Ed Tydings, Education, Training & Communication Director
The mission of the Education, Training, and Communication team is to provide training and education effectively and efficiently to the leadership of the Knights of Columbus in Texas. We will support the other directorates to ensure the overall success of Texas.
Our website and social media outlets are designed to pass along valuable information and to communicate the many good deeds performed by Knights across Texas. The Texas Knight and the Finish Line will continue to be published periodically. We will communicate the successes of the diocesan and district leadership as the fraternal year progresses. Our financial secretary trainers will educate the new and established financial secretaries on how to perform their role more effectively. To foster fraternal, we will be keeping track of the Diocesan Deputy and District Deputy of the Year awards.
Constant Contact is the official email platform for the State Council. We maintain distribution lists for Diocesan Deputies, District Deputies, Grand Knights, Financial Secretaries, and others.
Financial Secretary Training – Chairman, David Solis
The financial secretary is vital to the success of a council. Our financial secretary trainers will be providing training to new and existing financial secretaries. The basic training takes about three hours. When arranging the training sessions, Diocesan Deputies are reminded that stable internet is a requirement when they arrange an in-person training session. These classes are open to all council and assembly officers and District Deputies. Trainers are also available to conduct video training via Zoom. The following trainers are available for the following dioceses:
Austin and San Antonio – Peter Donahoe, Jr.
El Paso, San Angelo – David Solis
Beaumont, Galveston-Houston, Victoria – Mike Dunn
Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Laredo – Michael Murphy
Dallas, Fort Worth, Tyler – Victor Garza
Lubbock, Amarillo – To Be Appointed
Social Media – Chairman, Josh Jones
The Social Media Chairman is responsible for planning, implementing and monitoring all social media platforms officially associated with the Texas State Council. Using various media formats to promote membership growth, council and state collaboration, while representing a positive engaging presence in both a virtual and physical world. The 2-year plan is to evolve influence through video and live streams using analytical data to aid Texas State Directors and Officers through the virtual world. We encourage all diocesan deputies to appoint a social media coordinator to work with the state chairman to post relevant information on both diocesan and state social media platforms. There is a Supreme social media policy with which each coordinator must comply.
Our social media platforms include:
Texas State Council Website – www.tkofc.org
Texas State Council Facebook page – www.facebook.com/txkofc
Texas State Council Twitter page – https://twitter.com/txkofc
Texas State Council Instagram page – https://instagram.com/txkofc
Texas State Council YouTube – www.youtube.com – search “Texas Knights of Columbus”
Webmaster, Texas Knight Editor and State Photographer – Mark Johnson
www.tkofc.org is the official Texas State Council website. It is updated with news, announcements, prayer requests, council/assembly newsletters and is a repository for the TSC forms and links to Supreme forms. It also contains an online version of the Star Guide. The communications team is always looking for articles to share worthy news with all brother Knights in the State. Articles, including pictures, are needed to have successful publications. If you post articles on Facebook be sure to also send a copy to Mark Johnson (mjohnson@creatdev.com) who will post on tkofc.org. This will enhance our visibility especially for those not engaged with social media. Join the growing list and become a Texas Knight Reporter! We will give you a byline! Everyone is asked to attend local Council, District, or Diocesan events, take digital photos, write a short story and submit for publication. Please email articles and photos to mjohnson@creatdev.com. Photos, of course, should be sharp and indivduals should be identified if possible. We suggest that the Diocesan Social Media Coordinators also serve as Texas Knight Reporters.
Texas Knight Digital News deadlines are August 1, November 1, February 1, and May 1.
Archived Photos of State Events are found at the State Council Website (www.tkofc.org), scroll to the bottom of the frontpage and select FLICKR. Photos from state events can be downloaded and enjoyed.
Awards – Scorekeeper Greg Wilson
District Deputy and Diocesan Deputy of the Year
For those leaders that meet certain monthly goals for required forms turned in, membership, charities, attendance at Diocesan Conferences, etc., a score card will be kept and reported periodically to the Diocesan Deputy to forward to the District Deputies. See the following Charts for categories & scoring for each award. Each award will be based on the results at the end of the fraternal year (June 30). Note the Awards will not be awarded until after the Star Councils have been announced at the Supreme Convention in August of the following fraternal year. This award will be awarded at the State Midyear Meeting of the following fraternal year or will be hand delivered by the State Deputy.
Texas Knight Reporter Award
For outstanding reporting of local Knights of Columbus events to the Texas Knight. Submit the Texas Knight article with any additional background or outcome information about the event. Include any local media coverage (newspaper, radio, TV, and social media) for the event from your Council demonstrating the reporter’s skills. A council may submit multiple events. Application for Award is at the end of this section and will be available on the TSC Website. Applications and links should be sent to the communications team at communications@tkofc.org The winner will receive a 10” tablet. The second and third place finishers will receive a Knights shirt. Council Communication Award
Council Communication Award
Our intent is to award those Councils for excellence in digital media communications. Please submit all digital communications – electronic newsletters and social media links for consideration. Councils should have at least quarterly digital newsletters available to all council members. All Social Media post must be on the Texas State Council Facebook page. The Council should use the hashtag #TX(your Council #). An Example is #TX1422. We will look up the hashtag and judge from there. A Council Social Media Coordinator must be appointed for the Council to qualify for this award. This verifies the Councils have been trained with the Supreme Social Media Policy through the Diocese. Application for Award will be available on the TSC Website. Applications and links should be emailed to the communications team at communications@tkofc.org by midnight March 1. Only digital entries accepted. The winner will receive a 10” tablet. The second and third place finishers will receive a Knights shirt
Presentations – Chairman Greg Brown
All Texas State Council presentations are arranged by Greg Brown.
Important Deadlines
Form 185 Report of Officers – July 1
Form 365 Report of Program Personnel – July 1
Form 1295 Semiannual Audit (January – June) – August 15
Form 2629 Report of Roundtables – September 30
Form 1728 Fraternal Survey – January 31
Form 10784 Special Olympics - Life Activity – January 31
Form 1295 Semiannual Audit (July – December) – February 15
Form 10784 Fraternal Programs Report Form - June 30 (except Special Olympics due Jan 31)
Form SP-7 Columbian Application – June 30
Form 2630 Roundtable Annual Report – June 30
IRS Form 990 or 990-n - Non-Profit Organization Tax Return
(Due based on Fraternal or Calendar Year)
Safe Environment Compliant – May 1