Elders

The elders are the supreme leaders of the Brotherhood of Steel. They wield complete authority and run the entire organization.
The core council at Lost Hills, referred to as the Council of Elders, is comprised of four eldersThe Vault Dweller: "{346}{}{Who are the Elders?}"John Maxson: "{244}{Gen_59}{Well you see there's four of them and that's about all they can ever agree on. They can't even agree if they want to piss, much less pick a pot to piss in.}"(John Maxson's dialogue) and one high elder to moderate meetings and cast votes to break ties.
==Ranks==
===High elder===
The high elder is the official leader of the entire Brotherhood of Steel, although their authority shared with the elder council at Lost Hills. Major decisions on Brotherhood policies and campaigns must be approved by the council. The high elder may hire external contractors to complete smaller objectives they deem necessary. Even if they have been freshly accepted into the Brotherhood and such an action would violate the Chain That Binds policy.
====Notable members====
* High Elder Roger Maxson (2077 - 2135)
* High Elder Maxson II (2135 - 2155)
* High Elder John Maxson (2155 - ?)
* High Elder Jeremy Maxson (ca. 2231 - ?)
===Elder===
The elders are the second highest command position in the Brotherhood, responsible for guiding the order and setting down policies. While Lost Hills maintains an elder council, loyalist chapters established outside California typically only have one elder, who fulfills the role of chapter's leader. Typically, only paladins are eligible to become elders, but exceptions can be made for extraordinary members of other branches.The Courier: "Tell me about your last Elder."Edgar Hardin: "Elijah was a strange one. His even becoming Elder was highly questionable, seeing as how he was a Scribe. Typically, only Paladins are eligible. But an exception was made in his case, on account of him being a genius. Unfortunately, whatever scientific acumen he had didn't extend to tactics. Trying to defend HELIOS was a blunder of the worst kind, and many brothers lost their lives because of it. Many of the senior paladins, myself included, advised him to fight a retreating action, but he refused to budge. Said he almost "had it working". We never did find out exactly what he was talking about. When the perimeter was finally overrun, the Elder had simply vanished."(Edgar Hardin's dialogue)
====Notable members====
* Elder Mary, New California 2161
* Elder Jacob, New California 2161
* Elder Rachael, New California 2161
* Elder Jonathan, New California 2161
* Elder Owyn Lyons, Capital Wasteland, 2277
* Elder Sarah Lyons, Capital Wasteland, 2278
* Elder Theis, referred to in the Capital Wasteland, unknownStar Paladin Cross: "In the words of Elder Theis: "A Brother well equipped is a Brother keeping to his duty."(Star Paladin Cross' dialogue)
* Elder David James, referred to in Mojave, unknownHidden Valley bunker terminals; incident 233: "Let the record show that I have stood witness to the dismissal of David James from the post of Elder. Brother James was charged with destroying an unknown device recovered from a recent expedition. The purpose and function of the device remain unknown, and Brother James has thus far proven unwilling to discuss the matter with anyone. Head Scribe Talwin"
* Elder Kenneth Jones, referred to in Mojave, unknownHidden Valley bunker terminal entries; incident #2: "Be it known that form this day, Kenneth Jones shall no longer bear the title of Elder. Brother Jones has willfully gone against the Chain That Binds and has been forced to step down. Head Paladin Lindquist succeeds him as Elder. Head Scribe Morgan"
* Elder Lindquist, referred to in Mojave, unknownHidden Valley bunker terminal entries; incident #2: "Be it known that form this day, Kenneth Jones shall no longer bear the title of Elder. Brother Jones has willfully gone against the Chain That Binds and has been forced to step down. Head Paladin Lindquist succeeds him as Elder. Head Scribe Morgan"
* Elder Raymond Lorn, referred to in Mojave, unknownHidden Valley bunker terminal entries; incident #1: "Let it be recorded that on this day, Raymond Lorn was dismissed from his post as Elder for committing the crime of murder. Brother Lorn was known to have hostile feelings toward the victim, Senior Scribe Ritter. The guilty part insists that Ritter's death was a tragic case of friendly fire (the bunker was under attack at the time), but the tribunal felt they could not let him persist as Elder with such suspicion hanging over him. Head Scribe Bucek"
* Elder Elijah, Mojave, 2276
* Elder Nolan McNamara, Mojave, 2281
* Elder Arthur Maxson, Commonwealth, 2283
==Notes==
The description of the Elder's battlecoat item in Fallout 76 reveals it is not exclusive to Arthur Maxson, but rather, common attire among the Elders.
==References==
Category:Brotherhood of Steel