COUNCIL INFORMATION
Established March 1, 1908, the Knights of Columbus is a Catholic, Family, Fraternal, Service organization serving members in Dewey, Nowata, Pawhuska (Shidler and Barnsdall), and Bartlesville.
The Knights history from the St John Parish Centennial Book 1906-2006
"Councils of the Knights of Columbus are not assigned to an individual church. They are organized internationally and catholics belonging to several parishes may be members of a council. Council 1302 currently has members in Dewey, Nowata and Pawhuska, in addition to Bartlesville," said Dick Bresson.
The Bartlesville Council 1302 had its petition to exist and meet approved by the National Council on March 1, 1908. "Although we have no information about where they met initially, we do know they met on the second floor of the school building after it was built in 1912" said Bob Carle. Bob, a past Grand Knight, and Mary Lou Bresson remember the room as "mysterious" and believed that is why the 7th and 8th grades were moved into the Community Hall after 1920 even though the Knights followed the pupils there when they began to meet in the Community Hall, later called the Parish Hall, across the street, east of the church. Additionally in 1912, "the Knights celebrated Columbus Day in Tulsa on October 12, with Councils all over Oklahoma," as stated in the Bartlesville Examiner Enterprise (9/4/1912).
Joe Govreau, the early Catholic settler who owned the leather and harness shop, was secretary of the Knights of Columbus in 1920.
The Knights have raised money to support the youth, church, community and families in Bartlesville. They have sold candy, held breakfasts and cooked dinners in order to donate the income from these events to various charitable organizations throughout the community, state, and world.
In the 1940's, during the war years, the Knights sponsored a Saint Patrick's Day Dinner: however, the first St. Patrick's dance was help in 1932 according to the Annual Financial Report and raised $53.45 Also in 1944 the Knights sponsored a softball team which competed in the city Church League. They won the championship in 1945. The sixteen players were:
Dan Calnan, Dick Brown, Bill McFaddin, Robert Hagenhoff, Leo Glahn, John Plein, Frank Kempa, Jimmy McNulty, Tony Gamino, John Curran, Wm. J. Swift, Don Calnan, Ray Quintana, Wilbur Phelan, Jimmy McGinnis, and Ted Synos.
The Knights have sponsored teams to compete in the Oklahoma State Council Catechetical Lenten Quiz for over forty years. It was a religious quiz competition. The contest prize was the State Championship Traveling Trophy. The team that won the first two times was lead by Roland Harrison Sr. and included John Carroll, Dick Dietz, John Vitt, and Robert Velgos. The third win came several years later when the team included Charlie Ellis, captain, and Dick Dietz, Dan Willis, Jim Wallace, Dick Duesler and Leon Fortner. Council 1302 was allowed to keep the traveling trophy after their third win. It stands in the display case at Saint John Before the Latin Gate's Conference Room One with other Knight's Memorabilia. Ray Shindler led a team consisting of Mike Hackman and Hank Hankinson. They won three times and were awarded a statue of the Blessed Mother that stands in the chapel. Deacon Jim Black and his wife Donna led teams too. The team that included their daughters Rebekah, Sarah, and Susanna won the statue of the Sacred Heart that stands in Saint John School.
All adult catholic males in Nowata, Dewey, Pawhuska, Bartlesville, Barsdall, Shidler and surrounding communities are invited to become members of the Knights of Columbus and participate in their service projects, fundraising, and worship activities.
Past State Deputies for our Council
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1914-1916
J.H. McMorrow
1959-1961
Clifford A. Sousa
1993-1995
H.Michael Sullivan Jr.
2011-2013
Daniel P. Hogan