About Our Assembly
ASSOCIATED WITH KofC COUNCILS 2323, 5567, 6793, 9774, and 12796
Meeting Every Third Thursday, 8PM, Fr. Cuddy Hall, 17001 Overhill Road, Derwood MD 20855
The Fourth Degree of the Knights of Columbus was built on the principle of Patriotism -- love for and devotion to one's country.
At a National Council meeting in 1899, it was determined that an additional ceremonial degree was needed that would represent patriotism. The initial Exemplification was held on February 22, 1900. The class reached in excess of 1,100 candidates. Members were originally part of local councils, but in 1910 a restructuring of the order separated them and called the groups Assemblies. The Chain of Command is similar to that of the lower degrees, but with different titles. At the Supreme level, the top man is the Supreme Master.
The Fourth Degree is divided into areas called Provinces. A Vice Supreme Master is in charge of each of the Fourth Degree Provinces in the Order. The Calvert Province is comprised of the states of Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware and the District of Columbia with a combined total of approximately 29,000 Fourth Degree Knights.
Each Province is divided into Districts, under the jurisdiction of a Master. Districts are made up of Assemblies similar to councils in structure and operation. The Archdiocese of Washington District consists of eleven Assemblies.
The Presiding Officer of an Assembly is called a Faithful Navigator; he is assisted by a Captain and a Pilot, which are similar to the offices of Deputy Grand Knight and Warden on a council level. The fourth Chair Officer is the Admiral, always the immediate Past Faithful Navigator.
Assembly History
Sullivan Brothers Assembly #2861 was formed in 2004 to serve the councils in the center portion of Montgomery County. We are named for the five Sullivan Brothers from Waterloo, Iowa who all lost their lives when the cruiser USS Juneau was sunk in the Battle of Guadalcanal in November 1942. The motto of the five Sullivan brothers was “We stick together.” We have adopted it as our motto as well. As one of our first activities, we established a relationship with USS The Sullivans. We contribute to the morale and welfare fund of the ship and we were invited to visit the ship at their homeport in Florida. Several members of the Assembly visited, and we obtained several flags which had flown over the ship. We presented these flags to the councils we support.
We also have undertaken a program to supply athletic socks, exercise wear, phone cards, and a variety of other items to the wounded heroes at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda.
We have a keen interest in our nation’s history. We have held trips to Fort McHenry, Gettysburg, Antietam, the Monacacy battlefields and the Marine Corps Museum.
Assembly Programs
We have a wide variety of programs to match the interests of our members.
Each year we conduct a flag retirement ceremony with the cooperation of the Boy Scouts. As a flag is dismantled and placed on a fire piece by piece the narrator solemnly describes the meaning of each part being retired.
We adapted a flag folding ceremony from a USMC activity explaining how to fold the flag and the significance of each fold. We have held this ceremony at several councils and an elementary school.
We support our military and veterans through the Pastoral Services office of the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda. We have one member who is an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist at Naval Medical and we would like to increase that number.
We hold several social meetings throughout the year to promote fraternity. Guest speakers are often engaged to speak about items of interest for all.
We have an active Color Corps and we provide honorary guards at wakes and funerals, as requested by the families. We also provide the Color Corps as requested for Masses at parishes in our area and at special events such as Divine Mercy Sunday, the Archdiocesan Mass for Seminarians, Installations of Council Officers, and special events at the Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. The Color Corps also participates in the Gaithersburg St. Patrick’s Day and Olney Days Parades.
In September, as the high school football season begins, we present the Colors at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School home Football game.
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