Hey — fellow DGK here
If you just got elected Deputy Grand Knight, congratulations. You are now the person the Grand Knight calls first, the person most likely to be next year's GK, and — in most councils — the person actually running the Faith in Action program calendar.
It's a good role. It's also the least-documented role on the council. Supreme publishes a Grand Knight Handbook (#915) that covers the GK chair in detail — but there's no standalone Deputy Grand Knight Handbook. Most of what you need to know about the DGK job has to be learned from the Knight who had the chair before you, the GK Handbook (where DGK responsibilities are noted alongside the GK's), and peer-voice writing like this page. So here's what it looks like from the inside.
What a DGK actually is
Three things, usually in this order:
- The Program Director by default. Since Faith in Action launched in 2018, the Program Director role has functionally merged with the DGK role in most councils. You're the head coach of the four pillar directors (Faith, Family, Community, Life). You sign SP-7 at year-end.
- The GK's backup. When the GK is traveling, sick, or just can't make a meeting, you preside. Whether you can co-sign vouchers and checks depends on your council's bank signature card — Supreme leaves this to the council level, so check what's actually on file at your bank.
- The GK-in-training. Most Grand Knights come from the DGK chair. Treat this year as the apprenticeship it is.
You are not the Financial Secretary's boss. You are not a signatory on Form #1728 or #1295. Those live with the GK and FS.
What you own
Program execution, start to finish.
- Form #365 data gathering. The FS files #365 by July 1, but the data comes from you. You recruit the four pillar directors, the Membership Director, the Retention Chairman, the Lecturer, the Chair Couple. FS just transcribes what you hand over.
- Four pillars, four directors, four monthly check-ins. Faith / Family / Community / Life. Each pillar needs 4 credit-eligible activities across the year to hit Columbian Award threshold (16 total credits for SP-7). Your job: make sure each pillar runs at least one event per quarter.
- SP-7 compilation. June 30 due date. You're the signatory. You're also the one who realized in March that you're short on Family pillar credits and scheduled two catch-up events before year-end.
- Monthly program report at council meetings. The Lecturer does "Good of the Order;" you do "Good of the Program." Two minutes, three bullets — what ran, what's upcoming, what's at risk.
See the Faith in Action Pillars topic page for what counts in each pillar.
What you delegate
Pillar directors are not assistants — they're owners. If you find yourself personally running a Faith pillar Rosary because the Faith Director flaked, you have a Faith Director problem, not a program problem. Fix the director.
Delegation hierarchy for a healthy council:
- Pillar director runs the event. They recruit volunteers, book the venue, write the bulletin announcement, file the event for credit.
- DGK audits the pipeline. You see the four-pillar scoreboard monthly. You notice gaps. You intervene two months before they bite.
- GK presides at the flagship events. Columbus Day breakfast, state banquet, parish charity drive kickoff. That's the GK's visibility slot, not yours.
If a director has been vacant for more than 60 days, escalate to the GK. Don't absorb the role yourself — that's how DGKs burn out by January and decline the GK nomination in May.
Fraternal year rhythm for a DGK
July – August:
- Recruit pillar directors and other program roles. This is your hardest sprint of the year. Start May 1, not June 29.
- Hand #365 data to the FS by mid-June. Give the FS a full week before the June 30 deadline, not a panic call on June 29.
- Draft the annual program calendar — one event per pillar per quarter, minimum.
September – December:
- Program execution season. This is where Columbian credits get earned.
- Monthly program report at council meetings.
- SP-7 running scoreboard — keep it live, not as a June scramble.
January – April:
- Mid-year review. Audit each pillar's credit count. Schedule catch-ups for weak pillars.
- Lenten Faith programs peak in March. This is your biggest Faith pillar window.
- Nominating committee starts forming. You're almost certainly on the short list for next year's GK. Decide early.
May – June:
- Finalize SP-7. Sign. Get GK signature. File by June 30.
- Handoff prep — both directions. If you're ascending to GK, start absorbing the GK's in-flight commitments. If you're stepping down, document what you're leaving for your successor.
The GK-absence scenario
If the GK is absent from a council meeting, you preside. Practical stuff most DGK guides skip:
- Order of business doesn't change. Same agenda, same opening prayer, same closing. Don't improvise.
- Signatory decisions that can wait should wait. If the GK's signature is needed on a voucher and the GK is on vacation, the voucher waits until they return unless it's time-critical. Co-signatory shortcuts are for emergencies, not convenience.
- Communicate with the GK within 24 hours. Short email summary of what was discussed, what was decided, what's pending their sign-off.
Long GK absence (3+ meetings, illness, resignation) is a different conversation — escalate to your District Deputy and follow your state council's procedures for a formal GK vacancy. The exact process varies by jurisdiction, but the DD is always the right first call.
Common pitfalls
- Running programs yourself instead of managing directors. The DGK who personally chairs three events a month is the DGK who quits in March.
- Treating #365 as the FS's problem. The form is the FS's to file. The data is yours. If you dump a half-built roster on the FS on July 28, that's on you.
- Ignoring the Columbian scoreboard until May. By the time you realize you're short on Community pillar, there aren't enough weekends left to catch up.
- Skipping state convention. As likely incoming GK, this is where you meet your District Deputy, State Deputy, and counterparts from other councils. The networking pays off all year.
One more thing
The DGK role is the single best predictor of council health. A council with a strong DGK runs strong programs; a council with an absent DGK runs on GK fumes until the GK burns out too.
Show up. Run the program. Be ready for the GK chair. That's the whole job.
Source notes. Because Supreme doesn't publish a standalone Deputy Grand Knight Handbook, the authoritative written source for DGK duties is the Grand Knight Handbook (#915) — DGK responsibilities appear alongside the GK's throughout. Also draws on Charter, Constitution and Laws (Order L&R), Faith in Action program documentation, and peer-voice observation on what actually works in the chair. Send feedback if anything's off.
Last reviewed: April 21, 2026. Fraternal year 2025–26.
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