In Roman civic administration, two [[Consuls]] were elected to manage the affairs of the city. Each had broad powers, but every act was subject to veto by the other Consul. This was the model chosen for the administration of The Augustan Society, Inc., in 2007, and is the foundation for consular Consular authority and limits. Obviously, they also serve at the pleasure of the [[Board]] under contract, and under Board direction through the [[President]].
The logic for having two persons share what would normally be the duties of one executive director is that the job is felt to be larger than one person might manage (especially considering it is a volunteer position), and because the only viable candidates identified in 2007 were a couple, both of whom were long-time members who joined the Society in 1974. Their skills and competencies are largely complimentary, and while it would be inaccurate to describe their administration as being without conflict, these are in nearly all cases resolved between them without recourse to Board authority.
==Contract==
Consuls work under a the [[Contract|Consular Consuls' 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 The Contract includes a payment in lieu of rent for the space the Society occupies in their home. This is 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.
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. Thus continuous progress would result in freezing the rent.
With the upcoming termination of the office of Consul, contracts will still need to be executed annually for headquarters Headquarters space in the Metcalfs' home. The have expressed the intent to continue doubling the fee each year, barring significant progress by the Board toward moving out.
That said, it is desirable that all duties that do not benefit from being performed at Headquarters be transferred to other volunteers. It would also be desirable to transfer some of their duties once a public [[Headquarters]] has been obtained and local volunteers become known.
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.
They also serve as that nasty little voice of conscience in the heads of officers, chairmen, and others. They will 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.
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 at the chaos that followed our Founder's decline and demise. The Society does not have the luxury of allowing anyone to become irreplaceable.
Consuls' duty in this regard is thus to strengthen the [[Board]] so that it can actually manage the 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 to deemphasize the need for our services until we can be replaced by a clerk or two.
This work has been in progress since 2007, and the prognosis is not good.
There is a "Plan B" in reserve that provides for the appointment of a true "[[Executive Director" ]] to assume all authority of the Board save his hiring and amendment of the [[By-Laws]]. Were one of us to be so anointed, it would have the effect of making the Society the "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 proposed only as a last resort, as Consuls think it the worst possible answer short of dissolving the Society.
They will continue to offer their services as institutional memory on request, but will try to resist the temptation to speak up without invitation. The President and others who appoint officers will be expected to do their own follow-up.
The annual [[Consuls' Contract]] will continue, but as a rental agreement only, and with the same pricing as described above.
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