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 International Order 
 Knights qf King Arthur 
 
 Orders for this h&ndbook, or outfits for Cftstles cti^ all 
 correspondence pertaining to the Kni^ts nf King Arthur 
 must be addressed to 
 
 FRANK LINCOLN MASSECK 
 
 Potsdam. New York, U. S. A. 
 
The 
 Round 
 
 Boys' 
 
 Table 
 
 FO'R'B\/SH 
 
 International Order 
 Knights qf King Arthur 
 
 Orders for this handbook, or outfits for Castles an^ &II 
 correspondence perta^inin^ to the Knij^hts gf King Arthur 
 must be addressed to 
 
 FRANK LINCOLN MASSECK 
 Potsdam. New York, U. S. A. 
 
THE 
 
 BOYS' ROUND TABLE 
 
 ^ 
 
 P 
 
 A MANUAL OF BOYS' CLUBS 
 
 ^ 
 
 i- 
 
 4 
 
 P 
 
 EXPLAINING 
 
 THE ORDER OF THE 
 
 CNG-TSofKNGAR-'HUR 
 
 I UNIVERSITY ll • 
 
 V OF 
 
 BY 
 
 WILLIAM BYRON FORBUSH 
 
 
 
 
 
 PUBLISHED BY 
 
 
 
 
 
 KNIGHTS OP KING ARTHUR 
 
 i9or 
 
 FIFTH EDITION 
 
 

 «^rESE 
 
 Copyright, 1902 
 
 By Augustus S. Brandow 
 
 All Rights Reserved 
 
 Copyright, 1907 
 
 BY 
 
 William Byron Forbush and Frank Lincoln Magseck 
 
 PBBSS OF 
 BBANDOW~PmNTING COMPANT 
 
 ALBANT, N. T. 
 
P\iblisher's Note 
 
 This book describes interesting forms of social work 
 with boys, which were originated or improved by 
 Dr. Forbush, and of which the periodical, Work With 
 Boys, is the official representative. This manual is for 
 leaders. It takes the place of four former editions of 
 the handbook of the Knights of King Arthur. Boy 
 members need only the supplementary forms which we 
 furnish each castle. 
 
 In spreading knowledge of the Captains of Ten and 
 of the Knights of King Arthur we feel that we are offer- 
 ing an important contribution to the problem of what to do with boys 
 in the community, on the street and in the church. *'Dr. Forbush has," 
 so says President G. Stanley Hall of this King Arthur movement, "a 
 positive genius for organizing and has been with boys and done work 
 with them hardly less than epoch-making in significance." In "The 
 Boy Problem," now in its sixth edition, he has written the first book 
 that covers the theory and practice of social work with boys. He 
 supplements that study by giving in this manual definite instructions 
 as to methods of work. 
 
 We ask our readers to note the following 
 announcement. Dr. Forbush is President of the 
 General Alliance of Workers with Boys and is 
 glad to answer questions regarding work with 
 boys of every sort, but Sir Pendragon, who has 
 furnished valued help in the revision of this 
 book, now has all the Castles in his personal charge, 
 receives enrollments for the Order and attends to 
 special inquiries or any difficulties as to the work, 
 apparatus ^for Castles are to be ordered directly of 
 
 Frank Lincoln Masseck, 
 
 Potsdam, N. Y. 
 
 This book and all 
 
 164809 
 
ARMING THE YOUNG KNIGHT 
 
A Messatge to Boys 
 
 By the Founder of the Knights of King Arthur 
 
 ^5)ELLOWS, don't you ever wish you were living in the age of 
 r* chivalry ? 
 
 To ride out in the sunshine of flashing armor in company with 
 brave adventure-seeking comrades, on noble quests, to dash into the 
 tournament and fight for glory and then to sit at the great Round 
 Table before the splendid throne of the " Flower of Kings" — those 
 were fine days I 
 
 It was a happy thought that about fourteen years ago suggested a 
 partial fulfillment of old King Arthur's prophecy that he would return 
 to the world again, when some sturdy lads, descended from Anglo- 
 Saxon stock over here in the New England across the sea, founded a 
 new Round Table and called themselves Knights of King Arthur. 
 
 They, too, had a king and a Merlin counselor, though not one of 
 "uncounted winters" like the old magician. Beside their throne was a 
 mystic Siege Perilous to which the bravest and best of their number 
 might be elected to sit by his peers. They had swords too, and banners, 
 and they wore the white cross. They promised, as their ancient fathers 
 once did, "to serve their King and their conscience and follow all that 
 makes a man." And this they did in careful imitation of the old orders, 
 
beginning as pages dressed in shabby clotnes and bearing their humility 
 and the jokes of their superiors as best they could, serving some time 
 as brisk and useful esquires and many of them at last, after thought- 
 fulness and fasting, receiving the white baldric as belted knights. 
 
 Thousands of boys, some of them already young men of achieve- 
 ment, are to-day enrolled in the order. The lists are still open. Even 
 the solitary boy who cannot form a castle can be one of the order and 
 in his own play and work and study take, as the others have, some 
 knightly name as his own and -try to be the finest thing on earth— a 
 Gentle Man. Sometirne when there are other thousands added and the 
 new chivalry has had time to find its quest, there will be a chivalrous 
 kingdom of knightly-hearted men in the Grec^ Republic and many 
 wrongs will be righted by the hands of lads vi^o wear a tiny white 
 cross above their hearts. 
 
 Do you like the vision ? 
 
 I like to think of an American Prince arming himself for the battle 
 of life from crown to foot, his greaves buckled on by a sweet-spirited 
 mother while a watching sister stands near and breathes a gentle prayer. 
 He goes forth with a mind that thinks naught unclean, a heart cheerful 
 for every fate, a body supple and quick and strong, a will masterful 
 but controlled, a soul reverent and watchful. Into the fight he goes. 
 He may be hit hard, but he never turns back, his sword fails, he grasps 
 up one dropped by some craven's hand and wins with it. For all high 
 causes, for all that sweet womanhood holds holy, for all who are weak 
 and helpless, his colors and his arm are at the front. He must, he will 
 conquer. In the sign for which he fights, victory is sure. 
 
 And then the glorious comradeship of it all! To know that the 
 other fellow far away is fighting the same battleand to dare be as brave 
 as he! What is that song I have heard the young knights sing? 
 
 "By communion of the banner, 
 Crimson, white and starry banner, 
 By the baptism of the banner, 
 Children of the Flag are we. 
 
 By our bright cross-hilted sword-blades, 
 By our flashing, heaven-bathed sword- 
 blades, 
 By our circled, comrade sword-blades, 
 Warriors of the King we be. 
 
 Comrades, hail the Cross that leads us, 
 Comrades, hail the Grail that beckons. 
 Comrades, hail the War that waits us. 
 Knights of holy chivalry." 
 
Contents 
 
 PAGB 
 
 Publisher's Note 3 
 
 A Message to Boys 5 
 
 The Captains of Ten ......... 9 
 
 The Order of the Knights of King Arthur: 
 
 Its Plan, Methods and History 10 
 
 A Constitution, with Explanations . v. . . 13 
 
 A Ritual for Conducting a Conclave . . . . . 17 
 
 The First Degree 19 
 
 The Second Degree . . 22 
 
 The Third Degree . 24 
 
 The Siege Perilous and the Peerage . . . . . 28 
 
 How to Conduct a Castle 31 
 
 Music in Castle Meetings . . . . . . . 37 
 
 Form for Instituting Castles . 42 
 
 The International Order of the Knights of King Arthur . 43 
 
 Bibliography and Art 44 
 
 Price list of Apparatus for the Work . , . . . 46 
 
 Endorsements . 47 
 
 The General Alliance of Workers with Boys .... 48 
 
O^HE Captains of Ten is a handicraft 
 \^ plan for club work with boys in 
 churches. It was devised by Miss 
 A. B. Mackintire and has had a con- 
 tinuous, successful trial in Dr. McKenzie's 
 church, Cambridge, for s>eventeen years. 
 I outline it here because it is very sug- 
 gestive to those who desire t«> use some 
 freer form of work with boys. It fur- 
 nishes a most excellent preparatory depart- 
 ment to younger boys not old enough to 
 enter the Knights of Kmg Arthur. The 
 Captains of Ten are captams of their ten 
 fingers. Their watchword is "loyalty." 
 Their motto is "The hand of the diligent 
 shall bear rule, but the hand of the slothful 
 shall be under tribute." The membership 
 is from eight to fourteen years of age. 
 
 The boys under Miss Mackintire's di- 
 rection have engaged in various kinds of 
 work, sloyd, weaving, whittling, cardboard 
 work, wood-carving, etc. There is a monthly 
 business meeting and a missionary meeting. 
 The boys give to some missionary object 
 in which they take interest, the products 
 of their hand work being sold annually for 
 the purpose. They also give an annual en- 
 tertainment, usually in the form of his- 
 toric tableaux of a dignified but original 
 
 character. They have also an annual field 
 day. A group picture is taken each year, 
 and these asserpbled photographs are very 
 interesting. The older boys either do ad- 
 vanced work or else act as helpers to 
 Miss Mackintire. At about fourteen they 
 are graduated into the Knights of King 
 Arthur. There is no Junior Endeavor 
 Society in that church, but the influence of 
 the leader is such upon character that the 
 boys seem to ripen naturally into a Chris- 
 tian life and most of them eventually be- 
 come members of the church. If it be 
 true, as the psychologists are telling 
 us, that the secret of will power is in 
 muscular activity, and that moral vigor 
 rests upon interest and especially interest 
 in the welfare of others, then work by such 
 a method should not be neglected by those 
 desirous of forming in boys a manly type 
 of Christianity. The plan is not a pre- 
 scribed scheme, and has no printed 
 matter. The essentials are (i) a good 
 and wise leadership, (2) some kind of 
 handicraft, (3) work for others. Those 
 who use such a method are of course 
 not obliged to take this name, but it 
 would be helpful if such clubs would 
 write Miss Mackintire so they may be 
 put into helpful correspondence with 
 each other. Miss Mackintire's address is 
 51 Avon Hill St., Cambridge, Mass. 
 
 
 
The Order of the Knights of King Arthur 
 
 Its Plan, Methods and History 
 
 ^^HIS plan for working with boys has the 
 \2) advantage of being built upon founda- 
 tions of both practice and theory. The 
 methods were worked out with earnest care 
 in view of pressing needs as seen succes- 
 fively in village, large town, small city and 
 large city before any special thought was 
 given as to whether they were in accord- 
 ance with the philosophy of chiid-life and 
 of educational principles. Since the sec- 
 ond edition of the handbook was written 
 a very rhorough study of pedagogical sci- 
 ence has been made, while all the other 
 I^ans for helping boys have been exam- 
 
 ined, and the idea has been worked over 
 from the standpoint of theory, so that . it 
 is believed that the methods advocated are 
 educationally sound, peculiarly applicable 
 tc boys, enriched by the best from other 
 plans and practicable for actual needs and 
 opportunities. 
 
 It is an order of Christian knighthood 
 for boys. It is based upon the model of 9 
 college fraternity arid not upon that of a 
 secret lodge. It takes its spirit, terms and 
 ways from our noblest Anglo-Saxon 
 legend, the finest product of mediaeval 
 
 chivalry, reanimated and spiritualized by 
 the greatest Victorian poet, and it makes 
 a happy association with the prophecy of 
 the noble Arthur that he shall return 
 again by assuming that in the organization, 
 ideals and activities of this order he has 
 returned to bring back to the world, and 
 especially to its youth, chivalry, courtesy, 
 deference to womanhood, recognition of 
 the noblesse oblige, and Christian daring. 
 Philosophically, the plan appeals to boys 
 a? they enter that hero-loving, adventure- 
 some, romantic age of adolescence with its 
 sensitiveness, dangers and crisis, and be- 
 comes a very intimate and potent force by 
 its appeal to the -dramatic, constructive and 
 play instincts and the lad's love of heroics, 
 parade and fraternal organization. As 
 such, it forms an antidote to the ideals of 
 the "gang" by making boys knights instead 
 of banditti or mock frontiersmen. 
 
 The boy of Ihis age is, according to 
 Joseph Lee, the city playground philan- 
 thropist, not only in the knightly era, but 
 he is just passing from the level of Sir 
 Lancelot, the knight errant, the hero of 
 single combat, to that of Arthur, the 
 loyal King. He needs, so Mr. Lee sug- 
 gests, like the pages of old, to be placed 
 in charge of esquires but a few years older, 
 to learn knightly habits and then sent to 
 the knight's castle to learn knightly id^ls. 
 In our Order this is actually done. The 
 rank ot esquire stands with us for the 
 level of habit; that of knight, for that of 
 ideal. The boy receives both the com- 
 panionship of other lads of his own age 
 and older and of young men who are 
 chivalrously willing to be of service to him. 
 In these fellowships he becomes not the 
 "fag" of the English school nor the victim 
 of the American "gang," but the younger 
 brother of lads of principle and ambition. 
 In individual character the influence of the 
 plan works in subtle but positive ways. It 
 gives that romance to life which is craved 
 at this era and yet also the immediate 
 opportunities to make it into realities. The 
 boy calls himself knight, prince. Well, he 
 must start out and be one. This idealizing 
 
KNIGHTS OF KING ARTHUR 
 
 of one's possibilities, steadied by the con- 
 stant insistence on mutual and minute obli- 
 gations, gives a sell-trust that is whole- 
 some, corrects some of the repressions of 
 a false education and, with the highest 
 summits of the order always looming a 
 little ahead, prevents that priggishness and 
 self sufficiency characteristic of some other 
 methods. A good ideal lifts a boy out of 
 the slough of circumstances and is a firmer 
 stay against temptation than precepts or 
 pledges. One can hardly find so many 
 sound and lasting elements of character- 
 making, with the fancy and incentive added, 
 as in this historic and elastic idea. The 
 order is in harmony with the recent in- 
 sistence on the organization of boys of 
 this age apart from girls and, though ap- 
 parently more indirect, it has afforded re- 
 lief to many who, desiring to do religious 
 work with boys, found the more formal 
 passive or devotional means of religious 
 nurture inefficient. 
 
 The first Castle was founded by the 
 author in the Congregational parsonage at 
 Riverside, East Providence. Rhode Island, 
 February lo, 1893. The order has been 
 fortunate in having a slow and healthy 
 growth. No attempt has been made to ad- 
 vertise it widely. No statistics have been 
 gathered. It has been quite often imitated 
 and many Castles have been formed that 
 never enrolled with the founder. It has 
 found a home in most of the great denom- 
 inations,- in nearly all the States of the 
 Union and in Canada and England. While 
 most of the Castles have been organized 
 and have met in churches, many have rep- . 
 resented union effort or philanthropies out- 
 side churches and it is known that 
 Castles have been organized to help such 
 diverse needs as those of Mormons, Esqui- 
 maux, Indians, mine boys, street arabs 
 and plantation negroes. 
 
 The order is not so much a move- 
 ment as a method. Just as a Chris- 
 tian Endeavor Society uses hymn books, 
 as a Y. M. C. A. uses the gymnasium, so 
 either may use this order. The modest yet 
 bold statement is made that the knightly 
 idea applied to adolescent boys is too effi- 
 cient a tool to be tied up to one society 
 that has memberships, conventions and 
 rules which make it distinct from other 
 
 societies. So this order does not have con- 
 ventions, except local alliances. And the 
 founder urges that — as names are of little 
 account — those who use his ideas, while for 
 mutual help they enroll themselves in this 
 order, take as their public name that of 
 Christian Endeavor, Epworth League, or 
 whatever is the chief social organization 
 of young people in their church. The En- 
 deavor Society allows boys and clubs that 
 are preparatorj' to their own society to be 
 known as Junior Endeavor Societies, and 
 I think it often desirable that the Knights 
 of King Arthur should also be called Junior 
 or Intermediate Endeavorers. This saves 
 the multiplication of organizations and 
 feeds the older society with graduates of 
 our knighthood. 
 
 The plan has been criticised for its 
 elaborateness. The critics forget that the 
 manual describes a Castle elaborated to its 
 fullest extent and not the ordinary Castle 
 in its simplified form. Many workers use 
 no more of our plan than to adopt chival- 
 rous titles for the boys. Many of our sug- 
 gested details are not applicable every- 
 where. None of them are obligatory. The 
 central ideal — Chivalry — is worth conserv- 
 ing in some^ formT In many cases our 
 suggestions make simply the skeleton on 
 which to build an organization adapted to 
 local needs. After the novelty of the ritual 
 and the initiations wear off the leader finds 
 that he has secured a command of his boys 
 which prepares him to lead them in origi- 
 nal ways. 
 
 The essentials in an organization for boys 
 an a wise leader and a wise plan of work. 
 By use of a wise plan of work a wise 
 leader will expect to form an intimate ac- 
 quaintance with some boys and to spend 
 the time profitably with them and to influ- 
 ence them by the force of his own person- 
 ality. Our order furnishes a set of offices, 
 a ritual for meeting, a novel form 01 
 organization, a new scheme of honors, an 
 interesting set of initiations which are edu- 
 cative and inspiring, a federated fraternity 
 with the help of others' ideas, and yet 
 room enough for the fullest exercising of 
 the leader's ingenuity in making plans and 
 improvements. It does this with very lit- 
 tle expense and with no interference with 
 local interests. 
 
BOYS' ROUND TABLE 
 
 Before gathering the boys together, it is 
 necessary to take account of the field and 
 force. How much time can I regularly 
 give to this work? Upon whom can I rely 
 to help me ? About how many boys can 
 I handle? How many can I expect to 
 reach? What do the boys in my vicinity 
 most need? What age of boys had I bet- 
 ter try to help? How much money shall I 
 want; how much money shall I need; how 
 little can I get along with? How about 
 meeting place? Shall it be a church club, 
 union club or village club? From what 
 sources shall I get my boys, into what 
 shall I graduate them? Of these questions 
 the most important is: What am I trying 
 to do? The next is: Into what will my 
 boys graduate '' 
 
 Castles should be organized with more 
 thoughtfulness and pastors should be slow 
 to accept organizations which have no 
 guarantee of leadership and permanence. 
 Those who intend to be leaders should be 
 more sure that they will have patience, 
 time and helpers sufficient to give our plan 
 a fair trial. Even an excellent idea will 
 not run itself, will not live a day without 
 a leader, will require trouble, toil and 
 pains to be of real value. 
 
 The first thing is to be sure you fully 
 
 understand the ideals and methods of our 
 order. You should have some knowledge 
 also of the Arthur legends. 
 
 The boys who are to be invited to join 
 should all be of about the same age. It is 
 also desirable that they should be of the 
 same neighborhood and social condition. 
 The best age for introducing these meth- 
 ods seems to be a little before fourteen; 
 but as it is important to organize boys 
 before this age, I recommend that they be 
 gathered into The Captains of Ten or some 
 such society, into which the King Arthur 
 r/iCthods may be gradually introduced. 
 
 Boys are usually enthusiastically im- 
 pressed with the first description of our 
 order. They like the novelty, vision of 
 parade, regalia, initiation, and the fact that 
 it is a "club," but a better one than they would, 
 have thought of themselves. The newness 
 wears off after they are asked to learn 
 their parts and are required to perform 
 them with decorum. But when this era is 
 safely past they are ready for business. 
 
 The methods of the order may be best 
 understood by reading the suggested con 
 stitution which follows, which is purposely 
 written in archaic English. Some notes 
 of explanation are added 
 
Constitution 
 
 (Portions not likely to be everywhere applicable are placed in brackets.) 
 
 I. This Brotherhood is of the Order of 
 the Knights of King Arthur. We be cas- 
 tle , No. . 
 
 II. We be joined hand and heart to 
 achieve Christian Knightliness. 
 
 III. Our brethren be of the age of 
 
 2.nd upwards. (Of the Church of Christ 
 we be all children and some of its brother- 
 hoods we be all brethren. He that is not 
 of this is no longer of us.) Called are 
 we by these names, according to our de- 
 gree: 
 
 1. Pages, who owe loyalty and service. 
 
 2. Esquires, who vow purity, temper- 
 ance and reverence. 
 
 3. Knights, who further covenant to 
 .serve their Master, the Church and this 
 Order as true Christian learning-Knights. 
 
 4. (Only Esquires and Knights have 
 franchise.) 
 
 IV. Arthur is our King. He wieldeth 
 Excalibur and ruleth at Conclave. (For 
 one Conclave one sitteth in the Pendragon 
 seat and then another cometh.) 
 
 Merlin serveth us, and giveth us coun- 
 sel. Kay, the Seneschal, keepeth our rolls 
 and serveth Merlin. (Kay is chosen by 
 Merlin for such season as it pleaseth him.) 
 Heralds twain be chosen from the pages 
 by Kay to serve him as long as he serveth. 
 Sir Constable to keep order at the table 
 and Sir Sentinel to guard the gate, be 
 chosen by the King for his Conclave. 
 
 V. Merlin chooseth (each six months) . 
 
 1. Chancellors three, to do our business 
 when we fare homeward. 
 
 2. Chamberlains seven, they who have 
 been most orderly, to guide and guard at 
 the bestowing of degrees. 
 
 3. Of these Merlin is also one, and so of 
 any other Council or embassage whom he 
 or we shall choose. 
 
 VI. The elders of the Brotherhood, 
 fathers and mothers, have honor and may 
 sit at the Conclave with us, for our homes 
 be our fortresses. Since that true chiv- 
 alry honoreth womanhood we may choose 
 a Lady of the Lake and Queens of Avilion 
 for our Patron Ladies. 
 
 VII. What harmeth body, defileth tongue 
 or doeth ill to mind cometh not to our 
 Conclave. 
 
 VIII. By the names of King Arthur's 
 ancient court and other lordly Knights, 
 we be named and called at Conclave. 
 
 IX. When a great deed of brawn or 
 train or Knightliness hath been done by a 
 brother it shall be told to Merlin and by 
 him to the King. Then if they think fit, 
 the King shall rise and all the Brother- 
 hood with him, and so be none dissenting, 
 and the Siege Perilous shall be uncovered 
 and the brother shall be led thereto and so 
 shall he sit beside the King. Then for 
 that whole Conclave shall he be hailed as 
 Sir Galahad and all his life long thereafter 
 he shall be a Baronet. 
 
 X. Merlin may if he find in the Castle a 
 knave or an idle or disorderly fellow, lay 
 upon him suitable chastisement, or he may 
 leave him to a trial by his peers. 
 
 XL Paynims who wish to join them- 
 selves to the court of King Arthur shall 
 give their names to the Chancellors. If 
 these favorably report, the Castle shall 
 give its vote concerning them, and if they 
 are chosen they may appear at the Castle 
 gate in seven days. (A Paynim may choose 
 whether he will undergo the ordeal of the 
 Degrees, but he shall in any case receive 
 the vows.) 
 
 XII. The granting of all Degrees shall 
 he in Merlin's presence under charge of the 
 Chamberlains. If there is disorder Merlin 
 shall close the Conclave for that day. Only 
 one Degree shall be given each day. 
 
 XIII. Conclaves shall be held at Mer- 
 lin's call, to be proclaimed by the Heralds. 
 The Chancellors provide us business or 
 pleasure at Conclave. 
 
 We sit at the Table Round, the King 
 at our head. At his right is the Siege 
 Perilous, before him in the circle sits Mer- 
 lin, at Merlin's left is Kay. At the right 
 are the Chancellors in places of honor. At 
 Merlin's left sits the Peerage. Sir Sen- 
 
 13 
 
14 
 
 BOYS' ROUND TABLE 
 
 tinel standeth at the gate. Sir Constable 
 sitteth at the foot of the table. At his 
 right and left sit the Heralds. 
 
 XIV. He that forsaketh our fellowship 
 must honorably give notice by word or 
 writing to the Castle. 
 
 A new password shall be given each 
 month by Merlin. Those who have not the 
 password have no franchise until the next 
 Conclave. 
 
 XV. For each Degree each shall pay in 
 coin of the realm — before he is admitted. 
 
 Power of tax is ours. 
 No monies be expended without our con- 
 sent. 
 
 XVI. One-fourth of us who have fran- 
 chise may hold Conclave on proclamation. 
 
 XVII. This writing we may alter at any 
 Conclave after the alterations proposed 
 have been read at two Conclaves. 
 
 XVIII. Our arms be a maltese cross 
 argent upon a field gules. Our legend, 
 "My sword shall be bathed in Heaven." 
 
 Our rallying cry (local). Our hand' 
 grasp : the clasping of hands and the pres- 
 sure twice in clasping of each forefinger. 
 Our knocks: (local). Our signals: (local). 
 
 To the great Republic we avow al- 
 legiance, its flag our banner, its chief our 
 chieftain, its glory our knightly quest. 
 
 For these ends and by these means we 
 pledge our hands, our hearts and our 
 manly honor to our Ancient Order. 
 
 Explanations 
 
 I. The Castle name may be selected by 
 the Castle itself. The castle number and 
 a charter are given the Castle by Sir 
 Pendragon when it is enrolled at Caer- 
 leon. 
 
 III. The description in brackets is for 
 peaces where it is desirable that it should 
 be required that the boys should be mem- 
 bers of the Sunday school or some other 
 organization of the church. 
 
 The distinction between the three De- 
 grees, as will be more fully described later, 
 is that the Pages are in a measure on trial. 
 The Esquires are those who have been 
 members long enough to have entered into 
 the spirit of the Order and who are ready 
 to engage in its higher responsibilities and 
 privileges. The Knights are Christian 
 
 boys. I think it surely desirable in church 
 Castles that church membership be a con- 
 dition of taking this Degree. The reasons 
 for not allowing the Pages to vote are to 
 test their attachment and impel them to 
 seek Esquireship. 
 
 iV. This means that the boys act as pre- 
 siding officer m turn. In some castles it 
 may be desirable to elect permanent of- 
 ficers, but rotation as suggested gives each 
 member equal honor and parliamentai-y 
 practice and avoids jealousy. Where boys 
 are not of the same age only the older boys 
 might be allowed to preside. Merlin is 
 the adult leader, Kay is the boy he chooses 
 to help him as his assistant secretary, the 
 Heralds assist Kay. 
 
 The Chancellors are the executive com- 
 mittee and should be of the most earnest 
 and interested boys in the Castle. The 
 Chamberlains are the "Degree team." 
 
 IX. This refers to the greatest honor 
 that can be given by a local Castle, and the 
 Siege Perilous, which in the old legend 
 was the property of the peerless Knight 
 Galahad, is here used as the special recog- 
 nition for true boyish achievements. No 
 boy can apply for it for himself. It must 
 be the spontaneous gift of his fellows. The 
 boy who gains this honor is enrolled in a 
 special place in the Castle roll and is en- 
 titled to wear a special decoration. 
 
 XI. Paynims are those not members. 
 For the sake of timid parents the provision 
 is inserted that they may be permitted to 
 join the Castle without initiation, but I 
 never knew a boy to ask to do so. 
 
 XIII. On the whole I think it is best 
 to assign names to the boys. The boys 
 are likely to be dissatisfied with their own 
 choice. Be sure and select names about 
 vthich you know you can find interesting 
 and helpful stories. Choose for each h^y 
 the name of some hero who possesses qual- 
 ities which that boy needs to imitate. Give 
 the name Lancelot to some boy whose 
 chivalric side you desire to develop. Ger- 
 aint is good name for an impatient boy. 
 Gareth is a good name for a boy who has 
 a hard struggle. Percival, Bors, Bleys, Ul- 
 fius, Brastias, Pelleas, Tor, Ector are all 
 good names. 
 
KNIGHTS OF KING ARTHUR 
 
 15 
 
 I believe earnestly in the use of names of 
 living heroes whose adventures the boys 
 Ce-n trace, and of whom they can read 
 every day. Such are heroes of the late 
 war, such as Dewey, Sampson, Merritt, 
 Wood, Chaffee, the younger statesmen like 
 Roosevelt, Bryan, Jerome, Coler, others 
 like Lord Roberts, Czar Nicholas and Em- 
 peror William, Hale, Phillips Brooks, 
 Palma, Edison, Ruskin, Tolstoi, William 
 Morris, Shaftesbury. 
 
 The legends of Siegfried, of Tannhauser, 
 of Roland, and of Parsival, all of which 
 are closely related to the Arthur story, sug- 
 gest splendid characters and good reading. 
 Indeed mythology, which is to us only 
 hero-tales, the Norse, the Greek and the 
 Roman, furnishes characters distinct, life- 
 like, and noble. Perseus, Thor, Odysseus, 
 Hector, ^neas, are all suggestive. 
 
 When we come to history we have a 
 rich field. Alexander, Constantine, the Mac- 
 cabbees, Savonarola, Luther, Wyclif, Bay- 
 ard, Alfred, Edward the Confessor, Richard 
 the Lion Hearted, Horatio Nelson, Wash- 
 ington, Lincoln, Grant, Sherman, Farra- 
 gut, Paul Jones, Paul Revere, Israel 
 Putnam, Anthony Wayne, Charles Gordon, 
 Henry M. Stanley, and Fridjiof Nansen, 
 will be thought of. 
 
 A still more excellent way is to lend 
 each boy a great book and tell him to se- 
 lect the best character in it for his own. 
 The unexpected interest in some hero of 
 whom he knew nothing will have a per- 
 manent effect upon his life. Among such 
 books might be Ivanhoe, Lorna Doone, The 
 Prisoner of Zenda, Brigadier Gerard, The 
 Little Minister, Child's History of Eng- 
 land, The Battle of the Strong, Hugh 
 Wayne, Eben Holden and To Have and To 
 Hold. The Henty historical books will 
 by themselves furnish names and inspira- 
 tion for the whole Castle. ^U-^fy 
 
 After selecting a name ';ettc<5urage the 
 boy to search for his Jiero 's coat of arms 
 for his banner. II hq cannot ^nd it,, let 
 him read up a little: heraldry and devise 
 something which he .thinks appropriate ^,tb 
 the character. '" -^^M^U-- 
 
 It would be well to require each page to 
 learn and tell to the Castle the story of 
 the hero for whom he is named. Have it 
 definitely understood that this must be done 
 
 as soon as possible after initiation, and 
 positively before advancement to Esquire- 
 ship. This might be required in writing 
 on uniform sheets of paper, to be 
 filed in the archives of the Castle. 
 Conference with the teachers in the public 
 schools might lead them to cooperate in 
 this so that the composition might be a part 
 of their language work. Another condition 
 of advancement may be that each Page 
 perform a "quest," an act of service, for 
 the keynote of pagehood was service. 
 
 XIII. The arrangement of the Castle 
 Hall is as follows : The chairs are placed 
 in a circle representing the ancient Round 
 Table. At one end, upon a platform if 
 possible, is the King's throne, a chair of 
 more elaborate design is the Siege Peril- 
 ous, covered with red or white cloth, at 
 its right. In front of the King, below him 
 and in the circle sits Merlin with Kay, 
 his assistant, at his left. There may be a 
 table beween them. The throne should be 
 made the central place of decoration. It 
 may be roofed with crossed spears bound 
 with the colors of the order. A handsome 
 sword of some secret order can be bor- 
 rowed of some father or bought by sub- 
 scription. This should lie across an open 
 Bible in front of the throne when not car- 
 ried or used by the King. It or a spear 
 may be used in place of a gavel. The 
 seats should be arranged in as large and 
 perfect a circle as possible. In the cen- 
 tre there may be for literary meetings a 
 round table, but at ceremonials it is well 
 to indicate the table by a circular piece of 
 carpet of the colors of the order. The 
 Seneschal should be the only member in 
 the room when all are ready to begin. He 
 may bear a tall spear and should meet the 
 members at the door and lead them in. 
 The members should form outside in the 
 following order : First, the. two heralds 
 with the banners, the Castle banner and 
 the American flag; then the members 
 in order of rank, pages, esquires and 
 knights. ; Members of the peerage should 
 follow these. Then come the Chamber- 
 lains, Chancellors, Merlin and King. Vis- 
 iting comrades should be placed in the 
 positions to which they are entitled by 
 their rank. If a whole Castle is visiting 
 
i6 
 
 BOYS' ROUND TABLE 
 
 it should be given the place of honor, be- 
 hind the local Castle, the rear ranking 
 highest in all cases in these processionals. 
 Should there be a bugler or cornetist or 
 drummer he would precede the Heralds. 
 If there is not, there should be, if pos- 
 sible, music from piano or organ within. 
 When the Seneschal meets the Castle he 
 leads them slowly around the hall about 
 three times and then pausing and turning 
 at the foot of the hall leads them toward 
 the throne where they halt and form two 
 long lines, facing inward down the hall. 
 Then the Merlin and King march up 
 through and at the triple stroke of the 
 King all are seated, each going quietly to 
 his place in the hall. The Seneschal should 
 be compelled to learn his part so that he 
 can give it without reading it, and the 
 members of each degree should be per- 
 fectly familiar with the responses. The 
 song, "Upon King Arthur's Throne To- 
 Night," goes \ery well to the stirring tune 
 of "Maryland my Maryland." It may also 
 be used with anything in long metre; one 
 long metre tune may be used for the 
 verse and another for the chorus. At the 
 time of prayer, if prayer is used, the boys 
 should rise or it may be well to use the 
 knightly custom of having knights kneel 
 in circle at their seats. Should the prayer 
 on page 36 of the handbook be used it can 
 be read by all in concert. If others are 
 used they can be repeated by the Merlin. 
 
 After the boys are seated, let us look 
 around and see how they are armed. 
 The Pages are entitled to bear spears, the 
 Esquires shields, and the Knights swords. 
 
 The King has come in armed with his 
 finer blade which is before him. Merlin 
 and Seneschal should have much of their 
 minutes, rolls, etc., on very large sheets 
 of paper-like parchments. The Constable 
 may bear a mace, the Sentinel a bow and 
 arrows. Emblems of the other offices could 
 be, for Chancellors crossed keys, for 
 Chamberlains crossed swords, for Heralds 
 the winged foot. The ranks are indicated 
 by badges of the respective colors, blue for 
 Pages, red for Esquires, white for Knights. 
 
 In calling the roll the full title which 
 belongs to each member should be called 
 out slowly and solemnly. The boys like it. 
 
 In case of disorder the Constable, either 
 by himself or at the suggestion of Merlin, 
 should give admonition in private or public 
 and if necessary order the offending mem- 
 ber to leave the hall. No disorder is to be 
 permitted in the Castles of our fraternity. 
 
 The closing ritual should be made as 
 impressive as possible. At this time or at 
 intervals before this such appropriate Cas- 
 tle songs, as the boys have composed 
 or adopted, may be sung. Each member 
 should be asked to select a hymn which 
 shall be his own, and on the night when 
 he is King it may be sung. 
 
 The boys should march out of the haU 
 at the close, even if some return again. 
 This should be to music. The marching 
 cut clears the hall and makes general dis- 
 order less likely than as though adjourn- 
 ment took place within. 
 
 XVIII. The arms are a white maltese 
 cross on a red field. The rallying cry is 
 the Castle cheer chosen by the boys. 
 
 K. 0. K. A. HOUSE 
 
A Ritual for Conducting a Conclave 
 
 MERLIN 
 
 King. — Sir Knights, Esquires and Pages. 
 
 All— Hail to the King! 
 
 K. — I am about to open a regular (or 
 special) Conclave of this Castle of the 
 
 Knights of King Arthur, Sir , I 
 
 shall ask you to act as Sentinel, Sir , 
 
 (The members having formed in procession and entered the hall as described on page 15, at triple stroke by 
 King are seated. This processional represents the return from the hunt. Silence.) 
 
 I — Opening 
 
 Knights. — For Christ and the church. 
 
 S. — What are the virtues of a Knight? 
 
 K. — Faith, hope and love. 
 
 S. — What are you as Knights pledged to 
 do? 
 
 K. — To serve our Master, our church 
 and our order as true Christian Knights. 
 
 K.— Right. Be faithful. 
 
 (All are now standing.) 
 
 Hymn. (The following or Castle hymn) 
 (Optional). 
 
 Tune : "Maryland, my Maryland" or any- 
 thing in Long Metre. 
 
 Upon King Arthur's throne to-night 
 The royal sword is flashing bright. 
 The dew of youth on us is laid. 
 The dew of Heaven upon our blade. 
 
 Chorus 
 
 Then lift the heart and raise the song 
 On manly voices fresh and strong: 
 To knightly manhood pledged are we 
 In life, in love, in loyalty. 
 
 About the ancient Table Round 
 
 The perfect circle §haH be bound. 
 
 The noble names of heroes bold 
 
 We'll stainless bear as they of old. — Cho. 
 
 Beneath the white Cross banner now 
 We'll hold the memory of our vow; 
 That Cross to us of Christ shall sing, 
 The first true Knight, the perfect King. 
 
 —Cho. 
 
 Prayer (see page 36; optional). 
 
 K. — Comrades, resunie your seats and 
 Sir Seneschal will receive the password. 
 
 (Each member whispers it to S. as he 
 passes around. If any are without it, S. 
 will say: 
 
 S. — Sir Pendragon, Sir is without 
 
 the password. The King shall ansv/er: 
 Let him withdraw with Sir Merlin and re- 
 ceive it. On his return he must give tb- 
 other forms which are required of these 
 who come late, as despribed below,) 
 
 I? 
 
 you may act as Constable. If there are 
 present any not entitled to sit at the court 
 of King Arthur let them now withdraw. 
 Sir Sentinel, bar the gates and let no one 
 be admitted. Sir Constable, take your sta- 
 tion. Sir Seneschal, examine the brethren. 
 
 Seneschal, — Pages, you may rise. What 
 is the motto of your degree? 
 
 Pages,^I serve. 
 
 S. — What are the virtues of a page? 
 
 P, — Loyalty and service, 
 
 S. — What are you as pages pledged to 
 do? 
 
 P. — To reverence our King and our con- 
 science and to follow all that makes a man, 
 
 S. — Right, Be loyal. Esquires, you may 
 rise. What is the motto of your degree? 
 
 Esquires. — In friendship. 
 
 S. — What are the virtues of an Esquire? 
 
 E. — Purity, temperance and reverence, 
 
 S. — What are you as Esquires pledged to 
 do? 
 
 E. — To master ourselves, to be chaste in 
 word, thought and deed, to reverence God's 
 house and God's service and God's chil- 
 dren, in all chivalry, courtesy and manly 
 valor. 
 
 S. — ^Right. Be true. Knights you may 
 rise. What is the mOtto of your degree? 
 2 
 
i8 
 
 BOYS' ROUND TABLE 
 
 S. — Sir Pendragon, the brethren are ex- 
 amined. 
 
 K — It is well. And now I, Sir Pendra- 
 gon, declare this Conclave open. Sir Sen- 
 tinel, you may unloose the gates. 
 
 (If at this time any are waiting without, 
 Sir Sentinel shall approach the throne and 
 say: 
 
 Sentinel. — Sir Pendragon, Sir , is 
 
 without, having been detained by urgent 
 business. 
 
 King. — Let him enter. 
 
 Sentinel retires. The member gives the 
 knock of his degree. King responds with 
 same. Member enters, goes to middle of 
 the room and gives military salute to the 
 throne, makes motion of drawing a sword 
 from the left side, goes and whispers pass 
 word to Sentinel, returns and salutes again, 
 and is seated. Late members are not ad- 
 mitted until this time. If anyone enters 
 later, this ceremony is omitted.) 
 
 II — Business 
 
 K. — Sir M. may read the records. 
 
 K. — Sir M. may read the roll. 
 
 K — Sir M. what is the condition of the 
 exchequer ? 
 
 M. — Sir Pendragon, the exchequer con- 
 tains coins of the realm. 
 
 K. — Are there any candidates for mem- 
 bership ? 
 
 K. — Are there any candidates for initia- 
 tion? 
 
 (If so Initiation Ritual here.) 
 
 K. — Are there any complaints or peti- 
 tions? 
 
 K. — Are there any embassies or councils 
 to report? 
 
 K. — Is there any unfinished business? 
 
 K. — Is there any new business? 
 
 K. — Sir Seneschal, you may receive the 
 tribute (if offerings are taken). 
 
 (Hymn, see page 37 f.; optional.) 
 
 Ill — Exercises 
 
 K. — Sir Chancellors, what have you to 
 offer? (Tho Chancellors now report the 
 evening's program.) 
 
 K. — Sir Con^.table, you may report. (Sir 
 
 C. is censor and keeper of order. He re- 
 ports errors in literary exercises and 
 breaches in decorum. M. may also an- 
 nounce penalties or rewards at this time.) 
 
 K. — Is there any more business to come 
 before us? 
 
 K, — Is there any news from neighboring 
 Castles or messages from Caerleon? 
 
 K. — Have the elders any word of coun- 
 sel? 
 
 (Parents or others present may speak 
 now.) 
 
 IV — Closing 
 
 K. — Comrades, I am now about to close 
 this Conclave. Sir Sentinel, bar the gates 
 and let no one be admitted. Sir ICnights, 
 Esquires and Pages, rise. Sir Heralds, 
 bring forth our banners (Castle and na- 
 tional). 
 
 K. — Brethren, join hands and repeat our 
 covenant 
 
 (Speaks it by clauses; all repeat after.) 
 
 We, the Knights of King Arthur, 
 
 Gathered about the Round Table of un- 
 broken brotherhood. 
 
 And beneath our banner of the White 
 Cross, 
 
 The symbol of purity and devotion. 
 
 And under the flag of our country, 
 
 Do now covenant 
 
 With our King and with each other, 
 
 To be true to oursel/es. 
 
 True to each other. 
 
 True to our Order, 
 
 And true to our country. 
 
 Until we meet again. 
 
 We so covenant. 
 
 Hymn: the National Anthem. 
 
 K. — Comrades, what is our legend? 
 
 All. — My sword shall be bathed in 
 Heaven. (The King draws Excalibur.) 
 
 K. — Salute our banners (all salute and 
 say) : 
 
 (Castle cheer.) 
 
 K. — I declare this Conclave closed. 
 
 (A procession may be formed to march 
 out, members first, officers last.) 
 
 Note. — Castles are at liberty to alter this 
 form. The more elaborate and dignified 
 it is gradually made, the more the boys 
 like it and profit by it. 
 
The First Degree 
 
 THAT OF PAGE 
 A Form for the Initiation to the First Degree 
 
 ^UCH of the language of each form of 
 initiation is from The Idylls of the 
 King. 
 
 (Kay meets candidate outside, collects 
 the fee, if one is charged, dresses him in 
 a ragged coat, blindfolds and leads to Cas- 
 tle gate. Gives his knock. Response to 
 same within. They enter and march around 
 room. If not desirable to blindfold candi- 
 date, room may be partly darkened. Cham- 
 berlains are in rear, armed with swords 
 or staves. Silence). 
 
 Sentinel. Who be ye, my sons? 
 
 Kay. We be tillers of the soil who come 
 to see the glories of our king. Grant us 
 to serve among thy kitchen knaves for meat 
 and drink a twelve month and a day. 
 Thereafter we will fight. 
 
 Sentinel. If ye pass beneath this arch- 
 way unto Caerleon upon Usk then will ye 
 be enchanted. For the king will bind you 
 by such oaths as is a shame a man should 
 not be bound by, yet which no man can 
 fully keep. Go not further, turn aside and 
 abide among the cattle of the field. 
 
 Kay. Nay, but we will enter. 
 
 Sentinel. Go forward at your peril, if ye 
 be not true men. 
 
 Kay. Let us hasten on under cover of 
 the darkness. 
 
 Kay. Lad, we have yet a day's journey 
 to go and we have no provisions. Stay you 
 here under this shelter and I will go to 
 yonder hut and see if they are Christian 
 folk who will do us guqst-friendship. 
 
 (Part of Chamberlains personating foes, 
 approach, journeying through the forest, 
 engaged in conversation.) 
 
 No. I. I fear me we shall not meet with 
 adventure this day, the time is near spent. 
 
 No. 2. Brother, yonder is a fair shadow 
 where we may rest ourselves and horses. 
 
 No. 3. Yes, let us tarry here awhile. 
 
 No. 4. I shall be full glad, for all these 
 seven years I have not been so tired. 
 
 No. I. Look, brother, do you see that 
 man crouching beneath the shelter of 
 yonder rocks? 
 
 No. 2. I do. And are not those the 
 colors of our hated foe, King Arthur, upon 
 the cloak beside him? 
 
 No. I. They are. Let us seize and kill 
 him. (Aloud.) Up with King Modred. 
 
 All. Down with King Arthur. (All 
 seize and bind him.) 
 
 No. I. Let us draw lots to see who will 
 be the one to joust with him. 
 
 No. 2, No, he is but a kitchen knave. 
 Let us pierce him with arrows. 
 
 No. 3. Let us toss him over the crags. 
 
 No. 4. Comrades, we will burn him at 
 the stake. 
 
 No, I. Make sure he is well tied. 
 
 No. 2. Now pile high the fagots. 
 
 No. 3. Give me the flint and steel. 
 
 No. 4. Hark, methinks I hear horsemen 
 approaching. Let us leave him to his tor- 
 ture. 
 
 (Sounds of knights of King Arthur ap-" 
 proaching on horseback). 
 Foe No. I. Who be ye? 
 
 Knight No. i. We be true Knights of 
 King Arthur. 
 
 Foe No. 4. If ye be of the Round Table 
 I do defy ye and all your fellows. 
 
 K. No. 2. That is saying over much. 
 
 K. No. 3. Truly yonder lone lad we will 
 help, for it were a shame to see four 
 knights on one. For if he be slain we are 
 partners of his death. 
 
 19 
 
20 
 
 BOYS' ROUND TABLE 
 
 (Here follows combat, din of battle, 
 Knights are victorious.) 
 
 Foe No. I. We yield to you as men of 
 might, matchless. 
 
 Knight No. i. It is well said. When I 
 call upon you ye must yield unto King 
 Arthur, and all thy companions. 
 
 (Merlin takes the lad.) 
 
 M. Lad, thou hast been near to death. 
 Seven tall knights, on horseback, wholly 
 armed, behind a rock, in shadow lurked 
 for thee, villains all. These brethren of 
 King Arthur's court and I were passing to 
 the tourney and hasted to thy relief. Fall 
 
 THE COMBAT IN THE FIRST DEGREE 
 
 in, comrades, and let us proceed to the 
 Castle. 
 
 (Whole Castle forms, M. and lad in 
 rear.) 
 
 M. The morning breaks (the blindfold 
 is removed) and danger is over. 
 
 (All divide and form a double line facing 
 in. M. and lad pass through to throne.) 
 
 M. Kneel, lad. (Kneels.) 
 
 M. Sir Pendragon, here is a country lad 
 who hath come to see thy court. Journey- 
 ing hither he was rescued from death by 
 our brethren of the Round Table, and now 
 eagerly desires to go forth on the first 
 quest and be made a Knight of Arthur. 
 
 K. My Knights are sworn to vows of 
 
 utter hardihood, utter faithfulness and 
 uttermost obedience to the King. 
 
 M. He is a goodly youth, my lord. For 
 hardihood I can promise thee, for utter- 
 most obedience make demand. 
 
 K. Knights of the Round Table. 
 
 All. Hail to the King. 
 
 K. Tell me, is he worthy or not worthy? 
 
 All. He is worthy! 
 
 K. Will you receive him as your page? 
 
 All. We will. 
 
 K. Rise. Sir Kay, read to him our 
 Covenant. 
 
 Kay. This brotherhood is of the order 
 of the Knights of King Arthur. We be 
 
 Castle . We be 
 
 joined hand and heart to achieve Christian 
 Knightliness. What harmeth body, de- 
 fileth tongue, or doeth ill to mind cometh 
 not to our Conclave. To the great Repub- 
 lic we vow allegiance, its flag our banner, 
 its chief our chieftain, its glory our knightly 
 quest. For these ends and by these means 
 we pledge our hands, our hearts, and our 
 manly honor to our ancient order. 
 
 K. Will you accept this Covenant? 
 
 Lad. I will. 
 
 K. Sir Kay, explain to him our mys- 
 teries. 
 
 K. Our arms be a cross (maltese) argent 
 upon a field gules. 
 
 Our legend. 
 
 Our rallying cry. 
 
 Our hand grasp. 
 
 Our knocks. 
 
 Our signals. 
 
 Our password. 
 
 K. Kneel. (Kneels.) Lay thy hand in 
 mine, (K. takes lad's right hand in his 
 own) and swear to reverence thy King 
 and thy conscience as thy King, to seek 
 high thought and love of truth, and follow 
 all that makes a man. Do you thus swear? 
 
 Lad. I do. 
 
 All (in deep voice) We are witness I 
 
 K. Then let him be sealed, in the pres- 
 ence of all, as our servant. 
 
 K. Retire with Sir Kay for enrollment 
 and to receive the Watchword of the Gate. 
 
 (These given, he is vested with robe. 
 meanwhile procession marches around, Kav 
 and lad leading the rest, reverse the line. 
 by passing within divided ranks down to 
 the rear. Then, when all have faced in, 
 
KNIGHTS OF KING ARTHUR 
 
 21 
 
 they two march up to the throne. Lad 
 kneels. Silence.) 
 
 Castle Hymn or Selected Hymn sung or 
 recited. Some martial hymn or poem. 
 
 K. (loudly). Rise Sir , loyal page 
 
 of the court of King Arthur! (Rises.) 
 Comrades, what is the motto of the Order? 
 
 All. MY SWORD SHALL BE 
 BATHED IN HEAVEN. 
 
 K. Henceforth, Sir Page, let this be 
 your motto. Salute our newly elected 
 brother. 
 
 Explanation 
 
 This degree is really introductory only. 
 The page in medieval times was the ser- 
 vant, yet it was possible for him to advance 
 to a higher position, so in our Order the 
 new members are in a condition ol servi- 
 tude, they are debarred of certain privi- 
 leges and must receive instruction before 
 they advance further. Such a condition 
 is not satisfactory and it is not intended 
 that it should be, yet it is most wholesome 
 for a time for the average boy. It prevents 
 a certain self conscious priggishness in a 
 very decisive fashion, i think it is desira- 
 ble that the boys should be kept as pages 
 for at least six months. They need time to 
 find out whether they like the Order well 
 enough to become useful members, and 
 
 they need to fully understand the obliga- 
 tions of the second degree before they take 
 them. Often many boys think them to be 
 unmanly restrictions. They are not so and 
 this Order declares by giving privileges to 
 those who take them that they are not co, 
 but there is a danger that the boys will 
 hasten to take upon themselves these obli- 
 gations so as to become Esquires and be 
 able to vote, and the delay is an antidote to 
 this tendency. 
 
 The initiation ceremony, which has just 
 been described, is quite amusing and excit- 
 ing, but is intended to have its lesson. This 
 lesson is that of obligation to those who 
 have shown their friendliness by making 
 the lad a member of their company. The 
 idea of protection to the weak, the central 
 thought in chivalry, and brotherhood to the 
 suffering, is exemplified by this ritual. The 
 boy on his first entrance to the Castle finds 
 its members at their best engaged in help- 
 fulness to another, that is, himself. 
 
 This ritual should never be given with- 
 out rehearsal, it may be shortened or elab- 
 orated still further. Perfect order and si- 
 lence of those not participating are to be 
 insisted on throughout. The ceremony is 
 so arranged as to prevent any possibility 
 of physical -violence. If disorder or vio- 
 lence are attempted the Merlin should close 
 the exercises immediately for that day. 
 
 sr^cciro^^ 
 
 ^^^^ 
 
The Second Degree 
 
 That of Esquire 
 A Form for the Initiation to the Second Degree. 
 
 (Candidate dressed as Page and blind- 
 folded. Page's knock is given at the door. 
 Response within. Enter. Merlin and Can- 
 didate march to throne between ranks of 
 members. Degree team are at rear. Of 
 course this degree is to be conducted and 
 witnessed only by boys who have been 
 made Esquires.) 
 
 PRESENTING A PAGE FOR THE SECOND DEGREE 
 
 M. Sir Pendragon, this young page de- 
 sires to become an Esquire at our court. 
 
 K. Have you informed him of the obliga- 
 tions that he must assume? 
 
 M. I have, Sir King. 
 
 K. Has he been tested? 
 
 M. He has not. 
 
 K. Lad. are you willing to undergo the 
 
 22 
 
 ordeal that shall show whether you are fit 
 to be an Esquire? 
 
 C. I am. 
 
 K. Lead him to the stone of testing. 
 
 (The members fall in line and lead 
 Merlin and Cand. to the stone, near 
 which degree team (chamberlains) are 
 collected. In the " stone " a stout wooden 
 sword is held by a sliding pin.) 
 
 M. Here, my lads, lies the mystic 
 sword Excalibur embedded in the stone 
 of testing. If you are ready for esquire- 
 ship you will be able to draw it from' its 
 sheath. Take hold and draw out the 
 sword (loudly). 
 
 (He tries and fails. All jeer him.) 
 
 M. Alas, my son, you are not ready. 
 I must go sadly to the king. 
 
 (He goes). Sir King, the page was 
 tried and is found unworthy. 
 
 K. Doubtless his heart failed him be- 
 cause of uncleanness. Bring him to me. 
 
 (He is brought; processional). 
 
 K. My lad, you cannot become a man 
 until you assume manly virtues. I will 
 bind you by a vow, our triple pledge of 
 purity, temperance and reverence. Kneel. 
 
 /Hymn. 
 
 He takes his vow, though brave is h( 
 He needs it for his shield. 
 
 On the fair plains of chivalry 
 \This foeman shall not yield. 
 
 K. Do you now solemnly promise 
 (local obligation)? 
 
 C. I do. 
 
 M. Rise, lad, and draw out Excalibur. 
 (The pin having been removed, he goes 
 and draws the sword. The chamberlains 
 support him. All cheer). 
 
KNIGHTS OF KING, ARTHUR 
 
 23 
 
 Hymn. \ 
 
 Give him the blade, 'tis his by right, \ 
 
 The sword flies from the stone, 
 'hus draws he strength from every fight 
 
 And makes the prize his own. 
 
 (Merlin removes blindfold and leads 
 away Cand. armed with the sword. 
 Double ranks form at throne. Merlin 
 and Cand. pass through. Cand. kneels. 
 Reading from Tennyson's short poem, 
 "Sir Galahad.") 
 
 K. Rise (touching with sword) Sir 
 , true Esquire of the court of King 
 
 "He goes and drazvs the sword" 
 
 Arthur. (Rises). Comrades, what is the 
 motto of our Order? 
 
 All. MY SWORD SHALL BE 
 BATHED IN HEAVEN. 
 
 K. Let your well won sword. Esquire, 
 be used only in the spirit of heaven and 
 in conflicts that heaven can bless. Salute 
 our brother. 
 
 (All grasp his hand.) 
 
 Note.— The initiation will be more attractive if a slow 
 march is played m the early, and a quick march in the 
 later processionals. 
 
 Explanations 
 
 It is an important step to become an 
 Esquire. It means or should mean that 
 
 the boy has decided to take an advance step 
 in his moral life. It means much to any 
 boy. Some boys and even some Merlins 
 have thought that because a boy did not 
 drink, swear or smoke, or because he was a 
 member of the Christian Endeavor Society, 
 he was therefore thought fit to become an 
 Esquire. There could be no more distinct 
 mistake. No boy should be allowed to be- 
 come an Esquire until he has been tested 
 as a Page for. several months. When he 
 does take the obligation it must mean 
 something to him. What if he is temper- 
 ate? Does that mean that he is pure? 
 Does it imply that he is reverent? Is he 
 sure he is thoroughly temperate? 
 
 We do not recommend an iron-clad 
 pledge for this degree. We prefer that 
 every boy should write his own obligation 
 and show it to his Merlin. If the Merlin 
 believes that the boy has included in that 
 pledge all that a boy needs in order to ful- 
 fill the triple obligation, then let him join 
 as an Esquire. In one Castle there is a 
 custom of giving every boy who applies a 
 list of questions on the meaning of the 
 Order and its history, which he is expected 
 10 answer in writing. This is a useful re- 
 view and makes, sure that the advance ranks 
 in the Castle are filled by those who under- 
 stand what they mean. 
 
 It is well that the Esquires should be dis- 
 tinguished by a special badge. In Castle 
 Shalott, of Cambridge, Mass., the Esquires 
 wear a silver sword across their badge or 
 separate from it. This sword has three 
 jewels on it, of red, white and blue, for 
 reverence, purity and temperance. Did you 
 ever think before that that was what the 
 "red, white and blue" means? Remember 
 that when you see the colors on the flag of 
 your country. 
 
 The initiation of this degree is a graphic 
 picture of strength that is acquired by self- 
 mastery. This ceremony, though short, is 
 amusing, but its direct lesson can scarcely 
 be missed. 
 
 Probably after a short time the majority 
 of the boys will be Esquires. The leader 
 has secured, as the result of these methods, 
 not the slight and constrained allegiance of 
 one or two boys to the pledge, but a 
 brotherhood of boys bound together for a 
 definite moral aim. 
 
Cbe Knigbt on Quest 
 
 The Third Degree 
 
 That of Knight 
 
 ^7^ HIS form is intended to be a solemn 
 \2) covenant, not a substitute for, but ac- 
 companying or following entering the 
 church or confirmation. It is as far as prac- 
 ticable an imitation of the actual ancient 
 form for conferring knighthood. Prepara- 
 tion should be enjoined by fasting (to a 
 reasonable length of time; if the service 
 is in the evening, since noon), self-exam- 
 ination and confession (marked perhaps 
 by the communion service the Sunday 
 morning before : in Episcopal churches by 
 a special early communion). The exercises 
 may be confined to the knights and those 
 about to become so, or, as in this suggested 
 form, the actual conferring of the knight- 
 hood, may be before the whole Castle. This 
 form was prepared by collaboration with 
 the Rev. W. E. Hayes, of All Saint's P. E. 
 Church, San Francisco. 
 
 The First Stage : Devotional 
 
 (^ Knights and Candidates present. At a 
 signal all kneel or rise.) 
 
 M. Almighty God, unto whom all hearts 
 are open, all desires known, and from 
 whom no secrets are hid; Cleanse the 
 thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration 
 of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly 
 love Thee, and worthily magnify Thy 
 Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
 Amen. 
 
 M. explains the manner and meaning of 
 the ceremony of knighting in ancient times 
 (See Bulfinch's Age of Chivalry). 
 
 M. Calls upon the candidates to repeat 
 the Ten Commandments, one by one, set- 
 ting forth after each the principle sug- 
 gested. After each commandment and ques- 
 tion he makes a pause. 
 
 24 
 
KNIGHTS OF KING ARTHUR 
 
 25 
 
 1. Have I placed obedience to God con- 
 stantly before me as the highest aim of my 
 life? 
 
 2. Have I worshipped Him in sincerity 
 and truth, meaning the words I took upon 
 my lips? 
 
 3. Have I spoken or thought lightly or 
 irreverently of sacred things, especially of 
 the Name that is above every name? 
 
 4. Have I endeavored to make Sunday 
 a holy day, a day of rest and loving service ? 
 
 5. Have I given due respect, gratitude 
 and obedience to my parents, my teachers 
 and those in authority? 
 
 6. Have I cherished ill will in my heart 
 toward anyone? 
 
 7. Have I been pure in thought, word 
 and deed? 
 
 8. Have I taken aught that was not mine 
 without the owner's consent? 
 
 9. Have I spoken untruth or unkindness 
 of my fellows and have I been always a 
 true friend? 
 
 10. Have I been discontented and un- 
 happy or have I wished for what was an- 
 other's ? 
 
 After this personal confession made by 
 each to his own soul, Merlin asks for tne 
 repetition one by one of the Beatitudes, 
 asking after each the following question : 
 
 I. Am I willing to practice the presence 
 of God and to learn and do the laws of the 
 Kingdom to which I belong? 
 
 ^ 2. Am I willing to be patient, hopeful 
 that I shall some day be content? 
 
 3. Am I willing to seek "the charity that 
 cannot believe, the ignorance that will not 
 know, the gentleness that will not con- 
 demn the sins of others?" 
 
 4. Am I always eager to obey the 
 heavenly vision, to do according to the pat- 
 tern shown me in the mount, to follow 
 Jesus? 
 
 5. Will I be merciful, always a chivalrous 
 knight of Christ? 
 
 6. Will I be pure as he who won the 
 Siege Perilous and saw the Holy Grail? 
 
 7 Will I wield the sword that is bathed 
 in heaven? 
 
 8. Will I become unpopular, misunder- 
 stood, neglected, if need be to be num- 
 bered with those who seek a better coun- 
 try, that is a heavenly, even the city that 
 hath foundations, the Kingdom of God 
 among men? 
 
 After the self-consecration thus ex- 
 pressed in silence M. leads in the General 
 Confession (from the prayer book), reads 
 one or more of the prayers mentioned on 
 page s6, or, if he so desires, offers an ex- 
 tempore prayer. 
 
 At the close of prayer the knights and 
 candidates may take supper together, re- 
 turning for 
 
 The Second Stage: Symbolical 
 
 (Knights lead candidates dressed as 
 Esquires blindfolded into the Castle Hall, 
 led by a procession carrying tapers. M. 
 follows. Processional hymn). 
 
 M. We are now in the great hall of King 
 Arthur. Let us await in silence the com- 
 mands of the King. 
 
 K. Whom have you there. Sir? 
 
 M. An Esquire seeking knighthood. 
 
 K. Has he fasted and witnessed a good 
 confession? 
 
 M. He has. (The tapers are extin- 
 guished). 
 
 K. Show him then the symbols ot the 
 honorable degree which he desires to enter. 
 I beseech you. Sir (or Sirs), ponder the 
 teachings of our good counsellor. Sir 
 Merlin. 
 
 (The cross is shown). 
 
 M. What seest thou, friend? 
 
 Cand. I see the cross. 
 
 M. That cross is the symbol of faith, 
 through which the knights of old subdued 
 kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained 
 promises, stopped the mouth of lions, 
 quenched the power of fire, escaped the 
 edge of the sword, from weakness were 
 made strong, waxed mighty in fight, turned 
 to flight armies of aliens. 
 
 (Processional). 
 
26 
 
 BOYS' ROUND TABLE 
 
 K. Show him the second grand light of 
 knighthood. 
 M. What seest thou, friend? 
 (The book is shown). 
 Cand. I see a book. 
 
 M. That Book is a symbol of hope. For 
 whatsoever things were written aforetime, 
 were written for our learning, that through 
 patience and through comfort of the Scrip- 
 tures, we might have hope. 
 
 (Processional.) 
 
 K. Show him the third grand light of 
 knighthood. What seest thou, friend? 
 
 (The heart is shown). 
 
 C. I see a heart. 
 
 M. That heart is the symbol of love. 
 Love your Master, Christ, and follow Him 
 faithfully through life and through death. 
 (Pause). 
 
 Let us now continue our quest, until, if 
 so be, we may catch a vision of the Holy 
 Grail. 
 
 Candidate is led to another room or 
 another part of this room blindfolded. 
 Music or a hymn. Silence. A figure of 
 the Holy Grail (illuminated with phos- 
 phorus) is seen in the distance. Chords 
 or bugle. 
 
 Silence. 
 
 M. What do you see? 
 
 C. The Holy Grail. 
 
 M. Let this sacred emblem remind you 
 that you have entered upon a quest more 
 glorious than any which incited the knights 
 of old. You are pressing toward the mark 
 for the prize of the high calling of God in 
 Christ Jesus. 
 
 (The Grail is left in sight. After a pause 
 the lights are turned suddenly on). 
 
 Third Stage: The Knighting 
 
 A Conclave is opened in due form at 
 th-3 or another time with the full Castle 
 present. At the place indicated for initia- 
 tions in the Conclave ritual, M. approaches 
 the throne with Cand. (Both kneel). 
 
 M. Sir Pendragon, this esquire desires 
 to become a knight. 
 
 K. Is his heart prepared for the duties 
 and responsibilities of this high degree? 
 M. I trust so. 
 
 K. Sir 
 
 have you seriously con- 
 
 sidered and duly weighed the meaning of 
 membership in this degree? 
 
 Cand. I have. 
 
 K. Are you with true and honest heart 
 ready to take the pledge of knighthood? 
 
 Cand. I am. 
 
 K. Lead him to the altar. (Silence. 
 Twelve strokes of a bell are sounded. He 
 is surrounded by knights). Form the cir- 
 cle of knightly brotherhood (hands joined). 
 Standing by this altar within the unbroken 
 circle of^ your brethren, do you covenant 
 with them and with your own heart to 
 serve your Master, the Church, and this 
 Order, as a true Christian knight? 
 
 Cand. I do. 
 
 (King retires to throne). 
 
 Hymn (optional) "The Son of God goes 
 forth to war." Or: 
 
 Along the weary, dusty way. 
 
 The sufifering Savior went. 
 Upon His heart our sorrows lay. 
 
 The cross His shoulders bent. 
 
 He fell, and though they laughed in hate, 
 They saw His strength was gone; 
 
 They seized a youth to share the weight, 
 And thus they bore it on. 
 
 To-day we stand beside the road 
 
 Whereon our brethren go. 
 Each bears his cross, a weary load 
 
 Of sin, perchance, or woe. 
 
 Shall our young strength remain at ease, 
 
 Our love to Christ so dim. 
 When they who bear the cross for these 
 
 Are beari.ig it for Him! 
 
 Let now our brotherly love be shown, 
 
 Our brother's load to share; 
 Our Christ shall never bend alone 
 
 'Neath burdens we can bear. 
 
 K. (raising Excalibur) I, Arthur Pen- 
 dragon, head of this Castle of the Order 
 of the Knights of King Arthur, do hereby 
 admit thee to the rank of knighthood and 
 
 dub thee Sir (Strikes three times). 
 
 Arise. Sir . 
 
KNIGHTS OF KING ARTHUR 
 
 27 
 
 (After all have been thus received, K. 
 says) : 
 
 K. Receive the insignia of your rank. 
 
 (The Lady of the Lake or M. invest 
 each with white robe, baldric, spurs and 
 sword). 
 
 K. You may follow Sir M. for enroll- 
 ment. 
 
 (All kneel in double lines and M. and 
 new knights pass down. After the enroll- 
 ment, all rise. The new knights are re- 
 ceived into an inner circle, the esquires 
 and pages surrounding them by an outer 
 circle. All join hands). 
 
 K. What is the motto of our Order? 
 
 All. MY SWORD SHALL BE BATHED 
 IN HEAVEN. 
 
 K. Let this be your motto also, Sir 
 Knight. Salute the newly elected knights. 
 (All welcome them). 
 
 Explanations 
 
 Instead of transparencies, pictures may 
 be shown by the stereopticon and every 
 effort should be made by quietness and 
 reverence of demeanor to impress the 
 solemnity cf the occasion which marks the 
 end of boyish play and the great consecra- 
 tions of the approach of manhood. The 
 ceremony should in no .sense be made a 
 substitute to that of becoming a church 
 member nor should it ever become a rival 
 of that. It should rather follow it and 
 simply be a seal to it in this Christian fra- 
 ternity. It will make church membership 
 seem more real. Even boys who are church 
 members should not be called knights until 
 they have served the six months to be made 
 esquires. This will prevent any clique of 
 self-constituted leaders at the start or any 
 possibility that church membership will be 
 sought as a step to knighthood in the 
 Castle. 
 
The Siege Perilous and the Peerage 
 
 ESIDES the degrees of Page, Esquire 
 and Knight, the order has a series of 
 honorable ranks called the Peerage. 
 They are in order as follows: Baronet, 
 Baron, Viscount, Earl, Marquis, Duke and 
 Prince. The lowest of these, Baronet, is 
 given by the local Castle. The rest are 
 given by the Order. They are achieved as 
 follows, being arranged so that they are 
 open to the individual member as well as 
 to the boys who meet in Castle : 
 
 tie of thirty members, for completing a 
 third Reading Course. 
 
 Marquis 
 
 The Order gives this rank: for complet- 
 ing a fourth Reading Course, for achieving 
 the Siege Perilous in a Castle thrice, to 
 Merlins of provinces (or groups of Castles) 
 of the Order. 
 
 Duke 
 
 Baronet 
 
 The model Castle Constitution says: 
 "When a great deed of brawn or brain or 
 knightliness hath been done by a brother 
 it shall be told to Merlin and by him to the 
 King, etc. Then for one whole Conclave 
 shall he be hailed as Sir Galahad and all 
 his life long thereafter he shall be a Bar- 
 onet." The local Castle thus honors with 
 the Siege Perilous its athletes, class lead- 
 ers, orators and heroes for their achiev- 
 ments. 
 
 Baron 
 
 The Order gives the rank of Baron as 
 follows: for long service (for active mem- 
 bership in the Order three years), for dis- 
 tinguished service to the Order (to any 
 person who founds a Castle of ten mem- 
 bers), for victory in inter-Castle athletics 
 or for completing the first Reading Course, 
 presented by the local Merlin or by the 
 national King Arthur. 
 
 Viscount 
 
 The Order gives this rank: for active 
 membership' four years, for founding a 
 Castle of twenty members, for victory in 
 inter-Castle literary or oratorical tourna- 
 ments, or for completing a second Read- 
 ing Course. 
 
 Earl 
 
 The Order gives this rank: for active 
 membership five years, for founding a Cas- 
 
 28 
 
 The Order gives this rank, at its option, 
 not for any specified effort, but for such 
 remarkable service to the Order, such 
 knightly achievement, or such heroic deeds 
 as it desires to honor. A Duke is 
 ex officio a life Chancellor of the Order. 
 
 Prince 
 
 The Order gives this rank: (the full 
 title is Prince Galahad of Caerleon) not 
 oftener than oiice a year and to no more 
 than one person a year, to one who shall 
 be adjudged to have been that year the 
 most knightly of all the Brotherhood. 
 
 Titles 
 
 A Baronet may write "Bart." after his 
 name and should be enrolled by his rank 
 in the Castle roll. A Baron is to be 
 spoken of as a "Lord," a Viscount as 
 "Count," an Earl as "Earl," etc. They are 
 spoken to as "your Lordship," if that 
 doesn't seem too humorous. A Baron 
 assumes the name of his Castle to add to 
 his title. Thus, Frank Percy on joining 
 the Knighthood chooses the title Gareth 
 and become "Sir Gareth." Being raised to 
 the Siege Perilous, he adds "Bart." Being 
 raised to the Barony, and being a member 
 of Castle Perth, he is "Sir Gareth, Baron 
 of Perth." If he attains an Earldom he is 
 "Earl of Perth," etc. He is so enrolled in 
 his Castle and by the Mage Merlin of the 
 Order "at Caerleon" (the seat of the 
 Order ; the word means : "Castle of the 
 Legions.") 
 
KNIGHTS OF KING ARTHUR 
 
 29 
 
 Diplomas 
 
 The Order furnishes diplomas for tht 
 Peerage. (See page 46.) The decora- 
 tions are optional. 
 
 Why We Do This 
 
 We give these ranks not to be inconsis- 
 tent with our republican simplicity, not to 
 ape monarchism, but to furnish rewards 
 for real effort, open to all, rewards prec- 
 ious because they are novel, intangible and 
 uncommon. Local Castles need not use 
 them, but we believe that, where used, 
 they encourage long service, good work 
 and high achievement, and being carefully 
 arranged to reward every kind of lawful 
 endeavor, to recognize faithfulness as well 
 a.<? natural ability, and the individual boy 
 as well as the Castle boy, they will not 
 stimulate jealousy or cause any feelings but 
 friendly emulation. 
 
 Special Rituals 
 
 The conferring of the Siege Perilous or 
 of the Kingship, if it be an office held for a 
 term, and of the ranks of the Peerage may 
 be made occasions of special or public cere- 
 monial, with special rituals composed by 
 the Merlin or a committee of members. A 
 form for the purpose of initiating members 
 into new Castles is now available. (See 
 page 42.) 
 
 Excellent original forms for special occa- 
 sions have been composed as follows: for 
 the third degree and for conferring king- 
 ship by the Rev. W. E. Hayes, Rector of 
 All Saints Church, San Francisco, for the 
 second degree by the Rev. F. W. Gibbs, of 
 Amesbury, Mass., for initiating a new 
 Castle by Miss A. B. Mackintire, of Cam- 
 bridge, Mass., and are now available. 
 
 A KNIGHTLY DEED 
 
How to Conduct a^ Ce^stle 
 
 jSr AVING studied carefully this manual 
 ^-y and mastered the outline of the King 
 
 ^ Arthur legend (the best version is that 
 of Mary Macleod), the leader should call the 
 boys together and explain what he proposes 
 to do. It is well to tell only a few things 
 first, always having something in reserve 
 for a surprise and novelty. If the boys 
 are rather young or backward, the leader 
 may for a time simply give them their 
 Castle names and conduct the club infor- 
 mally until he thinks they are ready to 
 settle down for a formal Conclave. The 
 first initiation should be given to the boys 
 if possible by some neighboring Castle, one 
 boy being selected by lot to be initiated 
 ill behalf of all the rest, the others also 
 taking the obligations. If this is not prac- 
 ticable have some young men of character 
 in the church do it or a half a dozen of the 
 most competent boys trained to perform 
 the initiation upon one of the others. 
 
 It may be added here that the success of 
 the Castle will be almost doubled if there 
 is another Castle near by with which to 
 compete. It is the custom of the National 
 King Arthur to inform all new Castles 
 upon organization of the location of neigh- 
 boring Castles. If there are several Castles 
 in the near vicinity, it is desirable to have an 
 occasional meeting for conference, and to 
 organize some activities in common. 
 
 In conducting a Castle there are at least 
 four important things which are to be 
 used for influence upon the boys. The 
 first is personality. The strongest influence 
 in the Castle will be that of the Merlin, who 
 by his own inculcation and exemplification 
 of knightly virtues will uplift all the boys. 
 If the Castle is connected with a church 
 every effort should be made to strengthen 
 the influence of the pastor, the church ser- 
 vice, the Sunday school and the good men 
 and women of the church. The Castle 
 should always work in the closest harmony 
 with the home. Some parents will not 
 understand at first what is being attempted, 
 others will be indifferent. The early op- 
 portunity should be given them to attend 
 a regular or special Conclave. The hour 
 of meeting should be one that will not in- 
 
 terfere with home work. If in the even- 
 ing, the session should close very early. 
 Much of the Castle writing and handicraft 
 work can be done at home. At least once 
 a year some exhibition should be given to 
 show the public the purpose and results of 
 the work. By no personalities are the 
 boys more influenced than by each other. 
 In every group there are one or more key- 
 boys. These should be studied, mastered, 
 held in restraint or encouraged as may be 
 necessary to help the rest. 
 
 The second influence is that of heroism. 
 This is the characteristic of this method. 
 In addition to taking the names of heroes 
 and studying their lives, imitating the 
 heroic age in the rituals and entering into 
 the heroic atmosphere, many other meth- 
 ods may be suggested. The Castle may be 
 encouraged to buy books of heroic biog- 
 raphy. Great men, alive or dead, may be 
 enrolled as honorary members. Men of 
 achievement and noble character may be 
 invited to address the Castle. Portraits 
 of such men should adorn the Castle 
 wall. A special scrap-book may be 
 purchased, to which should be added 
 a portrait of some hero at each meeting. 
 The portraits of modern heroes may be 
 taken from the newspapers and these form 
 a record of current events. Let the roll be 
 called by an answer from each boy of some 
 event of the week. The "Record of Virtiie 
 Contest" is a plan of competition in which 
 the boys bring pictures of their own chosen 
 heroes. The birthdays of the heroes for 
 whom these are named may be recorded and 
 celebrated. A calendar may be compiled 
 n]arking each day of the year that is ; a 
 birthday of a hero. Each boy may be eti- 
 couraged to select a motto for himself, if 
 possible from the words of his namesake. 
 The Order offers its honors, as elsewheTC 
 explained, for a Reading Course. This 
 course may be chosen by the Merlin, but 
 must comprise at least five books and 'a 
 composition. The suggested course is as 
 follows : J 
 
 I. Theodore Roosevelt's "Hera T-aies-^f 
 American History." 
 
 31 
 
32 
 
 BOYS' ROUND TABLE 
 
 2. Bulfinch's "Age of Chivalry." 
 
 3. Kipling's "Captains Courageous." 
 
 4. Charles Reade's "The Cloister and the 
 
 Hearth," or Thackeray's " Henry Es- 
 mond." 
 
 5. The Gospel of Luke. 
 
 6. A Composition: "The Most Heroic 
 
 Deed of Which I Know." 
 
 One or more of these books may be read 
 aloud in the Castle. 
 
 The King Arthur idea may be applied in 
 the Sunday school, the class becoming a 
 Castle and such part of the Castle work as 
 is appropriate being done in the class. In 
 studying the Bible characters, their heroic 
 traits may be pointed out and it might be 
 imagined by the boys that they were ancient 
 members of our order. When interest in the 
 lesson lags, the teacher might suggest this 
 question: What would King Arthur do 
 under the circumstances of this lesson? A 
 whole system of ethics may be built up 
 around the question : What would King 
 
 CAPE REGALIA 
 
 Arthur do if he were to return to the 
 world to-day? The heroic virtues may be 
 inculcated not only by study but also b> 
 exercise. 
 
 The third means of influence is out-of- 
 doors, God's own country for boys. Our 
 order recognizes that here rather than sit- 
 ting still in a meeting a boy is most at 
 home. The Castle should have "Quests." 
 The boys may take walks to battle fields 
 or historic sites. Boys may be sent out by 
 twos to visit such places and return to re- 
 port. Such reports may be made of visits 
 in summer vacations. In the winter the 
 boys might buy a stereopticon and take im- 
 aginary tours to places they cannot visit, 
 the pictures of these places being thrown 
 upon the screen while a boy gives a descrip- 
 tion or tells the history. In the darkness 
 a boy will have more courage to do this 
 than in the light. Pictures of heroes of 
 history may be shown in this manner. The 
 boys who are named for living heroes may 
 be required to relate their deeds as they 
 occur. Visits may be made to the homes 
 of refined men and women, and to the 
 parents of members. Quests of mercy 
 should be undertaken, by visiting the sick 
 and singing in hospitals or almshouses, etc. 
 No means is more efficient for developing 
 strength of character than a summer camp, 
 with its hardships, discomforts and adven- 
 tur-es. When this is not practicable there 
 may at least be a Conclave in the woods or 
 an athletic field-day. Such contests may 
 be held in imitation of knightly tourna 
 ments. The heroic idea is emphasized in 
 taking the third degree by fasting before 
 the ceremony. 
 
 The fourth method is by handicraft. 
 This is being much emphasised to-day for 
 its effect upon will power and force of 
 character. Boys who have come from the 
 Captains of Ten or have had manual train- 
 ing in the public schools will possess some 
 skill in this direction. All paraphernalii 
 that is used in the Castle should be made if 
 possible by the boys themselves. If col- 
 lections are undertaken, a study is pursued 
 or an entertainment given, the properties 
 for this should be made in the Castle. 
 The handicraft method of Bible study 
 is open to boys*. In using w^ater col- 
 ors, the boys may also design and exe- 
 
KNIGHTS OF KING ARTHUR 
 
 33 
 
 GOWN REGALIA 
 
 cute their own coats of arms, illuminate 
 rolls and diplomas used in the Castle, 
 paint their banners, and make posters for 
 church use. 
 
 No regalia is necessary and none is pre- 
 scribed by the order. Not only is it de- 
 sirable that the boys should make what- 
 ever is used, but it is well that it should 
 not be expensive. The following sugges- 
 tions are made: We should advocate as 
 the first equipment, scarfs or sashes for the 
 members to wear at Conclave. These are 
 of cloth and a little over two yards long 
 and six or eight inches wide. They may be 
 all red or for the Pages of blue, for the 
 Esquires red, for Knights white. The mater- 
 ial .should be cheap cashmere, turkey red or 
 other light cotton goods, costing not more 
 than ten cents a yard. They are worn 
 over the right shoulder and under the left 
 
 arm. Upon the shoulder or breast should 
 be fastened a large white maltese cross 
 made from pasteboard or celluloid. 
 
 The Pages are entitled to bear spears, 
 the Esquires shields and the Knights 
 swords. The spears may be a light 
 staff and should bear at the top a 
 bannerette containing the colors or coat of 
 arms selected by the owner. This is to be 
 borne in processionals and kept upright at 
 his seat at Conclave. The sword may be 
 made from a lath whittled, with a handle 
 affixed and covered with gilt or silver pa- 
 per. The shield may be made by covering 
 a hoop with a red cloth and placing a white 
 cross or the Knight's name or motto upon 
 its surface. The officers may later have robes, 
 but at first may simply have the badges of 
 the proper color to indicate their rank. 
 The King's robe may be purple, the Mer- 
 lin's black, the Seneschal's green, the Con- 
 stable's yellow and the Sentinel's brown. 
 Over these robes are worn the member's 
 scarfs or colors. Thus a red scarf worn 
 over the purple robe would indicate that 
 an Esquire is acting as King. 
 
 The badge of the Order is a white mal- 
 tese cross upon a red background. This 
 may be made of red satin ribbon with the 
 cross embroidered in silk or made of white 
 celluloid. The members of the Peerage 
 are entitled to wear special badges, made 
 of ribbon as follows : 
 
 Baronet, gold ribbon, with one blue 
 bar. 
 
 Baron, gold ribbon, with one red bar. 
 
 Viscount, gold ribbon, with one white 
 bar. 
 
 Earl, gold ribbon, with two blue bars. 
 
 Marquis, gold ribbon, with two red 
 bars. 
 
 Duke, gold ribbon, with two white bars. 
 
 National King, gold ribbon. 
 
 Prince Galahad, white ribbon. 
 
 A special uniform might be made to be 
 worn by the csndidate when he is initiated. 
 Thus a baldric, a white leather belt, em- 
 broidered with gold, with special sword, 
 and golden spurs may be made for the 
 conferring of Knighthood. 
 
 The garb of a candidate for Page is 
 a ragged" coat, of a member candidate for a 
 higher degree the scarf or uniform of his 
 
34 
 
 IBOYS' ROUND TABLE 
 
 degree which would be changed during his 
 initiation for the insignia of the next 
 higher degree. 
 
 Some Castles may get so far as to have 
 inexpensive jackets of the proper color 
 tor Page, Esquire and Knight. 
 
 All these things, it may be seen, can be 
 made by the boys themselves or by their 
 friends and .it very small cost. The pro- 
 viding of them and making of them in the 
 Castle meetings will keep up a continued 
 interest. 
 
 Should the boys be experts in carving, 
 1 handsome Siege Perilous or throne might 
 be the product of their handiwork. 
 
 For the Castle use and for visitations, 
 an American fiag and a Castle banner may 
 be provided. The Castle banner may at 
 fust be merely a square of red cashmere 
 with a cross of white or silver paper. 
 Later the patron ladies of the Castle will 
 be ready to give a silk, embroidered banner. 
 
 Many Castles have originated local em- 
 blems of their own. We shall be glad to 
 learn what some of these original ideas 
 are. Except in the use of the white mal- 
 tese cross and the colors of the Order, red 
 and white, it is not desired that the Castles 
 •hould attempt complete uniformity of 
 apparatus. 
 
 It should be emphasized that all para- 
 phernalia except the street badges are the 
 property of the Castle and not of the indi- 
 vidual members, are never to be taken from 
 the hall and are never to be worn by one 
 who is not a member. 
 
 Besides these, the Order furnishes other 
 means of influence. The three rising de- 
 grees, as may be seen, lead upward in moral 
 directions; that of Esquire encouraging 
 those virtues in which boys are often lack- 
 ing and that of Knight Christian confes- 
 sion, of which boys are often ashamed. 
 The giving of the rank of Chamberlain for 
 good behavior with its coveted privilege 
 of taking part in the initiation, and that 
 of Chancellor for attendance and interest, 
 the gaining of the honor of the Siege Per- 
 ilous and the ranks of the Peerage, offered 
 tor long membership, services to the Or- 
 der and laborious achievements, accomplish 
 much in uplifting the standard of character 
 among the boys. The bearing of a noble 
 name and a coat of arms does more than 
 
 one can think to ennoble the ideals and the 
 daily conduct. Everywhere in the Ca.s- 
 tle the boy should get what he deserves. 
 If he will not learn his part, he should not 
 be allowed to hold his position. In some 
 Castles, there is a Council of the Peers 
 who affix "brands," which are the opposite 
 to honors for certain derelictions. The 
 thoughtful address by the Merlin or advice 
 of some invited guest at each initiation 
 summing up the lesson of the evening, ts 
 valuable in dignifying what otherwise "^ 
 might be mere play. 
 
 As to methods to be used other than 
 those peculiar to the Order, the local needs 
 ot the boys must decide. Some of those 
 which have been found useful are as fol- 
 lows : Collections of stamps, pictures or 
 minerals, talks by sea captams or those 
 who have travelled, the taking home of 
 unknown objects to identify them, divid- 
 ing the Castle into two parties — named per- 
 haps "White Rose" and "Red Rose" — who 
 shall compete in furnishing the best pro- 
 gram for a meeting, parliamentary prac- 
 tice, holding a mock trial or mock town 
 meeting or election or inauguration of a 
 national president, or giving a play or 
 tableaux, pantomime of "Hiawatha," etc, 
 with music, drills,, etc., walks to homes at a 
 distance and taking refreshments along, 
 Castle group pictures taken each year, ap- 
 pointing boys as servitors to assist in younger 
 boys' clubs, the round robin letter during 
 separation in vacation, a summer camp with 
 its quests and journeys, etc. Besides these, 
 all social games which may be played by 
 a group of boys may be used, methods of 
 other boys' clubs may be admitted or 
 adopted and the Castle affiliated with such 
 other societies as the Brotherhood of An- 
 drew and Philip or the Boys' Brigade, etc. 
 A Directory of such organizations for boys 
 may be secured from Mr. Masseck for 
 twenty-five cents. An interesting organ- 
 ization is called the Boys' Life Brigade. 
 Its motto is: To Win Life, to Help Life, 
 and to Save Life. Its methods are am- 
 bulance drill, fire drill, life-saving drill, 
 health talks and deeds of helpfulness. 
 
 Ordinarily it is better for the boys to 
 meet by themselves, but as they grow older 
 an occasional ladies' night will be popular. 
 
 This description of methods would not be 
 
/ERSITY 
 
 OF 
 ^LIFORNJ^ 
 
 KNIGHTS OF KING ARTHUR 
 
 35 
 
 complete without emphasizing the neces- 
 sity of doing something for someone else. 
 The Castle organization furnishes excel- 
 lent opportunity for instruction in missions 
 and work in their behalf. The heroism 
 oi missionary effort may by impressed by 
 giving some of the boys names of mission- 
 ary heroes and thus encouraging the study 
 .of missionary biography. Some of this 
 may be done by means of the following 
 books : Wilfred T. Grenfell, Vikings of To- 
 day, $1.25 ; David Livingstone, by A. Monte- 
 fiore, $.75, or by Mrs. F. S. Worcester, 
 $.15; John G. Paton's Life, $1.50; Cyrus 
 Hamlin's My Life and Times, $1.50; 
 Henry M. Stanley, by A. Montefiore, $75; 
 General Gordon, by S. Barnett Smith, $.75 ; 
 James Chalmers' Life, etc. 
 
 Besides this, missionary rallies may be 
 given and charitable and social efforts may 
 be made as "Quests." Men of achieve- 
 ment or philanthropic service introduced 
 as speakers may be regarded as visiting 
 knights and a missionary to whose support 
 the boys give may be considered as a knight 
 on a crusade in the dark lands. 
 
 A Sample Winter's Work 
 
 At the first meeting explain the King 
 Arthur legend carefully and with as attrac- 
 tive a presentation as possible. Then tell 
 the story of the Order, and state its aims. 
 Then explain carefully each section of the 
 Constitution. Let the boys vote to organ- 
 ize and to adopt the Constitution as 
 amended by yourself. Announce the fol- 
 lowing officers whom yoxi have previously 
 selected with care: Kay, the Seneschal, 
 the most trustworthy boy of them all, to 
 be your assistant, three of the older boys 
 for Chancellors, seven of the best behaved 
 boys for Chamberlains — these all for six 
 months — and one for King at the next 
 meeting. Announce some special attrac- 
 tion for the next meeting. 
 
 At an early meeting begin to talk about 
 initiations. First, distribute the Conclave 
 cards and have the boys go through the 
 exercises as well as possible. If a boy 
 willfully continues in disturbance send him 
 quietly home. Begin on the understanding 
 that it is no fun for the sinner or for any- 
 body else to spoil the meeting. At the 
 point in the card where initiations are men- 
 
 tioned carefully explain their purpose and 
 outline the first one. Having arranged 
 now, if not before, for the minor matters 
 mentioned in the Constitution, such as 
 fees, knocks, grip, etc., give the boys what- 
 ever attraction you have ready, and if your 
 first initiation is to be given by your own 
 boys ask the Chamberlains to stay and re- 
 hearse the first degree. 
 
 At the next meeting give this degree to 
 one boy as representative of the rest. Do 
 not say anything about any more degrees 
 row. Do not give more than one initiation 
 in the evening. Always be holding back 
 something better. Do not give the second 
 degree until late in the season and then 
 only to boys who mean their pledge. Do 
 not give the third degree more than once 
 a year. Make its meaning solemn. Exam- 
 me the boy seriously. Let it be a day of 
 judgment to him. 
 
 All through the season make the initia- 
 tion subsidiary to other things. Show the 
 boys that they will tire of it if it is given 
 too often. To give it at all they must 
 strive to bring in new members. Accom- 
 pany each degree with moral training, or- 
 derly processionals, singing, and every 
 careful detail your ingenuity can suggest. 
 Make the boys learn their parts. Invite 
 parents in when you have something good. 
 
 Watch the development of your boys. 
 Emphasize the study of noble deeds. 
 When you note a really worthy achieve- 
 ment in athletics, study or manliness seat 
 the lad on the Siege Perilous. 
 
 A winter's work might be something Jik* 
 this, beginning October i and closing at 
 Easter : 
 
 1st week — Explanations and Organiza- 
 tion. 
 
 2nd week — Conduct of Conclave, Special 
 Attraction, Rehearsal of ist Degree. 
 
 3rd week — Giving of 1st Degree. 
 
 4th week — Something else. 
 
 5th week — Giving of ist Degree. 
 
 6th week — Something else. 
 
 About the 20th week try the 2nd degree. 
 Near the close, plan a public entertainment 
 and end the season by rehearsing and 
 giving it. This will furnish money for •-» 
 new season, give valuable drill and ease 
 in public, show the people what you are 
 doing and make a climax. 
 
36 
 
 BOYS' ROUND TABLE 
 
 During the summer have a few outdoor 
 meetings, a field day, a camp or something 
 of the kind, and begin again in earnest as 
 soon as it gets chilly on the street corners 
 at seven o'clock. Have always short ses- 
 sions and have them regular. 
 
 NAMES SUGGESTED FOR CASTLES 
 Cameliard, Astolatj Shalott, Caerlyle, 
 Lyonnesse, Chester, Canterbury, Edwins- 
 burg, Lincoln, Selwoodforest, Stonehenge, 
 Hereford, Anglesea, Salisbury, Cor'fe, Win- 
 chester, : Appledore, lona, of ExcaHbur, of 
 the Lake, Perilous, St. Botolph, Plymouth, 
 Tintagil, Ayilion, Badbury, York, Tyne, 
 Mona, Anderida, Bamborough, Galloway, 
 Oxford, Glastonbury, Hastings, Ellandune, 
 Scrooby, Bawtry, Nottingham, Aberdeen, 
 Coventry, Montrose, Exeter, Litchfield, 
 Peterborough, Almesbury. 
 
 TITLES SUGGESTED FOR KNIGHTS 
 I — Those from the Arthur Legend : 
 Lancelot, Percival, Kay, Brastias, Bedi- 
 vere, Ulfius, Bleys, Gareth Geraint, Bors, 
 Gawain, Pellas, Tristram, Balin, Ironside, 
 Tor, Ector, Robert Strongheart. 
 2 — Those of other heroes: 
 Bayard, Launfal, Siegfried, Tannhauser, 
 Constantine, Christopher (Columbus), Ra- 
 leigh, Perseus, Thor, Ulysses (Odysseus), 
 Hector, Alfred, Edward, Richard the Lion- 
 hearted, Horatio (Nelson), Ulysses 
 (Grant), Henry (Stanley), Charles (Gor- 
 don), Fridjiof (Nansen), etc. See also 
 page. 15. 
 
 PRAYERS FOR USE IN THE RITUAL 
 
 While the use of prayer is not always 
 
 advisable in the meetings, and while it 
 
 should never be employed unless it is real 
 prayer and not a vain repetition, there are 
 times, especially in giving the higher de- 
 grees, when it is very helpful. For these 
 purposes a printed form of prayer, brief 
 and dignified, will often express the 
 thought better than any other. 
 
 The following prayers from the book of 
 Common Prayer are especially appropriate: 
 
 The General Confession. 
 
 Introductory prayer before the Com- 
 munion. 
 
 The Collect for the first Sunday in Ad- 
 vent. 
 
 The Collect for the fourth Sunday after 
 Epiphany. 
 
 The Collect for the fourth Sunday after 
 Easter. 
 
 The Collect for the fourth Sunday after 
 Trinity. 
 
 The Collect for St. Stephen's Day. 
 
 The following prayer may be used in 
 the regular Conclaves : 
 
 Almighty God, who hast called us, thy 
 young learning Knights, to become dis- 
 ciples of loyalty, heroism and service, bless 
 and prosper us as we assemble at this Con- 
 clave, and help us so to conduct ourselves 
 in an orderly, attentive and obedient man- 
 ner, at this and all other times, that we 
 may be fitted for the service of thy blessed 
 kingdom in this world, may be adorned 
 with the virtues of Christian knightliness 
 and chivalry, and may finally attain, in 
 company with the brave, the true and the 
 good of all ages, to a life of higher ser- 
 vice and a state 01 endless felicity; 
 through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen! 
 
Music in Ca^stle Meetings 
 
 w 
 
 HEN the Castle is well started and the 
 first degree has been learned, it is 
 desirable to use music both in the 
 Conclaves and initiations. Each Castle 
 should have its own Castle hymn, original or 
 adopted. The deciding on this hymn, and on 
 a hymn which shall be each boy's own, ma> 
 help the boys to become familiar with the 
 church hymn book. There may be proces- 
 sional and recessional hymns to open and 
 close the Conclave. The approach of the King 
 to the Castle gate at Conclaves, or of the 
 candidate of the first degree, may be an- 
 nounced by bugle call. The marches in the 
 
 
 . 
 
 
 ^^^ 
 
 i^^iBr^^i^millflBfti^^^ 
 
 
 ^Mj^Mmn 
 
 ^^S^^^^m^^ 
 
 '& 
 
 '^^^^^t^^:"^ ^ 
 
 .^^ 
 
 '^^p^^' 
 
 
 A HERALD 
 
 degrees may be accompanied by fife and 
 drum, piano, organ or marching song. The 
 following hymns are recommended as es- 
 pecially appropriate for these various occa- 
 sions, with tunes in the range of boys' 
 voices : 
 
 "The Spn of God goes forth to war," to 
 Crusaders or St. Ann's or All Saints' New. 
 
 "Oh, where are kings and empires now," 
 to Dundee. 
 
 "O beautiful, our Country," to Mission- 
 ary Hymn or Savoy Chapel. 
 
 "Go forth to life, thou child of earth." 
 "I live to learn their stoi^ who suffered 
 for my sake." 
 
 "Not dear their lives accounting," io 
 Aurelia. 
 
 "Lift up your heads, ye gates of brass," 
 to Caldwell or Presbyter. 
 
 "For all the saints who from their labors 
 rest," to Sarum. 
 "Soldiers of the Captain." 
 
 "God's trumpet wakes the slumbering 
 world," to Clarion. 
 
 "From age to age they gather all the 
 pure of heart and strong," to John Brown's 
 Body. 
 
 "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." 
 
 "March on, O soul, with strength," to 
 Arthur's Seat. . . 
 
 "The old year's long campaign is o'cj-," 
 to Clarion. 
 
 "God who created me nimble and light 
 of limb," by H. C. Beeching. 
 
 "Thy seaL O Lord, the holy sign." 
 
 ''Lead on, O King eternal, the day of 
 march has come," to Tennent. 
 
 "O Christ, who didst our tasks fulfil." 
 
 "O God of Truth," by Thomas Hughes. 
 
 "Fling out the banner! let it float," to 
 Waltham. 
 
 "Children of the heavenly King," to 
 Pleyel's Hymn. 
 
 "Brightly beams our banner," to St. 
 Theresa or St. Albans. 
 
 "Dare to be a Daniel." 
 
 "Ho, .my comrades, see the signal." 
 
 "We march, we march to victory." 
 
 "We are living, we are dwelUng in a 
 grand and awful time." 
 
 "Christian, dost thou see them?" 
 
 "O Lord of Hosts, Almighty King," (by 
 Oliver Wendell Holmes). 
 
 "Soldiers of Christ, arise." 
 
 "City of God, how broad and fair," etc 
 
 So helpful is good, spirited singing to 
 the Castle and so rare are real boys' hymns 
 that we print the words of a few, which 
 have been prepared or slightly altered foi 
 the purpose. 
 
 37 
 
38 
 
 BOYS' ROUND TABLE 
 
 HYMN 
 "Upon King Arthur's Throne' 
 
 Tempo di marcia 
 
 Tunc composed by Wallace A. Sabin, F. R. C. O. 
 San Francisco. Cal.. 1903 
 
 lift the^ heart and raise the 
 
 song On manly voices fresh and strong To Knightly man-hood plec^ed are we^In 
 
 About the ancient Table Round 
 The perfect circle shall be bound. 
 The noble names of heroes bold 
 We'll stainless bear as they of old. — Cho. 
 
 Beneath the white Cross banner now 
 We'll hold the memory of our vow; 
 That Cross to us of Christ shall sing, 
 The first true knight, the perfect King. 
 
 —Cho. 
 
KNIGHTS OF KING ARTHUR 
 
 3^ 
 
 SONG OF THE SOLDIERS 
 
 EEAD ON, O KING ETERNA^L 
 
 Air: "Jamie's on the Stormy Sea 
 
 Comrades known in marches many, 
 Comrades, tried in dangers many, 
 Comrades, bound by memories many. 
 
 Brothers ever let us be. 
 Wounds or sickness may divide us. 
 Marching orders may divide us, 
 But, whatever fate betide us, 
 
 Brothers of the heart are we. 
 
 By communion of the banner, — 
 Crimson, white and starry banner, — 
 By the baptism of the banner. 
 
 Children of one Church we be. 
 Creed nor faction can divide us, 
 Race nor language can divide us, 
 Still, whatever fate betide us, 
 
 Children of the flag are we. 
 
 By our bright cross-hilted sword-blades, 
 
 By our flashing, heaven-bathed sword-blades, 
 
 By our circled, comi-ade sword-blades, 
 
 Warriors of the King we be. 
 Comrades, hail the Cross that leads us, C! , 
 Comrades, hail the Grail that beckons, \ 
 
 Comrades, hail the War that waits us. ,' 
 
 Knights of holy chivalry." 
 
 — First two verses by Miles O'Reilly. 
 
 PRAYERS 
 
 Air: "My Jesus as Thou wilt." 
 
 God who created me nimble and light of limb, 
 In air, on earth, in sea, to run, to ride, to swim; 
 Not when the sense is dim, but now with heart 
 
 of joy, 
 I would remember Him: O take my thanks, a 
 
 boy. 
 
 Jesus, my King and Lord, Whose are my foes to 
 
 fight. 
 Gird Thou me with Thy sword all swift and 
 
 sharp and bright. 
 Thee would I serve if I might; and conquer if 
 
 I can. 
 From day-dawn until night, O take my strength, 
 
 a man. 
 
 Spirit of Love and Truth, breathing in grosser 
 
 Clay, 
 The flame and love of youth, delight of men in 
 
 fray. 
 Wisdom in strength's decay; from pain, strife, 
 
 wrong made free, 
 This last, best gift, I pray, My spirit take to 
 
 Thee. 
 
 — Henry Charles Beeching, altered. 
 
 Lead on, O King Eternal', the day of march has 
 come; 
 
 Henceforth in fields of conquest Thy tents shall 
 be our home; 
 
 Through days of preparation Thy grace has madt 
 us strong. 
 
 And now, King Eternal, we lift our battle- 
 song. 
 
 For not with swords loud clashing, nor roll of 
 stirring drums. 
 
 But deeds of love and mercy, the heavenly king- 
 dom comes. 
 
 Thy cross is lifted o'er us, we journey in its 
 light; 
 
 The crown awaits the conquest; Lead on, O 
 God of might. —Ernest W. Shurtteff. 
 
 A BOY'S HYMN 
 
 God of our boyhood, whom we yield 
 The tribute of our youthful praise, 
 IFpon the well-contested field. 
 And 'mid the glory of these days, 
 V God of our youth, be with us yet, 
 
 Lest we forget, lest we forget! 
 
 Sturdy of limb, with bounding health, 
 
 Eager to play the hero's part, 
 Grant to us each that greater wealth — 
 An undefiled and loyal heart. 
 
 God of our youth, be Thou our might. 
 To do the right, to do the right 1 
 
 When from the field of mimic strife. 
 
 Of strength with strength, and speed with speed, 
 We face the sterner fights of life, 
 
 As still our strength in time of need. 
 God of our youth, be with us then. 
 And make us men, and make us men I 
 
 PIBROCH 
 
 Come away, come away, hark to the summons! 
 Come in your war array, gentles and commons. 
 Come every hill-plaid and true heart that wean 
 
 one, 
 Come every steel blade and strong hand that bears 
 
 one, 
 
 Leave the deer, leave the steer, leave nets and 
 
 barges; 
 Some with your fighting gear, broadswords and 
 
 targes. 
 Come as the winds come when forests are rended, 
 Ccme as the waves come when navies are stranded. 
 
 Fast they come, fast they come, see how they 
 
 gather 1 
 Wide waves the eagle plume, blended with 
 
 heather. 
 Cast your plaids, draw your blades, forward each < 
 
 man set! 
 Chief, vassal, groom and page, shout for he 
 
 onset. — Charles Kingsley. 
 
40 
 
 BOYS' ROUND TABLE 
 
 WELCOME. WILD NORTH-EASTER 
 Air: "Jingle Bells." 
 
 Welcome, wild North-Easter, shame it is to see 
 Odes to every zephyr, ne'er a verse to thee. 
 Tired of listless dreaming, through the lazy day. 
 Jovial wind of winter turns us out to play. 
 
 Chorus 
 
 Hark the wind! Hail the wind! Shout, my lads, 
 
 again! 
 Tis the hard gray weather, boys, breeds harl 
 
 gentlemen. 
 
 Let the luscious South-wind breathe in lovers' 
 sighs, 
 
 While the lazy gallants bask in ladies' eyes. 
 
 But the black North-easter through the snow- 
 storm hurled. 
 
 Drives our manly hearts of oak seaward round 
 the world. — Cho. 
 
 Come, as came our fathers, heralded by thee, 
 Conquering from the eastward, lords by land and 
 
 sea. 
 Come; and strong within us stir the Vikings' 
 
 blood; 
 Bracing brain and sinew; blow, thou wind of 
 
 God.— Cho. 
 
 — Arranged from Charles Kmgsley. 
 
 A BATTLE HYMN 
 
 Now, glory to our Knighthood, 
 
 As it rises, calm and grand, 
 With the ancient spirit in its eyes,- 
 
 The good Sword in its hand. 
 \Vho would not fight for Honour? 
 / Who would not fling a life 
 [in the ring, to meet a tyrant's gage^ 
 \«And glory in the strife? 
 
 To battle goes our Knighthood, 
 
 As gallant and as gay 
 As lover to the altar, on 
 
 A merry marriage day. » 
 
 A weary day we've stood to watch 
 
 The battle dawn uproll'd; 
 And our spirits leap within, to match 
 
 The noble deeds of old. 
 
 Now victory to our Knighthood! 
 
 Where'er it lifts its hand 
 In Freedom's fight, to rescue right, 
 
 God bless our Fatherland! 
 And when the storm has passed away. 
 
 In glory and in calm, 
 May we sit down in the green o' the day 
 
 And sing a peaceful psalm. 
 
 Refrain (optional) 
 
 Now glory to our Knighthood, 
 As it rises calm and grand, 
 
 With the ancient spirit in its eyes, — 
 •The good sword in its hand. 
 
 — Arranged from Gerald Massey. 
 
 PRAYER FOR SCHOOLS 
 Air: St. Anne, etc. 
 
 O GOD OF TRUTH 
 
 O Christ, who didst our tasks fulfill. 
 Didst share the hopes of youth. 
 
 Our Saviour and our Brother still. 
 Now lead us into truth. 
 
 Who learns of Thee the truth shall find. 
 
 Who follows wins the goal; 
 With reverence crown the earnest mind. 
 
 And speak within the soul. 
 
 Waken the purpose high which strives. 
 
 And, falling, strives again; 
 Confirm the will of eager lives 
 
 To quit themselves like men. 
 
 Thy life the bond of fellowship. 
 
 Thy love the law that rules, 
 Thy Name, proclaimed by every lip. 
 
 The Master of our schools. 
 
 — Louis F. Benson. 
 
 Air: St. Anne or St. James. 
 
 Set up Thy standard, Lord, that we 
 
 Who claim a heavenly l.irth. 
 May march with Thee to smite the lies 
 
 That vex Thy groaning earth. 
 
 Ah! would we join that blest array, 
 
 And follow in the might 
 Of Him, the Faithful and the True, 
 
 In raiments clean and white! 
 
 We fight for Truth, we fight for God,— 
 
 Poor slaves of lies and sin! 
 He who would fight for Thee on earth 
 
 Must first be true within. 
 
 Then, God cf Truth, for vhom we long. 
 Thou who wilt hear our prayer, 
 
 Do Thine own battle in our hearts 
 And slay the falsehood there. 
 
 — Thomas Hughes. 
 
KNIGHTS OF KING ARTHUR 
 
 41 
 
 THE NIGHT SONG OF KING ARTHUR'S 
 KNIGHTS 
 
 Air: Comrades, when I'm no more drinking. 
 
 The shades of night are round us falling, 
 The labors of the day are done. 
 
 Whose are those voices softly calling, 
 Those faces entering one by one? 
 
 Refrain 
 
 Dear brothers of the past in greeting, 
 Our song the tingling stars shall smite. 
 
 Nor time, nor space shall bar our meeting, 
 The Table Round is full to-night. 
 
 The youth with hopes of high endeavor. 
 Come now to take our ancient vow. 
 
 Their hands like ours, be loyal ever. 
 
 Their hearts be always true as now.— ^(f/. 
 
 Dear brothers, witness now the token 
 The sacred oath, the solemn rite. 
 
 May friendship's ties be never broken; 
 The Table Round is full to-night— i^^f. 
 
 And when from out the camp and cloister. 
 We fall to struggle and to strife, 
 
 Mem'ry shall make the eye grow moister 
 And love inspire the brave man's life. 
 
 Refrain 
 
 Dear brothers, true and tried, we greet you 
 Our song the tingling stars shall smite. 
 
 May life with rarest pleasure meet you. 
 The Table Round is full to-night. 
 
 — Williatn Byron Forbush. 
 
 'Just as I am," young, strong and free. 
 To be the best that I can be 
 For Truth and Righteousness and Thee, 
 Lord of my life I come. 
 
 With many dreams of fame and gold, 
 Success and joy to make me bold; 
 But dearer still my faith to hold. 
 For my whole life I come. 
 
 And for Thy sake to win renown. 
 And then to take the victor's crown 
 And at Thy feet to cast it down, 
 O " Master, Lord, I come. 
 
 —E. Wetherald. 
 
 THE BONNY BRIGHT QUEST 
 Air: The Bonny Blue Flag 
 
 Hurrah! my lads, the hunt is up, and we arc 
 
 fast away. 
 The foe has drunk his stirrup cup before the 
 
 break of day; 
 Beneath the portals of the wood he flees along 
 
 the glen; 
 Then up, my boys, the sport is good, and we are 
 
 gentlemen. 
 
 ' Refrain 
 
 Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah, hurrah! good fellows all 
 
 are we. 
 Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah, hurrah! companions tried 
 
 are we. 
 Hurrah, hurrah! for the bonny bright Quest that 
 
 flashes o'er the lea. 
 Hurrah, hurrah! for the bonny bright bond that 
 
 knits my heart to thee. 
 
 A BOY'S DREAM 
 
 Air: Woodworth 
 
 'Just as I am," Thine own to be. 
 Friend of the young who lovest me, 
 To consecrate myself to Thee, 
 O Jesus Christ, I come. 
 
 In the glad morning of my day 
 My life to give, my vows to pay. 
 With no reserve and no delay, 
 With all my heart I come. 
 
 I would live ever in the light", 
 I would work ever for the .right, 
 I would serve Thee with all rr.y might; 
 Therefore to Thee I come. 
 
 Hurrah, my lads, our hearts are gay, and glad 
 
 we ride along. 
 To us it is the opening day, our lives are full of 
 
 song. 
 And though the eve shall come at last, the love 
 
 that all the day 
 Shone bright as sunshine on the past shall gild 
 
 our starry way. — Refrain. 
 
 Hurrah, my friends, the golden Quest, a shining 
 
 cloud by day, 
 A light by night to cheer our rest, still hangs 
 
 above our way. 
 The glimmer of that Holy Graii that bade the 
 
 young knight on 
 In beckoning glory shall not fail until its joy be 
 
 won. — Refrain. 
 
 — William Byron Forbush. 
 
4a 
 
 BOYS' ROUND TABLE 
 
 FORM FOR AN OLD CASTLE TO USE 
 IN INSTITUTING A NEW CASTLE 
 
 Arranged by Miss A, B. Mackintire. 
 
 The boys, with their MerHn, come to 
 Castle Hall and one of their number is 
 chosen to go through the form of initia- 
 tion up to the point — 
 
 King : Knights of the Round Table ! 
 
 All: (rising) Hail to the King! 
 
 King: You have been able to judge of 
 the valor of this lad — will you receive him 
 to serve in our Order? 
 
 All: We will. 
 
 King: Rise lad, and Le attentive while I 
 read from the words of King Arthur him- 
 self. Reads : 
 
 " I was the first of all the Kings who drew 
 The knighthood errant of this realm and 
 
 all 
 The realms together under me, their Head, 
 In that fair order of my Table Round, 
 A glorious company, the flower of men. 
 To serve as model for the mighty world, 
 And be the fair beginning of a time. 
 I made them lay their hands in mine and 
 
 swear 
 To reverence the King, as if he were 
 Their conscience, and their conscience as 
 
 their King 
 To break .the heathen and uphold the 
 
 Christ, 
 To ride abroad redressing human wrongs, 
 To speak no slander, no, nor listen to it. 
 To honor his own word as if his God's, 
 To lead sweet lives in purest chastity. 
 To love one maiden only, cleave to her. 
 And worship her by years of noble deeds. 
 Not only to keep down the base in man, 
 But teach high thought and amiable words, 
 And courtliness and the desire of fame, 
 And love of truth, and all that makes a 
 man!" (From Guinevere.) 
 
 Lad, will you now kneel and repeat after 
 me the pledge of a page? 
 
 (Page repeats line by line) : 
 As a page in the court of King Arthur, 
 I will faithfully try to secure the best in- 
 terests of the Order — 
 Both for my own sake and for others — 
 Taking as my watchword " Loyalty and 
 Service." 
 
 Castle h\Tnn. 
 
 King: Rise, Sir , Loyal page in the 
 
 court of King Arthur and receive the sash 
 
 of the page and the badge of the Order. 
 (Invested with the sash and badge.) 
 
 King: Let the members of Castle (old 
 castle) resume their seats. 
 
 Let the paynims whom this newly-made 
 page represents, appear before the throne. 
 
 (The other boys come forward and 
 stand.) 
 
 King: Your comrade has undergone this 
 initiation in your presence, will you accept 
 it as yours, and will you take the pledge 
 of loyalty to the Order which he has taken? 
 
 Paynims: We will. 
 
 King: I therefore proclaim you all pages 
 in the Court of King Arthur. King Arthur 
 has, we understand, granted a charter by 
 which you may be enrolled as a Castle. 
 Have you the charter here? 
 
 (Receives and reads aloud the charter.) 
 
 King: Will you now join hands, forming 
 a brotherhood circle, and repeat after Sir 
 Kay the words he shall give you? 
 
 Sir Kay reads from the Constitution: 
 
 This brotherhood is of the Order of the 
 Knights of King Arthur. We be called 
 
 Castle No 
 
 We be joined hand and heart to achieve 
 Christian Knightliness — (Art. 2). 
 
 Arthur is our King. He wieldeth excali- 
 bur and ruleth at Conclave — 
 
 Merlin serveth us. He keepeth our rolls 
 and giveth us counsel. — (Art. 4). 
 
 What harmeth body, defileth tongue, or 
 doeth ill to mind cometh not to our Con- 
 clave. 
 
 Our arms be a cross JVlaltese, argent, 
 upon a field gules. 
 
 Our legend, " My sword shall be bathed 
 in Heaven." 
 
 To the great Republic we vow our alle- 
 giance, its flag our barmer, its chief our 
 chieftain, its glory our Knightly quest. For 
 these ends and by these means we pledge 
 our hands, our hearts and our manly honor 
 to our ancient Order. 
 
 King: Sir Seneschal, introduce these 
 pages to those who have honor in our 
 Castles. 
 
 Kay: First Merlin, "The Mage at Ar- 
 thur's Court, (i) the most famous man of 
 all those times. 
 
 Who knew the range of all their arts. 
 Had built the King his havens, ships and 
 halls, 
 
KNIGHTS OF KING x\RTHUR 
 
 4J 
 
 Was also Bard and knew the starry 
 
 heavens ; 
 The people call'd him Wizard." (2) 
 
 Wilt thou give heed to the words of your 
 Merlin and in true friendship keep them? 
 Second: "And near him stood the Lady 
 
 of the Lake, 
 Who knows a subtler magic than his own — 
 Clothed in white samite, mystic, wonderful. 
 She gave the King his huge cross-hilted 
 
 sword. 
 Whereby to drive the heathen out." (3) 
 "And like the cross, her great and goodly 
 
 arms 
 Stretched under all the court and did up- 
 hold it." (4) 
 Third : We have also our three Queens of 
 
 Avilion — 
 " Down from the casement over Arthur 
 
 smote 
 Flame-color, vert and azure, in three rays, 
 One falling upon each of three fair Queens, 
 Who stood in silence near his throne, the 
 
 friends 
 Of Arthur, gazing on him, tall, with bright 
 Sweet faces, who will help him at his 
 
 need "(5) 
 Fourth : This is the Siege Perilous. 
 In Arthur's hall — " there stood a vacant 
 
 chair 
 Fashion'd by Merlin ere he past away, 
 
 And carven with strange figures; and in 
 
 and out 
 The figures, like a serpent, ran a scroll 
 Of letters in a tongue no man could read. 
 And Merlin call'd it ' The Siege Perilous,' 
 Perilous for good and ill; for there," he 
 
 said, 
 " No man could sit but he should lose him- 
 self." 
 And therein sits only the pure Sir Galahad 
 
 who losing himself finds his life. 
 Wilt thou hold these in honor in your 
 Castle? 
 
 King : " Has Sir Merlin of Castle , 
 
 a book in which these pages may enroll 
 themselves as charter members. (Enroll- 
 ment). 
 
 King: Sir Knights, Esquires and Pages 
 of Castle (old castle). 
 All: (rising) Hail to the King! 
 King: We now, the members of Castle 
 (old castle), give a hearty welcome to the 
 members of Castle (new castle). We are 
 glad to receive you into our Order. May 
 you be loyal to your Castle, to your Order, 
 to yourselves, and to your King. We ask 
 you now to sit in the circle of our Round 
 Table, unite with us in the closing of our 
 Conclave. 
 
 Quotations: i Gareth and Lynette. 2. Merlin 
 and Vivien. .^. Coming of Arthur. 4. Gareth and 
 Lynette. 5. Coming of Arthur. 6. Holy Grail. 
 
 The Intern&.tion&.l Order of Knights of King Arthur 
 
 Willi&m Byron Forbush, Ph. D., 
 
 Founder of the Order and Mage Merlin. 
 
 Since the establishment of the first 
 Castle, over nine hundred Castles of the 
 Order have been registered at headquarters. 
 It is known that many other Castles have 
 been perfected, but have not formally 
 registered. In addition, hundreds of copies 
 of this handbook have been sold to those 
 who have used the ideas embodied therein 
 to some extent. Thus it is apparent that 
 the plan has been practically applied in 
 thousands of ways. 
 
 No attempt has been made to create an 
 expensive and elaborate general organiza- 
 tion of the K. O. K. A. A conference 
 of Merlins and others interested in the 
 order is generally held in connection with 
 the General Alliance of Workers with 
 
 Frank Lincoln Masseck, 
 
 Sir Pendragon. 
 Boys, (see page 48), which usually meets 
 at the same time as the Religious Educa- 
 tion Association. By this conjunction of 
 meetings the largest number may be 
 brought together at the smallest expense. 
 The Mage Merlin, Dr. Forbush, and Sir 
 Pendragon, Frank Lincoln Masseck, serve 
 the Order without emolument. They are 
 ready and willing to reply to all inquiries, 
 and as far as possible are pleased to attend 
 meetings of Castles, or group gatherings 
 of a number of Castles. The following 
 deeply interested workers stand ready to 
 render all assistance in their power. The 
 Rev. W. E. Hayes, San Francisco, Cal. ; 
 Rev. E. F. Talmadge, Wauregan, Conn. ; 
 Mr. Chas. H. McCurdy, Bangor, Me. ; Prof. 
 
44 
 
 BOYS' ROUND TABLE 
 
 A. N. Seal, Ph. D., Philadelphia, Pa.; Rev. 
 W. O. Wark, Bellingham, Wash. Many 
 others also in all parts of the country are 
 ready to serve as opportunity offers. 
 
 All correspondence concerning the Order, 
 and all orders for supplies and equipment, 
 should be addressed to Frank Lincoln 
 Masseck, who now has charge of all these 
 details. No attempt is made to supply 
 swords, spears, shields, banners and other 
 paraphernalia, beyond the lists on page 46. 
 
 F. L. M. 
 
 BIBLIOGRAPHY 
 
 No one should undertake to establish and 
 carry on a Castle who has not to some ex- 
 tent become familiar with the literature 
 ot the Arthurian legends. The more you 
 know them and about them the better fitted 
 you are to interest the boys. More people 
 fail because they rush headlong into the 
 establishment of a Castle without first 
 knowing some of the legends and the age 
 and characteristics of Chivalry than from 
 any other cause. Therefore, before you 
 even suggest the establishment of a Castle, 
 learn some of the Arthurian legends. 
 
 Of course you know that the foundation 
 of these tales is the " Morte d' Arthur," by 
 Sir Thomas Malory. You may obtain a 
 complete edition of this work for any price 
 from 80 cents to $4.80. But you may not 
 care to read the whole work as it was 
 issued in this old English form. If not, 
 then secure No. 158 of the Riverside Lit- 
 erature Series, published by Houghton, 
 Mifflin & Co., Boston, which will cost you 
 15 cents net, postpaid. This admirable Ht- 
 tle volume will give you the books of Mer- 
 lin and Sir Balin from Malory, with intro- 
 ductory sketch by Prof. Child, Caxton's 
 preface, and a glossary, which will enable 
 you to ascertain the meaning of unfamiliar 
 words. This will inform you as to the 
 origin and significance of the tales. 
 
 The legends have been rendered into 
 modern English by a number of writers. 
 One of the most perfect renditions is " The 
 Boys' King Arthur," by Sydney Lanier. 
 Price, $2. For one who loves beautiful 
 English, this" is delightful. Unfortunately 
 the younger boys do not care for it. 
 
 "king Arthur and His Noble Knights," 
 by Mary McLeod, is the best. Price, $1. 
 A good edition, in the opinion of the 
 
 Mage Merlin, is " King Arthur and His 
 Court," by Francis Nimmo Green. Price, 
 75 cents. 
 
 "The Court of King Arthur" and 
 "Knights of the Round Table," by W. H. 
 Frost, price, $1.50 each, are liked by many. 
 
 " The Story of King Arthur and His 
 Knights," by Howard Pyle, price, $2.50 net,' 
 with its attractive illustrations, is one of 
 the most popular books for the boys them- 
 selves to read. 
 
 The poets have contributed more than 
 all others to the popularization of these old 
 stories. Matthew Arnold in " Tristram 
 and Iseult," Mr. Swinburne in "Tristram 
 of Lyonesse " and " Tale of Balen," Wil- 
 liam Morris, Blackmore, Heber, Bulwer, 
 Richard Hovey, all have used material 
 from Malory, while Tennyson in " The 
 Idylls of the King " availed himself of the 
 same mine. Read " The Arthur of the 
 English Poets," by Howard Maynadier, 
 price $1.50 net postpaid. This is the first 
 attempt to trace the complete history of 
 the Arthurian legend. Every Merlin 
 should own it. 
 
 You may obtain Tennyson's Idylls in a 
 variety of editions. We particularly com- 
 mend to your attention the Riverside Lit- 
 erature Series Nos. 99 and 156, each con- 
 taining portrait of the poet, with introduc- 
 tion and notes by Prof. Rolfe, of Cam- 
 bridge. Each costs 15 cents in paper, or 
 combined and bound in cloth for $1. They 
 are invaluable to any one who desires to 
 make a careful study of the poems. 
 
 Lowell's " Vision of Sir Launf al " is an- 
 other poem deserving the attention of those 
 who are reading these tales. See River- 
 side Literature Series No. 30, price, 15 
 cents. 
 
 Bulfinch's "Age of Chivalry" is one of 
 the books that every Merlin should own, 
 as it will make him realize something of 
 the influence of this age in civilizing the 
 world, and perhaps appreciate something of 
 the work he is to do with the boys of the 
 present age. Of this the latest and best 
 edition is that edited by Rev. J. L. Scott, 
 D. D. Price, $1.25. 
 
 For a comprehension of the principles 
 upon which the modern Knights of King 
 Arthur is based, you should read "The 
 Boy Problem." by the author of this hand- 
 book. The price is $1.10 net, postpaid. 
 
KNIGHTS OF KING ARTHUR 
 
 45 
 
 President G. Stanley Hall, in his recent 
 work, "The Psychology of Adolescence," 
 devotes nearly an entire chapter in the sec- 
 ond volume to the theory of this Order, 
 and is most hearty in commending it from 
 the point of view of the psychologist and 
 pedagogue. Be sure to read that section, 
 ifou will find the book in public Hbraries. 
 If you desire to purchase it the price is 
 $7.50. 
 
 You can easily obtain the above-named 
 books from any dealer, or you may order 
 them from Frank Lincoln Masseck, at 
 prices named. F. L. M. 
 
 ART 
 
 Every Castle hall should be adorned with 
 beautiful pictures. The most familiar and 
 easily obtained is Watts' Sir Galahad. You 
 can buy this for one-half cent, or one, two, 
 or five cents each, in the Perry Pictures. 
 You ought to give one to every member of 
 the Castle. The same company will fu;*- 
 nish you with an artotype, size 22x28, large 
 enough for your wall, at 75 cents. Or a 
 really fine print, either domestic or foreign 
 made, in permanent colors, in various sizes, 
 may be had at prices from $5 upwards. 
 
 Another most appropriate picture is of 
 Vischer's bronze statue of King Arthur, 
 noted for beauty of figure and pose. 
 Cosmos prints from 2J/2 cents up. Fine 
 prints $2.50 each and upwards. 
 
 There are also the portions of the Abby 
 Series, " The Quest of the Grail," from the 
 Boston Public Library, several of which 
 have been reproduced in the Copley prints, 
 especially " Galahad the Deliverer," " The 
 Oath of Knighthood," "The Seven Sins," 
 and the "Round Table of King Arthur," 
 which ma}^ be had in prices varying from 
 50 cents to $10 each. All these are admir- 
 ably adapted for Castle halls. Send 12 
 cents for illustrated and descriptive circu- 
 lars. 
 
 If you cannot easily obtain these or any 
 other pictures of which you yourself may 
 have knowledge, Mr. Masseck will be very 
 glad to assist you to obtain them on the 
 most favorable terms. F. L. M. 
 
 SEATED IN CONCLAVE 
 Here is a diagram used by Shalott 
 Castle, 52, Cambridge, Mass., which is 
 
 most excellent in every way. The King is 
 seated on the throne (the fan-shaped plat- 
 form at the top of the room). On his 
 right is the Siege Perilous (S. P.) and on 
 the left a seat for one of the pages, who 
 acts as messenger for Sir Pendragon. At 
 the Round Table in the center are seated 
 Sir Merlin (M.), the Sentinel and a Page 
 or Messenger. The Constable is seated at 
 the far end of the room. The members 
 are seated in the numbered chairs, each 
 seat being surmounted by a banner bear- 
 ing the Castle name of the member. Vary- 
 ing the number of chairs to accommodate 
 the varying membership of different 
 Castles will make the circle more or less 
 perfect. F. L. M. 
 
PRICE LIST OF APPARATUS 
 
 Handbook, The Boys' Round Table, giving principles upon which the 
 Order is based, and manifold practical details for application, postpaid, 
 twenty-five cents. 
 
 Outfit for Castle, including one Handbook, Charter and enrollment in 
 international organization, Merlin's certificate, 25 cards each for conclave 
 and first degree, 10 each for second and third degrees, and one year's sub- 
 scription to Work With Boys, all for $2.25, carriage prepaid. 
 
 Castles not desiring all apparatus may secure Charter and enrollment 
 for 10 cents. Cards containing either conclave or initiation for either degree, 
 three cents each, 25 cents per dozen, postpaid. Constitutions, 25 cents per 
 dozen, postpaid. 
 
 Work With Boys, a quarterly magazine, published by the General 
 Alliance of Workers With Boys, is indispensable to all interested in this 
 phase of service. Each number is a monograph presenting special articles 
 dealing with particular problems, by successful workers in every part of 
 the land. Each number contains a K. O. K. A. department. Subscription 
 $1.00 per year. 
 
 Membership certificates, one for ten cents, two for 
 fifteen cents, three or more for five cents each. In ordering 
 give name of lad, his knightly name, his rank. 
 
 Badges, (i) celluloid pins, round, red field, white cross, 
 K. O. K. A. in blue, 10 cents each, 50 cents per dozen. 
 
 (2) Sterling silver pins, shield shape, red field, Maltese 
 cross in silver, K. O. K. A. in blue, the colors being a fine, 
 hard enamel, a beautiful piece of work, 40 cents each, $4.50 per 
 dozen. With each order for badge 2 should be sent eight 
 cents for registration, as they are too valuable to be sent 
 through with ordinary mail. 
 
 THE YOUNG KNIGHT 
 
 HOW GARETH WON HIS SPURS 
 
 A Dramatization of Tennyson's Idyll 
 
 " Gareth and Lynctte." 
 
 By the Rev. James Yeames. 
 
 This is just what many Merlins have asked for — a King Artliur Play 
 adapted for the use of Castles, and portraying the spirit of our Order. It 
 has been tried and found thoroughly practicable. It should furnish work 
 for the larger part of a season. The boys themselves should make all 
 accessories, costumes, scenery, etc. It affords opportunities for marches, 
 drills, etc. 
 
 Full text of the play with suggestions for its presentation, 25 cents. 
 
 All orders for the above, and all inquiries should be addressed to 
 
 FRANK LINCOLN MASSECK, 
 
 POTSDAM, 
 
 N. Y. 
 
 46 
 
Endorsements 
 
 i^ PLAN which has found such wide 
 /tL acceptance hardly needs the aid of 
 ^ indorsers, yet those who are think- 
 
 ing of trying it may have their faith 
 strengthened by knowing what good men 
 say of it. 
 
 Dr. G. Stanley Hall, after hearing these 
 methods carefully explained before bis 
 Seminar in philosophy, said: "It is excel- 
 lent. It is one of the best things of which 
 I have heard." 
 
 Prof. George E. Dawson, Ph. D., of the 
 Bible Normal College, one of the greatest 
 authorities on child study in America, says 
 of the Order: 
 
 " It is the plan which comes the nearest 
 of all of which I know to the psychological 
 development of boys. If it be true, as many 
 students claim, that the various ages of 
 the child represent the earlier ages of hu- 
 manity, then the Knights of King Arthur 
 reaches the chivalric, heroic age of boy- 
 hood in a way both scientific and unique." 
 
 The Rev. Alexander Mackenzie, D. D., 
 of Cambridge, has been much pleased and 
 interested in the work of the successful 
 Castle in his church, and says : " This re- 
 vival of ancient courtesy is one of the most 
 encouraging signs of our times." 
 
 Rev. John Q. Adams, founder of the 
 Boys' Brigade in America, wrote that he 
 felt "that the Knights have some advan- 
 tages for boys where other plans would not 
 work," and has organized a Castle. Strong 
 churches in which Castles have been organ- 
 ized are: First church, Hartford, Conn.; 
 Grace M. E., Wilmington, Del..; Church of 
 the Good Shepherd, Episcopal, Washing- 
 ton, D. C. ; Church of the Redeemer, Uni- 
 versalist, Chicago; Central M. E., In- 
 dianapolis; North Park church, Des 
 Moines, Iowa; State St. church, Port- 
 land, Me.; Ascension church, Boston; 
 Eliot church, Newton, Mass.; Central 
 church, Jamaica Plain, Mass.; First Con- 
 gregational, Concord, N. H.; Mt. Morris 
 Baptist, Central Presbyterian, Bethany 
 Congregational, New York; Epworth 
 Memorial Cleveland, Ohio; St. Luke's, 
 
 Scranton, Pa.; and in the Y. M. C. A.'s 
 at Des Moines, Iowa; Lancaster, Pa.; 
 Middletown, Conn.; Spring Forge, Pa.; 
 Mauch Chunk, Pa.; Chicago, Jackson- 
 ville, 111.; Southbridge, Mass. 
 
 For references of those who have living 
 Castles I would suggest the following: 
 
 Rev. W. O. Wark, Bellingham, Wash. 
 
 Rev. Geo. F. Kenngott, D. D., Lowell, 
 Mass. 
 
 Charles H. McCurdy, Bangor, Me. 
 
 Rev. A. W. Bishop, Concord, N. H., Con- 
 gregationalist. 
 
 Rev. Edwin Huyler, Wichita, Kansas. 
 
 Rev. E. F. Talmadge, Wauregan, Conn., 
 Congregationalist. 
 
 Rev. T, S. Cline, Berlin, N. H., Episcopal. 
 
 Rev. R. K. Marvin, Franklin, Mass., Uni- 
 versalist." 
 
 Rev. W. E. Hayes, San Francisco, Cal., 
 Episcopalian. 
 
 Rev. J. M. Wathen, Claremont, N. H., 
 Congregationalist. 
 
 Miss A. B. Mackintire, Cambridge, Mass. 
 
 Mrs. Carl Schultze, Newark, N. J., Bap- 
 tist. 
 
 Rev. Edgar M. Rogers, Washington, D. 
 C, Episcopalian. 
 
 Thellwell R. Coggeshall, Philadelphia, Pa. 
 
 Rev. C. J. Hawkins, Jamaica Plain, Mass., 
 Congregationalist. 
 
 Rev. Wm. D. Beach, Bridgeport, Conn., 
 Methodist. 
 
 Rev. Paul Moore Strayer, Rochester, N. 
 Y., Presbyterian. 
 
 William Moore, Winnipeg, Manitoba. 
 
 Miss S. F. Marschalk, Marshall, Texas. 
 
 Rev. W. B. Matteson, Red Bank, N. J. 
 
 F. R. Buckalew, Franklin, Pa., Y. M. 
 C. A. 
 
 J. R. Ellenwood, 190 Water street. New 
 York. 
 
 Rev. W. T. Holmes, Watertown, Conn. 
 
 D. W. Fames, Y. M. C A., Jacksonville, 
 111. 
 
 Frederick E. Davenport, 396 East Law- 
 son street, St. Paul, Minn. 
 
 D. M. Douglass, Des Moines, Iowa. 
 
 Rev. H. E. Thayer, Springfield, Mass. 
 
 47 
 
48 
 
 BOYS' ROUND TABLE 
 
 THE GENERAL ALLIANCE OF 
 WORKERS WITH BOYS 
 
 Founded in 1895 
 
 The following officers were elected 1907. 
 
 President, 
 
 William Byron Forbush, Ph. D., 706 
 Second avenue, Detroit, Mich. 
 
 Vice-Presidents, 
 
 L. L. DoGGETT, Ph. D., President of the 
 International Y. M. C. A. Training 
 School, Springfield, Mass. 
 
 Myron T. Scudder, Principal of the New 
 Paltz, N. Y., Normal School. 
 
 Secretary, 
 Frank Lincoln Masseck, Potsdam, N. Y. 
 
 Treasurer, 
 
 Thomas Chew, Superintendent of the 
 Boys' Club, Fall River, Mass. 
 
 The Directors^ 
 
 The Officers, and: 
 
 Edgar M. Robinson, International Secre- 
 tary of the Y. M. C. a. for Boys' Work, 
 New York City. 
 
 Frank S. Mason, Secretary of the Bunker 
 Hill Boys' Club, Charlestown. 
 
 Henry F. Burt, Head of Boys' Clubs at 
 
 Chicago Commons. 
 WiNFRED J. Smith, Rochester, N. Y., 
 
 Brick Church Institute Boys' Club. 
 Charles H. McCurdy, Bangor, Me., 
 
 K. O. K. A. 
 Rev. Arthur Peabody Pratt, Bellows 
 
 Falls, Vt. 
 
 Counselors, 
 
 President G. Stanley Hall, Ph. D., 
 LL. d. 
 
 Professor Graham Taylor, D.D., LL.D. 
 
 ^^HIS is an organization of persons 
 \>^ active in all sorts of work with boys, 
 for study of the subject, conference 
 and interchange, and to be a bureau of 
 information to the public. It was formed 
 in 1895 and is the only general federation 
 for this special purpose. Annual member- 
 ship costs one dollar. 
 
 The officers and directors conduct the 
 Alliance during the interim between con- 
 ventions. All of them will answer impor- 
 tant and respectful questions. Each one is 
 known as a specialist in some one field. The 
 Secretary conducts the correspondence, acts'" 
 as a clearing house of information and edits 
 the magazine. The Treasurer receives sub- 
 scriptions to the magazine and gifts to and 
 memberships in the Alliance. All serve 
 without compensation. 
 
 Those who read this book will be inter- 
 ested in giving or receiving help through 
 the Alliance. A quarterly magazine. Work 
 with Boys, which is indispensable for thor- 
 ough knowledge and practice in social work 
 with the young, is published by the body, 
 at $1 a year. Each number contains a set 
 of standard monographs on practical sub- 
 jects, the following issues being now avail- 
 able: 
 
 Directory of Work with Boys. 
 Books for Boys and Books about Boys. 
 Boys' Camps, the theory and practice of 
 
 camps. 
 The Working Boy, sixteen valuable and 
 
 interesting articles on boy labor. 
 Religious Work with Boys. 
 How to Do It. 
 Character Making. 
 Street Boys' Clubs. 
 
 Twenty-five Cents Each. 
 
j?k^ 
 
 ^6 
 
 \<m 
 
 Kxn^ Artl|ur'a l^^ralb 
 
 POTSDAM, N. Y., DECEMBER 15, 1907 
 
 Vol. 1 
 
 No. 3 
 
 OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE KNIGHTS OF KING ARTHUR 
 
 The International Order 
 
 2(ttt9l)tsi nf iKtng Artl|ur. 
 
 Founder and Mage Merlin, 
 
 William Byron Forbush, Ph. D. 
 
 All inquiries, reports, orders, 
 
 should be addressed to 
 
 Sir Pendragon 
 
 Frank Lincoln Masseck, 
 
 Potsdam, N. Y. 
 
 A District Conclave of the Order was 
 held in the Central Congregational 
 Church, Newtonville, Mass., on Friday, 
 November 29. Thirty five Castles from 
 five New England States were repre- 
 sented by over 200 delegates. It was 
 a splendid success. Plans are under 
 way for another District Conclave at 
 New Haven, Conn., in February. 
 
 Feb. 10, 1908 will be the 15th anni- 
 versary of the organization of the first 
 
 Group from Castle Perilous, No. 563, K. O. K. A., Grandin, Missouri 
 
 Our Order is growing rapidly. 
 
 During the year ending Dec. 1st, 271 
 Castles were registered at headquarters. 
 
 During the month of November 54 
 Castles registered. 
 
 A new edition of Dr. Forbush's 
 "The Boy Problem," the most author- 
 itative book on the subject, has been 
 published. Price $1.10 net pcstpaid. 
 
 Castle of K. 0. K. A. We urge every 
 Castle to recognize the event by a 
 special Conclave. How would it do for 
 every Castle connected with a Church 
 or Y. M. C. A. to have a special ser- 
 vice on Sunday, Feb. 9th. A special 
 message from the Mage Merlin, will 
 be sent to every living Castle, in the 
 January issue of the HERALD. 
 
King Arthurs Herald 
 
 SIR GALAHAD 
 
 By Rev. James Yeames. 
 
 Tune "Honey Boy" . 
 
 See him gaily ride away, 
 
 Our noble lad! 
 He must go, as you know. 
 On his quest foi what is best, 
 
 Sir Galahad! 
 With his shining sword, and armor 
 Fighting ever for the right, [bright. 
 
 Sir Galahad! 
 Courage high! Foemen fly! 
 Let not hope nor purpose fail. 
 Yonder shines the Holy Grail, 
 Arthur's knights ne'er quit or quail, 
 
 Galahad! 
 
 CHORUS 
 
 Galahad ! We give you joyous speeding ! 
 Galahad ! We follow on your leading ! 
 Where you are riding, riding on your 
 
 Gallant boy, Galahad ! [way, 
 For each heart is filled with high emotion. 
 We will strive to copy your devotion; 
 
 Comrades dear, never fear ! 
 We will follow, follow. 
 
 Follow after Galahad ! 
 
 Strong as with the strength of ten, 
 
 Go, gallant lad ! 
 Heart so pure, stroke so sure. 
 For your sword is * 'bathed in heav'n," 
 
 Sir Galahad ! 
 To our white-cross flag we know you're 
 And our hearts are all with you, [true, 
 
 Our Galahad ! 
 Hail the King ! Shout and sing ! 
 Here we pledge ourselves again 
 Loyal knights and gentle men, 
 Without fear; and without strain, 
 
 Galahad ! 
 
 CHORUS 
 
 Copies of this song may be obtained 
 from headquarters. Price 1 ct each. 
 No orders filled for less than lOcts. 
 
 Now is the time for the semi-annual 
 report. We desire to hear promptly 
 from every Castle of the Order. This is 
 especially desirable at this time because, 
 in the next issue of "Work With 
 Boys" we intend to publish a list of 
 living Castles, which shall accurately 
 represent the extent of our Order at 
 the present time. Therefore we appeal 
 to every person, who receives this no- 
 tice to attend to it at once. 
 
 NEWS FROM CASTLES 
 
 Camelot Castle 394, Springfield, Mass. , 
 has purchased a fine equipment of dumb- 
 bells, spears, mats and regalia. They 
 have helped the Springfield Boys' Club, 
 withdumb-bells and pictures. They have 
 given "The First Quest" very success- 
 fully, clearing about $30. The boys are 
 fond of all-night hikes. Leaving home 
 about noon, they tramp into the country 
 to the shore of some pond, pitch camp, 
 build a wig-wam and spend the night. 
 The next day they go home. 
 
 Castle San Grael, 582, Bangor, Me. , 
 has enjoyed lectures and talks on various 
 practical topics, locomotive engineering, 
 boot and shoe making, tanning, candy- 
 making, steamboats, science, current 
 events. One evening a physician 
 brought in a skeleton, about which he 
 talked. The baronet of this Castle 
 won his rank by rescuing a young lady 
 from drowning. 
 
 Castle Shalott, No. 52, Cambridge, 
 Mass., celebrated its Tenth Anniversary 
 on Monday, Dec. 23rd, with a banquet 
 and reunion. This is next to the oldest 
 living Castle and one of the best of our 
 Order. It holds its members until they 
 are 21. 
 
 . Castle Grace, 484. Providence, R. L, 
 provides that each boy shall remain 
 about one year in each degree. This 
 insures proper development of the char- 
 acte required for advancement. 
 
 Castle Moffatt. 673, Newark, N. J., 
 has done such good work that the 
 Trustees of the church have become in- 
 terested, and will finish off a room for 
 the boys to use for meetings and recrea- 
 tion. 
 
 Pynchon Castle, 433, Springfield, 
 Mass., has spent six months in the 
 study of Alaska, and found it very in- 
 teresting. They have two strong bas- 
 ket-ball teams. 
 
 Glamis Castle, 694, Spring Forge, 
 Pa., is one of the most vigorous of the 
 Order. It is connected with the Y. M. 
 
King Arthurs Herald 
 
 C. A., and is madi^ the central pivot of 
 the work among boys done by the 
 Association. They have a fine manual 
 training work, which is described in the 
 January issue of "Work With Boys." 
 Castle Tahoma, 499, Tacoma, Wash., 
 has a unique plan. Each boy, when 
 admitted to the Castle as a Page, is 
 allowed to choose, or if desired Merlin 
 may asign, with the character name, a 
 Crest. This is embroidered on the front 
 of his helmet, and is regularly register- 
 ed in the Castle records. When he be- 
 comes an Esquire, he is given a shield, 
 blank except for the Canton of the 
 Order, but with the Crest above it in 
 proper form. This escutcheon is nicely 
 drawn and colored on card 5x7, 
 framed and hung on the Castle wall 
 over his seat. When he is knighted the 
 shield is no longer blank, but he isgiven 
 a suitable device, by order of Knights, 
 which is his coat-of-arms. This is hung 
 on the Castle wall, and he is allowed to 
 have a copy to hang in his room athome. 
 This design may be altered as he obtains 
 additional honors, so that his record is 
 shown on the shield. For instance one 
 knight, whose original crest was a Fir 
 tree proper, was allowed, upon being 
 seated in the Siege Perilous, to make 
 his crest "Out of a Baron's Coronet, a 
 Fir tree proper", thus putting a Cor- 
 onet instead of the customary wreath, 
 and so showing the honor to which he 
 has attained. This Castle subscribes 
 for 18 coDies of the HERALD. 
 
 An Incident 
 
 We were in a Boston store, one of 
 the proprietors of which is a friend of 
 ours. He said, "I am interested in 
 your K. 0. K. A. I want to know more 
 about it." 
 
 ' ' Why, ' ' I replied, * 'are you interest- 
 ed?" 
 
 "I will tell you. My boy is a great 
 lover of foot-ball. He has played on 
 his school team. He goes to all the 
 great. games. We have season tickets 
 
 for all the games on the Harvard Stad- 
 ium. The Saturday of the Harvard- 
 Dartmouth game found all excitement 
 at our table. Everybody was going, 
 when all at once this boy, who is such 
 an enthusiast, quietly remarked that 
 he had another engagement for the aft- 
 ernoon. All were amazed. No ques- 
 tioning could bring any further informa- 
 tion from him as to the character of the 
 engagement. But after dinner, when 
 all alone with me, the boy said *I am 
 to be initiated into the K. 0. K. A this 
 afternoon. ' That makes me think the 
 K. O. K. A. is a pretty strong thing, 
 when it will drag a lad, who loves foot- 
 ball from one of the best contests of 
 the season." 
 
 Notices 
 
 All Merlins, who are not subscribers to 
 Work With Boys will certainly want 
 the number for October, 1907, which 
 contains the finest reading lists for the 
 Knights that have ever been brought 
 together. Parents and teachers will 
 also desire the lists of books for boys to 
 read. The boys themselves will be de- 
 lighted with lists of books for a boy's 
 own library. Send 25 cts to headquart- 
 ers for a copy. 
 
 The General Alliance of Workers 
 with Boys will hold a conference at the 
 Fall River Boys' Club, on Tuesday, Feb. 
 18th, to which all Merlins and others 
 interested in boys are cordially invited. 
 This Alliance is composed of represent- 
 atives of all types of workers with boys. 
 Judge Lindsey, of Denver, will give 
 the address at the eyening meeting. 
 
 HuIIoa! 
 
 An early issue of the HERALD will 
 be devoted to Castle Cheers. Send in 
 at once your dizziest productions in this 
 realm of art. Send them on postal cards. 
 We know some of them are so strong 
 that they will burst an ordinary envel- 
 ope, if too closely confined. Send them 
 
List of New Castles 
 
 No. 
 
 Name 
 
 918- Good Luck 
 
 919— All Saints 
 
 923— Norumbega 
 
 926-Kalo 
 
 955-Of Good Hope 
 
 957-Camelot 
 
 960 — Percivale 
 
 961 -Wesley 
 
 962- Columbus 
 
 963- Wakefield 
 
 974— Stonehenge 
 
 990— Advent 
 
 991— Lincoln 
 
 992-Excalibur 
 
 993— Waldensian 
 
 994- Wm. Robinson 
 
 995— Christian 
 
 996— St. Mary's 
 
 997— Shalott 
 
 998 -St. Andrew's 
 
 999- St. John's 
 
 1000— Stirling 
 
 1001— Loup 
 
 1002— St. Paul 
 
 1003— Trinity 
 
 1005— Field 
 
 1006— Camelot 
 
 1007— Flint 
 
 1008- Sterling 
 
 1009— Illinois- Lincoln 
 
 1010— Frederick 
 
 1012-Burritt 
 
 1013-Oxford 
 
 1014— Philadelphia 
 
 1016— Warwick 
 
 1017— Roxborough 
 
 1019— Ripley 
 
 1020-Roycrofter, No. 3 
 
 1022 -Aberdeen 
 
 1023— Longfellow 
 
 1024-Galahad 
 
 1025— Templestone 
 
 1027- Emmanuel 
 
 1028— Fearless 
 
 1029— Ethan Allen 
 
 Connected with 
 
 Universalist 
 
 Episcopal 
 
 Methodist 
 
 Presbyterian 
 
 Presbyterian 
 
 Wesley House 
 
 Congregational 
 
 Methodist 
 
 Congregational 
 
 Baptist 
 
 Baptist 
 
 Episcopal 
 
 Presbyterian 
 
 Congregational 
 
 Baptist 
 
 Congregational 
 
 Christian 
 
 Episcopal 
 
 Presbyterian 
 
 Episcopal 
 
 Episcopal 
 
 Universalist 
 
 Methodist 
 
 Episcopal 
 
 Episcopal 
 
 Congregational 
 
 Methodist 
 
 Episcopal 
 
 Congregational 
 
 Neighborhood House 
 
 Methodist 
 
 Stanley Memorial 
 
 Congregational 
 
 Baptist 
 
 Methodist 
 
 Methodist 
 
 Congregational 
 
 Baptist 
 
 Free Baptist 
 
 Methodist 
 
 Park Church 
 
 Episcopal 
 
 Village 
 
 Episcopal 
 
 Place 
 
 Middletown, N. Y. 
 Omaha, Neb. 
 Waltham, Mass. 
 Rensselaer, Ind. 
 Cottage Grove, Wis. 
 Loaisville. Ky. 
 WilHmantic, Conn. 
 Somersworth, N. H. 
 Boston, Mass. 
 Wakefield, Mass. 
 Dayton, Ohio. 
 Pittsburg, Pa. 
 Springfield, 1)1. 
 Warren, Mass. 
 Detroit, Minn. 
 Southington, Conn. 
 Chagrin Falls, Ohio. 
 East Boston, Mass, 
 Loup City, Neb. 
 Nashville, Tenn. 
 Charlestown, Mass, 
 Potsdam, N. Y. 
 Loup City, Neb. 
 Greenville, Ohio. 
 Duluth, Minn. 
 Bangor, Me. 
 Muncie, Ind. 
 Cleveland, Ohio. 
 Gasport, N. Y. 
 Champaign, 111. 
 Irasburg, Vt. 
 New Britain, Conn. 
 Russellville, Ark. 
 Fort Worth, Texas. 
 Newburyport, Mass. 
 Meadville, Pa. 
 Hawley, Pa. 
 Pueblo, Colo. 
 W. Somerville, Mass. 
 Portland, Me. 
 Brooklyn, N. Y. 
 Hornell, N. Y. 
 St. Louis, Mich. 
 Magnolia, Mass. 
 Montpelier, Vt. 
 
 Castles are numbered as orders for outfits or applications for Charters are 
 received. Numbers skipped in above list show that outfits have been sold but 
 that name of Castle has not been selected. These will be printed as soon as 
 name is selected, [The first eleven were omitted in last month's list.] 
 
,y^\?>^^ 
 
 Vol. 1 
 
 ICmg Artl|ur*0 If^rali 
 
 POTSDAM, N. Y., JANUARY 15, 1908 
 
 No. 4 
 
 OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE KNIGHTS OF KING ARTHUR 
 
 Group from Castle Perilous, No. 563. K. O. K. A., Grandin, Missouri 
 
 The Problem of Success 
 
 We sometimes think the only problems of life are found in connection with 
 weakness, failure, incompetency. But every man, who is conducting a prosperous 
 business, who sees a constantly increasing demand for his goods, realizes that his 
 very success brings serious problems before him. More business demands more 
 capital, larger equipment, more reserve, increased help, all of which character- 
 istics of growth present problems, frequently most difficult to solve. 
 
 Just such a problem confronts the K. O. K. A. to-day. 
 
 Fifteen years ago, when Dr. Forbush started his first Castle, he had to think 
 only of the small group of boys with which he was working. He had no letters 
 to write, no correspondence to attend to, no business details to care for. But the 
 very success of that first little Castle, changed all the conditions of his life. 
 Other people heard of his work, and demanded to know of it. It was impossible 
 to personally answer all the letters, so he found a publisher, who would print his 
 small descriptive pamphlet. 
 
 Eight years later, the one Castle had been multipUed by 133, the correspond- 
 ence had increased, and while all the business details were cared for by the pub- 
 lishers, Dr. Forbush found it necessary to call me to his assistance. I was to 
 reply to inquiries and enroll Castles. During the first year I did not have much 
 to do. Letters came occasionally, and fifty Castles were enrolled.) 
 
 In 1905 the publishers dropped the business, and it became necessary, if the 
 K. O. K. A. was to continue, that I should assume this side. It will be appreciat- 
 ed that this added very much to the work. It involved all the financing, the print- 
 ing of all kinds, the manufacture of badges, etc. During these nearly 15 years 
 
King Arthur's herald 
 
 the K. 0. K. A. has continued to grow. Let us see what was involved in caring 
 for the interests of the organization during the year 1907. 
 
 Letters have been received from over 1200 different persons, and from some 
 of these persons many letters This does not include letters which did not require 
 indexing. During the month of November the mail averaged more than 20 let- 
 ters a day. 
 
 During the year 279 Castles were registered, bringing the total to 1066. This 
 is the largest number organized in any one year. It makes the K. 0. K. A. the 
 largest organization of its kind in the world. 
 
 10,000 circulars, 1,000 handbooks, 20,000 cards for ritual and initiation 1,000 
 sterling badges, and 4,000 celluloid badges, besides 61 books of various kinds have 
 been sent out from headquarters. 
 
 All this work has been done in the intervals that could be snatched from a 
 life that is already quite fully occupied with duties having prior claim. We have 
 reached the limit of what can be accomplished in this way. 
 
 It is apparent to all those acquainted with the situation that the K. O. K. A. 
 demands the entire time and strength of some person. The plan has justified it- 
 self in the practical experience of hundreds of workers. It has the endorsement 
 of many competent critics and observers. There is no question that it is the best 
 plan for reaching boys yet devised for the church, the Y. M. C. A., the pubhc 
 school, for every condition and situation in life. It is the only" plan that can be 
 used by denominations of every name. It is now in use in the most conservative 
 and the most radical churches, and in all with success and satisfaction. 
 
 The K. O. K. A. is a success! 
 
 Its success presents a problem. 
 
 The problem is this— can we now raise the money to support the central office? 
 Can we raise the money to employ all the time, strength and endeavor of one 
 person. ? 
 
 Last year we issued an appeal to the Castles for a voluntary contribution of 
 ten cents per capita for extension of the Order. Here is the result. 39 Castles 
 and 5 individuals contributed $81.60 
 
 It is advised by Merlins, who have been together at Philadeplhia, Boston and 
 other places" that this appeal be renewed again for the current year. Therefore 
 we hereby ask all Castles to contribute ten cents per capita for their membership 
 on Jan. 1st, 1908; the same to be paid, as soon as possible, but not later than 
 May 1st. 
 
 But in addition to the amount contributed by the Castles, we must ask others 
 interested in the K. O. K. A , or boys' work to contribute to the Extension Fund 
 of the Order. 
 
 We ought to have for the support of the Central Office, for the year 1908, not 
 less than $1500.00. With this amount of money the entire time of a competent 
 leader could be given to this work. 
 
 We therefore appeal to all members of the K. 0. K. A., to all our friends, to 
 everybody interested in the extension of Christ's kingdom in the hearts and lives 
 of the boys to contribute to the Extension Fund of the Order. 
 
 We will promptly receipt for all monies contibuted to' this fund, and at the end 
 of the year will have the account audited by competent persons and a report in 
 detail sent to all contributors. 
 
 For the Knights of King Arthur 
 
 PEN DRAGON. 
 
King Arthur's herald 
 
 Our Castle Song 
 
 Mary Chandler Jones. Uueen of Avilion, Vert. 
 TuNi:— "Watch on tub Rhink" 
 
 There is a call that rinjfs and sfrows 
 Across the land, from sea to sea, — 
 
 King- Arthur's Knights against his foes! 
 For honor and for chivalry! 
 
 CHORUS 
 
 Our order! Here we pledge anew 
 Allesriance steadfast, brave and true. 
 Our vows shall never, never be forgot 
 Together now— K. O. K. A. Shalott! 
 
 The tourney and the joust are done. 
 The clang of arms we hear no more; 
 
 Yet there are conquests to be won. 
 Crusades to follow as of yore. 
 
 CHORUS 
 
 When each shall set his lance in rest. 
 
 In after years and far away. 
 It shall be still the King's high ciuest. 
 
 The royal battle, day by day! 
 
 CHORUS 
 
 So, brothers of our Table Round, 
 
 It shall be true which here we sing. 
 
 In hand and heart together bound 
 
 We'll face the foe and serve the King! 
 
 CHORUS 
 
 N EWS 
 
 Just watch us growing ! 
 
 47 new Castles registered in Decem- 
 ber. 
 
 279 Castles registered in 1907, our 
 best year, 
 
 Kenil worth Castle, 935, Atlanta, Ind., 
 has a membership of 25, and a large 
 waiting list. The boys are wild about 
 it. While supposed to be connected 
 with the public schools, and under the 
 leadership of the Town Superintendent, 
 no school authority is used inmanaging 
 it. "We find we are able to empha- 
 size the moral and religious side as well 
 as, if not better, than if connected 
 with a church. The people say they 
 can tell a member of the K. 0. K. A. 
 when they meet him on the street." 
 
 The Rev. Asbury Kron, of the Ben- 
 eficent Congregational Church, Provi- 
 dence, R. L, write, "We have a flour- 
 ishing Castle. It has been limited to 
 
 25, but we have just raised the limit to 
 30. It certainly is a great scheme and 
 I find as much pleaaure in it as do the 
 boys. 
 
 Notices 
 
 The General Alliance of Workers with 
 Boys will hold a conference at the Fall 
 River Boys' Club, on Tuesday, Feb. 
 18th, to which all Merlins and others 
 interested in boys are cordially invited. 
 This Alliance is composed of represent- 
 atives of all types of workers with 
 boys. Judge Lindsey, of Denver, will 
 give the address at the evening meet- 
 ing. 
 
 The Federated Boys' Clubs, will hold 
 a Conference at Pawtucket, on Wednes- 
 day, Feb. 19. An interesting program 
 is announced All interested in work 
 with boys are invited to attend the 
 meeting which will be held at the Boys' 
 Club. 
 
 King Arthurs Herald 
 
 You have now seen several copies of 
 the Herald. What do you think of it? 
 Is it what the Order wants? Of course 
 you will say we would like something 
 larger and more comprehensive. Yes, 
 so do I. But you must remember that 
 the Order has no funds, no endowment, 
 no wealthy persons standing behind to 
 make up deficiencies. Therefore we 
 cannot have a big paper. But do you 
 want to have the small paper as a be- 
 ginning? If so send in vour subscrip- 
 tions at once. Until we have a sub- 
 scription list we cannot ask for admis- 
 sion to the mails at second class rates. 
 As soon as we secure that privilege the 
 expense of sending out the issues will 
 be reduced. Up to the present time 
 we have been able to finance the Order 
 and make it pay for its supplies. We 
 want to do the same with the Herald. 
 To do this we must have 500 subscrip- 
 tions. This means more than a single 
 one from a Castle. We want every 
 boy to subscribe. 
 
No. 
 
 Name 
 
 LIST OF NEW CASTLES 
 
 Connected with Place 
 
 984— Trinity 
 
 989— Edinburgh 
 1015— Windsor 
 1021 -Fitzgerald 
 1030-Merrill 
 1034- Perilous 
 1036- Friendship 
 1037— Warwick 
 1038- Galahad 
 1039 -St. Luke's 
 1041 — Cragmar 
 1045— McKinley 
 1046- St. Peter's 
 1047-Ballantyne 
 1048-Twentieth Century 
 1049-Joplin 
 1050— Marshall 
 1051— St. Paul's 
 1054— Crescent 
 1055- Knox 
 
 1056- George E. Taylor 
 1058-Galahad 
 1059 — Newbegin 
 1060-Camelot 
 1061— Roosevelt 
 1062— Roycrofter, No. 4 
 1063— Aberdeen 
 1064— Columbia 
 1066- Lancelot 
 1068-Carlisle 
 
 1069— Green Mountain Boys 
 1072-Ivanhoe 
 1074— Leominster 
 1075- Pilgrim 
 1076— Luther 
 1077— Goffe 
 1079— Paul Revere 
 
 Episcopal 
 
 Congregational 
 
 Christian 
 
 Methodist 
 
 Congregational 
 
 Y. M. C. A. 
 
 Boys' Brotherhood 
 
 Boys' Brotherhood 
 
 Universalist 
 
 Episcopal 
 
 Congregational 
 
 Methodist 
 
 Episcopal 
 
 Methodist 
 
 Y. M. C. A. 
 
 Christian 
 
 Methodist 
 
 Episcopal 
 
 Methodist 
 
 Presbyterian 
 
 Congregational 
 
 Episcopal 
 
 Episcopal 
 
 Methodist 
 
 Congregational 
 
 Methodist 
 
 United Brethren 
 
 Congregational 
 
 Episcopal 
 
 Congregational 
 
 Methodist 
 
 Baptist 
 
 Congregational 
 
 Y. M. C. A. 
 
 Congregational 
 
 Roslyn, N. Y. 
 Mattoon, 111. 
 Lima, Ohio. 
 Toledo, O. 
 Bangor, Me. 
 Watertown, N. Y. 
 Philadelphia, Pa. 
 Philadelphia, Pa. 
 Sangerville, Me. 
 Hastings, Minn. 
 St. Johnsb'y Center, Vt 
 Vulcan, Mich. 
 Uniontown, Pa. 
 McKeesport, Pa. 
 Mason City, Iowa 
 Joplin. Mo. 
 Reading, Mass. 
 Paterson, N. J. 
 Somerset, Ky. 
 Scranton, Pa. 
 Syracuse, Nebraska. 
 Newell, Iowa. 
 Bangor, Maine. 
 Augusta, Maine. 
 Orion, Mich. 
 Pueblo, Colo. 
 Meadville, Pa. 
 Columbia, Pa. 
 East Auburn, Calif. 
 Stillwater, Minn, 
 Essex Junct, Vt. 
 Bernardsville, N. J. 
 Leominster, Mass. 
 Berlin, N. H. 
 Jersey City, N. J. 
 New Haven, Conn. 
 Solon, Maine. 
 
 The International Order 
 
 Founder and Mage Merlin, 
 
 William Byron Forbush, Ph. D. 
 
 All inquiries, reports, orders, 
 
 should be addressed to 
 
 Sir Pendragon 
 
 Frank Lincoln Masseck, 
 
 Potsdam, N. Y. 
 
 King Arthur's Herald 25c per year 
 
 The endorsements given the K. O. 
 K. A. by Marion Lawrence and other 
 leaders in religious and philanthropic 
 work are commending the organization 
 to many new people. Articles that 
 have recently appeared in the Christ- 
 ian Herald and the Living Church 
 have brought in numerous inquiries. If 
 you can have printed in any periodical 
 a good word for the Order, just do it, 
 and do it now. 
 
DAY AND TO 
 
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