INTRODUCTION
The Installation Officer, S/Kt. Bro. Anthony Kemevor PSK, the Installation Secretary, W/Bro. Dr Andre Kwesi Kumah, the Installation Chaplain, Rev. Fr. Bernard Appiah, the Installation Guard, Bro. Frank Ofosu Frimpong, High Officers, Officers , Knight Brothers,
More than any day before us in my life as a member of this noble order and of council 71, I have cause to be thankful to God, for the opportunity to be selected and elected DGK and for bringing us this far to experience the beauty of this day of being installed the 16th Grand Knight. I must admit, it is a humbling experience to have gone through this successful installation process.
Installation Officer, I am so grateful and Council 71 is privileged to have you in our midst and for driving a successful installation Council. We are thankful to you. To the other members of the Installation Team, I say a very big thank you for successfully installing the members of the 16th Administration of Council 71 and to all Officers and Brothers here gathered, I say thank you for your prayers, and for your support.
To the 28 Founding Fathers of this Council, we salute you for your determination and foresight. To all the substantive Past Grand Knights, I say thank you for bracing the trail.
Installation Officer, permit me at this juncture to request for a minute silence in honour of our brothers who have joined the Order above with special mention of our brothers we lost this year: Bro Julius Hannibal Afu, SKt Bernard Nana Badu, and SKt. Michael Badu ( our 1St Grand Knight).
Installation Officer, I’ll focus my address on Five areas my administration will dwell on for the next year; Spiritual upliftment Temple Project, Fraternity, Visibility and MIS
- SPIRITUAL UPLIFTMENT
Installation Officer, most of us had as our aim the need to improve our spirituality when joining the order. However, after few months & years of joining, we realise these spiritual aims are not fully realised. In line with the strategic Plan of the order in deepening the Spirituality of members, we will;
- Introduce the praying of the Rosary before council meeting starts
- Annual retreat
- Continue with Bible reading during each council session.
- Explaining our the catholic doctrines and rituals during our regular councils
- Have spiritual exercises for members including the exposition to the Blessed Sacrament. (we intend to donate a monstrance to the church to facilitate this)
- CHARITY
Knight Brothers, we know how though times are and how demanding our world has become today. Despite all these pressures, our calling as Christians and catholic Knights mandates us to come to the aid of the less privileged in our society through charity works as the “visible face of our invisible God”. “For what so ever you do to the least of my brothers you do unto me”. Mat 25:40. I call on you Knight Brothers to support the council in our Charity works in April and September when we fulfil our call by our Lord to be our brother’s keeper.
- TEMPLE PROJECT
This temple project has been the dream and vision of our forbearers. I will want to use this occasion to thank the project and Fund raising committees and the IPGK for the commitment and enthusiasm for the project thus far. Brothers of Council 71 during the last year have really applied themselves to this project through the various fund raising sessions. Let us not become tired/ fatigued in giving for at the proper time we will reap the reward (Gal 6.9). Let us all commit and renew our enthusiasm in getting this project to the completion. As my commitment I pledge GHS 3,000 towards the next stage of the project.
- FRATERNITY
How best can the call on us to be our brother’s keeper be more valid than to extend a warm hand of embrace one to one and one to all in this council? How best can we achieve this as a noble order?
- WELFARE AND FINANCIAL STABILITY
Sir Knights, Worthy Brothers, Knight Brothers of C.71. There is the increasing need for council to be financially independent. This council will be 17 years in 2017 and there is the urgent need to come up with business plans to make the council less dependent on the dues from brothers to run its activities. We will task the Business committee to look at the feasibility of the borehole / water project and submit a proposal to advisory board for consideration.
In line with the vision of the supreme Council to help each council to be less dependent on dues /contributions, by the introduction of (MaSIF) Marshallan Saving and Investment Fund, it is my Pledge to champion the implementation of this Fund once the modalities have been streamlined and the fund is launched.
- Work on aged brothers & Activation of Welfare Fund
We thank SKt Gerald Mensah and his committee their recommendations and the advisory board for accepting proposals from the recommendations of the committee to help our aged and exempt brothers to be and feel part of this council. “For a society that does not take care of the needs of its aged is not worth sacrificing for by its youth”.
We will also actively ensure that the welfare fund if adequately funded and the welfare needs of brothers are catered for in accordance with the rules. We will ensure that the fund so set is well managed and sustainable for the future.
- Delinquent brothers
We will pursue and reach out with the aim to bring back to our fold all our brothers who have fallen by the side of the road due to one reason or the other and have thus become delinquent or inactive.
- VISIBILITY
There is the need for Council 71 to be more visible in our parishes through positive impact of our activities through
- Local Associations
- Junior Order
- LOCAL ASSOCIATIONS
I will liaise with the executives of the various Local Associations as the unit cell of the council to promote our ideals as a fraternity and also to forge unity within while making the council Visible at the various parishes. To this end I promise to make time to attend Association meetings and to discuss issues /concerns which are not taken up at the council chamber due to lack of time.
- JUNIOR ORDER – 43J Our Lady of Lourdes
The Junior Order, our nursing ground is a very important segment of our Noble Order which we intend to focus attention on. Installation Officer, Permit me to say a big ayekoo to all our Organisers for their time and patience for our Juniors. On this Note I appeal to all brothers to help and show interest in the activities of the Junior order. Also, let us encourage our children and the young ones in our various parishes to be interested in the Catholic catechesis thereby nurturing them for the junior order. I pledge GHs 1,000 towards their activities.
- MIS
Installation officer, we want to thank and recognise the efforts of Br Dr Henry Auwuvri and the database team for pioneering and assisting the council acquire a software system to ease data capture, retrieval and storage.
In alignment with the strategic drive of the supreme council to have a robust database system, We in council 71 need to build and have a robust database of brothers, a database to mirror our payments, investments and contributions to instil confidence in brothers and for ease of data retrieval.
To help solve the current challenge in system capacity, I donate a set of higher spec computer with a much bigger capacity and processing speed for the software to host the database. Knight Brothers, for a conducive atmosphere for the PC, I have caused to be repainted the secretariat, donated and installed a fresh air conditions system at the secretariat to replace the malfunctioning one which has served as well all these years.
CALL FOR SUPPORT
In each administration the greatest burden that the Grand Knight has to contend with is the burden of carrying the whole council along with him in unity to achieve the programs set for the year without division. As I take this burden on my shoulders this day as the 16th Grand knight of this council, I call on all of you brothers to give me your support, spiritual, material and emotional. I pray that you will not withhold your good counsel and support when approached.
I implore all of us to let us burry “the seating on the fence syndrome” or “do it and let us see syndrome” but let us hold hands to work and support the programs for the year and propel the council.
Installation officer, the forbearers of this great council have done their best. They have toiled and brought this council thus far. They will not determine the future of this council. The future of this council will be determined by the young people of this council brimming with talent, energy and hope who can shape the future of this council. This council has youth on its side, who can win or lose “the tomorrow” of the council. I am resolved that we shall win the tomorrows before us. So I ask you knight brothers to join me in that resolve to push this council forward.
I call upon you to support this council selflessly as the council also supports you. Yes we can do it because at this moment, destiny is on our side. We can do it if we hold hands united and take on the responsibility to support the activities / programs of the council.
Knight Brothers, I know it won’t be easy. It will take a lot of our time and effort, There will be setbacks. But I promise you this: I will be there to lead every step of the way and all I ask is your SUPPORT to play our part in the jigsaw puzzle.
FAREWELL
Installation officer, high officers, officers, Knight Brothers, as we gather as family to usher a new administration, and as we bow our heads in submission to Divine providence and strength to carry on the tasks entreated to us, let us also thank God for the great things he has done for us as a council and ask for his grace in the years ahead especially next year.
I take this opportunity to wish you All a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. I am indeed humbled at the opportunity to serve you as the 16th Grand knight of Council 71 and I am grateful for the honour. Thank you and God bless us all.