Consuls work under a [[Contract|Consular Contract]], renewed (usually with revisions) for each calendar year. For a brief period of unrest, their contract was month-to-month, but that now is behind us.
Their contract includes an honorariuma payment in lieu of rent for the space the Society occupies in their home. This is mean meant to compensate them for the space used by the Society within their home, and for the additional expenses of operating Society equipment. It is not meant as compensation for their time—they serve as volunteers.
==Honorarium==
The honorarium was set at $2 for 2007, doubling each year thereafter. In practice it has been increasing in a 1-2-5 sequence, thus the ninth year of the contract will be $1000 each rather than $512. This has been done with the knowledge and agreement of the Board. Consuls plan to revert to multiples of two effective with 2017.==Rent==
The rent was set at $2 for 2007, doubling each year thereafter. In practice it has been increasing in a 1-2-5 sequence, and there were exceptions made in the year that rent was paid monthly, thus in the tenth year of the contract (2016) the rent was be $2000. It is expected that multiples of two will be applied in future. The logic for the exponential honorarium payments is that at the time the first contract was signed, $2 was a significant fraction of Society reserves. The predictable increases were intended to give the Society both the incentive and the time needed to obtain a Headquarters outside the Consuls' home; not to impoverish or take over the Society (though should this continue, that would be the effect). Consuls will negotiate lower or no increases if the Board demonstrates concrete progress toward the goal of an independent Headquarters facility. To encourage this, starting with the 2016 contract, payment will be split in half; the first half due in January, and the second half in July, giving Consuls the opportunity to waive half the fee if the Society — in their sole opinion — has made significant progress toward moving out. Should the rent be thus reduced, the following year's rent would be twice the reduced amount.
To encourage this, starting with the 2016 contract, payment will be split in half; the first half due in January, and the second half in July, giving Consuls the opportunity to waive half the honorarium if the Society has made substantial progress toward moving out.
==Official Duties==
#Attendance (by one) at each meeting of the Board
#Service as [[Editor-in-Chief]] of Society publications ("Editor-in-Chief" being the style of the Chairman of the [[Communications|Communications Department]])
#[[Eagle Administrator]] for the [[Order of the Augustan Eagle]] in cooperation with the [[Eagle Council]]
#[[Rose Administrator]] for the [[Noble Company of the Rose]] in cooperation with the [[Rose Council]]
#[[SDC Administrator]] for the [[Society of Descendants of the Conquest]] in cooperation with the [[Dean of the SDC]]
#[[Librarian]]
#[[Curator]](until such time as the [[Museum]] collection is dispersed
#Making themselves available to the Board and Membership as appropriate
It has also become customary for one of the Consuls to deliver a "[[State of the Society]]" address at the [[Annual Membership Meeting]]. Often the Board will direct that copies be distributed to either the Board or the Membership. Not all such have been suitable for general publication.
==Unofficial Duties==
Consuls have a second set of obligations, ones that are but for this page unwritten, and as a result largely misunderstood.
WeConsuls, if only by virtue of our their long tenure with the Society, including time spent with the [[Founder]], must serve as the Society's organizational memory, especially in those many areas where the history is unwritten. In the performance of this duty, we they not only answer questions, but pro-actively advice advise officers and councils of that history. This isn't to say that we they have the authority to block change, only that we they may require that it be done knowingly, and with full awareness of relevant Society history. We also serve as that nasty little voice of conscience in the heads of officers, chairmen, and others. We try to keep track of which tasks have been assigned or assumed, and gently (and privately) remind others of what yet needs to be done. At present, the primary means of this is a "Monthly Reminders" email. Other tools will be taken up as they present themselves. There is also a negative duty — to conduct ourselves in ways that prevent this from becoming the "Metcalf Society", just as it was earlier the "Hartwell Society". Focusing too much of the attention on any individual is hazardous for such a group; look only to the chaos that followed our Founder's decline and demise. We do not have the depth of management that permits us to allow anyone to become vital, including most especially ourselves.
Our duty They also serve as that nasty little voice of conscience in this regard is thus to strengthen the [[Board]] so that it can actually manage the affairs heads of the Societyofficers, to develop volunteer chairmen who can carry out the work, and others. They will try to develop vice-chairmen who can step up at needkeep track of which tasks have been assigned or assumed, and gently (and privately) remind others of what yet needs to deemphasize the need for our services until we can be replaced by a clerk or twodone.
We've been at There is also a negative duty — to conduct ourselves in ways that prevent this last since 2007from becoming the "Metcalf Society", and just as it was earlier the prognosis "Hartwell Society". Focusing too much of the attention on any individual is hazardous for such a group; look only to the chaos that followed our Founder's decline and demise. The Society does not goodhave the depth of management that permits us to allow anyone to become irreplaceable.
We do have a "Plan B" Consuls' duty in reserve this regard is thus to strengthen the [[Board]] so that provides for us taking over it can actually manage the operations affairs of the Society , to develop volunteer chairmen who can carry out the work, to develop vice-chairmen who can step up at need, and making it quite deliberately to deemphasize the "Metcalf Society" need for our services until such time as the Board is ready to resume its duties ... or we utterly fail to sustain operations. We will propose this plan only as can be replaced by a last resort, as we think it the worst possible answer short of dissolving the Societyclerk or two.
==Support==This work has been in progress since 2007, and the prognosis is not good.
The creation There is a "Plan B" in reserve that provides for us taking over the operations of an [[Advisory Council]] has been discussed the Society and authorized by making it quite deliberately the [[President]]. It is not clear when "Metcalf Society" until such time as the Board is ready to resume its duties ... or we utterly fail to sustain operations. This plan will be found to implement suchproposed only as a last resort, as Consuls think it the worst possible answer short of dissolving the Society.
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