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On
the following July 1, 1928, State Deputy Thomas M. Callahan of Lafayette
took office. Like his predecessor, he was chosen for three terms in
office, ending his administration at the end of June, 1931. He had long
been extremely active in affairs of the order, but for him affiliation
with the Knights of Columbus was far more than mere passive membership,
and office in the order was far more than mere honor. In Columbian ideals
and principles, and in the laws and requirements of the order, Mr.
Callahan was a rigorist, and within the bounds of charity anything that
impinged upon them aroused not only his ire, but also his active efforts
to thwart or suppress it. He was a
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Knight
in every sense of the word, ever seeking to exemplify the true meaning of
knighthood in the order, and he required nothing less from everyone in his
jurisdiction.
His
administration was cast in a difficult period, a continuation of apathy or
indifference towards fraternalism that had set in some years previously,
following the end of the K. C. war work, and a consequent continuation in
membership decline. The Wall Street crash occurred within a year after Mr.
Callahan assumed the post of State Deputy, and by the time that he
relinquished the reins of office in 1931 economic and employment
conditions neared their worst status in the nation's history. While all of
this imposed anxiety and pressure upon the new State Deputy, it also
brought out all of his fine ability and admirable qualities for leadership
to carry on despite all odds.
The
Supreme Council had sensed the trend in fraternal organizations and during
the days of reaction in the 1920s placed strong emphasis on signing
insurance members. This was stressed at the Supreme Conventions and
reported to the State Conventions, which in turn passed the call on to the
subordinate Councils. As already noted, this aroused some resentment at
state meetings of the 1920s among associate members. But Supreme Director
Guste, State Deputy Callahan, and Special Agent Michael J. O'Leary, who
visited Councils in Louisiana in 1929 and 1930, all continued to stress
the insurance membership. As a result of all this, although the number of
associate members declined steadily, the roster of insurance members
increased. When Mr. Callahan took office in 1928, the state listed 3122
insurance members; this increased to 3276 in the following year, then to
3452 in 1930, and to 3715 in 1931. This continued, after a let‑down
in 1932 and 1933, and by 1935, insurance members exceeded associates. This
condition continued through 1944. What it brought out was that the
insurance members had saved the order in the state, and nationally as
well, in its darkest days of the depression, besides the days of reaction.
It also reveals that the bulk of the efforts in obtaining new members was
directed at insurance prospects.
Only
two Councils were organized in the state during the administration of
State Deputy Callahan, Kenner and Slidell. At a joint meeting of Councils
in District No. 1, on June 5, 1929, at Council No. 714 Hall in New
Orleans, the baby Council of the state was welcomed. This was Kenner
Council No. 2717. Mike McDonald was lauded for his initiative and work in
obtaining more than 40 candidates for the new Council. The initiation took
place some time before this meeting, but the charter was not obtained
until July 11, 1929. Judge John Fitzgerald was elected the first Grand
Knight. The new Council held an initiation on March 16, 1930, for 30 new
members, under direction of District Deputy Jay Schoen. Past officers of
the New Orleans Council conferred the first and second degrees, and the
New Orleans team exemplified the third degree. Unfortunately, the Kenner
Council, undertaken amid so much enthusiasm and as the fruit of much hard
work, did not survive the depression.
In
1930, Slidell Council No. 2732 was instituted, following efforts of
zealous Knights of the area over a period of some two or three years to
have a home Council, instead of having to travel out to Covington or
Bogalusa. Members of old Covington Council No. 1380 who resided in the
vicinity of Slidell were included in the charter members, together with 23
candidates, making a total roster of 37 in the charter list. The Supreme
Council issued the charter on July 24, 1930, and the first meeting was
under the direction of energetic,
efficient District Deputy his visit as something special, and that
efforts to have Councils carry out their obligations and programs should
be left to the District Deputies.
During
his first year as State Deputy, Mr. Callahan created one new district to
reduce the burden of work and visits of the District Deputies. The
District Deputies for 1929-1930 were Jay R. Schoen, Emmett A. Herring,
Charles J. Tassin, Judge Sam A. LeBlanc, Whitney E. Oubre, A. V. Allain,
C. T. Bienvenu, Vance Plauche, Leo A. Turregano, J. D. Rusca and Leopold
Lejeune. |
