Knight
Our Council and the Arkansas Knight of the Year is Gerald Krawczynski. Gerald received his State Award at the Arkansas Knights Convention in Russellville in April. A knight for 47 years and presently Financial Secretary, Gerald has been Recorder, Membership chairman, Church Director, Council Activities committee, State Council officer (Warden), State Council Fund Raising Director, and currently is Communications Directory Coordinator.

Honorary Life member, Field Agent (retired)---Arkansas agent for 2004 and 2005. First degree team member, Arkansas State Council Fourth Degree team member, Honor Guard member, and a member of Homeless Veterans Ministry with the Assembly.

Church 
Gerald serves as a Lector, extraordinary minister, adorer in the Adoration Chapel, has served on the Parish Council, Parish Treasure Sale Committee, and the RCIA program.  Gerald served on the Diocesan Steering Committee for the 100^th anniversary Celebration of the Arkansas Catholic.  He participates as a table coordinator in the annual Diocesan Taste of Faith Celebration/fund raiser and in the annual Diocesan St Joseph’s Helpers fund raiser. As a Knight in a previous parish, Gerald served on the parish school board and the Diocese of Tyler TX School Board.

Community
Last year Gerald designed, organized and currently maintains, with volunteer drivers, a schedule to provide transportation every two week for a non-Catholic Widow to her physicians clinic in Hot Springs. He is involved with his wife in the Hot Springs Village Chamber of Commerce and the Hot Springs Village Board of Realtors.   Has served as a table coordinator for the Regional Arkansas Right to Life meeting.

Why Chosen?
Gerald is the consummate Knight and an outstanding Financial Secretary. He has served the Knights of Columbus for 47 years and is knowledgeable in all aspects of Council operations and activities. As such, he is Council 10208’s expert who often and most willingly helps every other officer and director in the performance of their duties. Exemplifying “Fraternity and Unity”, he continually volunteers his time and efforts for the good of the Knights. As Financial Secretary, all reports, financial records and other Council requirements are completed in a timely and exemplary manner. He and Ann were chosen Council Family of the Year for 2009-2010. Our Council could not nominate a better Knight of the Year than Gerald Krawczynski

Marvin and Lucy Young receiving award from Bill Roe

The Family of the Year is Marvin and Lucy Young.  Marvin has been a knight since 1971. They have received the Family of the Month several times, the latest being December 2011.

The Youngs are very involved with the community as they work at the Jackson House every week and deliver food on behalf of Meals on Wheels, Ladies of the Sacred Heart, the Men’s Club and Samaritan Ministries.

They are also very involved with both Church and this Council. Lucy is a member of the Ladies of the Sacred Heart and volunteers at the Loan Closet with St. Monica’s Guild. They worked at the Treasure Sale, organized and delivered food baskets.

Marvin has assisted with hwy clean up for the Men’s Club, and has waited tables for the chicken and fish bake. He is an Extraordinary Minister, and ushers at the Mass for life (Lucy also assists in presenting memorial roses).  Marvin is the case manager coordinator for the Disaster Response Team, has been elected to the Parish Council and assists other knights with the St Francis House Project.

Let’s all give Marvin and Lucy a warm welcome as they receive this well deserved honor.

Bill Roe presenting award to Milt Spaniel

Milt has been a Knight since 1957 and became a 4^th degree Sir Knight in 2001. He has received the Knight of the Month seven times, and he and Janice have received Family of the Month three times. Milt was Knight of the Year in 2002, having been selected as State Knight of the Year.

Milt has served as Community Director for the past 3 years. Milt has also been very involved with CPID, having collected $11,000 in 2011 and $14,000 in 2012. For the past two years, the state awarded a plaque to this council for having collected the most money for CPID.  Milt is very involved with other  programs such as food baskets, Rice Depot, Fall Fest, Ham Sales, Jackson House, Disaster Response Team, Samaritan Ministries, Habitat for Humanity, Camp for the Blind, and St. Francis House.

Milt and Janice go to St. John’s Visitation Chapel in Hot Springs AR for a weekly adoration and Milt recently attended the retreat in Montserrat. They both are an annual participate in the March and Mass for Life held each year in Little Rock. Milt also assists with the Baby Bottle Campaign, Silver Rose Project and the Memorial Mass for deceased knights. And lastly, Milt is an annual fund raiser and instructor for Junior Golf held in the Village each summer. Let’s all give Milt a warm welcome as he receives his plaque for Knight of the Year.

Grand Knight Dave Johnston presents the 2011-2012 Knight of the Year award to Mike Miller

Mike Miller has been selected as the Knight of the Year for his on-going,  technical support of the Council’s website which has been recognized by Supreme as one of the best in the Country.

Mike’s expertise in website development and maintenance has also been of benefit in the development of websites this past year for the Catholic Men’s Club and the Ladies Guild.  Mike also maintains the parish website.

Information sharing is a vital part of any organization and websites represent one of the best ways information can be shared in the modern age.  Thank you, Mike, for your technical skills at making all of the websites mentioned examples of the best websites around.

Mike’s skills with a chain saw and his voluntary efforts with the disaster team this spring also contributed to his selection as Knight of the Year.

Grand Knight Dave Johnston presents the 2011-2012 Family of the Year award to John and Carolyn Bodensteiner.

The Family of the Year for 2011-2012 is John and Carolyn Bodensteiner. They are being recognized, along with Mike Miller, for their initial research and information gathering that has made the Council’s website what it is today.

John has also filled the position of Communication Director which was created at the beginning of this fraternal year and has done an outstanding job in keeping the membership well informed through special emails, website articles and press releases. 

John is involved in several Sacred Heart ministries including weekday and weekend lector, Eucharistic minister, and server.  He is director of Sacred Heart's Disaster Response Team and a member of the Social Justice Commission.  He is currently serving for the third time as director/co-director of the biennial Treaasure Sale.
  
John is also being recognized for his statewide leadership of the Campaign for People with Intellectual Disabilities (CPID) as well as his duties as 2^nd Year Trustee of this Council.  He was co-chair of the Council's CPID in 2011, is coordinator of the Food for Seniors program, co-coordinator of the Red Cross Blood Drive at the Methodist Church, and he helped coordinate the Council's Coats for Kids project.  For the past three years he has been in charge of the Keep Christ in Christmas billboards funded by the Council.

Carolyn is being recognized for sharing her vocal talents in the music ministry of this parish and within the community.  She is a member and former co-chair of St Mary's Guilld through which she volunteers at Jackson House and helps with Meals on Wheels. She also assists John with her creative talents in maintaining the photo gallery and other sections of the web site.  Both have been involved with Olympic Town at the Special Olympics in Searcy. 

Thank you, John and Carolyn, for sharing your leadership and talents for the good of this Council, this parish and the community at large.

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This is the second time that the Keearns have been named Family of the Year for our Council. They are the heart of the Thanksgiving/Christmas/Easter Basket Program, working with the Knights, the Ladies of Sacred Heart and the Men's Club. They have helped sell hams, cooked for several Mardi Gras parties and work at Jackson House on a regular basis.

Ed serves as a court appointed Special Advocate for CASA, tutors at Jessiville and is a member of the 4th Degree Honor Guard.  As a member of the Pastoral Council, he is its representative on the Social Justice and Charitable Outreach Committee. He was very instrumental in recommending this year's beneficiaries of Sacred Heart's financial support program.  Ed is also Sacred Heart's representative on the Village Outreach Committee.  In addition to coordinating the transportation of food from Sacred Heart to Jackson House each week, he delivers food as part of the monthly Food for Seniors program organized through Rice Depot.  

Claudia is  active in the Ladies of Sacred Heart and the Parish Treasure Sale. There are several other families worthy of this award but Ed and Claudia's volunteer activities cover such a wide range and require a very large amount of their time.