HISTORY OF FR. LEDUC COUNCIL 7061
When We Started in Leduc…
The Leduc Council was formed in March, 1978 under the auspices of District Deputy Thygesen and Deputy Grand Knight Gibson of Wetaskiwin. Thirty-two members signed the Charter Roll. The Council wanted to pay special tribute to the great pioneer missionary Father Leduc. The name of Leduc Council was the unanimous choice.
The first officers were elected in April, 1978. Charter Grand Knight Michael Gibson was elected along with Michael Ryan, the first Financial Secretary of the Council.
In September of 1978 the Leduc Council became part of the Edmonton Chapter.
Excerpt from KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS OF ALBERTA 1907-1980 – A DEDICATED HISTORY
What was happening in the world when the Fr. Leduc Council was chartered:
– The Catholic parish in Leduc has been there for 82 years by then. First with a small wooden church called St. Benedict, then replaced with the current brick structure built in 1936 and renamed St. Michael’s. Major renovations occured in 1985 to add the North and South wings as well as the establishment and completion of the basement hall.
– The Leduc CWL Council is already 25 years old (the same age as Hockey Night in Canada is. Coincidence? I think not)
– The first Guttenberg bible sells for $2M in New York
– Pete Rose still setting records in MLB, signed later that year as free agent
– Star Wars has been in theaters since the previous May
– The Montreal Canadians win their third straight Stanley Cup
– CBC becomes the first broadcaster to use an orbiting satalite
– VIA Rail is created as a crown corporation
– Pierre Trudeau is Prime Minister of Canada
– Peter Lougheed is the Alberta Premier
– The Edmonton Eskimos win their 5th Grey Cup
– The U of A Golden Bears hockey team win their 4th University Cup.
– Alberta is in the midst of the second wave of the Energy Crisis
– David Berkowitz (Son of Sam killer) is sentenced
– The movie adaptation Grease with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John premiers
– The IRA are in full stride committing terror acts across Ireland
– The “Garfield” comic strip premiers
– Lee Iacocca is fired from Ford Motor Company
– The Toronto Blue Jays and Montreal Expos have been in the MLB for a year
– Commonwealth Stadium opens up in Edmonton as part of hosting the Commonwealth Games
– Pope Paul VI dies, John Paul I is elected.
– John Paul I dies, John Paul II is elected
– Vatican II is still only 13 years old at the time
– Egypt and Israel agree to peace talks at Camp David with US President Jimmy Carter
– Columbo, The Carol Burnett Show and The Bob Newhart Show all end their runs
– WKRP in Cincinnati, Taxi, All Creatures Great & Small, The Incredible Hulk and Dallas all premier on TV
– The Larry King Show premiers on radio
– Mike Bossy is the first rookie in the NHL to score 50 in 50
– Bobby Orr scores his last NHL goal
– Wayne Gretzky is sold to the WHL Edmonton Oilers by Indianapolis. Hockey players everywhere shudder for what is to come.
– USA, USSR, France, United Kingdom & China all conduct multiple nuclear weapons test all year
– Israel in conflict in South Lebannon
– Treaty to turn Panama Canal over to Panama control on Dec 31, 1999 signed in US.
– The first microchip is patented by Texas Instruments
– Roman Polanski flees from US pedophilia criminal conviction to hide in France
– The Bee Gee’s album Saturday Night Fever spends 24 weeks at #1
– Muhammad Ali loses the heavyweight title to Leon Spinks, and then takes it back from him later that year.
– Escaped serial killer Ted Bundy kills again, and is subsequently recaptured.
– The Sex Pistols had a busy year, final tour, breakup, court cases, murder charges, album banned by countries.
– Cult leader Jim Jones orders the mass suicide of the Jonestown followers and the murder of several visiting politicians and reporters.
– Spain becomes a democracy following years of dictatorship
– The Deer Hunter and Superman the Movie premier
– Serial killer John Wayne Gacy is arrested
– Elvis Presley is on his final tour
– US Catholic Bishops rescind automatic excommunication for Catholics divorced and remarried.
– Former Indian PM, Indira Gandhi is arrested on corruption charges, but is released later that year.
