State Award Updates

Awards Resource

 

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The forms with which you can apply for all State Awards are available here on the website or from me. My contact information is at the bottom of this page.

Overall Programs Entry Form or a copy of your SP-7 – This will assist in judging. This year like every year, you have the option of either completing the “Overall Program Entry Form” or sending a copy of your councils 2022-2023 SP-7. Include programs conducted from April 2022 to April 1, 2023. Remember, this submission is for state award purposes only and it does not replace the submission of the SP-7 to Supreme for the Columbian Award or Star Council. Do not forget to send your SP-7 into Supreme to be eligible for these! A council must have earned the State Officers Award of Excellence to be eligible for the Overall Program Award.

State Council Service Program Award Entry Form – Use this form to report, in detail, the four most significant projects your council conducted this year. Submit only ONE project report for each of the four categories [Faith, Family, Life and Community]. You may use ONE copy of the form for EACH of the categories. The form will act as a cover sheet, and you may attach additional detail sheets as needed. This form (STSP) is available on both the State and Supreme websites. Each of these programs are evaluated based on seven criteria. These criteria are listed below. Make sure that you clearly provide information on each of the seven areas or else you will not receive any points in that area. Each of the seven areas are weighted equally during judging.

  1. Nature of the Activity: Does it demonstrate the objectives of the service program?
  2. Participation of Membership: How many members and what percentage participated?
  3. Results: What benefits were derived from sponsorship of this project/program?
  4. Program originality: was the program something new?
  5. Committee planning: How effectively was the program organized? How detailed was the planning?
  6. Delegation of Responsibility: How many members served as planners, chairpersons, workers, etc.?
  7. Publicity: How effectively was the program publicized? How was it publicized?

 

State Winners will be submitted to the Supreme Competition. If your council submits more than one program in any category, all these forms will be returned to the council’s grand knight or financial secretary without being judged. The council can then resubmit ONE program for judging in that area. The deadline of April 1 will not be extended in these situations, so please make sure to only submit ONE program for each of the four categories.

Knight of the Year – Nominate one member of your council who has contributed significantly in the areas of Faith, Family, Life and Community. The Minnesota Knight of the Year will be selected based on the information provided. The form (found on the website) will act as a cover sheet, and you may attach additional detail sheets as needed.

Family of the Year – Your council’s nomination should be based on the criteria found on the Family of The Year form. The form (found on the website) will act as a cover sheet, and you may attach additional detail sheets as needed. The State Winner will be submitted to the Supreme Competition. The winning family of the Supreme Competition will receive a free trip to the Supreme Convention.

 

Scrapbook Competition – Bring your council’s scrapbook to the 2023 State Convention to be judged. Scrapbooks should be for the current year of programing only and should not include anything from past years. The scrapbook should be an actual book or 3 ring binder or some kind of flip book. (This does not include poster boards, slide shows, or electronic scrapbooks). Please turn in your scrapbook at the registration table when you register your delegates on Friday night or Saturday morning. Scrapbooks submitted after 9AM on Saturday will not be included for judging so make sure you get there early. If your council intends to enter a scrapbook into the competition, notify me by email (rbalausky@gmail.com) or (programdirector@mnknights.org) or by including a letter with your other award submissions.

Councils that do not achieve State Participant Award are not eligible for the Scrapbook Competition. Your council must also be Compliant with your Safe Environment Member Status.

Any council program conducted since April 1, 2022 that was not submitted for last year’s competition, is eligible for this year’s awards. Any program that was submitted before, may NOT be resubmitted unless significant changes occurred to that program. You will find more qualification details in all online versions of the state newspaper and on the pages following this letter. Award Application forms not mailed to the State Program Director and POSTMARKED by April 1, 2023, will not be considered for the award competition. I look forward to receiving your 4 State Council Service Program Award entries, your Knight of the Year entries, and your Family of the Year entries, and to viewing your scrapbooks at the convention.

 

Councils that do not achieve at least State Participant Award are not eligible for any program award judging.

Non – Competitive State Council Awards

Program Achievement Awards are based on merit, participation, and numbers accumulated at the Supreme Office and the Minnesota Office.

  1. Plaquettes are awarded to recognize council achievement in Programs

White – Participant Award

Red – State Program Director Award

Blue – State Officers Award of Excellence

  1. Certificates are presented to each grand knight denoting his council’s achievement in receiving one of these three program awards.
  2. Certificates are presented to a district deputy when 100% of the councils in his district achieve at least the Participant Award.
  3. Plaques are presented to the district deputy if 100% of the councils in his district achieve the State Officers’ Award of Excellence.

 

Participant Award Requirements

  1. File Form 185 (newly elected officers) by July 1st
  2. File Form 365 (list of appointed directors and committee chairs) by July 1st
  3. File Form 1728 (fraternal year survey) by January 31st
  4. All State and Supreme bills paid
  5. All Intellectual Disability (Tootsie Roll) funds and reports filed from previous year
  6. Show evidence of membership recruitment
  7. Conduct at least one program in each of the four major categories

(Faith, Community, Life, and Family)

  1. File Midyear Audit by January 31st
  2. File End of Year Audit for previous council year
  3. Complaint with Youth Protection Training and Safe Environment Member Status

 

Director Award

Council must fulfill all 10 of the requirements for the Participant Award, plus

  1. Show positive membership intake. (Recruit at least 1 new member)
  2. Conduct at least two programs in each of the four major categories

(Faith, Community, Life, and Family)

 

State Officers Award of Excellence

Council must fulfill all 10 of the requirements for the Participant Award, plus:

  1. Show positive membership increase.
  2. Conduct at least four programs in each of the four major categories

(Faith, Community, Life, and Family)

 

State Fund Contribution Awards

 

Pennies for Seminarians

Participant Awards

  1. Plaque or adhesive year plate given to each council that contributes at least $2 per active

member** (new plaque given when plaque if filled with year plates)

  1. Councils may qualify through June 30th (last day of fraternal year)

 

Jim Campbell Religious Scholarship Fund

Participant Awards

  1. Plaque or adhesive year plate given to each council that contributes at least $2 per active member** (new plaque given when plaque if filled with year plates)
  2. Councils may qualify through June 30th (last day of fraternal year)

**active membership is based on total membership reported by the Supreme Council on July 1st minus inactive members and honorary life members listed on the same report

 

 

 

Competitive State Awards

The council must qualify for the State Officers Award of Excellence to be eligible for Overall Program judging.   All other areas of competitive judging require a minimum qualification of Participant Award.

Submissions are judged by committees composed of grand knights, district deputies, and state team members.

Councils may submit ONLY ONE program in each of the four categories for judging in that category. Each council may have ONLY 4 entries total, consisting of only ONE program for Faith, ONE program for Family, ONE program Life, and ONE for Community.

 

Overall Program Award Requirements

Council must fulfill all 10 of these requirements to be eligible of consideration for this award:

  1. File Form 185 (newly elected officers) by July 1st
  2. File Form 365 (list of appointed directors and committee chairs) by July 1st
  3. File Form 1728 (fraternal year survey) by January 31st
  4. All State and Supreme bills paid
  5. All Intellectual Disability (Tootsie Roll) funds and reports filed from previous year
  6. Show membership increase
  7. Conduct list at least four programs in each of the four major categories

(Faith, Community, Life, and Family)

  1. File Midyear Audit by January 31st
  2. File End of Year Audit for previous council year
  3. Complaint with Youth Protection Training and Safe Environment Member Status

 

 

Best Overall Program Awards – Two plaques are awarded

  1. First place Outstanding Overall Program
  2. Second place Excellent Overall Program

 

 

 

Family of the Year (plaque provided by State)

  1. Selected from entries received with End of Year Reports
  2. Plaque presented at State Convention Banquet
  3. Winning entry sent to Supreme and entered into the Supreme Council Competition

 

Knight of the Year (plaque provided by State)

  1. Selected from entries received with End of Year Reports
  2. Plaque presented at State Convention Banquet

 

Individual Competitive Program Awards

 

Submissions in the four major categories of Faith, Family, Life and Community, will be judged for content and presentation based on:

  1. Nature of Activity: Does it demonstrate the objectives of the service program?
  2. Participation of Membership: How many members and what percentage participated?
  3. Results: What benefits were derived from sponsorship of this project/program?
  4. Program Originality: Was the program something new?
  5. Committee Planning: How effectively was the program organized? How detailed was the planning?
  6. Delegation of Responsibility: How many members served as planners, chairpersons, workers, etc.?
  7. Publicity: How effectively was the program publicized? How was it publicized?
  8. Program submitted last year may NOT be submitted again unless there have been notable changes or major enhancements to the program.

 

 

Supreme Service Awards (plaques provided by Supreme)

  1. One presented for each of the four major categories (Faith, Community, Life, and Family) to the council with the single most outstanding program in that area
  2. The four winning entries are sent to Supreme and entered into the Supreme Council Competition

 

State Service Awards (plaques provided by State)

  1. Two presented for each of the four major categories (Faith, Community, Life, and Family) to the council with the second (and third) most outstanding project in that area
  2. The Supreme Service Award winner is not eligible for either of the plaques in that category

 

Scrapbook Award (plaque provided by State)

  1. One award given for outstanding scrapbook present at the State Convention.
  2. Council must be current with Safe Environment Member Status.
  3. Council must earn at least the Participant award to qualify for Scrapbook judging.

 

 

 

Vivat Jesus!

Randy Balausky

State Program Director

400 Pebble Beach Dr.

Owatonna, MN 55060

rbalausky@gmail.com

507-213-9862

 

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