Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
The Knights of Columbus were originally founded by Father Michael J. McGivney in New Haven, Connecticut on 29 March 1882. The organization was established as a fraternal benefit society with the founding principles of charity, unity and fraternity in order to render financial aid to members and their families. The society is divided into 'states councils' at the provincial level and 'councils' at the local level. Initially, the Supreme Office in Connecticut established the Maritime Provinces jurisdiction in 1904. The first local council was formed in Sydney in 1905. In 1919 the Supreme Office began work to separate the Maritime Provinces into their own State Councils. The Nova Scotia State Council was formally established on 10 May 1921. The following local councils with their dates of establishment were the original Charter Councils: Sydney (1905), Halifax (1906), Antigonish (1906), New Glasgow (1912), and Sydney Mines (1919). The State Council supports a permanent and systematic scholarship program which began with seven scholarships in 1921. The Knights of Columbus have also taken a very prominent part in helping students from the developing world attend the Coady Institute at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish.