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CUERO – Hooves thundered across the field. Armor-clad knights, lances in hand charged at each other upon their mighty steeds. A thousand voices raised in unison joined the cacophony cheering on their favorite knight.

The cheers came from Cuero students from kindergarten to sixth grade, cheering the demonstration by the Knights of the Guild Tuesday morning at the Hunt Elementary School field. The knights were in Cuero to launch the EarlyAct FirstKnight program in the Cuero school district in cooperation with the Cuero Rotary Club and Rotary District 5840.

EarlyAct FirstKnight is a character and ethics education program that uses the historic theme of noble knights and Rotary Club values.

“We saw it as a great opportunity for Cuero to bring this program here and help instill some great qualities in our children,” said Richard Weber, Cuero Rotary Club president. “Cuero Rotary Club is proud to be a sponsor with the school district to bring the program to Cuero.”

And kick it off they did, in a big way.

Randall Parr, Knights of the Guild founder, addressed the large group of students dressed as Sir Randall astride his horse Galahad. He told them a little about EarlyAct FirstKnight.

“This program is going to empower you,” he said. “It’s going to give you chances and opportunities to do so many great things.”

Fellow knights Sir Seoinin and Lady Ginger put on a knightly skills demonstration including tent pegging with a bore spear, cutting a head of lettuce at full gallop with a broadsword, and jousting.

During the lettuce demonstration, third grade-teacher Bryanne Montemayor was blindfolded and the lettuce placed on her head. Sir Seoinin came by and sliced through it, much to the delight of the students.

“I was scared to death,” said Montemayor, still shaking after the demonstration. “That was crazy.”

The students enjoyed the show.

“I thought it was good,” said Russell Thamm, 8, a third-grade student. “The jousting was my favorite part.”

Thamm said when the EarlyAct FirstKnight program begins he’ll “learn to do the right things.”

Fellow third-grader Jocelynn Seals, thought the program “cool.”

“My favorite part was when Mrs. M went out there,” she said, adding that she was looking forward to learning more “knight stuff.”

Parr said the EarlyAct FirstKnight program was founded because “children today are suffering from ethical impairment” that includes dishonesty, irresponsibility, disrespect, hatred, jealousy, greed and indifference to others.

“Rotary came to us two years ago with the idea of combining our academics with their service club projects, so we put something together that fascinates children and inspires them to want to become noble people. We’ve grown from one program two years ago to launching 20 this month alone. Knights of the Guild has been in existence for more than 10 years and performs all over the country for schools and does character building presentations like this,” Parr said.

Tuesday’s demonstration was made possible by a Cuero Education Foundation grant.