We celebrated the 110th anniversary of the Marshall Knights of Columbus chapter this evening with a mass celebrated by Bishop Strickland. 
It was bittersweet because tonight was also the last time our Assembly will fall out in the regalia we've worn for over 70 years, and I've had the privilege of wearing for the last 27.
A couple of years ago National decided to update the 4th degree's official "color guard" uniform from the traditional capes which have been worn with tux and chapeaux since 1940, and were worn for decades before that with white tie, tailcoat and top hats. 
The new look is navy blazers and neckties with dark gray slacks and a black beret.
It was a good time to get a final picture with Mom & Pop's window 
in the sacristy with my sword, which was Pop's back when he was wearing the tails and top hat in Waco in the 1910s and 1920s. The baldric (diagonal sash which holds the sword) and sword may still be used with the new uniforms, but we don't know for sure if they will as a matter of course yet.
I actually wore Pop's tail coat as well, which was still in the attic in the early '70s in a school play as the Mad Hatter (the top hat was not original). 
The tree behind me has a bit of family history as well – here's Mom and Pop helping 
Mother past it on her way into the church for her wedding in 1957.
Anyway, as soon as we got home from the event, instead of putting my chapeaux back in its bag I put it up on the religion shelves in the study. (You can tell they're the religion shelves because there's a trompe l'oeil medallion of St. John Paul II over it).
I know the change is bothering a lot of Knights, but not me. It's what we do and stand for that's important – not what we're wearing.
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