Consuls have a second set of obligations, ones that are but for this page unwritten, and as a result largely misunderstood.
Consuls, if only by virtue of their long tenure with the Society, including time spent with the [[Founder]], must serve as the Society's organizational institutional memory, especially in those many areas where the history is unwritten. In the performance of this duty, they not only answer questions, but pro-actively advise officers and councils of that history. This isn't to say that they have the authority to block change, only that they may require that it be done knowingly, and with full awareness of relevant Society history.
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 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.
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.
==Termination==