What "Good Standing" actually means
If you're reading this, you probably heard someone at a council meeting say "we're in Good Standing" or "we might lose Good Standing" — and it wasn't totally clear what that covered.
Fellow FS here. Let me lay it out without jargon.
Good Standing is the state of being a KoC council that Supreme considers fully in compliance with reporting, financial, and fraternal obligations. A council in Good Standing can:
- Participate in state and Supreme awards (including Star Council)
- Receive insurance commissions
- Hold exemplifications and initiate new members
- Be represented at state convention with voting delegates
- Stay out of the quarterly letter from your State Deputy that nobody wants to receive
A council not in Good Standing can technically still meet — but it is functionally frozen from most of what makes a KoC council matter. Lose Good Standing for long enough and your council can be suspended.
The Good Standing checklist — everything in one place
There is no single "Good Standing form." Good Standing is a rolling status that depends on five distinct things being current at the same time. Miss any one and you drop out. File it, and you're back in.
Here they are, in order of how often councils get burned:
1. Supreme assessments — paid to Supreme and state council on time
This is the single biggest reason councils lose Good Standing. "Per Capita" is shorthand, but Supreme actually bills three per-member assessments together, twice a year, on your total membership (inactive and honorary included; honorary life and disabled members excluded).
| Assessment | Per member, per levy | Annual (2 levies) |
|---|---|---|
| Per Capita Tax | $1.75 | $3.50 |
| Catholic Advertising | $0.50 | $1.00 |
| Culture of Life | $1.00 | $2.00 |
| Combined | $3.25 | $6.50 |
- Levy 1: January 1 — pay by April 10
- Levy 2: July 1 — pay by October 10
State Per Capita is separate — rate and date both vary by state. Ours is [LLOYD: insert your state's current number].
If you miss Per Capita, everything else on this checklist doesn't help. This is the top compliance priority for every Financial Secretary, every fraternal year, full stop.
2. Form #185 — Report of Officers Chosen for the Term
Due June 30 at the close of the fraternal year, after council elections. Reports your 12 elected officers for the incoming year. Without #185, Supreme doesn't know who signs your forms — which means Supreme can't accept your other forms.
Read the Form #185 explainer • Use the free builder [coming soon]
3. Form #365 — Service Program Personnel Report
Due June 30. Reports your Program Director plus the 8 Service Program Directors + program chairs — up to 18 roles. This form gates your Star Council clock: until #365 is on file, none of your Columbian Award activities count toward Star.
Miss #365 and the rest of your year's Faith in Action work is invisible to Supreme, even if the programs themselves were excellent.
Read the Form #365 explainer • Use the free builder
4. Form #1728 — Annual Survey of Fraternal Activity
Due January 31. Reports the prior calendar year's charitable, fraternal, and program activity — hours, dollars, people served, by pillar. Supreme uses this for the IRS filing that keeps KoC's 501(c)(8) status intact, and feeds Columbian Award eligibility.
Note the calendar-year quirk: #1728 is the only major form on a calendar year; the rest are on the fraternal year (July 1 – June 30). Don't let that trip you.
Read the Form #1728 explainer [coming soon]
5. Annual Council Audit — Form #1295
Due once a year, by August 15, covering the fraternal year that just ended (July 1 – June 30). Prepared by the Financial Secretary, audited by the three Trustees, signed by the Grand Knight.
Missing the audit looks worse than the other missed items because it suggests the council's finances aren't being reviewed at all.
What's NOT on the Good Standing checklist (but feels like it should be)
- SP-7 Columbian Award. Missing SP-7 doesn't lose you Good Standing. It just loses you the Columbian Award (and therefore Star Council). Good Standing is the floor; SP-7 is for the ceiling.
- Membership growth. You can be at zero growth and still in Good Standing. You just can't earn the Father McGivney Award or Star Council.
- Insurance activity. Two fraternal benefit events would earn the Founders' Award — but missing them doesn't cost Good Standing.
- Program activity levels. Doing no programs at all is a warning sign, not a compliance failure.
The distinction matters because GKs sometimes panic about one of these and let a real compliance item (like Per Capita) slide. Focus on the five-item checklist above first.
Who owns each item
| Item | Prepared by | Signed by | Audited by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per Capita | Financial Secretary | Treasurer cuts check; FS records | Trustees at audit |
| Form #185 | Financial Secretary | Grand Knight | — |
| Form #365 | Financial Secretary (GK provides names) | Grand Knight | — |
| Form #1728 | Financial Secretary (PD provides data) | Grand Knight | Trustees review |
| Form #1295 | Financial Secretary | Grand Knight | Trustees |
The Financial Secretary is the chokepoint. If your FS is strong, Good Standing runs itself. If your FS is struggling, nothing else matters.
The annual rhythm
- January 1: First Supreme assessment levied (Per Capita + Catholic Advertising + Culture of Life, $3.25/member combined) — pay by April 10.
- January 31: Form #1728 due (covers prior calendar year).
- March–May: Officer elections close by second regular meeting in May.
- June 30: Fraternal year ends. Form #185, Form #365, and SP-7 all due.
- July 1: New fraternal year begins. Second Supreme assessment levied — pay by October 10.
- State Per Capita: month and amount vary by state — check your state council's schedule. Common but not universal timing is mid-July.
- August 15: Form #1295 annual audit due.
- September–December: Programs, recruiting, year-end close.
The Star Council Calculator tracks every item here in real time. Most FS/GK pairs run it monthly; some weekly during the January and June crunch.
What happens if you fall out
- First missed item: usually a reminder letter from State Deputy or state secretary.
- Continued delinquency: your council shows as "Not in Good Standing" in Member Management. State and Supreme awards become ineligible. Insurance commissions may pause.
- Serious / prolonged delinquency: your council can be placed on suspended status by Supreme, which halts exemplifications and can ultimately lead to council suspension or reorganization.
The path back is usually simple: file the missing items, pay the overdue Per Capita, complete the overdue audit. Good Standing restores within one cycle once all items are current. But every month you're out is a month of lost membership pipeline, program credit, and credibility with your parish and your District Deputy.
The one piece of advice I'd give
Put the five items on your calendar now, with reminders 30 days before each due date. Share the calendar with your GK, your Treasurer, and your Deputy Grand Knight. Don't carry the dates in your head; don't trust the outgoing FS to have handed them over.
The FS job is manageable when the calendar is visible. It's impossible when the calendar lives in one person's memory.
Source notes. Draws on Charter, Constitution and Laws (Order L&R, 2025 edition), Supreme's Good Standing documentation, FS Handbook, and state council guidance. State rules and dates vary — always reconcile against your state council's calendar. Send feedback if you spot anything off.
Last reviewed: April 21, 2026. Fraternal year 2025–26.
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