Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Knights of Columbus fonds
General material designation
Parallel title
Fonds Chevaliers de Colomb
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title based on contents of the fonds.
Level of description
Fonds
Repository
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
Physical description area
Physical description
34.85 m of textual records and other material.
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
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Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
The Knights of Columbus was founded by Father Michael J. McGivney on March 29, 1882 in New Haven, Connecticut. The purpose of this fraternal organization was to help strengthen Catholicism in male parishioners and to provide life insurance for widows and orphans of deceased members. The Knights of Columbus was established in Canada on November 25, 1897. Council No. 284, the first Canadian council, was founded in Montreal, Quebec. Within 10 years, councils were established in every existing Canadian province. In Alberta, the first councils were established in January 1907, in Edmonton, Council 1184 with N.D. Beck as first Grand Knight, and Calgary, Council 1186 with Patrick J. Nolan as first Grand Knight. Patrick J. Nolan was also the first Territorial Deputy of the Knights in Alberta. Presently, Alberta is covered by the Alberta and Northwest Territories State Council. The Canadian Association of the Knights of Columbus was created in 1918 with the approval of the Supreme Board of Directors. The goal of the Association was to promote goodwill among Canadian jurisdictions and to work toward solidarity in Canadian matters and of particular concern to Canadian Knights of Columbus, to Canadian Bishops and for the good of the Order in Canada as a whole. The first meeting was held on December 2, 1918 in the Catholic Army Hut Headquarters in Ottawa. In 1922, the Canadian Superintendent of Insurance empowered the Order to write insurance policies in all provinces. The Knights of Columbus is a fraternal organization of Catholic men who are community minded and do charitable work. The members donate millions of hours in volunteer service and fund-raising efforts to their local communities and church parishes. The organization is also firmly committed to the protection of human life, from conception to natural death, and to the preservation and defense of family. Today the Knights of Columbus forms the largest catholic lay organization in the world with more than 1.5 million members. Any male Catholics, 18 years of age or older, qualify to join the Knights of Columbus. The hierarchy of the organization consists of a Supreme Council (International body), which creates and distributes the charter, constitutions and laws to the various State Councils. The state councils are composed of local councils, which are organized into districts. The states are further divided into chapters, which act as organizing bodies for the local councils to help coordinate the efforts of the various councils throughout the state. Although each level of the hierarchy has authority to create and disband lower councils, the local, state, and supreme councils operate independent of each other insofar as they are concerned with local initiatives and funding. The charter, constitution and laws of the organization are the rules that bind councils to the Knights of Columbus and adherence to those rules along with the payment of dues by members and councils up the hierarchy are what grants the various levels entry into the organization.
Name of creator
Biographical history
Custodial history
The materials were held by various members, and then deposited on a regular basis at the Provincial Archives of Alberta by the Knights of Columbus Archivist for the Alberta and Northwest Territories State Council.
Scope and content
The fonds is composed of records related to the activities of the Knights of Columbus in general, but more specifically of the Alberta/North West Territories State Council and its constituent local councils. Included are meeting minutes, financial records, programs and historical materials in multiple mediums.
Notes area
Physical condition
Also includes 1054 photographs, 35 transparencies, 1 cinefilm (16mm), 19 film loops, 6 videocassettes, 39 audio cassettes, 2 maps.
Immediate source of acquisition
Arrangement
Language of material
- The material is in French and English.
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
Access to some records is restricted. Subject to the Copyright Act. Permission for use required.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
File list available.
Associated materials
Accruals
Further accruals are expected.
General note
For the French version of this description, click <a href="https://hermis.alberta.ca/paa/Details.aspx?ObjectID=SL0004&dv=True&deptID=1" target="_blank">here</a>. Information for the administrative history obtained from the books <em>Knights of Columbus of Alberta, 1907-1980: A Dedicated History</em> (PR1995.0140/189) and <em>History of the Knights of Columbus Alberta-NWT State Council, vol. 2: 1980-1995</em>. Also used were <em>Knights of Columbus in Alberta</em> (PR1989.0423/14) and <em>Alberta-Northwest Territories Knights of Columbus State Council and Charitable Foundation, Roster 2006-2007</em>. Representatives from the organization were also consulted.<br><br>Record No. Includes the following accessions: PR1989.0068, PR1989.0370, PR1989.0423, PR1990.0268, PR1995.0040, PR1995.0077, PR1995.0078, PR1995.0140, PR1995.0239, PR1995.0258, PR1995.0462, PR1996.0159, PR1996.0483, PR1997.0116, PR1997.0784, PR1998.0410, PR1999.0357, PR2000.0772, PR2000.1305, PR2002.0221, PR2002.0644, PR2003.0467, PR2004.0943.<br><br>
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number area
Standard number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Knights of Columbus (Subject)
- Chevaliers de Colomb (Subject)