We are the Knights of the Kappa Alpha Order. Although the significance of the terms knight and
order will be fully realized only after initiation, you should remember that knighthood was
originally the quality of being an armed and mounted warrior. today it is a special dignity
conferred on worthy individuals. Chivalry is the code of behavior expected of a knight. An order
is a brotherhood of knights devoted to a set of ideals. A man is chosen for membership in our
Order because his conduct reflects the true chivalric code, a code modified only slightly to suit
contemporary society.
Although Kappa Alpha is an order, it is similar to a fraternity in its brotherhood. However, it is
vastly different from a fraternal organization on all other fronts. KA is an order because its
members are bound by the same ideal and philosophy of life -- the epitome of the chivalric knight.
Knighthood and chivalry date to the early centuries of Medieval Europe. Civilization was then
being remolded by the Christian Church and by the institution of feudalism which was a system of
defense whereby knights were rewarded with land and privileges in return for fighting and
governing. The concept and the ceremony of knighthood probably originated from an interaction
of very early Germanic military custom, the nature of Medieval warfare with its emphasis on
cavalry, and the impact of Christian influences. The conduct, ideas, and ideals of the knightly class
of the Middle Ages came to be standardized and referred to as "chivalry," a term derived from the
French word chevalier, meaning knight. Scholars have disputed the exact origins of chivalry.
Some authorities have traced it to 12th century southern France; others maintain that it is of
Arabic origin transmitted to Europe through Muslim Spain; and others insist that it began in the
Scandinavian countries. Nevertheless, it appears reasonably evident that the great principles of
chivalry are of Gothic origin, influenced by the religious characters of the early Middle Ages. It is
also known that the rudiments of the laws of chivalry were defined by the 11th century and that
they were formally confirmed in 1025 by the Council of Clermont in France. the chivalric code
compelled a knight to be brave, courageous, honorable, true to his word, and loyal to his feudal
overlord, and to defend his Church, protect the weak, aid the poor, seek justice, and revere pure
womanhood. this set of high standards of conduct significantly refined the character of Medieval
civilization and later had a profound impact on the shape of modern life. Finally, knighthood and
chivalry acquired new dimensions with the creation of orders of knights -- men bound together for
a common purpose and who shared an ideal. These orders originated during the crusades, those
200 years of war that followed Pope Urbal II's call in 1095 for the knights of Christian Europe to
unite under the symbol of a red cross for the purpose of ending Muslim rule in the Holy Land.
Such great orders as those of the Knights Hospitallers and the Knights Templar appeared as
exalted brotherhoods destined to play an important historical role.
A lengthy period of rigorous training and service was required to attain knighthood. During
training, the candidate was prepared in the arts and techniques of war and familiarized with the
code of chivalry. Each aspect of his training was directed to a positive educational goal. the
process began at the age of seven or eight when the son of a noble was sent to another noble's
castle to begin his apprenticeship (as a varlet)(. For the next seven years, he and others training
him learned how to ride and care for horses, were taught fighting skills, and were instructed in
courtesies to ladies and in other aspects of chivalry. At the age of 14, the varlet passed into the
rank of squire, and at the same time, was formally assigned to a knight. A ceremony marked this
occasion, which included a priestly benediction and the bestowing of a sword in recognition that
the squire had gained the privilege of bearing arms. For another seven years, the squire passed
through several degrees. He was constantly instructed by the knight and attended to his personal
needs, caring for his weapons and horse, and accompanying him into battle. At the termination of
this period, when he was 21, a squire who had demonstrated his competence and worth, either by
successful completion of his training or on the actual field of battle, was knighted.
the ritual by which knighthood was conferred began as early as the sixth century. Description of
the ceremonies, which varied in time and place, can be found in the records of the Middle Ages.
Documents relate how Charlemagne girded his son, Louis the Pious, with a knight's sword in the
year 791, and how Louis bestowed the honor upon his heir, Charles the Bald, in 838. Medieval
epic literature describes the conferring knightly dignity for heroic achievements. The ritual is
illustrated in the glowing colors of illuminated manuscripts of the times and in the 11th century
Bayeux Tapestry. The ceremony could be simple if performed in time of war, especially if the
event took place on a battlefield. However, if the knighting took place during peacetime, the rites
were usually solemn and splendid.
The taking of knightly vows brought privileges of class, including a style of dress, marks of
deference, and a coat-of-arms. The vows also entailed renewal of religious faith and acceptance of
obligations and responsibilities of knighthood and the code of chivalry. A serious violation of
these vows could result in a knight being classed an undignified knight.
In the 14th and 15th centuries, feudalism and its distinctive type of knighthood were slowly
transformed as European civilization evolved. the decline of feudalism and its characteristic
institutions resulted from numerous interrelated factors, including the development of changed
methods of warfare, the end of the crusades, a new era of commerce stimulated by the reopening
of trade with the East; and the gradual creation of centralized national monarchies. Although
feudalism disappeared, the concepts of knighthood and of chivalry survived into modern times.
Outstanding accomplishments and actions were rewarded as sovereigns continued to create
exalted orders of knights, as for example the English Order of the Garter, the French Order of the
Holy Spirit, and the Austrian and Spanish Orders of the Golden Fleece. such distinctions are
currently conferred by heads of state in almost every country. Fraternal orders and brotherhoods
in America emerged as another variation of the original type of knighthood, and even as
knighthood continued to exist, the spirit of chivalry also continued in the concept of the
gentleman, which his attributes of honor, faith, justice, regard for truth, consideration of others,
reverence for pure womanhood, and courtesy and good judgment in everyday actions. These
qualities are still admired, and they remain as applicable in today's world as they have been in the
past.
Kappa Alpha Order, then, is a contemporary order of knighthood. It is composed of men who
have been deemed worthy of the designation of knighthood, are religious in their feeling, and are
pledged to the ideals of modern chivalry.