Tennessee Knights of Columbus

Memphis man takes reins of
Tennessee Knights of Columbus

By Andy Telli - Public Relations Consultant

Bob Rounsefell was inspired by his father to become a Knight of Columbus nearly 59 years ago. He once again followed in his father’s footsteps when he became an insurance agent for the Knights, selling life insurance to members of the order.

He ultimately went beyond his father’s lead, and on July 10, was installed as the Tennessee State Deputy, the leader of the Catholic men’s fraternal society in the state.

The Knights of Columbus “were very important to my father,” Rounsefell, a parishioner at St. Francis of Assisi Church in the Memphis suburb of Cordova and a member of Council 9317 there. “My father to me was the ultimate father, the ultimate man.”

Rounsefell attended his first Supreme Convention with his father in 1947. There were about 400 people there, he said. In 2007, the Supreme Convention, held in Nashville, was attended by about 2,600 people, he noted.

“I’ve had a lot of fun,” Rounsefell said of his time in the Knights.

With 1.7 million members worldwide, the Knights of Columbus is one of the largest organizations of lay Catholics in the world and is open to all Catholic men 18 and older. It was founded in 1882, in part, to care for the widows and children of Catholic men who died. The primary tool to do that was the creation of a life insurance program that still flourishes today.

Rounsefell’s father became one of the first full-time insurance agents for the Knights, and Rounsefell later did the same after he retired from the U.S. Army in 1972. After two successful years as an agent in North Carolina, he moved to Tennessee in 1974 to become a general agent, supervising all the order’s insurance agents in Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama and part of Virginia.

After retiring as general agent in 2000, Rounsefell served as the order’s state membership director and a district deputy working with several councils before becoming a state officer and advancing through the various posts, culminating with his installation as state deputy at the end of the kick-off meeting for councils in Middle Tennessee, held at St. Edward Church in Nashville.

Three years ago, Rounsefell fell ill and nearly died. “I thought it was all over,” he said. After his recovery, he said, he decided “that God must have more for me to do and maybe it’s to be the State Deputy in Tennessee.”

His goals for his tenure are to increase the Knights’ membership in Tennessee from 11,000 to 12,000, to establish at least six new councils, reduce membership losses, improve charitable giving by the councils in the state, expand the order, and try to develop more leaders.

“I found the order in good shape,” Rounsefell said, crediting the work of the immediate Past State Deputy Mike Porter, a parishioner at St. Stephen Catholic Community in Nashville.

Rounsefell spent 23 years in the Army, most of it with Special Forces. In the Knights, “I find the same caliber of … man I found in the Special Forces,” he said.

The Special Forces motto, he said, is “De Oppresso Liber,” a Latin phrase that means “To Liberate the Oppressed.” The Knights work to liberate people oppressed by health problems and poverty, he said.

“The greatest feeling in the world is helping someone else,” Rounsefell said. Founded on the principles of charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism, the Knights are a vehicle to do just that, he said. In 2009, the Knights around the world raised and donated more than $151 million to charitable needs and projects and volunteered more than 69 million hours to charitable causes.

“Once people see what we can do, they become enthused,” Rounsefell said. “The Knights of Columbus have a lot to offer.”

Other state officers installed on July 10 included: Mike Wills, state secretary, Council 5207, parishioner at All Saints Church in Knoxville; John Park, state treasurer, Council 9586, parishioner at St. Edward Church in Nashville; Steve Comm, state advocate, Council 8354, parishioner at St. Ignatius of Antioch Church in Nashville; Tracy Staller, state warden, Council 12961, parishioner of Holy Family Church in Seymour; Mike Porter, immediate past state deputy, Council 9282, parishioner at St. Stephen Catholic Community in Old Hickory.

Several Middle Tennessee District Deputies, who work with Knights of Columbus councils in their area, also were installed on July 10, including: Hal Bunjour, District 6, a member of Council 3537 and parishioner at Immaculate Conception Church in Clarksville; Mike Gilles, District 7, a member of Council 7447 and a parishioner at St. Catherine Church in Columbia; Mike Wiedemer, District 8, a member of Council 3431 in Winchester and a parishioner of Good Shepherd Church; Tom Roche, District 9, a member of Council 11925 and a parishioner at St. Ann Church in Nashville; and Joe Fertitta, Distict 10, a member of Council 10010 and a parishioner at St. John Vianney Church in Gallatin.

During the meeting, Rounsefell presented a check for $7,000 to Bishop David Choby. The money came from the Knights annual Bishop’s Burse collection, which is divided equally among the three bishops of Tennessee.

Bishop Choby said the money would be used to help seminarians of the Diocese of Nashville to participate in a program that allows them to study in Rome for six to eight weeks during the summer.

Dan Schachle, the Knights general insurance agent in Tennessee, also presented a check for $1,622 to Bishop Choby to assist the diocese’s vocations efforts. The money was raised during the annual golf tournament held as part of the 2010 state convention. The proceeds from the tournament were divided among the three dioceses.

IMPORTANT Updated IRS 990 Tax Information PLEASE READ	08/22/10
	08/08/10
Council 9132 Golf Tournament 2010 is coming August 28, 2010	07/21/10
The 7th Annual Knoxville Blue Mass hosted by council 645 on Sept. 11, 2010	07/21/10
6099 - Let's get ready to GOLF ! (2010 Golf Tournament Flyer) Sept. 11, 2010	07/02/10
The outgoing State Deputy's final Newsletter and June Council Newsletters	06/01/10
Photos from the State Convention are now available	05/10/10
A wonderful way to pray the Rosary on-line www.comepraytherosary.org	01/30/10
Created a page specifically for Veterans Affairs related news (Click Here)	01/17/10

Council 6099 has given us the opportunity to see how they put together a New Member Welcome Package. This information can help your councils create your own packages.

Father Michael J. McGivney Guild

Support the Knights of Columbus cause for Father McGivney.
Visit this website www.fathermcgivney.org for more information.

Wanted: Career Life Agents

Tennessee Knights of Columbus State Deputy Bob Rounsefell presents a check for $7,000 to Nashville Bishop David Choby. The money was raised as part of the Knights’ annual Bishop’s Burse collection, which is divided equally among the three bishops of Tennessee.

General Insurance Agent Dan Schachle presents a check for $1,622 to Nashville Bishop David Choby to assist the diocese’s vocations efforts. The money was raised during the annual golf tournament held as part of the 2010 state convention. The proceeds from the tournament were divided among the three dioceses.