By Joel Pohland

As the 2011-2012 year begins, so does the leadership of the Knights of Columbus Council at Loras College. This year the council is led by junior Blake Neebel, Grand Knight. Fr. Boone acts as both staff adviser and council Chaplain. This year has provided sound recommendations for the Knights already. The Knights have already raised over $200 from various events and completed over 100 hours of community service, due to new service opportunities added to our calendar each week. The Knights have spread their name throughout campus by hosting events, too — sponsoring a Labor Day Dance with the Daughters of Isabella, Poker Night, and much more. Events to look forward to are Poker Night on Nov. 11 at 6 p.m. and our First Degree Ceremony on Nov. 13. This ceremony is for any Catholic gentlemen looking to be involved in the Knights of Columbus. If you are interested in joining the Knights, contact Blake Neebel or Joel Pohland. Watch for many more events hosted by the Knights of Columbus.

Ever since I was young, I have been close to the Knights of Columbus. My dad always had to go to a Knights meeting every Thursday night. I never knew what went on at these meetings — other than that they handed out Tootsie Rolls after mass and they served pancake breakfasts and hosted fish frys. I learned there was much more to the Knights once I actually joined it. I knew I wanted to be a member of the Knights once I found out Loras had a council. I joined and immediately felt the impact. The council gave me a group of men I could count on as friends, spiritual advisers and brothers.

Through our deep sense of fraternity, I grew closer to each person in the Knights and developed myself as a fellow Knight. Through serving the community, I learned about the Knights’ mission. This group has proven to me time and time again, how great it is to be involved in an organization that not only gives back to the community, but gives back to yourself through prayer, community service, and fraternity.

Each week, the Knights will be introducing a Saint of the Week. For this week, it’s St. Joseph, Foster Father of Jesus.

Pohland is the deputy grand knight at the Knights of Columbus Council at Loras College.

The baby has the eyes of the woman on the bed

The nurse cradles him close and wipes the blood off his head

If there wasn’t a war, and the plane hadn’t gone down

It’d be daddy in the room holding his little boy instead

The baby grows up a man, faster than most could believe

While his mother plays daddy; she doesn’t succeed

There’s emptiness there and it’s hard to ignore

The boy grows up with big things in store

The boy turns eighteen and signs the forms

His mom says no all he does is scorn

His daddy left a job and it’s his to complete

He boards with pictures in hand and boots on his feet

The pictures show dozens of green, camouflaged men

They stare back at him as he imagines again

What his father endured with the bullets and bombs

What it was like to be there, battling ‘til the end

The boy’s daddy kneels and stares back at him

With his green on tight; a helmet tied to his chin

Bombs exploded and missiles launched

But all these dangers meant nothing to him

Like father, like son, the boy will stand and fight

With a belief that what his father did was right

As the commander yells it’s time to jump

He puts the picture away and falls in to the night