Knights of Columbus - Fr. Andrew Doherty Assembly 0155
Knights of Columbus - Fr. Andrew Doherty Assembly 0155

Color Corps & Color Guard

When knighthood was in flower, knights carried the sword to defend their God, their Church, their country and their fellow man according to the code of chivalry. Today, Sir Knights wear a modern unifrorm and carry the sword to honor Christ and His apostles, especially on religious and civic occasions. Hence, the primary purpose of the Fourth Degree is to encourage active Catholic citizenship and foster the spirit of patriotism in members and the community at large.
 
For the past 75 years the basic Color Corps uniform was the tux, cape and chapeau but a new uniform has recently been introduced which consists a grey dress slacks, dark blue blazer, official fourth degree tie, and a dark blue beret, the jacket and beret with the emblem of the fourth degree..
 
The Color Corps members exemplify all the principles of our Order:
 
• Charity - by the gift of their time and energies necessary to practice, perfect and perform the ceremonials and sword drill;
• Unity – by the united efforts of Sir Knights to practice and perfect a coordinated drill for the good of the Church and the Order;
• Fraternity – by expressing an “Esprit de Corps,” sharing a common desire for drill excellence and camaraderie; and
• Patriotism – by performing precision drill as a salute to God and to country and visually exhibiting a love for both.
 
The public appearance of Fourth Degree Knights as a Color Corps at religious and civic functions is an important activity of each assembly.  By these public demonstrations their loyalties bring credit to themselves and to the Knights of Columbus.
 
COLOR CORPS DESCRIPTION
The Color Corps  has two sub-groups, the Color Guard and the Honor Guard. The Color Guard consists of the flag bearers and at least two members of the Honor Guard who escort the colors. The Honor Guard consists of members of the Color Corps who have mastered the Manual of the Sword. In Assembly 0155, all members of the Color Corps also belong to the Honor Guard. The public appearance of Fourth Degree Knights as a Color Corps at religious and civic functions is an important activity of each assembly.