by Laurel | January 24th, 2012
Knights of Columbus Building
24 January 1904
To Observe 10th Anniversary
History of the Council and Its Charter Members
The Holyoke Council, Knights of Columbus, are planning to celebrate their 10th Anniversary early in March — their anniversary falls upon the 4th, but some more convenient day may be selected. The order has prospered in Holyoke, and its list of 33 charter members has swelled to 175 or more, including many of the best-known business and professional men of the city. The order was young in the state at the time the Holyoke council was instituted, although the Home City council of your city had been organized for about two years — soon after, in fact, the organization of the first one in the state the Bunker Hill Council of Boston, Springfield’s being the second one formed. This was in the beginning, but the order has grown and spread so that today it numbers in the country 38,000 insurance members and has a total membership of 115,000. The insurance is practically on an old-line basis and is considered to be on broad lines. There is about $1,000,000 invested for the policy holders.
The Holyoke council was organized by Thomas H. Cummings of Boston and Dr. A. J. Flanagan of Springfield, and instituted by James E. Hayes and suite of Boston. It was a big time for Holyokers, over 400 being present from all about the state, including Congressman W. S. McNary, Dr. Mellen and C. J. Driscoll of Chicopee, Dr. A. J. Flanagan, J. H. Clune and others of your city, and several from Boston and Worcester. The exercises took place at the Red Men’s hall in what was then O’Neill’s building, now owned by the Aldermen, on the evening of March 4, 1894. The first officers were as follows: Grand Knight, Daniel W. Kenney; Deputy Grand Knight, Milton F. Druce; Chaplain, Rev. P. J. Griffin; Chancellor, W. T. Burns; Financial Secretary, James J. Dowd; Recording Secretary, Dr. J. W. Scolly; Treasurer, Pierre Bonvouloir; Warden, John J. Sullivan; Outside Guard, John J. Sheehan; Inside Guard, D.F. Cleary; Physician, Dr. J. F. Buckley; Trustees, F. F. O’Neill, John Wall and Rev. P. J. Griffin. Of the officers and the charter members only one has since died — Dr. Buckley; though several have moved to other places. The list of charter members is as follows: —
J.J. Kirkpatrick, Dr. John W. Scolly, John J. Sheehan, D.W. Kenney, J.L. Tighe, Frank G. Yohn, D.J. O’Connell, T.J. Dillon, Dr. P.T. O’Reilly, Dr. F.J. Cloutier, James J. Reardon, John R. Callahan, James J. Dowd, W.T. Burns, Charles O’Connell, Dr. J.F. Buckley, C.T. Callahan, John T. Sullivan, Michael lynch, Daniel J. Cloutier, Dr. S.A. Mahoney, Eugene F. Kane, M.H. Shine, M.F. Druce, Dr. J.W. Coughlan, William Greeley, T.J. McCarthy, William O’Connell, P.J. Murray, Dr. John T. O’Connor, Pierre Bonvouloir, J.P. Fitzsimmons, Michael E. Cummings, D.F. Cleary, J.P. Hobart, M.J. Geran, John F. Shea, Joseph St. Martin, Thomas W. McCabe, T.J. Carmody, C.J. Doyle, J.H. O’Connell, E.F. O’Connor, F.F. O’Neill and Lawrence O’Neill.
From The Springfield Republican.
