In 1882 in New Haven Connecticut a young priest Rev. Michael McGivney conceived the idea of a catholic fraternal society composed of catholic men. The basic principles of the Knights of Columbus are charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism. On 13 January 1920 Supreme Knight James A. Flaherty and Supreme Secretary Michael J. McGinley signed the official charter instituting Council 2082 of the Arnprior Knights of Columbus. The council at that time had 56 members.
The Arnprior Council 2082 has always closely worked with the Saint John Chrysostom Parish and Church, also located in Arnprior. Its members are active participants in the parish and the council has been prominent in its support of church and community affairs, providing monetary and man power assistance.
Council 2082 hold monthly meetings to conduct the various activities of the council, and these are attended by any member of the Knights of Columbus. The minutes of these meeting were the responsibility of the recorder and were maintained by the council. Council Bulletins were also produced outline executive reports, upcoming council activities, and names of the officers and committee members; these bulletins were mailed out to all the members of the council.
Council 2082 have used the Parish Hall, located next to Saint John Chrysostom Church on Albert Street, since 1959 for hosting a number of activities, events and meetings each year. Prior to this date, they held meetings at various places across town, including rented halls situated over the William Laderoute Barber Shop, the upper floor of the Galvin Block, and the Beamish Block which was destroyed by fire. After the fire, the Knights of Columbus held their meetings in St Joseph’s School auditorium until the new Parish Hall was completed.
Custodial History
The meeting and bulletin records were originally stored in the upper room of the St. John Chrysostom parish hall, a space used by the Knights of Columbus Arnprior Council 2082 since at least 1959, the year they began to use this space. They were on occasion borrowed by members of Council 2082 to review past meeting notes. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the council, Wayne Pickering (Past Grand Knight & District Deputy) borrowed all of the existing records to write a book of the history of the council. Unfortunately the years from 1964–1990 were missing. An extensive search was conducted with no results.
A suggestion/request was made by Rod McCallum to have the council donate their records to the Arnprior & McNab/Braeside Archives to ensure that the remaining records be safely preserved for future historical reference. The Officers of the Knights of Columbus Council 2082 approved the donation of their records to the Arnprior & McNab/Braeside Archives, and a transfer was made of the meeting minutes from 1920-1963 and 1991–2001 as well as bulletins from 1982–2000. Additional materials still in the Parish Hall were photographed and listed, and are held digitally for use of reference by researchers.
Scope and Content
The Arnprior Knights of Columbus Council 2082 was instituted in 1920 and works closely with the Saint John Chrysostom Parish, providing funds for various community projects. The Knights of Columbus fonds consists of records pertaining to the business and activities of Council 2082, arranged in two series. A description of each is provided at the series level in the database.
SERIES 1: Knights of Columbus Meeting Minutes, 1920-2001
SERIES 2: Knights of Columbus Bulletins, 1982-1999
Arrangement
2021-0405-01 Knights of Columbus Meeting Minutes, c.1920-2001
2021-0405-02 Knights of Columbus Bulletins, 1982-2000
Access Restriction
Meeting minutes are closed for the previous 100 years from current date.