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A
clipping from the New Orleans Picayune of 1904 carried an account of the
appointment together with a picture of Mr. Young:
"George
W. Young, president of the Provident Bank, yesterday received the
appointment of Territorial Deputy for Louisiana for the Knights of
Columbus. This appointment was made by Edward L. Hearn of South
Framingham, Mass., Supreme Knight of the order, and the office carries
with it the honor of being the Supreme Representative in Louisiana for the
magnificent order.
"Mr.
Young, until there is a State Council organized, will be the chief
executive in the state. Among his duties will be the organization of other
councils, and when there are three or more of the councils, with a total
membership of not less than 400, a convention can be called, and a State
Council organized . . .. This appointment comes to Mr. Young as a reward
for the magnificent work he has performed in Louisiana for the
order."
The
new Territorial Deputy had been educated by the Christian Brothers in New
Orleans, and after the death of his father when he was 13 years old;
George Young was obliged to begin work. He started in wholesale grocery
houses, and rapidly rose in important posts in other firms. He became
president of the Pelican Insurance Co., then president of the Provident
Bank and Trust Co., and eventually vice‑president of the
Canal‑Louisiana Bank and Trust Co. He was also connected with the
Sun Insurance Co. Mr. Young was a devout Catholic, a friend of religious
in the city, and of Archbishop Janssens. He
was also very active in and an officer of the Society of the Holy
Spirit, working closely with Judge McGloin and many other Catholic lay
leaders of the turn of the century. When Captain Boyle approached him for
membership in the Knights of Columbus, he promptly enrolled and became one
of the charter members of No. 714. His labors for Columbianism never
ceased until his death in 1911.
Mr.
Young attended the institution of every council and every initiation
through his term as State Deputy in 1908. His standing in business and
financial circles, his extensive business and friendly contacts, his
leadership in Catholic movements, and his high reputation all served to
give the order great prestige in Louisiana, and in addition, his personal
services, energetic efforts and consistent promotional work did much to
place the order on a sound footing. It was because of this in a measure
that prominent Catholic laymen came to New Orleans for induction into the
order, coming from Shreveport, Napoleonville, Alexandria, Thibodaux and
Donaldsonville, before these points had councils of their own.Once
councils had been established at Baton Rouge, Plaquemine, Donaldsonville
and Napoleonville, besides the mother council at New Orleans, there were
enough of these groups and enough members in the Territorial jurisdiction
to warrant the organization of a State Council of the order. Mr. Young at
the end of 1905 contacted the New Haven headquarters for this purpose. In
addition, the Territorial Deputy conferred with all the Grand Knights, and
it was decided to proceed at once. On February 24, 1906, Supreme Knight
Edward L. Hearn wrote to Mr. Young:
"The
news that you have called a meeting of the councils in your state for the
purpose of forming a State Council is gratifying in the extreme, as it
augurs well for the future of the Order in your state. You are hereby
authorized to preside over said meeting, in the name of the Supreme Knight
and Board of Directors. Please make full report of the proceedings,
together with list of officers elected, giving correct address of
each."
Notification
had been made to all Grand Knights on February 21, 1906, to attend "a
convention to be held in this city (New Orleans) at 2 p.m., March 18,
1906, in the Hall of Orleans Council No. 714, corner of Union and
Carondelet Streets, for the purpose of organizing a State Council."
The following instruction was also given
"In
the absence of a Past Grand Knight, your council will proceed to elect a
member to serve in said capacity, who together with yourself (the Grand
Knight) will constitute the representatives
from your council in said convention."
Several
problems presented themselves and the mails and telegraph wires were kept
busy with inquiries and answers between Mr. Young and the New Haven
office. For example, New Orleans Council already had two Past Grand
Knights ‑ could both vote for election of State Council officers?
Are proxies permitted? "Can council instituted last Sunday at
Napoleonville send representatives?" The Grand Knight of the latter
council just elected was a member of New Orleans council, but had not yet
transferred to Assumption No. 1099 ‑ can he serve at the state
meeting? Daniel Colwell, then Supreme Secretary, graciously and promptly
answered all questions by telegrams, supplemented by letters.
Only
the Grand Knight and the member elected as second representative could
vote, the secretary stated. No, the Napoleonville Grand Knight could not
serve at the state convention, "except by courtesy of the State
Council." That council, however, was entitled to representation,
since it was already validly instituted. Supreme Knight Hearn wrote:
"The
subordinate council is represented by the Grand Knight and one Past Grand
Knight, the council deciding which Past Grand Knight shall represent them.
The fact that the past Grand Knight has once been a member of the state
convention does not entitle him to any additional privileges. To represent
the council, he must be elected by ballot. The Territorial Deputy, being
the presiding officer at the organization of the State Council, has a vote
which I presume he would exercise only in case of a tie."
On
March 18, 1906, ten official delegates met with George Young in the
chambers of New Orleans Council No. 714. The Deputy appointed, as the very
first business, Eugene Cazedessus of Baton Rouge No. 969 as acting
secretary. Those present, besides Mr. Young, were: D. B. Haggerty, Grand
Knight; and John P. Sullivan, New Orleans No. 714; L. Paul Amiss, Grand
Knight, and Mr. Cazedessus, Baton Rouge No. 969; Charles E. Hebert, Grand
Knight, and Dr. W. L. Grace, Past Grand Knight, Plaquemine No. 970; W. D.
Park, Grand Knight, and Henry A. Theriot, Ascension No. 1087; John Marks,
Grand Knight, and Judge Paul Leche, Assumption No. 1099.
After
Mr. Young had presented his letter of authority from Supreme Knight Hearn,
which was read by the secretary, the delegates were formally called and
recognized. Mr. Sullivan proposed that since Mr. Marks had been duly
elected Grand Knight of Assumption Council, although still a New Orleans
member, he be recognized as a bona fide member of the State Council, and
the motion carried unanimously. Mr. Young then explained that the purpose
of the meeting was for the election of officers, and the group moved on to
that business, after a
motion by Grand Knight Sullivan was adopted providing that nomination
include mentioning of the name without eulogies.
The
balloting brought these members into office: Mr. Young, State Deputy; L.
Paul Amiss, Baton Rouge No. 969, State Secretary; W. D. Park, Ascension
No. 1087, State Treasurer; James E. Flynne, New Orleans No. 714, State
Warden; John Marks, Assumption No. 1099, State Advocate; representative to
the National Council, Dennis B. Haggerty, New Orleans No. 714, and
alternate, Judge Paul Leche, Ascension No. 1087.
Rev.
Ernest P. Gueymard, S.M., was proposed for State Chaplain, and this was
approved by Church authorities. Father Gueymard, as we noted, was a native
of Iberville Parish, who had joined the Society of Mary, or the Marist
Fathers, the religious who operated Jefferson College at Convent, La., and
had charge of the parish church there and, at Paulina, La., also Holy Name
of Mary Church, Algiers. Father Gueymard at the time was assistant at the
latter church, under the pastorate of Father Tom Larkin. Father Gueymard
was deeply interested in the Knights of Columbus from the very first
establishment of the order in New Orleans, and he was very enthusiastic
about its beneficial effects among laymen. Through error, in early records
and on letters, Father Gueymard is listed with the initials "C.M."
after his name. They should be "S.M." Mr. Haggerty was nominated
for State Deputy, but he declined, and Mr. Hebert declined the nomination
for Warden. All other posts were unopposed. Mileage provisions were
adopted, as was Mr. Marks' motion that the domicile of the State Council
be at the place of residence of the State Deputy.
Mr.
Sullivan then proposed the first activity of the State Council, which was
duly adopted. This was the formation of a committee composed of each
council in the state to arrange for participation of all Knights in the
forthcoming welcome of Archbishop Blenk to New Orleans. This ended the
organizational meeting of the State Council.
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