: Allacapan Cagayan, Luzon – 231 members
2. Council 3632: Verona, New Jersey – 151 members
3. Council 1000: Manila, Luzon – 111 members
4. Council 799: Dallas, Texas – 108 members
5. Council 4074: Guimba Nueva Ecija, Luzon – 107 members
6. Council 8238: Yorba Linda, California – 102 members.