What is the purpose of degrees in the Knights of Columbus?

Fr. Michael J. McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus in part to give Catholic men a Catholic alternative to Freemasonic fraternalism.

cf. passim, esp. p. 40 (which cites Pope Leo XIII's encyclical Humanum Genus "denouncing Freemasonry as an abominable form of naturalistic religion."), of:

• Kauffman, Christopher J. 1982. Faith and fraternalism: the history of the Knights of Columbus, 1882-1982. New York: Harper & Row.

What is the purpose of degrees in the Knights of Columbus?

To teach Catholic gentlemen to be true Catholics, loyal to the Holy Father, the Magisterium of the Church and to aid fellow Catholics in diverse situations, such as widows. Things that Knights of old would look upon as an honour to fulfill.

The degrees taken emulate these facts, in their ceremonies (which the formalities are not publicly known so as to make the new recipients learn the Gospel message in a very unique manner).

The Knights in their degrees learn charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism!

Types of Membership

Knights

New candidates begin their journey to Knighthood by completing the First Degree ceremony where they learn the lesson of charity. Following the First Degree ceremony, a candidate is considered a Knight of Columbus and can participate in all council activities. First Degree members are encouraged to attain the Second and Third Degrees, which teach the lessons of unity and fraternity. Upon taking the Third Degree, a member receives full honors of Knighthood and is “Knighted.”

Privileges of Third Degree membership include the ability to serve as a local council officer, and admission to state and Supreme Council business meetings. First and Second Degree members can attend the state and Supreme Council meetings, but they are not allowed in the business sessions.

Members who have been in the Knights for one year and have attained Third Degree membership are eligible to join the Fourth Degree Knights.

Fourth Degree Knights

On February 22, 1900, the first Fourth Degree exemplification or degree ceremony was held in New York City. The Fourth Degree imparts a lesson on the virtue of patriotism. The primary purpose of this degree is to foster the spirit of patriotism in members and the community at large and encourage active Catholic citizenship. Today there are some 300,000 Fourth Degree Knights out of the total 1.6 million member Knights of Columbus.

Local units, called assemblies, draw their members from Knights of Columbus councils. The qualifications for membership in the Fourth Degree are: membership in the Knights for at least one year and being a Third Degree Knight.

A Fourth Degree Knight may become part of the assembly’s color corps. These members are recognized widely by their distinctive attire of tuxedo, feathered hat (chapeau), cape and sword. These members regularly take part in civic events such as parades and wreath-laying ceremonies, and at ecclesial functions at Catholic churches. The various colored capes and chapeau feathers denote different officer positions within the Fourth Degree.

Wikipedia explains it as follows:

The order is dedicated to the principles (Degrees) of charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism. The first ritual handbook, printed in 1885, contained only the first two Degrees teaching unity and charity. The third Degree, espousing fraternity, was adopted in 1891.

The Fourth Degree, which is dedicated to patriotism, was adopted in 1903. Members of the Fourth Degree join assemblies which are separate from ordinary councils. Assemblies may form color guards, which are often the most visible arm of the Knights, to attend important civic and church events.

A longstanding tradition is coming to an end on July 1 as the Knights of Columbus discard the ceremonial capes and plumed chapeaus of its Fourth Degree members.

Purpose of the Colour Corps

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 regalia and carry the sword to honor Christ and His apostles, especially on religious and civic occasions specified in this manual. 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.

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 loyalty and patriotism bring credit to themselves and to the Knights of Columbus. - The Colour Corps of the Patriotic Degree