Blue Knights® International - Board of Governors
Last updated: 09-Jul-2023

During our riding season there will be many Blue Knights on the road and occasionally there has been a few accidents. The Board of Governors manages the Blue Knight Special Fund. The Special Fund is designed to help Blue Knights out in an emergency. It is there to help those that have been involved in a crash while en-route to or from specific Blue Knight functions and need some financial assistance.

Blue Knight Special Fund

For more information or to request monetary assistance, visit the BOG Special Fund Page in our members only section.

Click to access the BOG special fund

To see who is on the current executive of the Board of Governors, please visit our member directory page which required authentication.

BOG Awards

John T. Bartholomew Special Fund Award
This award will be presented to the Blue Knight chapter that donates the most, per member, to the Special Fund. This award is presented in honor of John Bartholomew for all his years of service on the BOG. John was a member of NY V (Buffalo, NY) when he passed away in 2000.

The Blue Knight Life Savings Service Award
The BOG oversees the Life Saving Service Award. This award is given to those Blue Knights whose actions have contributed directly to saving someone's life. This can be something that they have done at work, while off-duty, on their way to and from a Blue Knight event or while at a Blue Knight event. This award is to honor those individuals and recognize them for their acts of heroism and their actions that contribute directly to saving someone's life.

The Blue Knight Meritorious Service Award
The BOG also oversees the Meritorious Service Award. This award is given to those Blue Knights who do something above and beyond their normal duties. This can be something that they have done at work, while off-duty, on their way to and from a Blue Knight event or while at a Blue Knight event. This award is to honor these individuals and recognize them for their acts of heroism, lifesaving, or actions above and beyond their duty. Each year some of our members do things that need to be recognized.

The Blue Knight Distinguished Service Award
This is a newest award that the BOG will present to those Blue Knights who have shown they are the cream of the crop. These individuals have done or accomplished something that makes them a special BK. These individuals are True Blue Knights.

If you think a member deserves any of the three Service Awards listed above, Please nominate them. All it takes is a note, e-mail, phone call, etc. to any member of the BOG. Nominations need to be submitted to the BOG by May 1st so they can be considered for the award. Please help the Blue Knights who have qualified for these awards be recognized for their actions.

Roger P. Farris Memorial Chapter Award (North America)
The Horst Maier Memorial Chapter Award (Europe)

The BOG is also in charge of giving out two distance awards for those attending the annual convention. The American & Canadian BK chapters receive the Roger P. Farris Award, and the European BK chapters receive the Horst Maier Award. These awards are based on the number of chapter members who are pre-registered at the International Convention versus the total number of members within their chapter and the direct distance they must travel to the convention.

So, keep this in mind when you send in your registrations for the International Convention. Please, make sure you designate what Blue Knight chapter you are from. If you do not, they cannot count you towards the awards, as they cannot research everyone's home chapter.

The Frank Gillespie Long Distance Award
This award goes to the rider that travels the longest distance to the convention. It is not the most direct route, just the longest distance. This award is presented by and named after Frank Gillespie, a member of MD I. Frank has won this award so many times that he decided to let someone else win, thus the award was named after him.

There are many more awards presented by the host chapters of International Conventions. If you are thinking of hosting, please contact your BOG to ensure you have an up-to-date list.