About Us

The Meritorious Fourth Degree is the highest degree of the knights of Peter Claver, Inc. members of the Fourth Degree Knights are addressed as “Sir Knight”, and at the present time, there are approximately 1,025 Sir Knights throughout the Order.

The need for a meritorious degree was first considered in 1917, and the Fourth Degree Knights were established in 1926. Today, there are 49 Assemblies throughout the United States.
 
Fourth Degree Assemblies are different from Councils, and are led by a separate set of elected officers. The Supreme General Assembly and Supreme General Chapter each select a Supreme Navigator and nine (9) Supreme Officers to govern the Fourth Degree Knights.
 
The local units are comprised of Fourth Degree Grand Assemblies. Each Assembly is led by Navigator. Other elected Assembly officers include the Captain, Comptroller, Purser, Scribe, Steward, Pilot and Sentinels. Assembly and Chapter officers are properly addressed by using the title “faithful” (e.g., Faithful Navigator). Unlike Councils, there is only one (1) Assembly for any given metropolitan area. Each Assembly is numbered by the order in which they chartered into the order, and are named by the local membership.

Only Fourth Degree Knights may purchase the full regalia and join the Assembly’s Honor Guard. The Honor Guard is the most visible arm of the Knights, as they are often seen parades and other events wearing their colorful regalia. Official dress for the Honor Guard wears a black tuxedo, plain white shirt, Black bow tie, baldric, chapeau, cape, sword and white gloves.

In the Meritorious Fourth Degree Division, there has been seventeen Supreme Navigators: Gilbert Faustina, 1926 to 1940; Oscar Figaro, 1940 to 1943; Edward E. Cross, Sr., 1943 to November, 1943; Peter Chenier, November, 1943 to August 1946; Earnest E. Delpit, 1946 to 1950; Thomas R. Lee, Jr., 1950 to 1958; Felton Lawrence, 1958 to 1970; Reginald Rouzan, 1970 to 1982; James M. Seals, Jr., 1982 to1988; Dr. Charles D. Proctor, 1988 to 1990; Sylvester Davis, 1990 to 1995; Dwight Alexander, 1995 to 2002, Harry Beevers, 2002 to 2008; James A. Neal, 2008 to 2014; Daniel Santos, 2014 to 2016; Lawrence Sylvester, 2016 to 2018; Stephen J. Randall, 2018 to the present.

Among the many charitable works of the Meritorious Fourth Degree Knights of Peter Claver is the Advance Leadership Committee (A.L.C.), to publicize the works of the Meritorious Fourth Degree.