This year the boys most important lesson was as always, earned not given. Two weeks ago the boys stood before a board of review to prove they knew their lessons under a shinning examination light. The Blue Knights at their ceremony stood tall and swore to their new expanded duties as role models, teachers and planners.
This year the Blue Capes received formal orders promoting them to the Order of Green Cape. In their orders they learned their primary mission next year was to be role models for the new recruits we pray will join us on our evangelization mission. The importance of this mission should never be lost. In creating good character in boys we must ensure they realize all men need to look up at good moral examples to learn from, and to ensure the shadow of our actions is one which will safely lead others to God. While big brothers learn this naturally, some middle and youngest boys need to receive this growth opportunity by being inside a dynamically changing group.
Our Order of the Gold Cape received two levels of commission. Each level suited to the abilities and age of the boy. The older two boys received the commission of Lieutenant, and the responsibility to plan next year’s meetings with myself and the Teen Mentor. This way they will learn vital skills of receiving strategic guidance, forming operations and tactical missions to achieve the group objectives. The younger boys will become Sergeants responsible for setting up meeting spaces, teaching prayers, uniform requirements and basic drill and ceremony. This will be an exciting year for each of these four boys.
Each boy was inducted into the new order using our customary knighting process. Kneeling, receiving medals from Dad and capes from Mom. The older boys found themselves recipients of new swords and the Lieutenants Black and Gold capes custom made for their increasing size (Thanks Grandma Baker). This year their equipment and mission was also blessed by our Regina Caeli Pastor Father Augustine Tran.
As the boys go forth this year, we pray they continue their vocation discernment and apply their increasing knowledge of virtues to fight vice. It is our desire as parents that this work we do to train the boys makes them men of virtue who lead our families and churches as true God Fearing and Loving fathers.
As always we also enjoyed having our families present at this ceremony, because this type of growth needs acknowledgement in public. We all observed our sons come out of the Board of Review with chests raised higher. This was good. The knowledge that other now expect greater virtue and leadership from them daily was greater.
Thanks to the parents of these wonderful boys for sacrificing valuable time and resources to the Blue Knights cause with their boys. Thank you Dawn Bunn for photographing the ceremony while I worked as the Master of Ceremony…and most of all…
Thank you God for giving us these boys to train to seek, know and live a life of beauty rooted in your divine goodness.
-ehw
St Michael's Blue Knights 