Don Bosco Squires Circle # 548
1300 Northern Blvd. Manhasset, NY 11030
Fr. Prior: Rev. Jiha Lim
Chief Squire: John Palmadessa
Deputy Chief Squire: Peilong Yang
Chief Counselor: Frank De Lucia
ABOUT US
WHO WE ARE
The Columbian Squires is an international fraternity of approximately 25,000 Catholic young men, ages 10 to 18, in over 1,500 circles worldwide. Circles exist, or have existed, throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Panama, Cuba, the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and on U.S. military bases abroad. Local Knights of Columbus councils and assemblies sponsor Squire circles, which may be based either in a council/assembly hall, in a parish building, a parochial, private, public or military school, or on a military installation. The Squires involves young men in programs to benefit the Church, the community, as well as in recreational and social activities.
HISTORY
In 1923, a La Salle Christian Brother named Barnabas McDonald was charged by the Knights of Columbus Supreme Council with the development of a program for young Catholic men to help improve “the spiritual, cultural, civic, social and physical improvement of its members, and the development of their leadership qualities," (section II, Article II of the Laws and Rules of the Columbian Squires). On August 4, 1925 the activation of Duluth Circle #1 in Duluth, Minn., began the Columbian Squires program.
OUR HISTORY
The Don Bosco Circle # 548 was originally organized and recognized as a Squires Circle in the Knights of Columbus on September 14, 1947. After a period of dormancy beginning in the 1960s, the Circle was re-activated by the Fr. William A. Daley Knights of Columbus Council on November 09, 2010. There were 10 original members with membership almost tripling in the first year. The first Chief Squire sought different ways to lead these young men during the first year. He brought the group together by focusing on the first principle of the Knights of Columbus: “Charity”. The Chief Squire led the group by undertaking a raffle to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation, resulting in the Circle donating $5,000 to the Foundation in June of 2011. The group’s hard work was rewarded with the Circle receiving the Brother Barnabas Award in its first year, an award which recognizes the 25 best activities conducted by local Circles throughout the USA, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, and Guam. Quite an accomplishment for a group of young men that have only begun to work together!
WHAT WE DO
FUNDRAISING FOR CHARITIES
- Charitable donations: On behalf of the Church of St. Mary, we organize an annual raffle event to raise money for charities.
- We have donated to the following organizations:
- Catholic Near East Welfare Association - CNEWA ( www.cnewa.org )
- Life Center of Long Island ( www.lifecenterli.org )
- Make-A-Wish Foundation ( www.wish.org )
- Seminarians of the Diocese of Rockville Centre ( www.dunwoodie.edu )
CHURCH AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT
- Church support: Ushering during holiday Masses, collections and altar serving.
- Support for vocations: Squires provide monetary and moral support for seminarians and postulants who are preparing for the priesthood or religious life.
HAVE FUN
- We attend hockey games and baseball games.
- We play basketball, dodge ball and football.
- We do Kart Racing at Pole Position Raceway (www.polepositionraceway.com).
- We hold X-box competitions.
- We throw Christmas parties and organize events like Medieval Times and trip to the annual Squires Conventions.
- Discover what it means to be Catholic: including Eucharistic Adoration, Stations of the Cross, and film presentations.
FUNDRAISING 2018 RESULTS
Thank you to all the Church of Saint Mary Parishioners and neighbors for your support.
The grand total proceeds from the raffle is $10,981.00.
We presented checks to eight Seminarians of the Diocese of Rockville Centre totaling $4000.00, the Life Centre of Long Island for $2,500.00 and Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) for 3,500.00 (with a match of 3,500.00) totaling $13,500.00 in donations.
The Don Bosco Squires have been practicing the first principle of the Knight of Columbus "Charity" since the Circle reactivation in 2009, totaling $62,800.00 in donations.
MEMBERSHIP
BECOME A SQUIRE
- The Squires is designed to develop young men as leaders who understand their Catholic religion, who have a strong commitment to the Church and who are ready, willing and capable of patterning their lives after the Youth Christ.
- A Squires circle must be sponsored by a council or assembly, but is run by and for young men, under the guidance of several Knights, who serve as counselors. Squires are to be leaders, thus, to the degree they are able, they are given the opportunity to lead, by running their own meetings, investing their own members, setting their circle's agenda and implementing their program of activities.
- Squires have fun. They meet new friends; they travel, play sports and socialize. Squires are serious-minded, too. Squires are involved in promoting vocations, marching in defense of unborn life, feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, supporting Special Olympics and promoting Catholic education, among countless other activities. Thus, the Squires circle is an athletic team, a youth group, a social club, a cultural and civic improvement association, a management training course, a civil rights organization and a spiritual development program all rolled into one.
JOIN US
- We have a Squires Recruitment Committee in action, which is actively looking for new members.
- For information, please email our chief counselor Frank De Lucia at fxd@aol.com and/or join our meetings as a guest every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month in the Marian Room at the Church of Saint Mary (1300 Northen Boulevard, NY 11030).
EVENTS 2019
- Feb 10th - Visit to St. Joseph Seminary
- May 27th - Memorial Day Parade
- TBD - Visit to St. Patrick's Cathedral
- TBD - RPM Raceway Trip
- TBD - Raffle ticket sales
