Membership is not required to establish a Kentucky Colonel Branch or to be listed in the Kentucky Colonels Handbook
To facilitate a fair and objective comparison between the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels and other organizations that have been established since the earliest part of the 20th century we employed the use of AI. The objective of the page is to illustrate the differences between the Kentucky Colonel Class (nominative) and the branded use of "Kentucky Colonels" by the HOKC.
This page compares the civic/cultural/social Kentucky Colonel Class—as reflected in the 1905 Kentucky Colonels Club, the 1930 Kentucky Colonels Association, the 1998-2001 Kentucky Colonels Society, and the 2009–2020 Kentucky Colonels International (KCI)—with the modern commercial enterprise Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels and its private for-profit subsidiary Kentucky Colonels Collectibles, Inc. (HOKC/KCC).
Based on public records, historical works, government publications, handbooks, newspapers, and other public-domain and open-license materials, the Kentucky Colonel Class is presented here as a broad civic honor and social tradition. By contrast, the modern Kentucky Colonels brand is presented as a centralized commercially ambitious nonprofit-and-merchant system that uses trademarks and brand narratives to position itself as the primary embodiment of “Kentucky Colonels.”
This comparison focuses on generic and descriptive fair uses of the term “Kentucky Colonel(s)” for the class of honorees, and how those uses differ from a corporate branding strategy that tends to discourage independent Kentucky Colonel-led initiatives from using similar terminology in commerce or public-facing projects except when they are securely positioned under the HOKC umbrella.
Civic Kentucky Colonel Class (1905 Club, 1930 KCA, 1998 KCS, and 2009–2020 KCI)
Historically, the Kentucky Colonel Class is grounded in the Governor’s commissioning power, where individuals are appointed as Kentucky Colonels as a civil honor. Early twentieth-century materials—such as the 1930 Kentucky Colonels Association handbook and contemporary press—present Kentucky Colonels as a civic class of honorees, not as the creation of a single corporation or brand. The origin is understood as an evolving state practice, a fraternal society, not a proprietary corporate or commercial lineage.
Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels and Its Subsidiary, Kentucky Colonels Collectibles (HOKC/KCC)
The modern HOKC widely promotes a narrative linking Isaac Shelby and Charles S. Todd to an 1813 origin story, often presented as if it flows seamlessly into today’s organization. This narrative is used in marketing, fundraising, and branding, even though contemporaneous documentation tying an 1813 corporate “order” to the present HOKC has not been established in the same way the broader Kentucky Colonel Class is documented across multiple clubs and associations.
Key Difference / Impact
The civic class model treats the Kentucky Colonelcy as an evolving state honor and social tradition. The brand model presents an older, quasi-legendary corporate origin. The effect is to create an impression of exclusive, ancient corporate heritage that goes beyond the historically documented, multi-organization reality of the Kentucky Colonel Class.
Civic Kentucky Colonel Class
In the civic tradition, a Kentucky Colonel is defined by the Governor’s commission. Early handbooks and club directories describe Kentucky Colonels as a broad, worldwide class of honorees connected by shared honor, fellowship, and public service. Commissioned Colonels may organize into multiple clubs, associations, and circles without any single organization owning the identity.
Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels Brand
In much of the modern HOKC messaging, “Kentucky Colonels” is used in close association with the organization’s donor base, membership records, and branded programs, so that a reader may infer that fully “being a Kentucky Colonel” in practice means being connected to HOKC as a supporter or donor.
Key Difference / Impact
The class-based definition understands “Kentucky Colonel” as a public civic title shared by all commissioned individuals. The brand-based definition tends to narrow that status into a quasi-membership identity, where participation appears to be mediated by one nonprofit corporation.
Civic Kentucky Colonel Class
Historic clubs and associations portray Kentucky Colonels as “nature’s noblemen,” emphasizing fellowship, civic responsibility, good government, culture, and mutual aid. The Kentucky Colonel Class is depicted as a network of honored individuals using their title and social connection to strengthen communities, encourage learning, and support one another’s service projects.
Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels Brand
The modern HOKC/KCC orientation is organized around centralized fundraising, branded philanthropy, and organization-controlled grantmaking programs. While charitable work is a major emphasis, the model channels participation through HOKC’s campaigns, appeals, and merchandise, with the organization as gatekeeper.
Key Difference / Impact
The civic model highlights a distributed civic honor and a wide field of Colonel-led initiatives. The brand model emphasizes a centralized charity framework, where engagement as a Colonel often appears tied to contributing through HOKC’s branded channels rather than through diverse, independent Colonel projects.
Civic Kentucky Colonel Class
The 1905 Kentucky Colonels Club, the 1930 Kentucky Colonels Association, and later KCI function primarily as clubs, registries, and associations. They provide directories, handbooks, and opportunities for Colonels to connect peer-to-peer. These entities rise and fall over time, but the underlying civic class continues. Governance tends to be more decentralized, association-based, and voluntary.
Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels Brand
The modern HOKC is structured as a nonprofit corporation with formal corporate governance, a board of trustees, professional staff, and outside legal counsel. Its for-profit arm, Kentucky Colonels Collectibles, Inc., operates merchandise, licensing, and related commercial activities. Decisions about branding, programs, and relationships with Colonels are made within this centralized corporate framework.
Key Difference / Impact
The civic class model treats Colonels primarily as peers in a global honor system who may form many associations. The corporate model positions Colonels more as donors, customers, and program participants governed under a single organization’s policies and brand strategy.
Civic Kentucky Colonel Class
Historically, the terms “Kentucky Colonel” and “Kentucky Colonels” are used generically and descriptively to refer to the class of honorees, their clubs, directories, handbooks, and social events. The name functions as a civic title and class designation, not as a proprietary commercial brand. Early materials treat these words as part of the public vocabulary of the Commonwealth’s honor system.
Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels Brand
The HOKC/KCC model treats “Kentucky Colonels” as a protected brand identifier and registered trademark in connection with fundraising, merchandise, and promotional activities. The organization enforces this mark against third parties in commerce and sometimes objects to uses involving websites, publications, or projects that reference the Kentucky Colonel class outside of HOKC’s brand structure.
Key Difference / Impact
The civic use is generic and descriptive, grounded in the public meaning of the title and class. The brand use seeks to convert a longstanding civic designation into a controlled corporate trademark, creating tension between public-domain/class usage and exclusive brand enforcement.
Civic Kentucky Colonel Class
In the class-based tradition, multiple colonel clubs, circles, lodges, and associations can exist side by side. Entities such as Kentucky Colonels International recognize many independent Colonel groups worldwide and regard them as parts of the same broader Kentucky Colonel community, rather than rivals.
Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels Brand
From the perspective of a centralized brand, independent initiatives that use “Kentucky Colonels” in names, social media, or domains may be viewed as brand risks or potential infringers, particularly where they appear in commerce or public campaigns. This can include projects focused on history, education, or civic engagement that are not controlled by HOKC/KCC.
Key Difference / Impact
The civic model is plural and inclusive, expecting many Colonel groups to flourish. The brand model risks becoming exclusive, where colonels outside the corporate structure may face pressure not to use the very words that describe their own civic title and class.
Civic Kentucky Colonel Class
Early association materials and public documents present the Kentucky Colonelcy as a developing civic tradition with many phases: early gubernatorial commissions, the growth of Colonel clubs, printed handbooks, and modern international communities. There is no claim that one corporation owns the entire history; instead, the emphasis is on shared heritage and multiple organizations.
Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels Brand
The HOKC presents a more unified corporate narrative, with the 1813 Todd/Shelby story and later developments framed as leading naturally to the modern HOKC. This narrative is used extensively in branding, fundraising appeals, media presentations, and trademark positioning, and can be perceived as authoritative by readers who are unaware of the broader historical record.
Key Difference / Impact
The class-based narrative acknowledges many contributors to the Kentucky Colonel tradition. The brand-based narrative tends to position HOKC as the primary heir and voice of the tradition, which can overshadow earlier clubs, associations, and independent Colonel scholarship.
Civic Kentucky Colonel Class
Historically, Kentucky Colonel clubs and associations focus on social connection, civic improvement, and educational or social fraternal activities, with only incidental commercial elements (such as dues, banquets, or printed directories). Modern projects like Kentucky Colonels International emphasize research, documentation, registries, and handbooks that treat the Kentucky Colonelcy as a public heritage subject, not a proprietary commercial franchise.
Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels Brand
The HOKC/KCC model operates large-scale fundraising campaigns supported by branded merchandise, licensing, and promotional events. The Kentucky Colonels Collectibles, Inc. subsidiary exists specifically to manage and monetize the brand in commerce. This creates a close connection between the “Kentucky Colonels” name and merchandise sales, licensing, and donor acquisition.
Key Difference / Impact
The civic model is primarily heritage- and community-oriented, with commerce as a secondary feature. The brand model embeds the term “Kentucky Colonels” deeply into commercial and fundraising operations, which can complicate the status of generic, descriptive uses by Colonels who wish to create independent projects.
Civic Kentucky Colonel Class
In the civic-class approach, Colonels, authors, and researchers are encouraged to investigate, publish, and debate the origins, meanings, and development of the Kentucky Colonelcy. Publications such as handbooks, registries, and historical essays are understood as scholarly and documentary uses that rely on fair use, public-domain materials, and academic freedom.
Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels Brand
Through trademark enforcement, legal actions, and injunctions, the HOKC has at times objected to the use of “Kentucky Colonels” in website titles, books, and educational projects not under its control. This can have a chilling effect on independent scholarship, online discourse, and alternative organizational models that use the generic term “Kentucky Colonels” in a descriptive sense.
Key Difference / Impact
The civic model tends to expand the space for research and public discussion. The brand model can, in practice, limit or discourage certain public uses of the term by Colonels and historians, especially where those uses compete with, critique, or sit outside the HOKC/KCC brand structure.
Civic Kentucky Colonel Class
The Kentucky Colonel Class is a global civic community of honored individuals and voluntary associations, existing across many generations and organizations. The class includes Colonels who support various charities, projects, and clubs—or none at all—while still sharing the same underlying state-conferred honor. No single corporation is necessary for that identity to exist.
Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels Brand
In much of its public messaging, the HOKC presents itself as the primary or definitive embodiment of “Kentucky Colonels,” sometimes without clearly separating the corporate charity from the broader civic class. This can lead observers to assume that the HOKC is the only legitimate home or expression of the Kentucky Colonelcy.
Key Difference / Impact
The class-based understanding treats “Kentucky Colonel” as a shared civic identity and historical tradition that transcends any single organization. The brand-based understanding can blur the line between a public honor and a single corporate entity, encouraging the perception that colonels who operate independently are somehow “outside” or “less authentic,” even though they hold the same gubernatorial commission.
Civic Kentucky Colonel Class
Under the civic model, Colonels are free—as citizens and honorees—to organize, publish, fundraise for their own projects, and create independent initiatives that celebrate the Kentucky Colonelcy, so long as they respect general law and the rights of others. Using “Kentucky Colonel(s)” descriptively in connection with registries, handbooks, historical websites, or civic projects is treated as a natural extension of their status and the public vocabulary surrounding the title.
Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels Brand
Within a brand-centric framework, independent uses of “Kentucky Colonel(s)” in organizational names, domains, or services may be perceived as competitors to HOKC/KCC fundraising and merchandise. As a result, some Colonels who attempt to create alternative organizations, publications, or online communities using generic descriptive terminology can face trademark objections, enforcement demands, or contractual restraints designed to preserve HOKC’s market position.
Key Difference / Impact
The civic-class perspective views Colonels as having room to participate, innovate, and even compete in the public space of ideas, history, and civic projects using generic and descriptive references to their own title. The brand perspective tends to restrict that space, effectively discouraging Colonels from developing independent projects that might appear to “compete” with HOKC in philanthropy, public recognition, or narrative influence, even when those projects use generic terminology to describe the Kentucky Colonel Class rather than HOKC’s specific trademarks or trade dress.
For more information and to better distinguish yourself as a Kentucky Colonel based on the original state customs and traditions please see our page on Disambiguating Kentucky Colonels and read our Disclaimer.
