Welcome

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Catenian Association

Membership Presentation

Put simply:

What are the Catenians all about?

• FAITH • FAMILY • FRIENDSHIP • FUN

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What is the Catenian Association?

• We are an international brotherhood of Catholic men • We meet socially every month at local branches known as “

Circles

”. • We encourage each other and our families both in social life and at work 4

Structure and Membership

• The Association was founded in Manchester in 1908 • There are approximately 11,000 members, called Brothers, mostly in the UK, but also in Australia, India, Ireland, Malta, South Africa, and Zimbabwe • ‘Catena’ is Latin for ‘Chain’ • The Chain has approximately 300 links called Circles. Kenilworth is the 202nd Circle and was founded in 1961 • Circles are grouped geographically in Provinces - in the UK there are 23 Provinces 5

Structure

(continued) • We are in Province 6, the largest in the UK, with 23 Circles: Birmingham City of Birmingham City of Coventry Droitwich and District Vale of Evesham

Kenilworth

Kidderminster and District Rugby Leamington Spa City of Lichfield Shrewsbury Solihull Malvern North Warwickshire Redditch Stafford Stoke-on-Trent Stourbridge Stratford-on-Avon Streetly Sutton Coldfield Walsall Wolverhampton 6

Structure

(continued) Circles and Circle Councils Provincial Councils Grand Council (Offices in Coventry) • Each level has a Council, which is led by a President Circle President, Provincial President and Grand President • Presidents are elected annually providing frequent opportunity for change in style and social content 7

Objectives of the Association

• • • • • • Foster fraternal respect among the Members Develop social bonds between Members and their families Support Members and their dependants by individual or collective action Advance the interests of young Catholics and to assist them in the choice or pursuit of a career - Bursary Funds Establish, maintain and administer Benevolent Funds for the benefit of a Brother or a Brother’s Widow in financial difficulty Care for a Brother, his Wife, Widow or family in difficulty or need, whether morally, spiritually or financially 8

What we are Not

• Affiliated to or supportive of any Political Party • A Catholic Pressure Group • A Fund Raising Organisation except on special occasions - for example a charity is usually chosen and supported by a President in his year of office.

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Who are Members ?

• Members come backgrounds from a wide range • Many are already active in civic affairs or in the service of the Church through lay and other organisations 10

Qualification for Membership

• To be, and continue to be, a practising Roman Catholic • To be a layman and over 21 years old • To be accepted as a suitable Candidate 11

Activities at Circle Level

Monthly Meeting

• The same day of the same week e.g. Kenilworth is the third Wednesday of every month.

• Formal Meeting - Dinner follows • After Dinner Speaker, on a whole variety of topics or • Quizzes, Choral entertainment, Race Nights etc 12

Circle Activities -

Spiritual

• Prayers in Monthly meeting • President’s Annual Mass • Annual Mass for Vocation • Annual Circle Mass for Deceased Brothers • Mass on the death of a Brother 13

Circle Activities

(cont)

With Wives and Families

• Ladies’ Informal Evenings • Ladies’ Formal Dinner Dance • Social Gatherings Barbecues,Rambles, Picnics, Visit, Canal Trips, Gliding 14

Provincial Activities

• • • • • • • • Visiting other Circles (Visiting is one of the main - and one of the most enjoyable - ways of developing social bonds - e.g. local normal Monthly Meetings, while travelling or on moving home) Enjoying other Circles’ Social Functions Other Circles’ Ladies’ Formals and Informals Annual Provincial Weekend Annual Provincial Families’ Day Provincial Ball Provincial President’s Mass Annual Provincial Mass for Deceased Brothers 15

National and International Activities

• • • • • Golf - UK, Ireland and France Catenian Caravanning Fellowship Annual Association Conference Malta Week Grand President’s International Visit 16

Obligations of Membership

• • • • • To remain a practising Roman Catholic To attend the Monthly Circle Meeting regularly, even when this entails some personal inconvenience To visit other Circles to enlarge within the Brotherhood one’s friendships To participate actively in the Social Programme of the Circle and the Association To attend President’s Mass, Requiems and other religious Association occasions arranged within the 17

Obligations of Membership (cont) • To visit sick Brothers and to pray for those who have died • To pay promptly Subscriptions and other dues, including those for social functions • • To contribute realistically to the Association’s Charities

To accept Office, when practicable, and to take an active part in the Association’s affairs

• To sponsor suitable Candidates for Membership 18

What are the benefits?

Why join?

• Meet other Catholic men with similar values • Become part of a community offering lifelong support and friendship • Mix with other Catholics – “like minded people” • Be part of a group that helps each other and their families in all aspects of life • Provide your family with friendship and social activity opportunities for 19

Catenian Membership

Obvious question . . . . .

How much does it cost?

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Financial Considerations

Capitation Fee (National Association) Annual Subscription (Kenilworth) Additional Gift Aided Bursary Fund(optional) Circle Dinners (Maximum) Visits to Other Circles (say 3 a year) Social Events (Ladies’ Nights etc.) £ 32 £ 93 £ 25 £ 200 £ 75 £ 50 ===== £ 475 Approximate Total-maximum ===== The above costs depend on Circle Subscriptions and your own commitment and participation level 21

Financial Considerations

The Cost?

£400 - £500 p.a.

£8 -£10 Per week on average

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Joining Procedure

(3 - 5 Months) • • • • • • • Join Circle for Dinner (minimum 2 Dinners) Sit in on a meeting as an Observer Understand the Ethos and Objectives Get to know each other Be proposed Informal discussion with Candidate and his wife (so that she understands what her husband may be joining!) Application Form completed 23

Joining Procedure

(contd) • Application Form presented to and approved by Circle Council • • Recorded by Head Office Notification to Brothers of Circle and Province of pending Enrolment • Enrolment

Then . . . . . . it’s

. . . . . . . .

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Welcome to Kenilworth Circle

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