Back At It!

Our Theme/Mission Codename For the Year: Conquest 2020

What is up Conquest fam!

I am writing first to say how excited the last meeting (01/18/2019) got me for the revamp we are going to accomplish this year! And secondly, I want to share some of the notes that we gathered last Friday.

Meeting Notes:

What are some of the things you (the boys) think we should do this year to get Conquest Brighton back on the map?

- Invite more friends (heavy recruiting)
- More service projects (and document)
- Skits "we loved the skits"
- "Squad Up!" (re-introducing competition is a must)
- Field trips (let's plan some)
- Life lessons/training for men (I would like to incorporate some guest speakers to come and share their lessons/stories with the boys)
- Apostalic work (let's do some)
- Restore equipment os past
- Build a zip-line
- Recruit some priests to come be a part of some meetings
- JP II tournament
- Recruit other young men/Conquest alums to help with the group
- End of Year video recap (Conquest 2020)
- Contact Conquest organization and find out where we stand

Let me know if there are any areas that interest some more than others and where you think you can be of the best assistance! I am taking ownership of the communications responsibilities so I can reach out to our Conquest Organization, find out where we stand, and I can also reach out to some priests and some potential guest speakers to plan some meetings around them in the coming months.

Hope everyone has a great start to the week and God Bless!!

-Ryan Dewan (Conquest Alum + Communications Dude)

Spaghetti Dinner to Benefit Fire Victim

Our next meeting is this Friday at St. Mary in Pinckney. 

We encourage any hungry and charitable families to come early to the church for a benefit dinner to support a parishioner whose home recently burned down. Please see the image at the right for further details.

Updated: Winter-Spring 2016 Meeting Schedule

The meeting schedule for the Conquest Winter-Spring 2016 season is mostly set. Please keep an eye on the calendar and your email inbox for the latest updates. All dates are on Fridays unless otherwise noted:

Jan 29 - St. Mary (this is a FRIDAY)

Feb 5 - Holy Spirit

Feb 19 - Holy Spirit

Mar 4 - Holy Spirit

Mar 18 - Holy Spirit

Apr 1 - TBD

Apr 15 - Holy Spirit

Apr 29 - Holy Spirit

May 13 - Holy Spirit

May 27 - Holy Spirit

June - Meeting/Baseball Game TBD 

April 1 is still TBD because we do not have a meeting location identified yet. If you have a great idea for a special excursion or service project that we can perform in the area, please let us know.

Another Virtuous Meeting!

We had a lot of fun at Saint Mary in Pinckney on the evening of November 20th. The gym was abuzz with activities such as multi-ball crab soccer and accordion relays. 

The boys wrapped up the evening with marvelous skits to demonstrate their understanding of the virtue of KINDNESS. 

Tomorrow we meet again!

Two weeks have sped by and so tomorrow we have our next meeting. We return to the gym at Saint Mary in Pinckney, probably for the last time this calendar year.


If you can bring snack or drink, or if you have a great idea for an activity for the boys, please click on the button below to volunteer.

Conquest & Challenge Worldwide News Highlights - October 2015

For complete information, click here

Next Meeting...Tomorrow at St. Mary's

Tomorrow night we return to St. Mary in Pinckney for the next meeting. We will begin in the gym from 7:00-8:00 PM for activity (hint: the volleyball nets should be up) and then move over to the activity center for formation from 8:00-9:00 PM.

It would be very much appreciated if somebody can sign up for snack and/or drink duty at this meeting. Please respond to this email or sign up at the link below.

Next Meeting...THIS FRIDAY!

Our next meeting will take place this Friday, October 23rd, from 7:00 until 9:00 PM in the gym at Saint Mary Parish of Pinckney.

First Meeting was Glorious!

We had a high turnout, a tasty snack, and a challenging and fun soccer match at the first official meeting of the season. God blessed us with fantastic weather!

First Meeting: Day & Time Change!

What a way to start! Unfortunately, we need to move the first meeting on account of space availability and some important paperwork that needs to be filed before we venture outside of our home parish, Holy Spirit.

Therefore, the first meeting will be from 1:00-3:00 PM on SATURDAY October 10 in Holy Spirit's Activity Center. Please consider volunteering for one of our sign-up spots by clicking on the button below:

  

Conquest 2015/2016 is Here!

This is the first update to the blog in a loooong time! Well, we promise to keep the updates coming on a more regular basis from here on. Come back often because you will find up-to-date information about our schedule, activities, contacts, and more. You can subscribe simply by entering your email (see the box to the right). This is the easiest way to guarantee that you will never miss out on future updates because they will go straight to your inbox.

Many of the dads and boys met recently to set the schedule for this year and to gather ideas about goals and activities for the club. We reviewed the survey results, which showed a preference to maintain the every-other-Friday rhythm. We also welcomed some new families and we are very excited to encounter these fresh faces and ideas!

The dates for the first Campaign will be (Fridays at 7:00PM):

10/9

10/23

11/6

11/20

12/4

12/18

We are still finalizing locations for these, depending on availability and the activities that will be planned for each meeting.

CONQUEST 2014-2015 IS HERE!

It brings us so much joy to announce the official start of the 2014-2015 Conquest season! Conquest begins this year in early Fall and runs through late Spring. The season is broken up into what we call "Campaigns", with each campaign emphasizing a specific VIRTUE that forms the basis for everything we do. 

The Conquest program has undergone an overhaul in the last year or so and this means all new things to learn and fresh new ways for us to grow in Virtue. We can share more about this at the first meeting this Friday. It is anticipated that the cost for the program will run about $50 per boy this year. This includes a shirt and other goodies along with covering the Catholic learning materials and other tools for our education in Virtue.

Our meetings are scheduled for every other Friday from 7:00-9:00 PM in the Barn. You can check out the Calendar tab for all the dates in this Fall-Winter campaign stretch and add them to your own calendars. For your convenience, the dates are also listed here:

9/26

10/10

10/24

11/7

11/21

12/5

12/19

Check it out! Come this Friday (or whenever you can) to see what Conquest is all about. Feel free to search through the old blog posts. Learn what wholesome activities and excellent catechesis are available through this program. Decide for yourselves if it is the right thing for you to do.  

We are in need of families to share in some of the regular duties such as snack and activities throughout the season. Please visit the Volunteer tab to learn more and sign up. 

2014-2015 Planning Meeting

At 6:30PM this Saturday, September 6th, we have organized a planning meeting for the 2014-2015 Conquest season. The men will gather in the Barn to look ahead at the calendar and set a schedule for our meetings while the boys can have a little fun in or out of the Barn (weather permitting). 

This planning phase is so important because it is becoming ever more difficult to find days and times that permit the maximum participation from our families without overburdening them. Please plan to come and provide your valuable input.

Email us if you cannot attend or if you need directions to the Barn. 

...Like Tongues of Fire

We had another amazing meeting on November 22nd. It began as any other, but then...

The boys and dads received a "no-knock" surprise visit from General Michael Archangel, who promptly brought the boys to attention. He reminded them that they are part of God's Army, and the battles against the Enemy are fierce and widespread. Hard Work and Faith are necessary for them to succeed on the field of battle. The Rosary and Scripture are the most powerful weapons they have at their disposal. 



The boys also were taught about fire safety by one of our expert dads, Mr. Frederick. This comprehensive lesson included everything from how to start a fire to how to prevent it from getting out of control. Boys and fire. Enough said.

During snack, Deacon Jerry shared with the boys his recent experience in Rome. He was there at the same time that the first-class relics of the first Pope, Saint Peter, were on display for the faithful to venerate. These were some of his bones that are normally kept in a crypt below the main altar in St. Peter's Basilica. Now they know how that Basilica got its name!

Dodgeball has become synonymous with Conquest

Finally, the boys were able to take what they learned about fire safety to the outdoors for some hands-on training. This was done in a very controlled way with plenty of dad supervision, of course! With all these Catholic boys and men gathered together around these fires, it was hard not to envision the Apostles at Pentecost:

EDUCATING IN VIRTUE

I stumbled upon the following article by James Stenson about raising children to be virtuous. Here are some excerpts:

To say that parents should raise their children right is to say that the children need to be formed in character. The children need to grow in what the ancients called the “virtues.” In today's terms these are called “strengths of character.” We know them when we see them in others. They are the habitual deeply rooted powers of mind and will that direct the course of a life nobly lived...

But though there are no formulas as such in successful family life, there are certain approaches and values that turn up again and again among these widely varying families. Let me set out these traits for you here, the features I have found in common among successful parents. And please let me put them directly in the form of advice. When young parents have asked me what they should do in family life to raise their children, well, I have advised them as follows:

1.) Bear in mind: you are raising adults, not children.

2.) Work as a unified team: put your spouse first.

3.) Practice “affectionate assertiveness” with your children.

4.) Do not permit what you disapprove of.

5.) Teach them habitual courtesy, good manners toward everyone.

6.) Do not let the media win as rivals for your children's minds and hearts.

7.) Cultivate a sense of personal and family honor.

8.) Finally, bind family life with prayer.

...Confidence in God's help will give strength to your tasks as parents. When you turn to Him to help you go beyond your limitations, you can count on His loving help. He never leaves the prayers of loving parents unanswered.

Read the rest at catholicculture.org.

All Saints Day

Go to Holy Mass. Honor the Saints, who intercede for you in Heaven.

Our First Meeting was "Hard Work"!

For this first campaign of the 2013-2014 Conquest season, we chose to study and live out the Virtue of "Hard Work". The boys were definitely excited to be back together as a group in the Barn. 

An impromptu football game before the meeting

Squad up!

For their squads, or teams, the boys chose some good names: FRIENDSHIP, PERSEVERANCE, COURAGE, RESPECT, and CHARITY 

These boys are intense in prayer!

Lined up in prayer before dodgeball round #1

40 Days for Life!

We are changing things up a bit for our next meeting on All Saint's Day. As part of 40 Days for Life, we will meet up at Holy Spirit at 7:00 PM then drive down as a group to the Planned Parenthood abortion mill in Ann Arbor. Our scheduled time to peacefully pray for an end to abortion is between 8:00 and 9:00. Please join us, and bring your whole family! 

Conquest Brighton-Pinckney is Back!

After a long Summer and a brief delay this Fall, Conquest Brighton-Pinckney is back in action! 

Unless otherwise noted, all of this year's meetings will be held on Friday evenings starting at 6:45 PM and ending at around 9:00 PM. Here are the dates:

10/18/13

11/1/13 

11/8/13

11/22/13

12/6/13

12/20/13

1/10/14

1/24/14

2/7/14

2/1/14

3/7/14

3/21/14

3/28/14

4/11/14

4/25/14

5/9/14

5/23/14

6/6/14

This is going to be an amazing, Grace-filled year for the boys! Please make every effort to be there.

Father/Son Pancake Breakfast & Talk by Fr. Mark Rutherford

The club boys (ages 12-16) have organized an event that will be held THIS Saturday March 23. It is a pancake breakfast for fathers and sons in our area. It will be preceded by Holy Mass and include a special Lenten Spiritual talk by our dear friend, Fr. Mark Rutherford. His theme will be "staying close to Jesus in these times".

The boys want to offer something to our community and at the same time, spread the word about Conquest to their peers. So please, help them get the message out!

Our awards ceremony for the Winter 2013 Campaign will take place immediately afterward. Families are welcome to join us as we recognize the boys for their achievements during the "Obedience" Campaign.