William Duschenchuk, PGK,FDD,PFN, Past Commander

Bill first joined the Knights of Columbus in 1951 as a member of Hempstead Council. Before 1952, Knights of Columbus who lived in Uniondale belonged to Hempstead Council. In March 1952 he, along with 17 others, became charter officers of Robert W. Powell Council, serving as one of Powell Council's Charter Trustees.

In May 1952 he took his Fourth Degree with Rev. John J. Byrne, Stanley Piech, and future Grand Knights and District Deputies Charlie Williams and Larry Micalizzi. At that time all Nassau County Sir Knights belonged to Cardinal Mercier Assembly on Nassau County's South Shore.

In the book St. Martha's, describing the first 25 years of the parish, Duschenchuk recalled, "getting new members for (Powell) Council was no problem at all. St. Martha's Holy Name Society was growing by leaps and bounds. all one had to do was to go to a Holy Name meeting and point out the good works that the Knights of Columbus could do, and you had all the candidates you wanted."

He became Powell Council's seventh Grand Knight in 1958. The following year he became District Deputy. In 1963 he chaired a Nominating Committee for the charter slate of officers for the brand new Pope John XXIII Assembly. In 1967 he was elected Faithful Navigator of Pope John XXIII Assembly. In 1975 he began a ten-year stint as Commanding Officer for the Assembly's Honor Guard.

Bill was alao an active member of St. Martha's Parish Council, having served as a Committee Chairman. In the late 1990's he was still a regular at St. Martha's Mass, and enjoyed St. Martha's 50th Anniversary in 1999. Bill became a 50-year member of the Order in 2001.