Knights of Columbus: A Brief History
The Knights are a fraternal benefit society, under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Church, organized under a charter granted by the General Assembly of the state of Connecticut, on March 29, 1882. It is governed by a Supreme Council and a Supreme Board of Directors, with headquarters in New Haven, Connecticut ; and it has 61 "state councils", of which 9 are Canadian provincial councils. The society does not, however, confine itself to insurance benefits and social interests, but has from the beginning devoted its energies to educational, charitable, religious, social welfare, war relief and welfare, and public relief work.