Changes

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 were largely complimentary, and while it would be inaccurate to describe their administration as being without conflict, these are were in nearly all cases resolved between them without recourse to Board authority.

Consuls are were permitted by contract to style themselves differently as circumstances permit, especially when dealing with those outside the Society who may not be familiar with the term "Consul". "Executive Director" is was generally preferred for this, and may could be employed by either Consul (unless that title were created for a different office is created, in which case such use would be confusing and inappropriate).

Consuls work worked under the a [[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. 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.

The rent for space in the ConsulsMetcalfs' home was set at $2 for 2007, doubling each year thereafter. In practice it increased in a 1-2-5 sequence for the first few years, 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 $2000. It is was expected that multiples of two will would be more strictly applied in future.

The logic for the exponential payments is was 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 the Board fail to obtain a Headquarters, that would soon be the effect).

Consuls The Metcalfs have expressed a willingness to 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 was be split in halfinto two semi-annual payments; the first half due in January2018, and it was split into quarterly payments. This gave the second half in July, giving Consuls Metcalfs the opportunity to waive half a portion of the fee annual rent if the Society — in their sole opinion — has had made significant progress toward moving out in the first six months. 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. While no longer associated with Consular duties after 2017, contracts will still need to be executed annually for Headquarters space in the Metcalfs' home. The present agreement with the Metcalfs now provides that rent will be free provided that the Society deposit 10% of gross revenues into the Investment Fund, and that the deposits in that fund remain untouched. Growth and interest may be withdrawn at the Board's discretion. A capital purchase or long-term lease would also trigger a review of this agreement.

In general, the duty of the Consuls is to perform all work of the Society under the direction of the [[BoardPresident]] that is not assigned to others. This includes some specific roles:

# * Attendance (by one) at each meeting of the Board# * Service as [[Production Editor-in-Chief]] of all Society publications, except as provided by the Board# * [[Eagle AdministratorAssistant Chancellor]] (previously the Eagle Administrator) for the [[Order of the Augustan Eagle]] in cooperation with the [[Eagle Council]]# * [[Assistant Rose Assistant Chancellor]] (previously the Rose Administrator) for the [[Noble Company of the Rose]] in cooperation with the [[Rose Council]]# * [[SDLKJ AdministratorClerk]] for the [[Society of Descendants of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem]], in cooperation with the [[Dean of the SDLKJ]]# * [[SDI AdministratorClerk]] for the [[Society of Descendants of Ireland]] in cooperation with the [[Dean of the SDI]]# * [[SDS AdministratorClerk]] for the [[Society of Descendants of Scotland]] in cooperation with the [[Dean of the SDS]]# * [[SDC AdministratorClerk]] 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 had been customary for one of the Consuls to deliver a "[[State of the Society]]" address at the [[Annual Meeting]]. Often Occasionally the Board will direct directed that copies be distributed to either the Board or the Membership. Not all such have been suitable for general publication. The 2016 address was the last of these, the task being given to the Society's [[Chairman]], or in the vacancy of that office, the [[President]].

Consuls have had a second set of obligations, ones that are were 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 advised officers and councils of that history. This isn't to say that they have had the authority to block change, only that they may require required that it be done knowingly, and with full awareness of relevant Society history.

They also serve served as that nasty little voice of conscience in the heads of officers, chairmen, and others. They will try tried to keep track of which tasks have had been assigned or assumed, and gently (and privately) remind reminded others of what yet needs needed to be done.

There is was also a negative duty — to conduct ourselves themselves in ways that prevent prevented 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 was thus to strengthen the [[Board]] so that it can could actually manage the affairs of the Society, to develop volunteer chairmen who can could carry out the work, to develop vice-chairmen who can step up at need, and to deemphasize the need for our their services until we can they could be replaced by a clerk or two.

The Metcalfs will continue to offer their services as institutional memory on request, but will try to resist the temptation to speak up without invitationoffice of '''Consul''' was eliminated effective 31 December 2017. The President and others who appoint officers will be expected to do their own followThis was motivated by the failure of this mixed-upauthority form of Society management, and by the emotional exhaustion of the incumbents.

The annual contracts will Metcalfs intended to continuein the elected and appointed offices they held at the time of termination, generally shown above as Official Duties, but surrendered their obligation to serve as a rental agreement onlythe motivating force for the Society and other activities shown above as Unofficial Duties. It was thereafter to the [[Board]], [[Sub-Groups|Sub-Group]] councils, and with especially the same pricing [[President]] to see that things continue to happen. In particular, the Metcalfs would no longer serve as described abovethe "acting everything" when a post goes vacant. The Metcalfs offered to continue their services as institutional memory on request, but would 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.