Blue Knights Boys' Club tm

I'd like to introduce myself....

2012-01-08T15:43:00.000-05:00

My name is Kathy S. I live in the Midwest and have for most of my life. I have 6 children, 4 boys, 2 girls ages 9 years-18 months.

In the summer of 2011, a friend who was very invested in the Girl Scouts decided to quit and she and I simultaneously began a Little Flowers group and a Blue Knights group. I had been sitting on the information for a couple of years and it was very helpful to have someone to work with and motivate me.

It has been a very busy and fruitful learning experience. Our 12 Knights are mostly third grade and under. It is a very energetic group. We have been blessed with a great meeting location, that allows us use of a large parish hall, plenty of room to run for games. There is a sign up sheet for dads to lead the virtue talk, but the moms are there for room management, craft, snack, etc. We have also gotten volunteers from the community to talk to the Knights. For example, we had a local attorney who is a Deacon speak about justice.

When seeking a location we purposely contacted a parish that no longer had a school. The school closed several years ago because of declining enrollment. We thought that the parish may appreciate the presence of a youth group. The space is easy to obtain because there is no parish school scheduling events in the facilities. We plan to have a bake sale after Masses in February to increase our visibility.

One of the first things we did (after some local fundraising) was to contact the Archdiocese Vocation Office and ask for the name of a seminarian to 'spiritually adopt'. In the Year of the Priest, my family and several others did this and it was a nice way to put vocation in front of the children and provide support to someone seeking theirs. Our seminarian is in Rome and we correspond with him via letters and pray for him always. If the Knights write to him, it is part of a medal project.

I am looking forward to contributing to the Blue Knights Blog!
Blessings,

Kathy

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/4-Days-Left---30-off--Little-Flowers-Blue-Knights.html?soid=1102382270107&aid=pu5Ta4yigwE

2011-06-26T07:25:00.001-04:00

Great deal this month! Save $30 for EVERY $100 ordered! Order early for fall clubs and save a lot! Click here for details:

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/4-Days-Left---30-off--Little-Flowers-Blue-Knights.html?soid=1102382270107&aid=pu5Ta4yigwE

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/4-Days-Left---30-off--Little-Flowers-Blue-Knights.html?soid=1102382270107&aid=pu5Ta4yigwE

2011-06-26T07:25:00.000-04:00

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Little-Flowers-Blue-Knights-News---June-Discounts.html?soid=1102382270107&aid=6HGr9iWgCVU

2011-06-14T07:03:00.001-04:00

Click here for June newsletter and discounts!

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Little-Flowers-Blue-Knights-News---June-Discounts.html?soid=1102382270107&aid=6HGr9iWgCVU

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Little-Flowers-Blue-Knights-News---June-Discounts.html?soid=1102382270107&aid=6HGr9iWgCVU

2011-06-14T07:03:00.000-04:00

Click here for June newsletter and discounts!

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Little-Flowers-Blue-Knights-News---June-Discounts.html?soid=1102382270107&aid=6HGr9iWgCVU

May Catholic Clubs newsletter!

2011-05-17T10:33:00.000-04:00

This month is our Blue Knights' Special! Click through to view:

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Little-Flowers-Blue-Knights-News---May-Discounts.html?soid=1102382270107&aid=DCxp5fAILR4

Seeking Finer Fields: Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T08:05:00.000-04:00

Seeking Finer Fields: Happy Saint Patrick's Day!: "Our Saint Patrick drew rave reviews from the crowd and loved his role, in spite of wearing a refurbished tablecloth and a four-pound bra..."

Catholic Clubs March newsletter & coupons

2011-03-16T15:30:00.000-04:00

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Little-Flowers-Blue-Knights-News---March-Discounts.html?soid=1102382270107&aid=CQn7Azv0FBY

Blue Knights craft idea: Fear of God

2011-01-26T10:47:00.001-05:00

Here's a craft idea excerpt from the Blue Knights Craft Companion for Year 1 by Karina Fabian:

Spear of the Fear of God

Dowel Spear * S

Fear the Lord, you holy ones; nothing is lacking those who fear Him.--Ps 34:10

Preparation Time: None

Craft Time: 20 minutes

Materials:
Per boy: One 1/2” or ¾”dowel, about 5’ long or shorter for shorter boys
Paint or markers
Aluminum foil
Sandpaper (optional)

Tools:
Scissors
Pocket knives
Paint brushes

Preparation: None

Craft: Boys will sharpen one end of their spear into a dull point. They may want to sand it down to smooth the tip. Decorate by covering with foil or painting or using markers to make designs.

Simplify: None

Embellish: Use this in combination with targets for a game. Place the targets on the ground outside and the kids can have a throwing contest.

---------

For more great Blue Knights craft ideas for all nine virtues of Year 1, check out the Craft Companion on our website! http://www.eccehomopress.com/

Join us on Facebook!

2010-11-23T11:13:00.001-05:00

Do you love Blue Knights Boys' Club or any of the other great products offered by Behold Publications? Show your support for us on Facebook by clicking here!

Year 5 now available!

2010-09-04T09:07:00.001-04:00

Year 5 of the Blue Knights Boys' Club is now available! Leader's Guides, Member's Guides and Patches are all in stock and ready to go! This year of Blue Knights features an in-depth analysis of the Ten Commandments made to challenge the boys and have tons of fun at the same time!

Click here to order the manuals: http://www.eccehomopress.com/bkbc-guides.html

Click here to order the badges: http://www.eccehomopress.com/bkbc-clothing.html

Hurry and order before September 15 and get a 15% discount!

To Copy or not to Copy

2009-09-04T15:10:00.000-04:00

It may seem odd to have an article about copyright issues under the title "living and learning the virtues," but if you think about it, it makes perfect sense. When we teach children about virtues, they will learn best by our good example. All the saint stories, acts of virtue, memorized prayers and Bible verses will be lost if the parent gives a poor example when living out virtue.

Illegally photocopying material not only gives a bad example of moral virtue to children, it also prevents more good materials to be produced. It may seem a small thing to have a copy of an extra saint picture on hand or to copy a few pages here and there, but children see and follow our example. We need to be above repoach and models of virtue in their eyes.

Here are a few suggestions to make your life as a leader easier while keeping your virtue intact. 1) if you'd like another copy of a saint's picture, have the children trace it from the book. It will be their own work and can add to craft time. 2) If you have a new child join and they don't yet have a book, have another child share (thus practicing virtue). The new child can copy down the Bible verse and prayers, thus helping commit them to memory. 3) If you were delayed in ordering your books and are afraid they won't be there by the first meeting, plan something else or postpone the meeting. Remember, the program is flexible, so you don't have to do one virtue a month for nine months. It may sound like the perfect plan, but it's only an outline to help you. The first meeting is going to be hectic anyway. Plan a couple of ice breaker games, a short craft, and "getting to know you" activities. It will go much better than handing out loose sheets of photocopied materials. Also, I frequently get calls from leaders wanting me to read them the first lessons' materials so they can plan their meeting. They typically have been busy and forgotten to order the books ahead of time. To teach a lesson with no materials and little forsight does a disservice to the youth. Again, I urge you to postpone your meeting or organize something else until you can receive your materials. By the way, because I, too, am a busy mom, I am unable to read the lessons to each person who asks. Please forgive me.

As the publisher who has taken on the expense of printing this material, I am very grateful to all of you for your time and commitment to our youth. I strive to make the materials as user friendly as possible. I hope all of you have a wonderful year with your groups! God bless you in your work for His work!

New Year of the Priest Incentive!

2009-07-20T17:03:00.000-04:00

FOR ALL LITTLE FLOWERS GIRLS CLUB, BLUE KNIGHTS BOYS CLUB, LITTLE WOMEN HOSPITALITY PROGRAM AND OUR LADY’S HONOR GUARD PARTICIPANTS! BY RACHEL WATKINS Behold Children, Behold Christ programs celebrate “The Year of the Priest!” It is truly fabulous that our Holy Father has given us such a wonderful year to celebrate! While many of us gained new knowledge of St. Paul and many graces from committing more time to studying his letters and life; the “Year of the Priest” seems much more approachable. I will admit that—having a brother who is a priest (currently serving as a military chaplain), as well as a son discerning the same vocation—I am more than a bit biased. With this mandate from our Holy Father, we have created the following “bonus” activity. Not a virtue, but adding this to your program will certainly help the children grow in virtue as they discover the gift that the priesthood is to our faith and our families. If you decide to take advantage of this, here is a new list of activities (there are 12 to chose from rather than the traditional 10 in honor of the 12 first priests/apostles), to complete it as you would any of the other virtues. Make a decision on what your member or group (based on age and ability as with all Behold Children, Behold Christ programs) can complete. The first three activities are * as it would be expected that all members would complete these. Upon completion, you can receive a special recognition prayer card and a medal of St. John Vianney, the patron of the Year of the Priest, to commemorate your participation in this holy year. Also available at www.eccehomopress.com are award certificates, or if you prefer you can create something of your own. The following can be downloaded as a .pdf from the http://www.eccehomopress.com/ website: THE YEAR OF PRIEST Memory verse: “His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever He tells you.’” Jn. 2:5 1. *Memorize the verse above as a sign of your own respect and love for the priesthood. For while they are not perfect, they are Christ for us here on earth. 2. * Commit to saying the Prayer for the Priest as suggested by our bishops during this year to spiritually support all priests throughout the world. Perhaps you could add it to your family rosary, say it together after your Sunday Mass, or after dinner each evening. You can find the prayer at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website (http://www.usccb.org/ yearforpriests/pdf/Peoples%20Prayer%20for%20Priests%20(English).pdf) 3. *Send a letter of thanks to your parish priests thanking them for their commitment to your parish. 4. Contact your parish priest (or other priest you may know) and ask for permission to interview him. Ask him about his ‘job’ and what he does. Ask about his vocation and how it came about. What can you discover that you never knew about priests? After the interview, write up what you discovered in the form of a newspaper column and give it to the priest as a thank you. Or you could seek permission to create a display that could be exhibited at your parish. (This could be done as a group if desired with each member asking questions.) 5. Contact your diocesan vocation office or military chaplain’s offices (www.milarch.org). Inquire to see if there are any needs with which your group could assist them. Perhaps you could develop a pen pal program, a fundraiser, or collection of needed supplies. If nothing is available, create a spiritual bouquet and send it to the office (or seminary) requesting it be shared with those under their care. 6. Ask your parents about the priests who married them and performed sacraments such as Baptism or First Communion for your family. If possible, locate these priests and give them news of the family and how you are doing. Thank them for helping your family in their faith journey. If this is not possible, say a rosary in their honor and ask the Blessed Mother to grant them grace and fidelity. 7. Choose one of the many saint priests. Read their biography and share it with your group. Having an evening of discovery of the many priests who are also saints. 8. Priests give up a great deal of serve Christ and Christ alone. There have been priests who were once doctors, scientists, and great athletes. Some of these men were able to continue their work as priest while others gave everything up to follow Jesus. Investigate some of these extraordinary men, and create a display honoring their work. Perhaps there is one such man in your own parish or diocese? 9. There are many good movies that give tribute to the sacrifices and work of good priests (such as The Scarlet and the Black or Boy’s Town). Have a movie night and watch one as a group. Consider inviting your parish priests to enjoy it with you. 10. Using Catholic apologetic material or books, explore the scripture verses that show the establishment of the priesthood in the Catholic Church. These include: Lk 16:24, 1 Cor. 4:15, Mt. 19:12, Jn. 20:22-23, Acts 19:18, Mt. 16:18, and Lk. 22:23. Create an apologist’s brief in defense of the priesthood to give to all the members of your group. 11. Priests come from families just like yours. Praying for an increase in vocations and a generosity from many families is key. Many dioceses have Eucharistic adoration, contact those in charge and inquire if time could be dedicated to praying for vocations. Help them advertise this addition as a part of this year’s celebration. In addition, make a commitment as a family to pray for vocations regularly during family prayer time. 12. Participate as a family or a group in one of the programs your own parish/diocese is doing to honor this year. Send a thank you to the organizers of the event afterwards and let them know you appreciate their service. OR Fulfill the necessary obligations to receive the indulgences attached to this holy year as prescribed. You can find the list of indulgences on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website at http://www.usccb.org/yearforpriests/indulgences.shtml

Fundraising Opportunity

2009-07-03T16:03:00.001-04:00

We've just put up a new website to help your clubs afford to pay for books, badges, sashes and shirts.

Basically, all the information is on the new fundraising website: www.eccehomopress.com/Fundraising-Home.html

Here's how it is going to work:

1.) Register your group on the site's registration form.

2) Get a customer login and password by return email

3) pass the email with the customer login, password and fundraising website to club members, families and friends.

4.) When they purchase books from the fundraising website you earn 40% of that sale as a credit toward your club's purchases of supplies on the entire Ecce Homo Press website.

5. Once a month, you'll receive a gift certificate for 40% of your month's sales to use at www.eccehomopress.com

Please see the fundraising site for more details and information.

God bless you in your work for His work!
Joan Stromberg
www.eccehomopress.com

Avoiding Burnout

2009-06-18T18:36:00.003-04:00

With summer upon us and many groups on ‘vacation,’ you may be looking back at the past year with relief that it is finally over, or anticipating next year with a sense of dread. If this is true for you, you may have a case of burnout. Whether it is family life, homeschooling, or Little Flowers/Blue Knights, burnout can be a real struggle. I know - I’ve been through it in all of this situations mentioned above at one point or another.Burnout is described as physical or mental collapse caused by overwork or stress. But even without Webster’s definition, we all know it when we see it in others but often don’t realize when it hits us - until it is too late.But it can happen and sometimes does. I hope it offers you some comfort to know that burnout happens to the best (and worst) of us. I also hope it offers you additional comfort to know that burnout doesn’t have to happen. And lastly, if it should happen, it says nothing about who you are as a person (or Catholic). We are flawed people reaching out for the grace of God in all circumstances and sometimes our arms fall a bit short. We also need to realize Satan is never idle, and the stress and overwork that causes the burnout often has his dirty fingerprints all over it.Through burnout Satan makes us feel either incompetent or inferior - two adjectives that should never be used when talking about a child of God. However, consider your own experience with burnout. Did you refuse to admit it could be happening to you and attempt to muscle through the difficulty with your sheer will and some extra prayer? Or did you crumble under it and refuse to undertake any similar work or activity again?The first approach - muscling through - is the inferiority complex of burnout. You are only burning out because you don’t pray enough, pray the right prayer, or commit yourself to the right mix of prayer, sacrifice, and sacrament. In this model burnout doesn’t happen to ‘good’ Catholics so there must be something wrong with you.The second approach - crumbling - is the incompetency complex. You obviously aren’t holy enough, fit enough, smart enough, or whatever enough to be doing this (whatever ‘this’ is!). You are not the person for the job and God will just have find someone else.Neither of these are true. Burnout happens for many reasons as mentioned above - how do you define stress and overwork? I often call it - Life!In the end, regardless of how burnout makes you feel, whatever brought you to burnout needs to be addressed. Burnout is not your ‘fault’ but perhaps you can put into place a few key resolutions to prevent it from happening again (or in the first place!).Don’t go it alone. Take the advice of Christ himself who sent out his own disciples in pairs. When starting any group (either LF or BK), insist on help. Have a sign-up sheet at the first meetings of organization and insist that everyone find somewhere to help. It can be as simple as providing the snacks or picking up the craft supplies. While many groups run their meetings as drop-off meeting, it should be expected that one or two parents stay to help out. These parents need not be leaders, unless they want to, but having an extra set of hands and eyes is always welcome. There is a place for everyone to help; encourage their participation with reminders of the Christian call to helping. You are, after all, not even asking for their coat, just an hour or so of their time!Accept the reality that others will help to the best of their ability and with their own strengths with no detrimental effect on the group. Allow other parents to bring their own talents and temperaments. They may be louder than you or more sedate. They may prefer to work straight from the book while you work more loosely. You may wish that every snack be homemade and they bring pretzels and juice boxes. The girls will gain a great deal from a variety of techniques and seeing others in action. It may not be way you like things to be done but it is not the “wrong way.” Accept gratefully and charitably the help that is offered with no criticisms, unless errors in Church teaching occur.In a group setting, rules must be established addressing how inappropriate behavior or activity will be handled. Burnout often happens because of the stress from meetings that are not the places of fun and faith they ought to be. It can be awkward when you find yourself having to correct children that aren’t your own. Making it clear beforehand with all of the parents of what behaviors are expected can help prevent, reduce (and hopefully eliminate) any problems.Feel free to step back from the guidelines for the programs and have meetings that are just fun and games. If you are feeling overwhelmed due to a belief you need to do every activity or every craft, the children are going to sense that. Scheduling an occasional meeting or gathering for a good movie, games, or a trip to a local zoo will be appreciated by everyone.Finally (and firstly), be sure to dedicate your program, the families, and children involved to the protection and watchful eye of God. Whenever you are striving for holiness, Satan (as mentioned before) is surely twitching. Making sure to always pray before planning any meetings, starting any meeting, and ending every meeting will afford you the grace you need to run a program that is fun and inspiring for both the children and the adults involved!Burnout is not inevitable but should not be unexpected. Putting into place some strong foundational expectations before meetings begin will help them from developing any stress fractures or crumbling all together.God Bless,Rachel Watkins

New England Conference

2009-05-29T13:45:00.000-04:00

Come visit Ecce Homo Press at the New England Catholic Homeschool Conference in Chicopee, MA on June 6th and save! Conference goers save 15% on all materials and get free shipping on supplies they wish shipped to their homes.This conference is a perfect opportunity to check out new items, stock up for next year and get catalogs and materials to help build your club for the coming year.If you plan on stocking up for the next year's clubs, just shoot me an email (eccehomopr@aol.com) and I'll make sure I have the supplies you need. See you in New England!

Foam Sword

2009-05-29T13:39:00.002-04:00

Are you afraid your boys will enjoy their craft swords a little TOO much? Here's a great link to a site to make a safer foam sword.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2236100_noodle-foam-sword.html

New Look, New Books

2009-03-20T08:15:00.004-04:00

My dear son, Joe, graduated from Franciscan Univ. of Steubenville in December. I've been anticipating his graduation for some time. Not just because he'll be a college graduate but also because he holds a bachelor of arts in English composition. A very handy degree for a publisher. He also has worked for Ecce Homo Press during the summer for the last few years. So Joe is with the company full time and we decided Blue Knights needed a little face lift. Thanks to Joe, we've edited, reformatted and perfect bound the Year 3 and 4 Blue Knights Leaders and Member's Guides. They now have new illustrations, new covers, and the member's guides have new, easy for children to read biographies. The Craft Companion also has a new cover and crisp new photos and illustrations. We also now have memory cards for Years 2, 3, and 4. These are packaged in sets of 10-one for each saint plus one of St. Joseph, patron of Blue Knights.

We'll be featuring these items and more in our monthly newsletters. The newsletters will also have discount codes to get these items at deep discounts. Other items in the newsletters include leader training, idea and craft activities for the groups, and frequently asked questions. If you aren't signed up to get the email newsletter, visit the website at http://www.eccehomopress.com/ and scroll down to the bottom of the page to sign-up. The next newsletter goes out March 21, 2009.

Caution: Craft not for human consumption!

2008-12-12T11:35:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to pass on a heads-up from a customer who warned me that the craft in the first year of Blue Knights has a suggestion to use fishing weights to weigh down the front end of the spear. Some fishing weights may contain lead, so if you are uneasy about using them, you might try to use steel ball bearings instead. We used them because we had them around the house for a science experiment on the viscosity of glycerin (huh?) and so we used them instead of the lead and they worked fine. We picked them up at the hardware store.

If you use the lead fishing weights, make sure not to get them mixed up with your snack (same goes for the steel ball bearings, too, for that matter!

New Year, New Club

2008-12-04T14:43:00.001-05:00

I've noticed a trend over the last few years of Little Flowers and Blue Knights clubs starting in January rather than September. This has some definite advantages. January is typically a slow month without a whole lot going on. Since it is the start of a new year, a new beginning for a club falls right in line with a new resolution to learn and teach virtues in our families. Since the clubs are flexible, you can start wherever and whenever you want. You can still do one virtue a month, work through the summer and finish by September. Or, you can really dive into the material and make the study last longer. Whatever works for you will be fine for the children involved, I'm sure.

So if you've been hesitating in starting a club, now's the time to start! Just to give you a little more incentive, EHP will offer a 10% discount on all orders placed from now until December 31, 2008. Just type in the discount code: CLUB09 Orders must be placed online at the website: www.eccehomopress.com

Have a Holy Advent!

NEW WEB ADDRESS

2008-11-11T12:42:00.002-05:00

If you have the old AOL address bookmarked, please updtae it to: www.eccehomopress.com

AOL has completely erased all member websites and we are unable to forward to the new site. Thanks!

To copy or not to copy

2008-09-05T10:23:00.000-04:00

Please remember that our small family owned business/apostolate depends on you to survive and grow. We strive to make the materials reasonably priced for large families on a tight budget. As a mom of ten who has seen tight times myself, I understand the need to squeeze as much as possible out of every penny.Because of this, we ask you to respect the copyrights of our materials and not to photocopy pages from the books. This includes member's guides and the art and activity books. They are the heart of the program and each child deserves their own. At $4.50 for each member guide and $3.50 for each art and activity book, they are more than reasonably priced for each child. We have to have these made up by the thousands, so each time they are photocopied rather than purchased, it prevents us from developing more items for Little Flowers and Blue Knights and stifles the growth of all the clubs.Thanks for your cooperation and God bless! --EHP

Scabbard from a Sock

2008-07-14T17:17:00.008-04:00

Need a fast scabbard? A lost sock will do the trick!

My son Liam has discovered the Star Wars series. (At last, our geek genes are showing true!) Like Count Grievous, he's collected for himself a rather large collection of light sabers, and one day, he wanted to take them all to a friend's house. Unfortunately, he didn't have enough scabbards to hang them off his belt. We do have plenty of orphan socks, however.

Two minutes, an orphan sock and some scissor work later, he'd made himself this handy scabbard. I thought I'd share his genius with you:

Find a volunteer sock. Smaller ones are better, especially since they stretch.

Cut an inch or two off the top. Discard the rest or use as dusting rags. (My favorite use for the unmatched.) (Liam also likes to do this to make wrist guards.)

Cut about 3/4 of the way through.

If the hole is too big for the saber or sword, you can tie a half-knot to make it smaller.

Thread the belt through and voila! A universal sword scabbard.

Here's Liam modeling the scabbard and wristband.

If you want to read more about our adventures with orphan socks, check out www.fabianspace.blogspot.com.

Changes in Blue Knights "uniforms"

2008-07-12T14:41:00.003-04:00

Beginning this fall, we will be changing what we will be offering for Blue Knights uniforms. Previously, we had offered vests and breastplates in a light blue with a dark blue trim. The boys quickly outgrew the breastplates and many didn't think they looked "knightly." So our new breastplates will be slightly larger, made of a heavier gray canvas material with a large red cross on the front, trimmed in dark blue. We will also be offering a detachable cape that flows from the shoulders of the breastplate. It can be removed for games and activities, or worn for more solemn ceremonies and occasions. The capes can be changed each year in a "bridging ceremony." The colors of the capes will correspond with the colors of the badges and books: Year One; blue: Year Two; green: Year Three; red: and Year Four; gold. We should have these new items up on the website by the first week of August.

Year Four Shield Patches are also now available. They'll be on the website in a couple of weeks, or you can call toll free: 1-866-305-8362 if you'd like to order them right away. They are $10/set patches.

See you in Michigan!

2008-06-16T11:26:00.000-04:00

Hi all,

Ecce Homo Press will be in Lansing, Michigan for the Catholic homeschool conference this weekend, June 20-21st. Stop by and say "hi" to my summer intern, Julia Fahy while you're there. I'm staying home with my feet up for the last few weeks before baby arrives.
Stop by and ask Julia about our new products, especially the Little Women Hospitality Program. She'll have samples of the manuals and charms, too.

Don't forget to get your supplies for the coming year. Buy them at the conference and not only will you save on shipping, you'll get an extra 15% off the retail price! It will be worth the trip...even with today's gas prices!

If you are looking to supply your Blue Knights Boys' Club for the coming year, this is a great opportunity to do so. If you could just drop me a line and let me know what kind of supplies you may need, I'll be sure to pack them for the conference. Thanks!

See you in Indy!

2008-05-31T08:25:00.001-04:00

I'll be in Indianapolis for the Catholic Homeschool Conference June 7th. Stop by and see our new Hospitality Program, the beautiful charms, and just to say "HI!"

Also, get all your Blue Knights Boys' Club materials for the fall and save shipping AND an additional 15% off your entire order when buy it at the conference!

If you plan on doing that, shoot me a quick email (eccehomopr@aol.com) and I'll make sure I'll bring enough for your needs. Thanks! See you there!

Come see us!

2008-05-04T09:41:00.000-04:00

Ecce Homo Press will be a vendor at the following midwest conferences:

Dayton, OH: May 16-17
Indianapolis, IN: June 7
Lansing, MI: June 20-21

Look for us and come by and say "HI!" We have some special conference surprises for attendees. 15% off your entire order and a preview of new and exciting products! This is a great time to get a jump start and SAVE on next fall's school year.

Writers! the Catholic Writers Conference Online Registration Ends Friday

2008-04-23T08:40:00.002-04:00

Thought the writer dads and moms would like to know:

Just a reminder that the Catholic Writers Conference Online registration ends FRIDAY! This is a free conference, with speakers from all areas of Catholic publishing--from the writer to the publisher--covering all areas of writing--from idea generation to query to contract and beyond. Sign up at http://conference.catholicwritersguild.org.

Here's a list of presenters and their presentations.

Ami McConnell: Trends In Fiction
Audrey Shaffer: Branding and Your Marketing Platform
Barry Michaels: Feature Article--Ideas and Queries
Bert Ghezzi: Ins and Outs of Publishing
Brian St Paul--Crisis & InsiderCatholic: Meet the Editors of InsiderCatholic
Carolyn Howard-Johnson: 10 Ways to Let Agents Know You are an Amateur
Carolyn Howard-Johnson: Marketing Basics (with Karina)
Colleen Drippe: Driving Writers Crazy--The Editor
Heidi Hess Saxton: The Good Writer
Heidi Hess Saxton: Meet the Editor of Canticle Magazine
Hope Clark: Shy Writer
Hope Clark: Funds for Writers
Karina Fabian: Worldbuilding
Karina Fabian: Marketing Basics (with Carolyn)
Karina Fabian: Virtual Book Tours
Karina, Michelle Buckman, Terry Burns: Contract Essentials
Lea Schizas: Writing the Short Story
Mark Shea: How Faith Connects to Everything
Maya Bohnhoff: Show Me, Don't Tell Me--Character and Dialog
Maya Bohnhoff: Plotting Through Writer's Block
Melenie Rigney: Ethics of Memoir Writing
Melenie Rigney: Book Modeling
Meredith Gould: Self-Publishing as a First Resort
Michelle Buckman: Writing For Teens
Michelle Buckman: The Right Details
Patrice MacArthur: Art of Blogging
Patricia Punt: Writing for the Inspirational Market
Patti Armstrong--Ascension Press: Hooking Your Reader
Pete Vere: Canon Law and the Catholic Writer
Sister Maria Grace-Pauline Books: Pitch Session--Pauline Books
Steve Saffel: Working With a Book Editor
Steve Saffel: Using E-Media to Promote
Sylvia Dohram: Character Development and Dialogue
Terry Burns--agent: Pitching and Working With Agents
Tim Drake: So You Want to Write a Book?
Tim Powers: SFF and Catholicism
Tom Grace: Crafting the Catholic Thriller
Vinita Wright: Making Friends With the Creative/Spiritual Process
Woodenee Koenig Bricker: Writing With Faith But Without Bias

Cardboard Box Bird Feeder

2008-04-07T11:19:00.000-04:00

Spring is in the air! In Minot, North Dakota, that means that the temperature is above 32 degrees Fahrenheit, and folks are putting away the winter jackets and putting on the shorts.
It's also time for birds to return. Here's a nifty little bird feeder my son Alex (9) put together.

One thing I love about Alex is that if I leave him alone long enough, he'll grab some spare stuff, make up a project and put it together himself. He did this one to fulfill a boy scout requirement.

Get a thick cardboard box--Capri Sun boxes work very well.
Cut a door about 3 inches tall by 4 inches wide in the top for putting the food in. (Alex gave it a bend to make it easier to open.
Cut a slot about three inches from the bottom. Slot should be 2 inches tall by 3 inches wide.
Put two eyelets into the area below the slot, about half an inch in from the sides. Feed a dowel through the eyelets.

Peoria's Blue Knights Boys' Club

2008-03-31T10:22:00.003-04:00

Many, many thanks to Bill Berlinger for sharing some ideas about how he and his co-leader, Dave Ruppert, run their Blue Knights Boys' Club. Ecce Homo Press will be publishing Bill and Dave's ideas in an upcoming game book. In the mean time, Bill has agreed to share his ideas with you. I'll be posting his ideas over several days, but the'll be saved in the archives. Feel free to comment on the posts to let Bill know what you think of them.

Bill says, "Here's an outline of a typical day (about 2 hours). Because of the process of designing and creating the games and to maintain a quality level, we've found it important to do the meetings at one of two houses, ours or David's. That seems to be a good balance to share the burden of building the games and hosting the meeting. We had seen a local Blue Knight club fail from lack of structure and maintaining interest of both boys and their dads. We recognized that dads have a high level of attention deficit disorder themselves. So, the ladies of the household help get coffee and popcorn ready as the dads roll in on a Saturday morning with their knights. We've developed a communication style that evokes a medieval atmosphere. We refer to the boys as "Sir Matthew" or "Sir Johnny" or "Sir Paul". Dads are "Lord Daddy" and moms are "Lady Mom". Sometimes, if the last name is interesting we'll have a "Lady Conley", or David Rupert is referred to as "Lord of the Game". Younger siblings are encouraged to participate. When they're old enough to sit through a meeting, we allow them to play the game and be referred to as "Squire"...a Knight in training. My monthly email reminder is the week before the meeting and is called the, "Proclamation from the Realm". It is brought to the Lord's, Ladies and Knight via "cyber carrier pidgeon". I guess you get the idea...the boys love it. A copy of each communication is sent to our parish assistant pastor, who is our spiritual director. The dads really get into the play acting, as well. The most remarkable thing to me is how both the dads and boys have becoming very good friends although we come from very diverse cultures and financial means." ......to be con'd.....

New Craft Book by Ann Ball!

2008-03-29T17:23:00.002-04:00

Here's a new book by EHP author Ann Ball that would be a great resource for Blue Knights Boys' Club Leaders looking for some supplemental crafts. Click on the book for ordering information from Our Sunday Visitor. For some great exerpts from the book, go to Ann Ball's website.

Ann wrote Jose Finds the King, a Blessed Miguel Pro Story which is part of the Glory of America Series. This is a great children's story about Ann's favorite saint. This is also a great First Communion story perfect for boys. Click here for ordering information.

For You Writers: Free Online Conference

2008-03-17T19:37:00.001-04:00

Catholic Writers to Hold Online Conference

World Wide Web--Writers, editors, agents, and other publishing professionals from around the world are gearing up for the first annual Catholic Writers’ Conference Online, which will be held May 2-9, 2008, and is sponsored by the Catholic Writer’s Guild and Canticle magazine. The online conference is free of charge and open to writers of all levels for those who register by April 25.
Tim Drake, veteran journalist who will be presenting at the conference, says he thinks the conference is worthwhile for all faith-based writers. “I think writers of every stripe, from beginners to seasoned veterans, can always stand to learn something new. This conference provides an opportunity to learn a few tricks of the trade, without having to spend an arm and a leg to get there.”
Author and editor Carolyn Howard-Johnson, who with conference chair Karina Fabian will be conducting seminars designed to help authors put their “Best Book Forward,” concurs. “It's never too early to learn more about what we love…. When we put ourselves out there, the universe seems to bring us exactly what we need. When we close down on opportunity for whatever reason, we miss getting what we should.”
New seminar and chat topics are being added constantly, including seminars on character and dialogue development, virtual book tours, how to get grants and other money with your writing, trends in fiction, world building, and connecting with a secular audience. Presenters and chat hosts include Vinita Wright (Loyola Press), Maya Bohnhoff, Tim Powers, Mark Shea (Catholic Answers), Hope Clark (Funds for Writers), Sr. Madonna Radcliff (Pauline Books & Media), Bert Ghezzi (Word Among Us), and Brian Saint-Paul (Crisis/Inside Catholic).
“We’re very happy with the caliber of publishing professionals who have volunteered to participate in this first conference,” says event co-chair Heidi Hess Saxton, editor of Canticle magazine. “There is a nice mix of fiction and non-fiction as well as book and magazine publishing represented here. Something for everyone … and you can’t beat the price!” Although the conference is offered free of charge, donations are accepted; proceeds will go toward future conferences.
Hope Clark, author of “Funds for Writers” is also optimistic about the event’s success. “I see writers … unable to run from conference to conference, seated before a computer soaking up information, taking notes, excited about finding answers to questions they didn't even know they had. I see writers walking away from this conference excited again about being writers.”
Early registration is recommended, as some courses will have limited openings that will be filled on a first-come, first serve basis. To register or for more information, go to http://www.conference.catholicwritersguild.org.

New Catholic Magazine for Kids

2008-03-11T08:35:00.001-04:00

My kids love My Friend Magazine by the Daughters of St. Paul and really missed it when it ceased publication last year. So I was thrilled to learn of this new project. At present, they are gauging interest to present possible subscription numbers to publishers. If you have a minute, click on the banner above and fill out the interest form. There is no obligation and no money involved. I'm sure they could also use your prayers for a successful apostolate!

Intro: Karina Fabian

2008-03-10T12:02:00.000-04:00

Hello! Joan was kind enough to invite me to join this blog. As most you of probably know, I wrote the Little Flowers and Blue Knights Craft books. I did this mainly as a fun project to share with my kids, and the illustrations you see in the books are done by them. (My seven-year-old likes to brag to his friends at school that he's a famous model on the cover of a book!)

What you may not know is that this was a an enjoyable sideline in my writing career. For many years, I wrote articles on parenting and pregnancy and in 2003, made the decision to devote my efforts to fiction. Currently, I have a Catholic anthology of science fiction out. Infinite Space, Infinite God won the 2007 EPPIE for best sci-fi and has garnered great reviews in magazines like St. Anthony Messenger and SFRevu. I've had many people comment on the thought-provoking nature of the stories and one homeschooling mom say that she thinks it’s a must for Catholic teens to read because of the issues presented. I'm working on a study guide for it now and should have it up in April. Check it out at www.isigsf.com.

Also on the SF-side, I have Leaps of Faith, an anthology of Christian sci-fi, and the contract for Infinite Space, Infinite God II. (Are you w writer? We're looking for stories. Find guidelines at www.isigsf.com/guidelines.) In addition, I'm working on novels and stories about my order of nuns who perform search and rescue operations in space. I have several Rescue Sisters stories in our anthologies and a novel in the works. (No contract yet, alas.)

On the fantasy side, I have a lot of fun with my noir-style dragon detective, Vern of DragonEye, PI. He's a down-and-out professional problem solver on the wrong side of the Interdimensiaonal Gap working off a geas by St. George by serving God and His creatures through the Faerie Catholic Church. With his partner, Sister Grace, he solves crimes, find missing objects, saves the world...whatever pays. Check out his website at www.dragoneyepi.net.

Finally, I'm involved in several writing groups, most especially the Catholic Writers Guild, where I am president. I also present workshops at online conferences. In fact, I'll blog next week about the Catholic Writers Conference Online. In the meantime, if you're interested, check out www.conference.catholicwritersguild.org.

I'm toying with the idea of a trivia game for Little Flowers. Right now, Joan and I are trying to figure out the art and the board. More as things develop!

If you'd like to know more about me or my work, or want to contact me, go to www.fabianspace.com.

Blessings,
Karina Fabian

Greetings From Big Sky Country

2008-02-25T18:56:00.003-05:00

I am Dan McGuire - the author of the Blue Knights Boys Club series of Guides. First, I want to provide a word of thanks to all who have contributed to the success of the Blue Knights. When I first started the program I had no idea it would take off the way it has. I am grateful to Ecce Homo Press and so many others who took my initial product and made it what it is today. I hoped that people would run with the idea and improve it. That aspect of my vision has succeeded beyond my expectations. The people running the clubs and making changes while staying true to the core of the Blue Knights has been humbling. Thank-you all.

I remember the second time I did year 1. I decided to make the Breastplate of Justice out of aluminum mesh rather than nylon (more like real chain mail I thought). In short order I had several young lads walking about my garage saying "ow!" "ow!" and holding their arms akimbo. Seems the sharp edges were poking them all over. Not a good idea. Thankfully most of you have been more prudent.

I'd also like to update you on what I've been doing since I wrote the Blue Knights (and why I've been away from active participation for so long.) I retired from the Marines in 2003 and attended Marquette University to get my PhD in Theology. I am now an Assistant Professor of Theology at the University of Great Falls in Montana. My 13 yr old son Patrick is getting ready to run a Year 1 Blue Knights Club for the local homeschoolers. I'm still a little busy with the demands of a "rookie" professor, but he has stepped up to the plate in my stead.

I hope to post soon on ideas for getting busy (or disinterested) Dads more involved. My biggest disappointment with the Blue Knights is how many clubs are not being supported by the Dads out there. No offense to the Moms who make this thing work, but I really hoped to provide some "clandestine catechises" for Dads. The fact that so many men are abdicating their role in passing on the faith is a real problem - one that even made it into my dissertation. So look for more on that front. I'd encourage any other Dads out there to share their insights on this topic as well. We've got the boys interested, how do we get more Dads?

Lent Craft

2008-02-23T11:21:00.004-05:00

Here's a great craft for Lent from the BKBC craft book by Karina Fabian!

Clothespin Cross * * *

Blue Knights Boys’ Club Craft Companion
(Year I)
Great addition to your Blue Knights Boys’ Club! Fantastic for busy dads on
the go! Complete with material list, prep time, craft time, pictures, diagrams
and alternative ideas. Great companion for Year One Blue Knights! Five crafts
for each virtue plus five general crafts.
By Karina L. Fabian. $8.95

Tremble Before God, all the Earth/Say among nations, “The Lord is King.”
--Ps 96:9,10
Preparation Time: 5-20 minutes, depending on how much you simplify

Craft Time: 20-30 minutes, depending on how much you simplified

Materials: Per boy:
Cross pattern and 8 ½” x 11” piece of cardboard OR cardboard cross
7 clothespins OR 14 clothespin pieces (NOTE: These clothespins are the
kind that “pinch” and have a metal spring in between two wood
pieces.)
Small metal hook for holding up frames
Hot glue
Glue
Construction paper, markers, small pieces of fabric (optional)

Tools: Scissors
Hot glue gun
Pocket knives

Preparation: If simplifying, do one or more of the following:
--Cut out crosses from cardboard using pattern provided.
--Pull apart clothespins and discard the metal pieces
--Cut two pieces of one clothespin 1 ½” from bottom. Discard top piece.

Craft: Depending on how much you’ve simplified, follow these steps.
--Cut out the crosses according to the pattern.
--Pull apart the clothespins and discard the metal pieces.
--Cut two pieces of one clothespin 1 ½” from the bottom and discard the tops.
Glue two pieces flat sides together and set aside to dry. On its side, it looks like a body, and will become the body of Jesus.
Next, glue or hot glue the clothespins flat to cover the cardboard. Start with the vertical part of the cross first and put two pieces side by side. It looks better if you use the flatter side on top and line the “furrows” up. Next, do the horizontal part, again with two side by side.
Hot glue the body to the cross with the head about two inches from the top of the cross. (The clothespins will be on their sides so both are seen and the head is the rounded part of the clothespin.)
The 1 ½” pieces are the arms of Christ. Hot glue these at the shoulder point of the body, with the curves pointing down.
Simplify: See Preparation.

Embellish: Use construction paper to make a plaque with “INRI” for the top of the cross. Use the fabric to drape over the body. The boys could also use markers or paint to color their cross or add nail marks, a loincloth, or whatever.

Welcome!

2008-02-22T14:55:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the new Blue Knights Boys' Club tm blog! Our goal is to share ideas and tips on running your own Blue Knights Boys' Club. Watch also for announcements, new products, messages from the creator of Blue Knights Boys' Club and much, much more! Check back often and enjoy!