The State Officers and Members of the
Illinois Knights of Columbus

Welcome you to the

108^th Annual Illinois
State Convention

May 26-28, 2006

GATEWAY CENTER
1 Gateway Drive
Collinsville, Illinois

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Included in this Convention Information Packet are:

1. Hotel Reservation Information
2. Hospitality Suite Information
3. Parking Information & Travel Directions
4. Alcoholic Beverages Information
5. State Deputy Banquet & Ladies Luncheon Information
6. Survey of Council Needs Information
7. Country Store
8. Lunch & Learn Information

APPENDICES:

• State Deputy Banquet & Ladies Luncheon Ticket Order Forms
• Hotel Room Reservation Form
• Group Housing Form
• Hospitality Suite Reservation Form
• Special Needs Survey
• Lunch and Learn Registration Form
• Preliminary Agenda
• Council 1712 Friday Night Fish Fry (with map)

March 9, 2006

Dear Brother Knight:

RE: 2006 ILLINOIS KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS STATE CONVENTION

The 2006 Illinois State Knights of Columbus Convention will convene at the Gateway Center in Collinsville, Illinois on the weekend of May 26th - 28th.

Hotels: The only hospitality district in Collinsville accommodates events at Gateway Center with more than 900 hotel rooms in a variety of hotel properties, and 60 restaurants ranging from casual family dining to fine dining. Most of Collinsville’s lodging is within walking distance of the convention center. Our overnight guests will find plenty of single and family units, from economy to full-service properties. Nearby hotels with pre-arranged convention rates include: Holiday Inn Drury Inn Hampton Inn Fairfield Inn Comfort Inn Ramada Limited Arrangements with the convention hotels require that all reservations be handled by the convention Housing Committee and the Gateway Center. Convention rates will not be offered to those making their own hotel reservations.

Area Attractions: Just a few of the nearby attractions include:

• Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site
• National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows
• Historic Downtown Collinsville including the World’s Largest Catsup Bottle
• Schoolhouse Trail, part of an extensive network of walking, biking, and skating trails throughout Madison County
• Splash City Family Water Park
• Holy Family Church - Cahokia - the oldest continuing Catholic parish in the U.S.

Other attractions in nearby St. Louis include:

• Jefferson National Expansion Memorial - The Gateway Arch
• St. Louis Riverfront
• Forest Park - recently restored and preserved to its original beauty
• St. Louis Science Museum
• St. Louis Art Museum
• Missouri History Museum
• St. Louis Zoo - one of the few remaining zoos with no admission charge

What to expect at the 2006 Convention:

The Convention Committee has put together a full weekend of activities for everyone. If you thought the convention was just for men, watch your mailbox for details about activities for the ladies and the kids. The convention includes a Ladies Luncheon, a Ladies Mini-Convention, Youth Activities, Convention Mass, and State Deputy Dinner.

We also encourage you to invite members of your council to attend. Members, their wives, family and friends can attend the Civic Reception on Saturday morning and the Awards Presentations on Saturday afternoon - only members can attend the Sunday business sessions and only delegates can vote on Sunday.

We invite you to plan to come early or stay an extra day and enjoy the sights and attractions of Southern Illinois and the St. Louis Metropolitan area. Convention hotel rates will be honored the nights of May 25 through May 28.

1. HOTEL RESERVATION INFORMATION

Room rates vary by hotel, and are special rates for the weekend. [NOTE: These room rates include a small surcharge to defray some expenses of this year's convention.]

Due to the number of hotels and rooms held for convention reservations, all reservations must be made through the Housing Committee and the Gateway Center. The housing request form must by used for all reservations. Sorry, no exceptions! The “cut-off date” is May 4, 2006. Reservation requests received after the cut-off date will be accepted on a space and rate availability basis only. If the Knights of Columbus convention rate is not available after the cut-off date, the prevailing hotel rate will apply for any reservation confirmed and there will be no guarantee of availability at one of the convention hotels.

Rates are valid the nights of May 25 through May 28.

2. HOSPITALITY SUITES
There are a very limited number of hospitality suites available at the Holiday Inn for $135/day. There is also one executive conference room available for hospitality at a cost of $195/day. All hospitality facilities will be filled on a first-come basis. Reservations will be processed based on date of receipt. No phone reservations will be accepted.

If you or your council is interested in making reservations for hospitality space, please fill out the enclosed form. If your council or chapter is interested in the executive conference room, please check the appropriate box on the suite reservation form. If you need additional information for hospitality suites contact:

3. PARKING
Free parking is available in the hotel parking lots and at the Gateway Center.

Parking for Buses is located on the West side of the Gateway Center parking lot. Although parking is plentiful, please inform the Housing Committee if your council is using a bus by attaching a Special Needs Survey.

How to Get There...

By Highway:
Access is remarkably easy and convenient. Five interstate highways, including I-55, I-64, I-70, I-270 and I-255 intersect in the Collinsville area. Just take exit 11 from I-55/70 or exit 26 from I-255 and you are here!

From I-55/70: Take Collinsville Exit 11. At traffic light, turn left onto Highway 157/Bluff Road to Eastport Plaza Drive, turn Left. Continue to Gateway Drive, turn right. Gateway Center is located on your left.

From I-255: Traveling North or South on Interstate 255, take Exit 26, Horseshoe Lake Road, Turn Left. Immediately turn right onto Eastport Plaza Drive and then left onto Gateway Drive. Gateway Center is located on right.

From I-64: Traveling East or West on Interstate 64, Take Exit 9 and drive North on Hwy 157, approximately 7 miles, to Eastport Plaza Drive which is located off Hwy. 157. Turn left on Eastport Plaza Drive, then right on Gateway Drive. Gateway Center is located on left.

By Air:
Lambert St. Louis International Airport is located about 30 minutes from Collinsville by car, bus or airport limousine.

Airport Convention Transportation: Shuttle service will be provided between Lambert Airport and Collinsville. To use the shuttle service, please provide a copy of your itinerary to the Housing Committee, attached to your housing reservation form.

4. ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

Alcoholic beverages MAY NOT be brought into the hotels or the convention center by those attending the Convention. Exception: Alcoholic beverages may be brought in for hospitality suites ONLY. Check with hotel for specific regulations.

5. STATE DEPUTY'S BANQUET AND LADIES LUNCHEON TICKETS

To keep the State Deputy's Banquet as brief as possible and to allow more time to visit hospitality suites, only the following awards will be presented during the banquet: State Medallion(s) and the State Membership Award. All other state awards will be presented at the Awards Presentation on Saturday afternoon.

Cost of the State Deputy's Banquet is $30.00 per ticket.

You may order your Ladies Luncheon tickets on the same form as the State Deputy's Banquet tickets. The cost is $25.00 per ticket.

Please return this form and your check by Monday, May 15, 2006.

6. SURVEY OF COUNCIL NEEDS AND INTERESTS
So that the Convention Committee can address the needs of those who will be attending the 2006 Illinois State Knights of Columbus Convention, please take a few minutes to fill out the enclosed Survey of Council Needs and Interests. Please return completed forms by Monday, May 1, 2006 to:

If you do not return this form, there is no guarantee that your needs can be met at a later date.

7. COUNTRY STORE

We will once again have a Country Store at the convention this year. Hats, T-shirts, Pins, and a variety of other Knights of Columbus items will be available for you to purchase throughout the weekend. The store will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Hours of operation will be posted at the convention center. Stop by and see what we have to offer.

Your Convention Committee is looking forward to doing everything possible to make the 2006 Illinois State Knights of Columbus Convention an enjoyable event for everyone. If you have any questions, please contact me.

8. LUNCH & LEARN

We will again be offering the highly popular and successful Lunch & Learn sessions. This year the sessions will include three sessions to choose from:

1. Grand Knight training
2. Insurance and Fraternal Benefits
3. Membership Program planning.

A box lunch will be provided (Sandwiches accompanied by a Selection of Condiments, Chips, Assorted Cookies, and Assorted Sodas) with your registration fee of $15. Please complete the enclosed Lunch & Learn Registration Form. Registration must be received by May 15.

Fraternally Yours,

Ted Stites
138 Hodgens Mill Ln.
O’Fallon, IL 62269-6623
(618) 632-2644
tstiteskc@charter.net