The Birth of Robert W. Powell Council
(photo by Bill Duschenchuk)
(1st row. l-r: O.Arthur Link, Conrad Ritter, Larry Micalizzi, Charles Mulligan, Jack Hamill, Gene Montalbano, Anthony DeLuca, Bill Robertson. 2nd row: Bill Donnelly, Bill Duschenchuk, Anthony Ricigliano, Charles Williams, Joseph Mollo. 3rd Row: James Valver, Edward Capriotti, Gerard Catlender, William Dollard. Their titles are shown below.)
In the early 1950s, eighteen Uniondale residents, who were members of Hempstead Council #1241, saw the need for a council of their own to represent both their rapidly growing community, and their brand-new parish, St. Martha's. The Uniondale Formation Committee consisted of the seventeen gentlemen shown above, who became the council's initial slate of officers. They named their council after the eighteenth gentleman on the committee, Robert W. Powell who passed away on September 1951.
Their dream became a reality on March 9th, 1952, when Past Grand Knight Leo Blatz (of Corpus Christi in Mineola) officiated the institution of Robert W. Powell Council #3488 under the guidance of District Deputy Charles P. Mulligan of New York State's 7th District. They installed the following members of the Uniondale Formation Committee as the newborn council's first officers:
Chaplain Rev. John J. Byrne
Grand Knight John J "Jack" Hamill
Deputy Grand Knight Charles F. Montalbano
Chancellor Anthony T. DeLuca
Warden Charles J. Williams
Recorder Lawrence W. Micalizzi Sr.
Financial Secretary James J. Valver
Treasurer William P. Dollard
Advocate O. Arthur Link, Sr.
Lecturer Gerard Catlender
Inside Guard Conrad Ritter
Outside Guards Edward Capriotti
Joseph Mollo
3-Year Trustee William N. Robertson
2-Year Trustee William Duschenchuk
1-Year Trustee William T. Donnelly
That day also saw 45 Catholic gentlemen become Powell Council's inaugural First Degree members. Forty four others became additional Charter Members of Powell Council. March 9th, 1952, was the first day of a tradition of service to Uniondale, St. Martha's Parish, and the Knights of Columbus. That tradition continues today as Uniondale's finest Catholic gentlemen live out the principles of Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism as the right arm of the Catholic church. Fifty years young and still going strong, we're Robert W. Powell Council!!