History of Orange Chapter

Seventy Years of Service 1902-1972
History of the Knights of Columbus in California
Dr. Peter Conmy, 1972  page 282

Orange County Chapter

     “For sometime the growth of the Order in Southern California appeared to warrant a division of the very large Southern California Chapter.  The matter had been surveyed during the term of 1969-70 by State Deputy Albin Seifert.  In his report he wrote,

Additional chapters are being established in Southern California.  I believe a quotation from my letter to the Supreme Knight requesting approval of these chapters briefly states the advantages accruing from this action.  It reads in part, “I believe that the Order will progress in California if more capable leaders can be developed.  Dividing this large chapter (Southern California Chapter – 1907 councils now generally comprising all councils within the Archdiocese of Los Angeles) into smaller groups will give capable men greater opportunities to become State and Chapter officers.”

In certain quarters there developed a considerable amount of opposition to the proposal and nothing was done to augment it.  The Archdiocese of Los Angeles comprises the counties of Ventura, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and Orange.  State Deputy Siefert’s plan did not apparently adhere to county boundaries.  Acting State Deputy Joyce gave his endorsement to the proposal to take Orange Count out of the Southern California Chapter.  In this county, there are twenty-one councils and this subtraction leaves eighty-six within the old organization.

Acting State Deputy Joyce under date of April 12th, requested approval of the Supreme Board and this was granted by the body on motion of Supreme Director Pellietier.  The action was reported in the 1971 issue of the Golden State Bulletin and the effective date stated as July 1, 1971.

On July 21 1971, delegates from twenty-one councils met and organized.  The following charter officers were elected:

President Norbert Beadel, Sr. of Orange
Chaplain Rev. Peter J. Juba of Orange
Vice President Robert Hornburg of Anaheim
Secretary Edward Baczynski of Fullerton
Treasurer Casper Hare of Tustin
Advocate Charles Robinson of Santa Ana
Marshal Richard Rice of Garden Grove

Advocate, Charles Robinson, died suddenly sometime after the election and Louis Mirandi of Huntington Beach was chosen to succeed him. 

The installation of Orange County Chapter brings the number of chapters in California to eleven.”