Society of Saint Edmund General Council, 1888-2006 | Saint Michael's College Archives & Special Collections

The General Council of the Society of Saint Edmund is made up of elected members who assist the Superior General in the general administration of the Society.  The Superior General and his Council meet periodically to discuss issues pertaining to the Society or its apostolates.  The Superior General must seek the advice of the Council to determine the site of the Generalate, appoint a director, authorize a Superior to act as treasurer, appoint the Secretary General, or to accept the resignation of a general councilor, Treasurer General, Superior or Director of Novices.  Council advice is also needed to approve financial aid to a relative of a religious, to dispense a delegate from attending a chapter and to act on all other matters required by the constitutions or church law.

The earliest leaders of the Society did not have formal councils.  When Rev. Muard was elected for his second term as Superior of Pontigny in 1846, Rev. Pierre Boyer was elected to be his assistant.  When Boyer succeeded Muard as Superior in 1848, Boyer opted for two assistants.  Beginning in his second term he had three, and this was true of subsequent Superiors until 1913.  At that time, Superior General Jules Garnier opted to have only two.  By the time the Constitution of 1940 appeared, four general councilors were required, the same number required by the 1986 Constitutions, under which the Society currently operates.

According to the 1986 Constitutions, the general councilors should be “noted for their sound judgment, discretion, loyalty and competence.  They should be conversant with our apostolic works and sensitive to the needs of members.”  The first assistant assumes the duties of the Superior General in the case of the death, resignation, incapacity, or removal of the Superior General.  He is the first councilor elected of the four and must possess the same qualifications as the Superior General.  All other councilors must be perpetually professed for at least five years.

The Superior General keeps the minutes of the General Council, sets the agenda and maintains the correspondence.  Individual councilors may keep their own files, but the office of record is the Generalate.