Speakers
Matt Birk
Super Bowl Champion Matt Birk is a 15-year veteran of the National Football League and a devoted Catholic. Since retiring from football in 2013, Matt has held a number of roles inside the NFL League Office while launching a successful public speaking career. He is active in the Pro-Life movement, having spoken multiple times at the March for Life in Washington, DC. Following his Super Bowl win in 2013, Matt declined an invitation to the White House due to the administration’s strong support of Planned Parenthood.
A graduate of Harvard University with a degree in economics, Matt is the founder and CEO of Matt Birk and Company, LLC. He was the recipient of the 2011 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award for his excellence on and off the field. Matt’s charitable work includes establishing his H.I.K.E. Foundation for at-risk children, launching the “Ready, Set, Read!” program in Baltimore-area public schools, partnering with Scholastic to form “Read and Rise” to support the development of children’s literacy, and the upcoming 2019 launch of a new Catholic high school in an under-served area of Minnesota.
Matt parlays his diverse experiences culled from winning championships, creating partnerships, and educating others into a memorable message that connects with attendees and transforms audiences. He speaks to organizations across the country about the value of true inspiration, the genius of Catholicism, lasting leadership principles, the dynamics of teamwork, the importance of an active faith life, and fulfilling one’s potential. Clients such as 3M, Coca Cola, Catholic Schools Center of Excellence, Northwestern Mutual Life, Faith and Ale, and Walmart have benefited from the programs Matt has presented to their teams.
Matt is a member of the Knights of Columbus and serves on the Board of Directors of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Game for Life National Advisory Board, the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund, the After the Impact Fund, and Wakota Pregnancy Center in West St. Paul. He is the author of All Pro Wisdom: The Seven Choices that Lead to Greatness, and resides in Mendota Heights, Minnesota. Matt and his wife, Adrianna, are members of St. Joseph Parish and the proud parents of eight children.
Carl A. Anderson
As supreme knight of the Knights of Columbus, Carl A. Anderson is the chief executive officer and chairman of the board of the world’s largest Catholic family fraternal service organization, which has nearly 2 million members.
Mr. Anderson has had a distinguished career as a public servant and educator. From 1983 to 1987, he served in various positions of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, including special assistant to the President and acting director of the White House Office of Public Liaison. Following his service at the White House, Mr. Anderson served for nearly a decade as a member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
From 1983 to 1998, Mr. Anderson taught as a visiting professor of family law at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome. In 1988, he became the founding vice president and first dean of the Washington, D.C., session of this graduate school of theology now located at The Catholic University of America.
Mr. Anderson served as assistant supreme secretary and supreme secretary of the Knights of Columbus until he became supreme knight in October 2000. Prior to that, he served as the Order’s vice president for public policy from 1987 to 1997. He has been grand knight, district deputy, state advocate, state secretary and state deputy for the District of Columbia.
Since Mr. Anderson assumed the responsibilities of supreme knight in 2000, the Knights of Columbus has achieved new heights in charitable giving, providing in 2017 alone over $185 million directly to charity and more than 75.6 million hours in volunteer service.
He is the author of the New York Times bestseller, A Civilization of Love: What Every Catholic Can Do To Transform The World; co-author (with Msgr. Eduardo Chávez) of Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mother of the Civilization of Love, also a New York Times bestseller; co-editor (with Livio Melina) of The Way of Love: Reflections on Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical Deus Caritas Est; co-author (with José Granados) Called to Love: Approaching John Paul II’s Theology of the Body; and author of Beyond a House Divided: The Moral Consensus Ignored by Washington, Wall Street and the Media.
Breakout Sessions
Spiritual Development: Evangelizing the Evangelized
Tristan Marlow – University of Northern Iowa Council 14987
Julian Mancini – University of Notre Dame Council 1477
During higher education, young men open their minds, absorb new ideas and learn how to form convictions through their own reasoning. For Catholic young people, these years can be especially challenging as separation from our homes, families, and faith communities places the burden of faith directly on our own shoulders. Year after year countless young men respond to this additional responsibility and newfound freedom by dismissing Catholicism from their minds, deliberately abandoning their faith, and, in some cases, hatefully rejecting their upbringing. While our councils easily attract men who regularly engage with campus ministry and faith life at the Newman Center, how do our councils evangelize those who have fallen away? And how do our councils keep the men who engage with us, growing in their faith development?
This breakout will focus on different methods for opening your councils to fallen away Catholics, who might otherwise only respond to our Catholic brotherhood with apathy, opposition, or aversion. While the focus of this presentation is chiefly spiritual, we will also focus on applying Catholic spiritual principles to marketing techniques and approachable apologetics that can appeal to even the most-steadfast college-aged agnostics. Finally, we will discuss how our councils can better participate in faith formation by educating current members.
Council Programming: Running Attractive and Successful Events
James Brino – University of Hartford Council 16858
Cole Perry – The George Washington University Council 13242
A successful council needs a schedule of vibrant and attractive programs. Without a variety of programs and events, a council lacks an identity and will struggle to recruit new men to join. More programs is not always better, however, as a council must find balance. If a council overextends itself by attempting too many activities, it can lead to officer burnout and lackluster events.
This breakout will focus on how to ways your council can develop an exciting slate of programs that will take you to new heights this year. This presentation will analyze the role of college councils on campuses today, and how councils can best serve the college campus, Catholic community and local surroundings. Additionally, we will discuss council visibility on campus, tabling opportunities, and ways to engage youth and families. Finally we will explore Supreme’s program model how college councils can participate in these programs.
Council Best Practices in Leadership and Management
Avery Murdock – Lamar University Council 16464
Ben Litton – United State Military Academy Council 8250
As council leaders, our roles are not just to provide programs and events for members, but to provide the best opportunities for men and women to grow in faith while contributing to the campus and local community. As young people, we possess great energy, but if we do not learn to be efficient and learn from the lessons of our predecessors we may fall short of our aims. In order to reach our full potential, we need to develop and understanding of best practices in leadership and council management and work to institutionalize these practices in our council.
Our presentation will provide guidance for council leaders in effectively setting a vision for their council and successfully managing events, finances, and conducting meetings to reach that vision. An emphasis will be placed on the need for regular officer meetings and the role they play in establishing and articulating a vision to council members. We will also discuss how to use events to prepare future leaders for your council. Specific budgeting guidance and best practices will be given. Finally, this session will provide tips on how to successfully transition council leadership before and after elections.
Membership Engagement: Engaging Current and Potential Members
Jacob Roth – Benedictine College Council 4708
Brian Stringer – Norwich University Council 9146
College Knights are faced with many unique challenges. Every year members transition due to graduation and every four years, there’s a completely new council. Because of this, college councils must constantly recruit and prepare men to take on leadership roles. Although this turnover can provide new perspectives and ideas, it can also pose many challenges.
This presentation will focus on membership recruitment strategies to keep your council fresh and active. We will discuss standard recruiting practices that work on most campuses and we will examine opportunities to recruit not only practicing Catholics at the Newman Center, but also Catholic men who rarely participate in Catholic life on campus. Not only will we talk about how to bring these men into your council, but we will discuss ways to keep them engaged and active. Finally, we will discuss how you can prepare these men for leadership in your council and for their transition to life after graduation in a parish council.
Seminarian Session
Keith Chadwick – Kenrick-Glennon Seminary Council 16869
Seminarians have the opportunity to understand the Knights of Columbus from two perspectives. First, as a college Knight seminarian, we have the opportunity to serve as officers and run council meetings. Second, as future priests, we will have the opportunity to serve as a council Chaplain and look out for the spiritual well-being of council members. This presentation will address both, but focus specifically on how to be a Pro-Knight Priest.
First, this presentation will focus on a better understanding the Order’s founder, a simple parish priest, and his vision. Fr. McGivney was the quintessential parish priest and by modeling his life and understanding his reason for bringing men together in this way, we can better understand our role in leading them. Second, this presentation will focus on understanding the Order’s organization and how Chaplains fit into the Knights of Columbus structure. Finally, this presentation will address how we can utilize committed, discipled Catholic men, to grow in their knowledge and practice of the faith and then to teach their families and in turn rejuvenate the parish.
Agenda
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2018
Arrival at Omni New Haven Hotel throughout the day.
1:00 PM Registration
6:30 PM Reception
7:00 PM Banquet & Awards Session
Guest Speaker: Matt Birk
Supreme Knight’s Remarks
Awards Presentation
Evening Social
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2018
Breakfast
Opening Session
Breakout Sessions I & II
College Knights will attend three of the following four session (two in the morning, one in the afternoon):
- Membership Engagement: Engaging Current and Potential Members
- Council Programming: Running Attractive and Successful Events
- Council Best Practices in Leadership and Management
- Spiritual Development: Evangelizing the Evangelized
Financial Secretary Training and Chaplain Meeting will run concurrently with these breakout sessions.
Lunch
Breakout Session III
Financial Secretary Training and Seminarian Session will run concurrently with this breakout sessions.
Afternoon Session
Sunday Vigil Mass – St. Mary’s Church
Dinner – St. Mary’s Church Hall
Holy Hour & Consecration to St. Joseph – St. Mary’s Church
Evening Social
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
Breakfast
Closing Session (Will end by 11:00 AM)
Lodging
Attendees to the 2018 College Councils Conference will stay at the Omni New Haven Hotel (155 Temple Street). Your online registration serves as your room reservation for Friday and Saturday night. Please note that even though your room will be included on the Supreme Council’s master bill, the hotel will need a credit card to keep on file for incidentals. If you count as an additional student above the two covered by the Supreme Council, your registration will still reserve you a room, but your council will be billed the $200 conference fee after the conference.
Student representatives from the same school will occupy a room together. A lone representative from one school will be paired with another sole representative from another campus. Chaplains and Financial Secretaries will receive single-room accommodations.
Please note that due to the size of this event we cannot make arrangements for wives or other family members.
Any questions or concerns regarding lodging should be directed to the College Councils Department at college@kofc.org or 203-752-4671.
Travel Information
You are responsible for making your own travel arrangements. Please follow the guidelines below when purchasing tickets, etc. (Prices listed for ground transportation services are subject to change.)
If you plan to travel by air, please use a travel search engine (e.g., Kayak.com) to purchase airline tickets. These sites aggregate the information from airline websites and discount travel sites (e.g., Expedia.com, Orbitz.com, Travelocity.com) to find the best prices available.
Airfare should be purchased in advance, and no later than Friday, Sept. 14, 2018 (two weeks before the conference). If you have an expensive itinerary, please contact the Supreme Council staff before booking your ticket, as we may be able to find you a better deal with our travel agents.
To reduce costs, we encourage you to fly into one of the following major tri-state area airports:
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in Queens, New York City;
LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in Queens, New York City;
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in Newark, New Jersey; and
Bradley International Airport (BDL) in Hartford, Connecticut.
Detailed directions from each of these airports to New Haven may be found below. Subject to train schedules and road traffic, a one-way trip from Newark or New York City airports to New Haven will take approximately 3.5 hours. Travel from Bradley airport to New Haven is approximately one hour. Please plan accordingly to arrive in time for Friday evening’s activities and to attend the closing events before making your departing flight on Sunday.
Please plan to arrive in New Haven by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, September 28, and to depart from New Haven no earlier than 12:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 30.
Directions from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
Upon arrival at the airport, use the New York Airport Serviceexpress bus to travel to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. Transit time between John F. Kennedy International Airport and Grand Central Terminal is approximately one hour. If you are traveling with a group, it may be cost-effective to share a taxicab.
Upon arrival at Grand Central Terminal, purchase a ticket to New Haven for the Metro-North Railroad. Transit time between Grand Central Terminal and Union Station in New Haven is approximately two hours.
On weekdays, there is a free shuttle service that provides transportation between Union Station and downtown New Haven. This shuttle runs every 20 minutes and drops off in front of the hotel. More information may be found at CT Transit:
https://www.cttransit.com/services/union-station-shuttle-new-haven
Alternatively, you can take a taxicab from Union Station to the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale (155 Temple Street). A taxi will cost about $5-10.
Directions from LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
Upon arrival at the airport, use the New York Airport Service express bus to travel to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. Transit time between LaGuardia Airport and Grand Central Terminal is approximately 45 minutes. If you are traveling with a group, it may be cost-effective to share a taxicab.
Upon arrival at Grand Central Terminal, purchase a ticket to New Haven for the Metro-North Railroad. Transit time between Grand Central Terminal and Union Station in New Haven is approximately two hours.
On weekdays, there is a free shuttle service that provides transportation between Union Station and downtown New Haven. This shuttle runs every 20 minutes and drops off in front of the hotel. More information may be found at CT Transit:
https://www.cttransit.com/services/union-station-shuttle-new-haven
Alternatively, you can take a taxicab from Union Station to the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale (155 Temple Street). A taxi will cost about $5-10.
Directions from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
Upon arrival at the airport, use the Newark Liberty Airport Expressbus to travel to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. Transit time between Newark Liberty International Airport and Grand Central Terminal is approximately 45 minutes.
Upon arrival at Grand Central Terminal, purchase a ticket to New Haven for the Metro-North Railroad. Transit time between Grand Central Terminal and Union Station in New Haven is approximately two hours.
Alternatively, you may consider taking Amtrak directly from the airport station to New Haven.
On weekdays, there is a free shuttle service that provides transportation between Union Station and downtown New Haven. This shuttle runs every 20 minutes and drops off in front of the hotel. More information may be found at CT Transit:
https://www.cttransit.com/services/union-station-shuttle-new-haven
Alternatively, you can take a taxicab from Union Station to the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale (155 Temple Street). A taxi will cost about $5-10.
Directions from Bradley International Airport (BDL)
We encourage you to consider an airport shuttle service, such as Connecticut Limo, to travel from Hartford to New Haven. Reservations should be made in advance; you can do so online at http://www.ctlimo.com/. A one-way fare is $49 per person and roundtrip is $89 per person. The Connecticut Limo drops passengers off directly at the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale (155 Temple Street). Connecticut Limo picks up passengers in front of Door # 1 (near the Southwest baggage claim area).
Alternatively, you may arrange an Uber ride once you arrive at Bradley. This can be cheaper if you travel in a group as most non-peak times run $70-$80 from Bradley to the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale (155 Temple Street).
A traditional taxi service is also available. However, these run at a flat rate of $120 from Bradley to New Haven.
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Railroad is a commuter rail system.
When traveling from New York to New Haven, peak (i.e., rush hour) fares apply in the morning until 9:00 a.m. and in the evening from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. When traveling from New Haven to New York, peak fares apply in the morning until 9:00 a.m. The peak fare for one-way travel between New York and New Haven is $23.50; the off-peak fare is $17.75. All weekend fares are off-peak.
We encourage you to purchase your tickets in the station, as fares are much more expensive if you purchase your tickets from the conductor on the train. You may also download the Metro North Railroad app and purchase tickets through that.
More information on the Metro-North Railroad may be found on the Metropolitan Transit Authority website: http://mta.info/mnr/
New York Airport Service
The New York Airport Service provides safe and reliable transportation between destinations in Manhattan and the New York City airports. Upon arrival at the airport, proceed to the New York Airport Service bus stop, which is located outside baggage claim at every terminal.
Tickets may be purchased online or on the bus. For more information, please consult the New York Airport Service website: http://www.nycairporter.com/
From LaGuardia Airport to Grand Central Terminal, one-way fare is $16.00; round-trip fare is $30.00. From John F. Kennedy International Airport to Grand Central Terminal, one-way fare in $18.00; round-trip fare is $35.00.
Newark Liberty Airport Express
The Newark Liberty Airport Express provides safe and reliable transportation between destinations in Manhattan and Newark Liberty International Airport. Upon arrival at the airport, proceed to the bus stop, which is located outside baggage claim at terminals A, B and C.
Near Grand Central Terminal, buses load and drop off at 120 E. 41st Street, between Park Avenue and Lexington Avenue. The main entrance to Grand Central Terminal is located at Park Avenue and 42nd Street.
Tickets may be purchased online or on the bus. If tickets are purchased online, tickets should be printed as the bus does not accept e-tickets. For more information, please consult the Coach USA / Olympia Trails website: https://www.newarkairportexpress.com/
From Newark Liberty International Airport to Grand Central Terminal, one-way fare is $17.00; round-trip fare is $30.00. There is also a $1.00 administrative fee per ticket.
Traveling by Car
Should you prefer to drive from campus or rent a car once you land at one of the above airports, please make your way to the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale (155 Temple Street).
There is self-parking available at the hotel for $23.00 per night. You may have this fee billed to your room. However, please note that these funds will then be deducted from your council’s travel stipend check.
Eligibility and Reimbursement
This year, the Supreme Council will cover the travel costs and Conference Fee (hotel/meals) for two students, the council chaplain and the financial secretary from each college council in North America. At the Supreme Council’s discretion, members of college roundtables and other developing college councils may also be invited.
Student representatives should be enrolled at the college or university their council supports. The Supreme Council suggests that college councils send students who serve as officers of the council (i.e., grand knight), however this is not required; any student may represent his council. At most, a college council may send seven student representatives, however, the Supreme Council will only offer travel stipends and waive the Conference Fee for the first two.
If the council chaplain cannot attend the conference, his invitation may be extended to another priest who works with the council.
Financial secretaries are invited to attend with their council, however, if they cannot attend, their invitation is non-transferable. The council may not send another student or officer in his place.
Those who attend the conference at the expense of the Supreme Council are responsible for making their own travel arrangements. In the weeks following the conference, travel stipend checks will be mailed to each council’s financial secretary. The council will bear the responsibility of reimbursing the student representative(s) from these funds. These checks will reflect distance from New Haven, CT, and average travel costs from that region. Councils unsure of the travel stipend amount for their council can contact the College Councils Department at (203)-752-4671 or college@kofc.org.
Conference Fee
There is a $200.00 Conference Fee to cover lodging and meals throughout the conference. The Supreme Council will waive this fee for attendees that travel at the expense of the Supreme Council. For college councils that send additional representatives above those covered by Supreme, they will be billed this fee in their next council statement. It will be up to the council to collect this fee from the individual traveler if it desires.
News
Faith and Service on Campus
Hundreds of college-aged Knights from nearly 100 councils throughout the Order are gathering for the largest ever Knights of Columbus College Councils Conference. Conference Chairman Avery Murdock shared his experiences as a college Knight
Matt Birk to Address College Knights
Super Bowl Champion to speak at annual College Councils Conference
