WCR This Week

RED DEER – The executive board of the Alberta Knights of Columbus will spend Canada Day choosing a new leader for the organization following the death of Grant Mann, the Knights' state deputy-elect.

Mann, elected state deputy at the April 17-19 convention, died April 29, just two months before his installation as leader of the 18,000 Knights in Alberta and the Northwest Territories.

The organization's executive was to meet in Red Deer July 1 to appoint a new leader.

"We are going to sit down at a meeting and we are going to discuss possible candidates and some of the board members can have their names come forward," explained outgoing State Deputy William Smith.

"It's a very simple selection process. We will just appoint someone to take over as state deputy for the next 12 months."

Smith said any third degree insurance member can ask to be considered for the position.

"It's not a nomination process," he explained. "You just let us know if you want to be considered by the board and we will take that into consideration."

Smith wouldn't say if there are any candidates for the position. The board will pick a new leader based on his qualifications and whoever is named will assume his duties immediately.

The Knights will hold their next convention in April 2016 in Calgary, when a new state deputy might be elected.