Our History

The early years: 1958-1965

Example Council No. 1234 was chartered on March 9, 1958, when a group of twelve founding members from the Village Community Hall petitioned the Supreme Council for a local charter. The founding Grand Knight, Walter T. Higgins, a World War II veteran and owner of the village hardware store, led the council's first meeting in the basement of the old meeting house on April 2, 1958.

In its earliest days, the council met wherever space could be found -- the rectory basement, the back room of Higgins Hardware, and eventually the newly built community hall once construction finished in 1961. Membership grew quickly in those first years, swelling from the original twelve charter members to nearly eighty by 1965, fueled largely by returning veterans and young fathers looking for a way to serve their new chapter community.

Building a home: 1966-1978

By the mid-1960s, the council had outgrown the community hall and began raising funds for a home of its own. Members held fish fries, raffles, and an annual Fourth of July carnival to raise money for a building fund. Ground was broken on the current council hall at 123 Main Street in the spring of 1971, with much of the labor donated by members themselves -- carpenters, electricians, and laborers within the council's own ranks.

The Example Council Hall was formally dedicated on October 14, 1973, with Mayor Francis Kowalczyk presiding over the dedication. The hall quickly became a hub not just for council business, but for weddings, wakes, blood drives, and community meetings -- a role it continues to play today.

Growth and service: 1979-2000

The 1980s and '90s saw the council expand its charitable footprint well beyond our own walls. The council partnered with the Village Food Pantry starting in 1984, a relationship that continues to this day. In 1991, under Grand Knight Raymond Delgado, the council launched its now-signature Christmas Toy Drive, which in its first year provided gifts to 40 local families and has since grown to serve well over 200 families annually.

The council also became a fixture of civic life during this period, sponsoring the Village Memorial Day parade beginning in 1988 and establishing a college scholarship fund for graduating local students in 1995.

Recent history: 2001-present

Membership dipped in the early 2000s along with national trends, prompting the council to revitalize its recruitment efforts. A renewed focus on young families and men's fellowship formation programs helped stabilize membership through the 2010s. The council hall underwent a major renovation in 2016, including a new roof, updated kitchen, and accessibility improvements funded largely through member donations and a community capital campaign.

Today, Example Council No. 1234 numbers just over 150 members and remains one of the most active councils in the district, continuing the work its twelve founders began in 1958: serving God, family, community, and country.