Knights of Columbus Form 185, Report of Officers: Filing, Eligibility, and Bonding

Knights of Columbus Form 185, the Report of Officers Chosen for the Term, tells the Supreme Council who will lead a local council in the coming fraternal year. The council’s Financial Secretary completes it after the annual election and submits it by June 30, either through the Member Management application on Officers Online or by mailing a paper copy to the Supreme Council.1Knights of Columbus. Council Form 185 – Report of Officers Chosen for the Term

Who Files It and When

The Financial Secretary is the officer responsible for filing. The deadline is June 30, which lines up with the start of the new fraternal year on July 1. Most councils hold their elections in May or early June so the Financial Secretary has time to compile results and file before the cutoff.

Missing June 30 has a real cost. A late filing disqualifies the council from the Star Council Award for that year, even if every other requirement is met.2Knights of Columbus. Star Council Award On-time filing also keeps incoming officers in the Supreme Council’s records so they receive administrative materials and access to leadership training resources without delay.

Positions the Form Asks For

Form 185 has a slot for every officer in the council’s leadership structure. For each one, you enter the officer’s membership number, last name, first name, and middle initial.3Knights of Columbus. Report of Officers Chosen for the Term Membership numbers appear on each member’s card and in the council’s records inside Member Management.

Elected Officers

Council members vote on these positions at the annual election:

  • Grand Knight
  • Deputy Grand Knight
  • Chancellor
  • Recorder
  • Treasurer
  • Advocate
  • Warden
  • Inside Guard
  • Outside Guard (some councils elect two)
  • Board of Trustees — three trustees on staggered one-, two-, and three-year terms

Appointed Officers

Three positions on the form are not elected but still require the same data:

  • Financial Secretary, appointed by the Supreme Knight. Because the appointment comes from the international level, this name may already be populated in the system.
  • Chaplain, selected by the Grand Knight, Deputy Grand Knight, and Board of Trustees, following any rules set by the local bishop.4Knights of Columbus. Chaplain’s Handbook
  • Lecturer, appointed by the Grand Knight to plan programs for the Good of the Order portion of meetings.

Check Eligibility Before You File

Every officer listed on Form 185 must be a Third Degree member of the Order. Third Degree status is what authorizes a Knight to hold local council office.5Knights of Columbus. Membership Types Member Management may flag or block a submission when an entered name does not meet the requirement, so confirm degree status before election night.

Officers must also be in good standing, meaning current on dues and assessments. The Financial Secretary’s ledger is the definitive record. A member who has lapsed is ineligible to hold office even if the council voted them in, and catching the problem before filing is easier than correcting the record afterward.6Knights of Columbus. Officer Duties

Filing Online Through Member Management

The Member Management application on Officers Online is the fastest route. Log in, open the Form 185 interface, and enter each officer’s membership number and name in the matching slot. The system pulls from your council’s existing member database, which cuts typos and lets you confirm degree and standing status as you go.1Knights of Columbus. Council Form 185 – Report of Officers Chosen for the Term

Before submitting, review the full roster on the verification screen and check every entry against your election minutes. Submission generates a digital timestamp, and both the Grand Knight and the Financial Secretary receive a confirmation email. If something is wrong afterward, log back in and update the affected officer entry through the same interface.

A practical habit: use the system’s member lookup instead of typing numbers from memory. One transposed digit will tie up processing.

Filing on Paper

Councils without reliable internet access can download and print the PDF of Form 185 from the Knights of Columbus forms page, or request a copy from the state council office.3Knights of Columbus. Report of Officers Chosen for the Term Fill in the council number, the election date, and each officer’s membership number and name by hand or typewriter. Mail the completed form to the Supreme Council at the address on the instruction sheet. Paper filings take longer to process than electronic ones, so build in extra time if you are near the deadline.

Bonding Tied to the Filing

Two of the positions on Form 185 carry automatic bonding from the Supreme Council. Under Section 130 of the Laws of the Order, the Financial Secretary and the Treasurer are each bonded for $5,000. Councils that handle larger sums can purchase additional bonding at $7 per thousand by contacting the Supreme Secretary’s office.7Knights of Columbus Orange County Chapter. Council Officers Duties Coverage takes effect once the officer’s name appears on the filed Form 185, which is one more reason not to let the filing sit.

Fixing Mistakes and Mid-Term Vacancies

If an officer resigns or a vacancy opens after you have filed, log back into Member Management and update the affected position. The system allows changes to individual officer slots without a full resubmission. Paper filers should contact the state council office for guidance on reporting mid-term changes, since the Supreme Council’s forms page does not publish a separate vacancy form.