How Do I Become A Kentucky Colonel?
The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels is not responsible for appointing or commissioning Kentucky Colonels in their respective ranks. That is something that can only be done by the individual who is now serving as Governor of the Commonwealth. The Governor is the only person who is aware of the rationale behind awarding the distinction of a Colonel’s Commission on a certain person.
One recent Governor made the following observation regarding the characteristics he looked for: “Isaac Shelby, the state of Kentucky’s first governor, is credited with establishing many of the state’s most cherished traditions, one of which is the practice of bestowing membership in an exceptional organization upon deserving individuals.
The term “Kentucky Colonel” has come to be widely associated with stalwart moral fortitude, able leadership, and unwavering commitment to the well-being of others. In the same way that Isaac Shelby appointed the members of his loyal militia to be his Kentucky colonels, I see qualities in you that put the needs of others ahead of your own.” It is necessary to make a nomination to the Governor in order to be awarded the title of Colonel in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Additionally, the nominee needs to be at least 18 years old. Please fill out the Kentucky Colonel Commission Application in order to submit a nomination for an individual. Contacting the Governor’s Office in Frankfort will provide you with access to more resources and information. Please direct any correspondence to Ms.
Lori Farris at the following address: Attention: Lori Farris, Room 133, Governor’s Office, State Capitol, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601. You may also send her an email at [email protected] The Kentucky Colonels is an autonomous organization that operates on a not-for-profit basis and has the mission of assisting and promoting the residents of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
What does being a Kentucky Colonel mean?
The title of Kentucky Colonel is the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s highest distinction that may be bestowed upon an individual. Our Colonels represent the state of Kentucky as ambassadors of good will and fellowship in other parts of the world. Commissions as Kentucky Colonels are given out in recognition of extraordinary achievements of any sort, as well as services made to the community, state, or nation as a whole.
Do you have to live in Kentucky to become a Kentucky Colonel?
To become a Kentucky Colonel, is it necessary to be a native of the state of Kentucky? – No, colonels in the Kentucky army can hail from any country in the globe. There are currently over 150,000 Kentucky colonels scattered over more than 70 nations all over the world.
- The Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky has the authority to recognize anybody, no matter where they live, based on the deeds, activities, or achievements that have brought honor to the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
- In most cases, the governor will only celebrate people whose conduct or actions have been shown to have a link to the state.
However, as an honorary award, the governor is known to routinely reward persons who have the potential to serve the needs of the state via their acknowledgment.
How do you address a Kentucky Colonel?
—–If, for example, the governor of Kentucky designates you to be a Kentucky Colonel, you have the right to be addressed in paper as “Honorable (Full Name)” and verbally as “Colonel (Surname)” in any situation in which your rank is relevant. This includes both formal and informal settings.
How many living Kentucky Colonels are there?
Kentucky’s Original Goodwill Ambassadors – There are currently over 250,000 Kentucky colonels residing in over 70 different nations. Since the start of the 20th century, several organizations have been founded to promote their activities, brotherhood, and social success.
Although colonels do not have any official responsibilities that must be fulfilled in the modern era, they are legally recognized as the state’s “ambassadors of good-will” because of their commitment to community service, contributions to the welfare of the state, and for improving the lives of others to make the world a better place for everyone.
They get a commission as an officer on the governor’s staff, which awards them the rank of “Colonel” and recognizes them as “Honorable.” The honorary title is awarded to them by letters patent, which grant them the title. The optional duties of a Colonel include the de facto and extra officio responsibilities of promoting tourism, economic development, participation in community service, fostering the general prosperity of the Commonwealth, and projecting Kentucky’s image abroad on behalf of the State and the Governor.
What kind of colonel was Colonel Sanders?
3. Sanders was a veteran of the military who also held the rank of honorary colonel. Sanders lied about his age when he signed up for service in the United States Army in 1906. He spent a number of months in Cuba before receiving an honorable discharge from the military.
In 1935, Kentucky Governor Ruby Laffoon presented Sanders with a ceremonial proclamation that commissioned him as an honorary colonel in the state’s military. After receiving a second honorary commission in 1949, Sanders accepted the title and made an effort to seem as though he belonged by growing facial hair, dressing in a black frock coat, and wearing a string tie.
How to become a Kentucky Colonel
Soon after that, the colonel changed into a white suit, which was helpful in hiding flour stains, and bleached his mustache and goatee to match his white hair. This was all done in quick succession.1974 photograph of Harland Sanders posing with a dish of his fried chicken batter. 
What size is a Kentucky Colonel certificate?
An excessive number of colonels from Kentucky – Because of the high volume of commissions that were being handed out under the administration of Governor Steve Beshear in 2008, the state had to make significant changes to the design of the commission certificate.
At the time, the governor was handing out as many as 16,500 colonelships annually. The original certificate measured 10 by 15 inches (25 by 38 cm), however it was shrunk to 8.5 by 14 inches (21 by 36 cm) (22 by 36 cm). On the certificate, the writing has been left the same; however, the original gold seal and ribbon have been replaced with an embossed state seal.
It was anticipated that the state would save $5,000 yearly by reducing the amount of materials used for the new certificates; however, the significant savings resulted from the elimination of the work that was once required to manually place the gold seal and ribbon.
- The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels offered to pay $5,000 per year to maintain the conventional certificates, but the office of the Secretary of State opted to proceed because of the labor savings it would provide. Col.
- Russ Marlowe, a resident of Bardstown who is now 70 years old, said that he had personally recommended about 500 awardees, the majority of whom were former members of the armed forces, and that none of his nominations had ever been rejected.
John Carbone, a man from Philadelphia who later became a humorist in Kentucky, shared the story that shortly after moving to the state in 1995, he struck up a casual conversation with a stranger while standing in line at a muffin shop. He was soon surprised to receive a Kentucky colonel certificate in the mail, as the man he had spoken with had been a member of the governor’s staff and had submitted his name for the award.
Carbone said that the man he had spoken with had been In a news article published in 2008 on the topic, a reporter wrote about how he prepared for writing it by asking some friends and family members if they knew anyone who was a Kentucky colonel and being surprised to find that at least a dozen of them were colonels themselves.
The reporter then made a quip to the reader, saying, “I was surprised to find out that at least a dozen of them were colonels themselves.” “You’re not a Colonel from Kentucky, are you? In point of fact, neither am I. But sometimes it feels like everybody else is.”.