El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-08-03
new CATHOLIC
ORDER Crows
RAPIDLY
Knights of Columbus Has a
Membership of 100000 in
America.
MANY PLAN TO BE
AT DENVER MEETING

meeting of the Knights of Columbus,
which viii be held in Denver next
week will draw thousands of men from
all parts of the country nCtwlthstand-
ing that it follows so closely upon the
enormous gathering of the same organ
ization called TO Washington on June
to attend the ceremonies connected
with the unveihng Of the ColumouS
Memorial in Che capital city
The Knights of Columbus is an or
ganizatiOn for men conducted under
the full approval of the Roman Catho-
lie church Many of the leading Catho-
lie clergymen of the country are
Knights Of Columbus and the Organi-
zatlon has received the blessing and
cOnmenda ton of His Holiness the
Pope 1t is not in any sense a church
organization although it works in har-
mony with the church and always is an
acti-c aid in any needed Catholic phil
anthrOpy.
Organized in New Haven.
The order of the knights of Column
bus was organized in New Haven,
Connecticut on March %. 1882, and in
cOrpOrated under the laws Of that
state. Its object as stated was to pro-
mote social and intellectual inter
! course among its members and to rem
der pecuniary aid TO them and their
benef1ciar1es by form Of Insurance.
that would be within reach of all. Its
growth for the first ten years was com
paratiyely small and at the time OF its
Incorporation its founders had no idea
other than that of a local. or at the
most, a state organization. The marvel
Gus growth during the last twenty
years shows now great was the need
Of an organization that would ap-
peal to the better class OF Catholic
men as worthy of their effort and fill to
them in some respects even q greater
place than do other secret orders to
the nOn-Catholic community. Eligi-
bility to its insurance privileges eX-
tends to all Catholic men between the
of eighteen and forty and for
those who are older or who because Of
physical weakness are not admissible
to insurance membership, an asso-
ciate membership is provided which
now numbers about three times that
Of the insurance members for whose
benefit the organization was first con-
ceived.
Has 100000 Members.
There are about 800, 900 members Of
the Knights of Columbus included in
the 1876 councils found upon this
continent and the other possessions OF
the United States and the number is
growing rapidly At first it was IN
tended to keep the organization in
the United States but it has spread
into Canada so that delegates from
Winnipeg, Quebec, Montreal and other
Canadian cities will attend the cOun-
ell in Denver There are a number OF
councils also in Mexico. Every state
and territory in the United States has
a state organization and a vigorous
organization was effected on the Canal
zone through the efforts of a knight
whose recent death will be the subject
of some fitting memorial action at
the present council There are cOun-
ellis in the Philippines, in Cuba and in
Porto Rico and they viii be extended
wherever active American Catholics
are called.
Requests have been made from Italy
and one or two other European coun-
tries for the extension of the order OF
Knights Of Columbus in these nations
but the proposals are not regarded fay-
orably by the Supreme council which
holds that the order is strictly an
American Institution suited to the
needs of American men and not de-
signed to be used except by the ma
tionS who owe their existence to the
discoveries made by Columbus. Then
also the ritual of the order is in Eng
nsh and II would suffer by trans
lation into another language.
The Knights Of Columbus embrace Z
four different grades or classes. In
order to be a fourth degree knight a
man must have passed the three lower
degrees and have been a member OF
the organization not less than two
years. A special assembly is prOyid-
ed for the Knights of the fourth /
degree which is presided over by SUI I
preme master for each state organiza- !
ton.
Fosters Education.
The cause OF education always has (
received much help from the order, [
G4lGA4E because many OF us mel DeES {
are OF the class who appreciate the 4
full value of education. The local /
councils in different cities have been /
generous in the support of the CatnO- |
lie high schools and have in a num- 4
Der or instances arranged for night I
classes and in other ways aided 10 !
place the means of special or higher 1
education within the reach of those /
who would otherwise find it unoD-
tainable The greatest work along I
this line however has been to aid the I
Catholic university at Washington. J
which is becoming recognized as one I
of the greatest Institutions of learn /
ing in the country.
few years ago an appeal went out Z
from the university for the establish !
ment of special chair of American J
history Although the order of Knights !
of Columbus was less than half as I
large as now, a ready response was I
made. The sum of $4,000 was raised D
and the presentation was made one
of the historic events in the history OF /!
the organization. over ten thousand I
visiting knights came to Washington (
from all parts OF the country.
Check Ten Feet Long.
The check presented was a mann I
moth one measuring ten feet long by 4
four wide. painted on vellUm in four
eolors 1t bears the names of all OF /
the contributing councils and after I
passing through the bank in the capt.
tai city it was returned to New Haven.
Connecticut where it was framed and
now hangs IN the great hail of the 3
national headquarters of the knights .
of Columbus.
The enthusiasm with which this sum .
was raised led the Knights to under 4
take a much greater effort which now
has been carried to cOmpl elton. With &
the opening of the great University
this fan will come an endowment OF .
half million dollars which has been 2
raised and will be presented by the
Knights of Columbus for the eStab-
lishment of ten scholarships in i'm
portant subjects which Will be eligible
to students from all parts of the cOun-
try by competitive examination. As
the order has no authority to impose
any additional dues or expense upon
any local council, this great sum OF
money has been raised voluntarily by /
the different councils and is a fit
ting tribute of the Catholic men OF
the nation to the establishment of an
institution of learning designed to be
worthy Of the name it bears.