The Rest of The Story

I am departing from my usual pile of written muck and rabble.
I guess I have reached that age or at least close to it, where I can be both reflective and introspective. My children are all grown and do not need me to hold their hands to cross the street or comfort them when they have a bad day. I realize that most of my wife's family has this weird opinion of me. And frankly I think I reciprocate the feelings. My co workers do not take the time to respect me for what I do since they are for the most part too busy covering their own back sides or worrying that someone is out to screw them. In a way this makes me a perfect candidate to write a this silly diatribe.


So here goes.........


In February 1992 we had moved back to Texas from California. I had worked there for around 2 years. The Misses and I had been married for nearly 3 years. We were the parents of four daughters. The oldest was 13 and the youngest had just turned 2. The other two were 6 and 8 respectively. We sat down one night and discussed many things. One of the things was that we discussed was that we were going to start to go to church again. That would entail having my three youngest baptized and placed in religious education classes. It would mean that the Mrs. Third and I would have to have our "former marriages" annulled and have our marriage "blessed" and recognized in the Catholic Church. This was a long drawn out process. We started immediately and on February 10 1996, we actually were married in the Catholic Church. In those four years, the wife and I got very involved with many activities within our new Parish family. We met many people who would make lasting impressions on both of our lives. I guess the first one who comes to mind is Kelly. She had been the chairperson of the Church's annual bazaar for many years. She convinced me to get involved with the bazaar. She drank like a fish, smoked 2-3 packs of cigarettes a day and cussed like a sailor. She was awesome. The stained class picture shown here is located in the "old" church which now serves as a parish hall. Most who see it have no idea where it came from. Kelly made it after learning that she had lung cancer 1994. She died only 3 months later. I played mandolin and sang at her funeral. Will the Circle be Unbroken was the last song we played as they carried her casket out of the church. I wore a white shirt and tie but underneath I wore a tee shirt with an Irish Flag on the front of it. Kelly would have been proud. Damn, it is hard singing and crying at the same time.

The wife spent countless hours as a volunteer under the tutelage of Bill and Ruth, on Thursday nights with the weekly church bingo. She also got involved with the annual church bizarre and she and I began attending Adult Religious Education classes. My oldest daughter (who lived with the first Mrs The Third) came down and stayed with us in the summers. She got involved with the youth group and played softball every Sunday afternoon with them. There was a boy named Patrick who she became good friends with. My other girls where enamored with Patrick as well. A few months later I would have to call my oldest at 11:00 PM and inform her that that sweet boy had died in an auto accident. I joined the Knights of Columbus. Later I began teaching religious education. I became a "sacristan" and worked or served on several committees including the Stewardship Committee and the Parish Council. After a few years I became the chairperson of the bazaar ( for 2 years). That was an ordeal and joy all in one package. During the two years I chaired the bazaar, we tripled the amount of money we made each year. (from approximately $20,000 to nearly $ 70,000.00) I increased the beer sales from 1 keg to 19 kegs. I believed that if you got a bunch of protestants beered up at a Catholic bazaar you are gonna make money. I was right. Since at the time, I had three teenage daughters in the parish's youth program, I immersed myself in the youth program. I was a popular religious education instructor (catchiest). I was a Confirmation Instructor, and I was a Youth retreat leader. During that time I was either appointed or elected to positions of leadership within my KofC council. I quickly gleaned that my brother knights had and were raising a shit pile of money and no real place to spend it. I used my power of gab and persuasion to pry thousands of dollars from the coffers of my council to be spent on the youth of our parish. I convinced them to spend over $ 1,300.00 on materials that were used by the High School Youth group to make rosaries. Each of over 900 made were given to every child enrolled at our parish school and enrolled in religious education. I convinced the council to spend nearly $ 3,000.00 on a sound system that was primarily used by the Youth Group. I proposed a college scholarship fund (memorializing a deceased member of our council) which today provides an annual stipend to several of the youth of our parish for college education. I sang in the choir. Hell for nearly four years, I along with 4 other persons, were the music (Folk Mass) for the 7:30 AM Sunday Mass. I also sang in the Christmas and Easter choirs. In other words I was involved. I eventually became the Grand Knight of my council and then for three years I served as a trustee of the council.

I'm not going to explain anything about who and what the Knights of Columbus is or are. But you may not know that the Knights sponsor a youth organization known as the Columbian Squires. Our council had created a Squire Circle back in 1998. I supported this organization. Because a lot of it's members were students I either had taught or were friends of my daughters, I was involved by osmosis. I supported it's adult sponsor (Chief Counselor) and encouraged him to feel free to ask his brother knights for anything he felt his circle needed. For a few years Richard did very good. He had established a very good relationship with his squires. Although I was not very involved with the circle, I could tell that they sort of existed and had no real direction. In effect, they were an extension (a male one) of the youth group.
One of the better fund raisers that our council participated in was working in a "beer booth" at a local festival. (Texas Crawfish Festival) Members of our council "manned" a booth for two consecutive weekends. We received five cents for every beer sold. We usually made nearly $ 2,000.00 per year. One Friday night I arrived to find only two of my brother knights in the booth. We were supposed to have at least nine people. Our booth was the closest one to the Texas Music Stage and the singer that night was some guy named Pat Green. I had never heard of him but it became pretty clear that a lot of people there had. From 6:00 PM until 12:00 AM, our booth sold over $ 20,000.00 in beer sales. That's pushing seven thousand beers. WE WERE SLAMMED!!! That Green fellow was pretty damn good too. The next year I asked the Squires if they wanted to assist the knights working in the booth. Of course since the squires were all under 18 years old, they could not handle alcohol or be inside the actual booth. But they did show up and helped with the ice and soft drinks. A few years later I promoted that the knights assist the Squires in selling hot dogs and sausage on a stick at a street festival in our home town. Our council was asked to provide food and refreshments at a local Special Olympics event. Once again I invited the Squires to attend. At that event I experienced an epiphany.
I have never seen a group of people more appreciative than the childen in the event and their families. I looked into the Special Olympics. I learned that from it's very inception, the Knights of Columbus have been involved. I have done volunteer work before but this was a joy.


After over ten years of being actively involved in numerous parish activities and organizations I began to feel a call to something more. I spent hours and hours of contemplation and prayer. I discussed things with my wife and close friends. I then met with our pastor and upon all of those things, I applied to the diocese to be considered to be allowed to attend a four year training at the local seminary in order to become an ordained Deacon. This was something that I did not venture into lightly. I submitted my application and several persons within my Parish (including our Pastor) wrote glowing letters of recommendation on my behalf. I was among approximately 600 men who had applied throughout our diocese. After a few months and a few interviews, the list was dwindled down to around a hundred when I had my final interview. I knew as I got into my car to leave, that I had done poorly. I called my good friend Garry (also from my parish and also a candidate for the Deaconate) We talked for a long time but I told him I was convinced I would not be selected. He offered words of encouragement but I knew. A few week later I contacted the person who interviewed me and I explained that I realized only a few persons would be selected. I also realized that they probably would not choose two persons from the same parish. I asked that if they had to decide between Garry or me that I hoped and prayed they would choose Garry. They did. I am not certain I would have been picked anyway since I felt I blew the interview. It's Deacon Garry now. Every time I time I read, say, or hear those words (Deacon Garry)I well up in pride and happiness for him. My path was not to be a Deacon. As time passed and events and circumstances happened in my life, I am confident I could not have stayed in the program for 4 years. They had made the right decision.

A few months later another friend of mine joked that since I was soon to no longer be an officer of the Knights, that I should consider being the new adult counselor of the local Columbian Squire Circle. I laughed it off. I am an Eagle Scout and I have 4 daughters and no sons. If I were to have had a son I would have been first in line to be the Chief Counselor. But Glenn persisted over the next few weeks. Your serious I asked him. Hell yes I am he replied. The original counselor had let the Squire Circle "go to seed". He had gotten married and most of the squires that he started with had reached the age of 18 and were no longer eligible to be a Squire. His book keeping was a mess. They were all but finished. Frankly I was pissed that so many of the fathers of the squires did not step up and help out. I decided that I would accept the position but my secret goal was to quickly put an end of the Circle. I was going to let the Circle die right in front of my brother knights and then I was going to chastise them for letting it happen. I admit my years of volunteer service had made me way too cynical.

In May of that year, after about a month in a Children' s hospital, a little 8 year old girl died of pneumonia. Rachel,was a Down's Syndrome child. Rick, her father and a member of our KofC council was a good friend of mine. I had taught Rachel's older brother and sister in religious education. The little girl can only be describe as precocious. Her personality would brighten the darkest day. At every church event (social) you could always see Rachel joyfully playing and frolicking with everyone or anyone she could find. Her passing was a huge loss to many of us. Her parents were devastated. I was asked to lead the choir to sing at her funeral. Have you ever tried to sing when all you could do is cry? There are no words to describe the grief. The church was so crowded. That little girl had touched so many lives.

So here I was, the new Chief Counselor of Squire Circle 4518. We met at a local park and I told each of the remaining members of the circle to make sure and bring his dad. Most did. I was pretty blunt with them and I explained that I was pretty contented to letting their circle end. But dammit, they just would not quit. We want to do something. We can raise money. Why I asked, you don't have any bills. Then we can give it away Marcus quipped. So my plan failed. The very next day I got a phone call from the woman name Charleen. She worded (works) for the Arch Diocese. She asked me if my squires would be interested in participating in serving meals to some people at an up coming retreat at a nearby retreat center. The retreat was for persons with special needs and their families. I told her yes and I began to call around for some of the squires to participate. I called the soon to be Deacon Garry and his wife. I called my guitar playing friend Mike as well. I call the squires. I was feeling pretty good about myself and how we were going to get to participate with such a worthwhile venture. Then it was if the hand of God touched me, ( As I tell my next door neighbor, a part Church of God in Christ preacher, I was struck down like Saul on the road to Damascus.)I picked up my phone and called Rick. I had not spoken to him in over 4 months since his daughter died. I explained that I had been asked to serve lunch a week from the following Saturday. I asked him if he or his wife may want to participate. There was a long silence and then he replied. Hell no... We want to serve a meal all by ourselves. What is this Charleen's number? I know I am rambling (sorry Jennifer) but lets just say that the event was truly life altering. The squires and their dads and Garry, his wife Mary and their daughter Mandy prepared and served the food while my friend Mike and I played guitars and sang. There must have been 50 -60 kids and their parents dancing and singing along as we played silly songs. I have played in many bands before but this was the best audience I had ever played in front of. Do you know hard it is to sing with tears in your eyes? Everyone of them looked like that little 8 year old girl.

I spoke to Rick a few days later and I asked him how his "deal" went. He was so excited and so grateful that I had called him. Another month passed and I was doing some street corner begging for the KofC. Actually we where collecting contributions for an annual fundraiser for Deaf Children. Rick was there and we had a chance to set and chat a while. It had been about 6 months and I asked how he and his family was doing. I expected him to say "oh we are getting by" or something like that. Instead he told me that his life was like being in hell. He was truly a grieving father. The way he described it sent chills into me. I am not sure what made me reply to Rick but when he said she was gone for good, I looked at him and said. Are you crazy? She is not gone. She lives on in each of us. That conversation really got under my skin.

The boys were doing ok. We had a few meetings and I was beginning to think that there still was little hope for them. I was working at a job that required me to spend a lot of time in my car. It was a windy cold gray January day. I was driving home. For some reason the words of my friend Rick "It's like I am in hell" and the young squire Marcus, " we can give the money away" began to play over and over in my head. Within a few minutes that hand of God once again rested on my shoulder. Ok, this time it slammed on my shoulder. ( As I tell my next door neighbor, a part Church of God in Christ preacher, I was struck down like Saul on the road to Damascus.)I was on the phone to Charleen with the Diocese Office. "Hey what do you think about the Columbian Squires of St. Anne having a fund raiser and giving the money to the Persons with Disabilities. We can call the fund we create the "Rachel Jauma Memorial Fund" My heart was racing and I am not sure that she even understood what I was saying. But she did. She said I would have to contact the Jaumas but if they said ok, she thought it was an amazing idea. I told her I would be calling her back when I learned anything. I called the Jaumas and got an answering machine. I babbled my idea and all I actually remember saying is "call me back". After I got home and settled down a bit. My phone rang and it was Eugenia , Rick's wife and Rachel's mother. At first I barely could understand her. but what I did hear was that they were 100% in favor of the idea and wanted to know what they could do to help. Later that evening Rick called and we both cried on the phone as we discussed the idea.


On March, 8, 2003, the Columbian Squires held the first annual Gumbo Karaoke. Last night March 7, 2009 the seventh annual Gumbo Karaoke was held. They made nearly $ 2,000.00 All of the proceeds are going to the Rachel Jamua Memorial Fund. Those Squires and the ones who have joined since, have collected over $ 10,000.00 dollars and given 100% of it to charity. Of the seven events that they have held, they have been honored to have a Bishop and a soon to be Cardinal attend on two separate occasions. In addition to their annual fund raiser, they have done other things to collect money for the fund. They have been volunteers in the annual retreat held for Persons with Disabilities. each year since the one I mentioned above.They have contributed more to charity than all of the other organizations at that parish combined. They are all under 18 years of age. Our council won "Best Youth Activity" for 2003 from the Knights of Columbus State of Texas Council. Our event ranked in the top ten nationally.
All in the name of a little eight year old child.


So, (yes I am getting near the end) I write this and add it to my litany of scribblings. I realize it has few little to do with beer (although I did mention beer on a couple of instances.) If you read on you shall know why I write about this at this time. I reflect on my eventful life and conclude that my participation with the Rachel Jauma Memorial Fund has been one of my proudest accomplishments. Yes, the event and the fund has brought some peace to the Jauma family. Yes ,the money raised has been and will be helpful. What I am proudest of is the life example made on over 40 young men who have worked towards a goal and accomplished it . They asked for no approval or any accolades. They truly gave of themselves. Those young men will grow up to be men who will do the same. That makes our world a better place.
The Columbian Squires' motto is Estos Dignus. When translated it is Be Worthy.. Trust me, they are.


So, why is there a picture of a postage stamp at the beginning of this blog? Well recently Paul Harvey died. So in a way this has been my homage to him. ... The picture is of Bronislaw "Bronko" Nagurski. He is a charter member of the College Football Hall of Fame. He was one of the Monsters of the Midway. He is a charter member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Nagurski Award is given to the top collegiate defensive player of the year. He is only person to be named all pro in the NFL at three different positions . . .

His daughter is Eugenia Jauma I have mentioned above and... yes he is the grandfather of Rachel Eileen Jauma.


"So now you know the rest of the story."


March 6 was her birthday


Happy Birthday Rachel

The Third