Detroit— Josh Drouillard acknowledges that joining the Squires back when he was 10 was more his dad’s idea than his own.
“I didn’t think it would be fun, but it turned out to be a good experience, and I learned a lot from it,” says Josh, 17, a senior at Port Huron Northern High School who is finishing his term as state chief Squire this year.
The Squires, the youth program of the Knights ofColumbus, allows boys ages 10 to 18 to have fun, engage in Christian service projects and grow in their faith.
“It taught me it was OK to say my prayers in public; it taught me to not be afraid to be Catholic,” adds Josh, a member of the Squires’ Fr. Flannigan Circle 591 and Holy Trinity Parish, Port Huron.
He points to activities such as a canoe race, weekend camps, bowling and basketball — activities that can be local or involve Squires from all over Michigan.
But Josh also notes that Squires take part in a variety of service projects, such as last year’s bottle and can drive to help a family that couldn’t afford to buy Christmas presents.
There is also an ongoing fundraising effort to purchase an ultrasound machine for a crisis pregnancy center. “We’ve raised about $5,000 so far; when we raise $15,000, the K of C will match,” he explains.
On a personal level, Josh says he has gained many friends over the years through the Squires. Some of those older friends are already in the Knights, which Josh plans to join himself when he turns 18 later this year.
“I look forward to taking the next step, and giving back to my community and (to) not expect anything in return,” he says.
Sebastian Cooper, 15, a member of St. Cunegunda Parish in Detroit, also joined the Squires when he was 10.
After living in France for several years, he got involved again and became chief squire of the Fr. Daniel A. Lord Circle 801, which meets at the Holy Cross Council Knights of Columbus Hall on Michigan Avenue in Detroit.
A senior at Edsel Ford High School in Dearborn, he is also one of the Squires’ state officers.
Besides the fun, Sebastian says there are activities that “keep us close to our Catholic faith, such as opening meetings with a prayer or visiting a shrine.”
“If it weren’t for the Squires, I don’t think I would be as close to my faith,” he says.
Sebastian also likes the leadership training aspect, as the Squires are often allowed to plan their own activities, with adult counselors there just for supervision.
Fr. Mark Prill, associate pastor of St. John Neumann, Canton, knows firsthand the effect being a Squire can have on a boy.
“I became a Squire at 13 or 14, influenced by Fr. Doug Terrien at Immaculate Conception Parish in Lapeer,” Fr. Prill says. “Being in the Squires, then being in the Knights, helped cultivate my vocation. Values I learned from them helped shape me into the person I am today.”
