A council runs on a team, not a title
Fellow Knight here. New members (and plenty of veterans) aren't sure who actually does what on a council. Who handles the money? Who's in charge? Why are there three Trustees? This is the map — the officer structure, what each seat owns, and the one distinction that trips people up: most officers are elected, but a few key ones are appointed.
The council elects most of its officers each year (Grand Knight on down). But the Financial Secretary is appointed by the Supreme Knight and serves at his will — not elected. The Lecturer and the program directors are appointed by the Grand Knight. So "the officers chosen for the term" (Form #185) is a mix of elected and appointed seats.
The line officers (elected)
These are elected annually and form the leadership chain:
The presiding officer — runs the council, appoints program directors and the Lecturer, signs alongside the FS on disbursements. See /learn/roles/grand-knight.
Second in command; presides in the GK's absence and often oversees programs. /learn/roles/deputy-grand-knight.
Supports the GK, strengthens members' fraternal commitment, often assists with programs. /learn/roles/chancellor.
Maintains council property and the meeting chamber; supervises the Guards. /learn/roles/warden.
Keeps the minutes and council correspondence. /learn/roles/recorder.
Holds council funds, makes deposits, and writes checks from approved vouchers. /learn/roles/treasurer.
The council's parliamentarian and legal advisor (a lawyer when one's available). /learn/roles/advocate.
Three Trustees on a staggered rotation (3-, 2-, and 1-year) provide oversight and conduct the annual audit. /learn/roles/trustees.
The appointed seats
The FS handles dues, records, and reporting. He is appointed by the Supreme Knight (on the council's recommendation) and holds office at his will — which is why the FS often spans multiple terms while elected officers rotate. See /learn/roles/financial-secretary.
Provides the educational and entertainment program ("the Good of the Order") at meetings. Selected annually by the GK.
The Program Director and the Faith in Action directors (Faith, Family, Community, Life) plus coordinators run the council's programs. See /learn/roles/program-director and the Faith in Action pillars.
Because the Financial Secretary isn't on the annual ballot, he's usually the continuity anchor of a council — the one seat that doesn't turn over every election. That's also why his handoff, when it does happen, is the most important one to get right.
The full role library
Every officer and coordinator has a dedicated guide. Beyond the line officers above:
- Program & Faith in Action: Faith Director · Family Director · Community Director · Life Director · Membership Director
- Coordinators: Food for Families · Special Olympics · Catholic Advocacy · Safe Environment · Youth · Columbian Squires Advisor
How DuesSync handles this
DuesSync is built for the whole slate, not just one seat: one login per officer, role-aware access, and a clean year-advancement + handoff so the council's history survives every election. When the #185 slate changes, the new officers inherit a working council instead of a binder.
Built by a Financial Secretary
Stop running this by hand.
DuesSync runs your council's dues collection end to end — online payments, automatic notices, reconciliation, and the audit trail.
Free for Founding Councils through June 2027 — no council vote, no credit card.
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