“Waking Up To Our Responsibilities Towards The Junior Order Of Knights And Ladies Of Marshall”

My dear Brothers and Sisters,

I am writing this letter on this special day, the third Sunday of June which happens to be “Fathers’ Day” – a day that is set aside each year in most parts of the world to honour Fathers. Significantly, unlike Mothers’ Day, Fathers’ Day is celebrated on a rather low key, at least in our part of the world. Many reasons account for this, chief among them being the perceived irresponsibility of many fathers towards their children. I want to believe that Marshallan knights are in a class of their own and can be counted among the best fathers in the world. Indeed I want to believe that no knight of Marshall suffers the perception of an irresponsible parent by his children!

The celebration of the day, coming one day after the Supreme Council’s Standing Committee meeting in June at which our collective responsibility as adult Councils and Courts towards the Junior Order of our fraternity was seriously called to question, is what has prompted the subject matter of my letter to you this month. To many of these children in the Junior Order, we are gradually becoming like some parents who are “perceived by their children to be irresponsible”

A report presented on the status of the Junior Order at the meeting clearly indicated that we are generally not doing well with the children, and this was not the first time the meeting was hearing such a report. First, many GKs and NLs do not take pains to appoint to this very important office of Youth Organiser, Brothers and Sisters who are qualified in terms of their willingness, ability and commitment to do the job. So we have many organisers who though carry the name, do not attend meetings or provide guidance and support in any form to the Junior Order. Second, many GKs and NLs do not visit the Juniors at their meetings or demand reports from organisers. The result is the situation in many Junior Councils and Courts where due to the lack of adult presence, many things which should not happen among young Catholic people, happen. Sometimes I wonder if that is the reason why most Marshallans have never had their children in the Junior Order. And if that were so, do we have any business bringing other people’s children into the Order? Please let us think about these things and don’t let us forget the purpose for setting up the Junior Order. Beyond ensuring the sustainability and continuity of the adult Councils and Courts we have taken upon ourselves, the even bigger responsibility of growing these young people in our Catholic Faith, into strong Christian men and women.

All of us, not just GKs, NLs and organisers, need to get interested and wake up to our responsibilities towards these young people. I shudder to think, in the light of Matt18:5-6, (GKs, NLs please get a Bible and read to members) the consequences of our action as adults, in bringing together young people and not living up to expectation of the reason for bringing them together. The parents of these young people, many of whom are non-Marshallans, trust that we can help mould them into useful adults for the Church and society and that is why they allow them to be members of our Order. We cannot let them down! The image of our Noble Order is at stake!

Yours fraternally,
SIR KT BRO EDDIE PRAH
(SUPREME KNIGHT)

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