The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels includes around 300,000 Kentuckians worldwide, and at Tuesday’s Hopkinsville Rotary Club meeting, nonprofit Executive Director Sherry Crose spotlighted the organization’s mission.
Crose says the order’s foundation was established following the War of 1812. During the war, a Kentucky militia fought in northern Ohio and was successful. Isaac Shelby, Kentucky’s first governor, wanted to honor the militia members and gave them aide-de-camp titles which was later changed to Kentucky Colonels.
Then, in the 1930s, Crose says that Governors Flem Sampson and Ruby Laffoon played a role in shaping the order into what it is today. She says Sampson encouraged the colonels to form a nonpartisan organization to support those in need across the state. Then in the following year, Laffoon added “Honorable Order” to the nonprofit’s name and issued more than 10,000 colonel commissions.
It’s still the duty of the governor’s office to review commissions and nominations can be submitted online. To receive the title of Kentucky Colonel, Crose says one must be dedicated to benefiting their community and lives of those around them.
Crose says there is Kentucky Colonel representation in every state and 79 countries as well as 58 official chapters. Thanks to their donations, Crose says in June they were able to give $2.5 million to 330 nonprofits across the state.
The order also has a disaster recovery program to support communities impacted by severe weather events. When severe weather strikes, Crose says many nonprofits come to support initial recovery efforts. Then when those nonprofits leave or provide all the support they can, communities are still often on that road to recovery which is when the order comes in to provide additional support.
In western Kentucky following the 2021 tornadoes, Crose says they helped rebuild a daycare and supported repairs and replacements for HVAC units, water heaters, roofs and washers and dryers.
Crose says the mission of the Rotary Club mirrors that of the order and encourages attendees to nominate those positively impacting the community to be a Kentucky Colonel at kycolonels.org.