Uphold the constitution of the USA.........................


About 1,400 members attended the first exemplification of the Fourth Degree at the Lenox Lyceum in New York on February 22, 1900,^[25][26] and it was infused with Catholic and patriotic symbols and imagery that "celebrated American Catholic heritage".^[28] The two knights leading the ceremony, for example, were the Expositor of the Constitution and the Defender of the Faith.^[28] The ritual soon spread to other cities.^[25] The new Fourth Degree members then went back to their councils and formed assemblies composed of members from several councils. Those assemblies then chose the new members going forward.^[29]
In 1903, the Board of Directors officially approved a new degree exemplifying patriotism Order-wide, using the New York City model.^[25] There was from early on a "desire to receive within its ranks only the best", and each candidate was required to produce a certificate from his parish priest attesting that he had received Holy Communion within the past two weeks.^[30]