Protocol ~ Drill Manual

'Religiously Devoted and Patriotically Proud'

Supreme Master Lawrence Costanzo / Deputy Supreme Knight Dennis Savoie

“You are a unique fraternity of Knights of Columbus leaders,” Supreme Master Lawrence Costanzo told the current and former Vice Supreme Masters of the Fourth Degree as they began the 99th Supreme Assembly meeting in New Haven on Sept. 25. “Religiously devoted and patriotically proud” is the description we now give to Sir Knights, of whom there are now 310,719, or 17.4% of the total membership of the Knights of Columbus. Costanzo told the VSMs that “we should see that rise to twenty-five percent.”

There was much discussion of efforts to achieve uniformity in appearance among Fourth Degree Knights in regalia. A revised Protocol Manual and Color Corps Drill Manual was issued last December, and Costanzo noted that “we have seen a vast improvement in the overall appearance and performance of the Color Corps.”

More uniformity is also coming thanks to the issuance of a revised Fourth Degree Ceremony for the United States, complete with vivid graphics in a new powerpoint program. Vice Supreme Masters are being asked to ensure that the revised ceremony is presented “as written,” without local “innovations.” Revised versions of the ceremony for use in Canada, Mexico and other countries are in development, with the Canadian version to be completed in the near future.