The bill that quietly suspends councils
Fellow FS here. Ask a State Deputy what most often pushes a council out of Good Standing, and the answer is almost always the same: unpaid Supreme per capita. It's not a big number, it's not optional, and it arrives twice a year whether your council planned for it or not. Miss it and suspension comes fast.
So let's demystify it.
Per capita is a per-member charge the council owes to Supreme (and separately to your state council) — billed twice a year on your total membership. Supreme bundles three assessments into one semiannual bill. It's an obligation, not a program you opt into, and it's the fastest way to lose Good Standing if ignored.
The three Supreme assessments
"Per capita" is shorthand. Supreme actually bills three per-member charges together each levy:
| 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 |
| Total | $3.25 | $6.50 |
These are the Supreme amounts. Your state council bills its own per capita separately, and the rate varies by jurisdiction — budget for both.
Supreme sets these amounts; treat the table above as current-as-published and confirm the figure on your actual bill. The structure — three assessments, twice a year — is the stable part.
When it's billed
The Supreme billing is semiannual — two levies a year:
Billed on the membership on the books at the start of the calendar year. Pay it promptly — the practical deadline is early spring (around April 10).
The second levy, at the start of the new fraternal year. Practical deadline around October 10.
Per capita is one of the few bills that doesn't require a council vote to pay — and missing it can lead to suspension of the council. When the bill posts, the FS prepares the voucher and it gets paid. See vouchers & disbursements.
Who counts in the per-capita basis
You're billed on your membership total — but not every member counts:
Active members, inactive members, and honorary members (age 65 + 25 years) all count — honorary members still owe the State and Supreme per-capita charges.
Honorary Life members and members on a disability exemption are excluded — they're exempt from per capita entirely.
A disabled member's exemption is filed on Form #1831, which relieves him from council dues and Supreme/state per-capita. See membership types.
Common mistakes
Per capita is predictable to the dollar — multiply your roster by the rate. A council surprised by its own per-capita bill didn't budget.
Supreme's bill is only half. Your state council bills separately, and councils that pay Supreme but forget state still fall out of Good Standing.
They're exempt from the per-capita basis. Counting them overstates what you owe; billing them dues is an insult to a Brother who earned the exemption.
The per-capita bill doesn't need council approval — sitting on it waiting for the next meeting risks suspension. Pay it when it posts.
How DuesSync handles this
DuesSync helps on the planning side: the budget tool lets you line up the Supreme and state assessments against expected income so the semiannual bill is never a surprise, and the roster keeps the right members in the per-capita basis (honorary counted, honorary-life and disability-exempt excluded) so your headcount math is correct.
The remittance itself still happens in Supreme's system — DuesSync makes sure you saw it coming and budgeted for it. See the platform overview.
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