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HISTORY – Knights of Columbus COUNCIL 6419
Hot Springs Knights of Columbus council 6419 was organized December 6, 1972, with 68 charter members, including four from Benton, AR. It held its first meeting in the old St. Gabriel’s Catholic Church, 325 E. Grand Ave., Hot Springs. St. Gabriel’s had been served by the Holy Ghost Fathers since the early 1940’s as a mission, primarily to accommodate the African—American Catholic community. Church attendance severely declined in the 1960’s, the Holy Ghost Fathers left, and the property reverted to the Diocese of Little Rock. Bishop Andrew McDonald leased the church structure and the adjoining rectory cottage to the knights as its first home. Terms were $25 per month for the first six months and $50 thereafter, considered a very generous arrangement. Problems abounded in the building due to past neglect, and the first official meeting was conducted in a cold hall due to a faulty natural gas line. Hopes ran high, however, and the men began removing pews and kneelers, and making other alterations to convert the ex-church into a Knights of Columbus hail.
The first Grand Knight was Joe Giompoletti and the Deputy Grand Knight was Gus Massanelli. They were installed with the rest of the officers by State Deputy Bob Kordsmeier and District Deputy Odell Yokum.
In the following months, a beer license was secured, and Anthony Calascibetta was appointed Bar Manager. Meetings were held on the second and fourth Thursdays. Immediate repairs to the gas line and a faulty sewer line were done by council members, at considerable savings. The adjoining cottage was occupied by a couple who had been living rent— free, and it was decided to charge them $50 per month plus utilities. In early 1974, the diocese raised the council rent to $85, and stipulated that the council must make the hall available to other churches. This was a rather stunning development. Work on improving the property at council expense was suspended, and a committee appointed to check out the implications of this requirement. In May the matter was declared moot, as a canvass of potential users revealed no interest in the hall Normal council activities resumed with pot lucks, barbecues, yard sales, and volunteer work for the church and community. The knights quickly became involved as pall bearers, clean—up workers at Calvary Cemetery and raffle ticket sellers for St John organ fund. An ice cream social was held to send local CYO youth to Disneyland and corporate communions were started. The ladies formed their auxiliary, assisting the knight in many ways, especially financial.
It became apparent that there were knights in the Hot Springs area who were still affiliated with and paying dues to their former hometown councils, and reluctant to cut ties to join ours. A drive to contact them was begun to induce them to transfer. In 1975, the council had its first Tootsie Roll campaign for retarded children. Enthusiasm was high, and members worked busy street intersections and a few stores to solicit donations. A tidy sum of $2,700 was collected that first year and forwarded to the State Council for proper distribution. In July, 1979, at the behest of Supreme, Hot Spring Knights was incorporated to be an adjunct to Council 6419 and legal holder of any real property the council might acquire.
The quarters at the Grand Avenue hail became increasingly cramped, and so permission was requested from the Bishop to add a room at council expense as a meeting area for the Ladies Auxiliary. Permission was granted and the addition was completed in two months at a cost of $3200, mostly for materials.
The council was fortunate to have as a charter member Jewell Thomas, Sr. Brother Thomas had close ties with the Celia family, owners of Oaklawn Race Track. Many benefits accrued from this connection, including favorable publicity, cash donations, admission privileges for the KC Day at the Races. One event, in particular, was the KC Centennial Race in 1982. The winning horse was SEFA Beauty, ridden by Pat Day, and several knights were present and photographed in the award ceremony.
The knights participated in a joint venture with the parishes in conducting a census of area Catholics. Many dormant Catholics were unearthed. In 1977, a council bowling team was formed and led the league that first year, and took second place the following year. Several attempts were made to hold Bingo games with cash prizes in K of C hall, but attendance was spotty and generally unprofitable. Ideas floated about to conduct Bingo elsewhere, and in 1979 arrangements were made with St. John’s Church to have Bingo in the parish hail on a 50—50 basis. This also was largely unprofitable.
The State Council strongly urged Hot springs to form a Columbian Squires Circle. However, this area with few Catholics, did not lend itself to such an organization, and quota of fifteen young men required to form the nucleus could not be reached. In 1978, the council conducted a fishing tournament, manned a K of C booth at the State Fair in Little Rock, and entered a float in the Hot Springs Christmas parade.
For reasons not entirely clear at this time, the council voted to purchase two adjoining lots on Murry Street behind St. John’s School. The price was $7200. Making payments for the property soon became a heavy burden. In the summer of 1980, the City of Not Springs ordered the council to clean out the rubbish, weeds, and unsightly items from the lots. This was done at the cost of disturbing a nest of bees which attacked Brother Frank Ruiz.
Trying to keep dependable tenants in the small rectory cottage, led to abandoning the effort. Brother Richard Lavesque envisioned it as a recreational club house, and set about changing the decor. A large counter was moved in to serve as a bar, and rooms refurbished for card playing, TV viewing, etc. In 1981 Brother George Giusti and volunteers built a bocci ball court on the premises. The project caught the fancy of the State Council, and won for us the Council Activities Award. That same year we won Star Council Award. By the spring of 1982, the council had whittled the debt on the Murry Street lots to about $3000 and abandoned any long—range plans it may have had to build a new hall there. Father Bauer, pastor of St. John’s offered to purchase the lots to expand church and school property, and the council closed the deal for $3000.
Problems with the cottage persisted. As a recreational club house, it was only used lightly. In July 1982, the hail was burglarized and the stereo and the sound system stolen. Roof leaks and other maintenance expenses prompted the diocese to offer the property for sale to the knights for $48,000, with $10,000 down and five years to pay. No action to purchase was taken. The following year in August, Monsignor Murphy of the Little Rock Diocese informed the council that a Protestant church offered to buy the property for $50,000, but that the knights had first option. Thereupon, in September 1982, the council voted to buy the hail. Some members felt it could be resold at a profit. KC bonds were floated to support a building program and offered to the knights. They would pay 10% per annum for 15 years with payoff in increments by lottery after five years, and yearly thereafter. A concert by the Notre Dame band was booked to play at the Convention Auditorium in March, 1984. Profit from this was $775. The rummage sale that spring netted $2000. Soon thereafter, the council put the K of C hall property on the market, and in July 1984, sold it a Jack Stratton for $75,00 to be converted to a mini—mall.
So, a new phase in council history began. Temporary quarters for our meeting were found at “All- Occasions Hall,” 112 Crawford Drive, behindBonanza Steak House. The first meeting was held here in July, 1984. Bingo for cash prizes was played. With funds available from the sale of the Grand Avenue property, the building committee began a serious search for a new building site. In August, 1984, an a eight acre plot of land on East Grand, five miles front town, was located, deemed suitable, and purchased for $25,000. The Grand Knight at this time was Brother Roy Morris. With the help of other knights, he undertook to construct a new KC hall with a target date for completion of March 1985. Brother Morris, along with others, worked hard and long on this structure. Brother Joe Giompoletti furnished equipment to clear the land, Brother Joe Amizich was later awarded a plaque for donating 340 hours in the construction. It was truly a labor of love and a spacious, steel-roofed K of C hall emerged.
The new K of C home was dedicated in August, 1985, and by vote given the name “Thomas Hall” in memory and gratitude to Jewell Thomas Sr. Present for the dedication was James Zydzik, State Deputy. A mortgage loan from a local bank of $60,000 was secured to supplement the building bonds, and the council felt confident it could manage the debt with rummage sales, and other fund raising functions.
In October, 1985, our council was asked to host the 1987 state convention. A convention committee was appointed by Grand Knight Joe Morris. A contract was signed with the Arlington Hotel in June, 1986, and Brother Tom Jefcoat accepted chairmanship of the convention. Although preparations were complete for this event, the State Council unexpectedly announced in January, 1987, cancellation of the convention in Hot Springs. Room rates at the Arlington of $54 were cited as excessive, and the convention was held elsewhere.
In August, 1986, arrangements were made with Benedictine Manor to allow the knights to conduct Bingo in the Manor dining area two evenings a week. Under the leadership of Brother Ron Priest, this became a very handsome source of income, enabling the council to pay off the bank mortgage at an accelerated rate.
Brother Gus Massanelli and his wife Edith were awarded second place in the International Family of the Year competition. This was also a signal honor for our council. Other events in this period was the erection of a new canopy at the hall entrance and the purchase of un-operational 18 wheeler trailer to be used for storing rummage items collected during the year. Under the direction of Brother Kim Peterson, a large room was added to the hall for storage. Early in 1989, a new public address and sound system was installed, partially funded by the Ladies Auxiliary. New neon lighting was also installed.
Deceased knight, Ross Nunnally, bequeathed $6600 to the council and this was applied to the bank mortgage. A new council was formed in neighboring Hot Springs Village. We rejoiced at the formation of a new council, even though it meant the transfer of about twenty—five of our members who lived in that area.
Securely housed in their new permanent home, the council expanded its activities in all directions: family, church, community, and achieved an outstanding reputation in the state. Repeatedly praised were its monthly newsletter “Knight Shift,” and its First Degree team. It was cited in the Columbian magazine for a Crisis Intervention Workshop on teen suicide. Brother Marvin Poe chaired the Tootsie Roll campaign in an exemplary manner, expanding the businesses where knights in their yellow aprons could sell Tootsie Rolls for the disabled children of First Step School. Brother Richard Knoth contacted merchants and business leaders personally for case—load sales of the candy. At the request of Brother John Blakely, the council funded the refreshments at the annual function of the Hot Springs Gymnastics, admission to which by gymnasts was canned goods. All the canned goods were in turn given to the council, which then donated them to St. John’s Church for their Christmas baskets.
In June 1990, Father John Burkus, a faithful knight, celebrated his 50th jubilee as a priest in a KC hall attended by Bishop Baltakis, OFM, of Brooklyn, N.Y. The parking lot at the hall was paved In July, 1991, at a cost to $5700 of which $3000 was donated by the Rukavina family. The knights continued its practice of awarding a savings bond to the first baby born in Hot Springs on Columbus Day. Another October event which has drawn praise, is the Living Rosary.
A happy event in July, 1992, was the mortgage burning. The original $60,000 bank mortgage to finance our hall was now history. Only the building bonds, owned primarily by knights, remained to be paid.
None too soon was the mortgage paid. A few weeks later, Bingo throughout the Hot Springs area was suspended by order of the Prosecuting Attorney acting in accordance with Arkansas law. Dues were raised to #30 to make up in part for the Bingo loss. Brother George Marshall introduced the
Barbeque Raffle” operated by an out—of—state council. Books of raffle tickets were sold for $15 with attractive cash prizes for names drawn. Ten dollars of the $15 was rebated to the selling council. Surprisingly, so many books were sold, that the first year the council netted $1300.
Our council, always strongly pro—life, toyed with the idea of a monument to the unborn. The idea finally materialized, largely through the efforts of Brother Charles Donahue. Over a period of several months, he worked up the design, cost, and proposed site — Calvary Cemetery. Both parishes cooperated in meeting the $2400 price tag. The unveiling of the handsome bronze monument occurred on All Soul’s Day, 1995. In a very moving ceremony, Bishop Andrew J. McDonald blessed the monument. Representatives of the press were present, and a front page picture was displayed in the Sentinel-Record the following day. Father Alan Rosenau remarked that the publicity attending on this pro-life event had to have an impact on the community.
Brother Tom McNeely, Treasurer of Hot Springs Knights, Inc maintained the Building Bond and mortgage accounts in a very professional way. He kept us out of hot water with the IRS with his excellent records. In February, 1995, when the annual bond lottery was conducted with Brother Earl Robbins presiding, an announcement was made by Brother George Marshall that a brother knight, Paul Rukaviria and wife, Helen, had made a contribution of $31,000 towards the bonded indebtedness. This amount plus give-backs by some bond owners and other donations redeemed all outstanding bonds, except for $10,000 pledged to the council upon the owner’s death. All this in effect wiped the slate clean of our indebtedness.
So many events, in this short history of the council, have been regrettably omitted and so many names and deeds of dedicated knights and ladies, some now deceased, unmentioned. Very recent events are still fresh in our minds and are not related here. But the work of our council goes on fulfilling the purpose of the Knights of Columbus formulated by Father McGivney over 100 years ago in New Haven, Connecticut.
Dan Burton (Note: Dan wrote this history several years before he died)
Now You Know the Rest of the Story
February Knight Shift offered George Marshall’s article on council history, specifically details of the payoff of the council hall building debt. He focused mainly on a $31,000 gift from Paul and Helen Rukavina, both now deceased but who 10 years ago were well known for their philanthropic endeavors. Upon reading George’s article, former Grand Knight Bob Harbert, now living in Tuscon, Arizona, responded to the Knight Shift editor’s invitation to add any details that he recalls regarding the Rukavina gift. This is what he sent by e-mail: “Immediately after I became Grand Knight in 1994, we received a request to help a couple who were moving from their home close to St. John’s to [West Shore Retirement Community] on Albert Pike. They requested that we help move some of the heavy stuff from the house and clean out the place in exchange for some items they could no longer use in their new home which we could use for our annual rummage sale. Some of us debated whether this was the kind of thing we wanted to do just to get a few items for the rummage sale. If my memory serves me right, Paul was a member of our council and a member of St. John’s so we decided to do it. It took several of us a good part of the day to help them with the move and clean out items they were going to trash. I can’t remember who all helped on this project, but I think George Marshall, Ron Priest, and the usual hard chargers in our council were there to help us. We all felt proud of our effort to help a fellow knight and his wife with their move, and we gained several nice items for our rummage sale in the process. Little did we know at the time that Paul and Helen Rukavina, retired from the Midwest area, had invested wisely over the years and were in the process of spending their fortune on philanthropic works. (There just might be a moral to this story!/Bob Harbert
[Thanks, Bob. It’s nice to have this contribution from a friend and former Grand Knight who moved from Hot Springs several years ago. Perhaps the moral of the story lies in Luke: 38. “...give and it shall be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, shall they pour into your lap.”
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