The current physical facilities of The Augustan Society, Inc., are the [[Consuls]]Metcalfs' home and four storage units a mile away, all located in southern Orange County, Florida. This arrangement is far from ideal, and incurs delays and expenses we would prefer to avoid. Our vision is to obtain a unified [[Headquarters]] facility outside the ConsulsMetcalfs' home, but it may be prudent to accept a smaller facility with some of the storage units maintained.
The Society has had a public Headquarters for about half of its existence, the other half being worked out of the private home of the [[Founder]] or [[Consuls]]. The advantages of a public Headquarters are many, including:
* Security from the termination of the ConsulsMetcalfs
* The ability to collect all Society property to one location
* The ability to bring volunteers in to assist with the work
The location of a rented Headquarters is presently constrained by the location of the Consuls[[Headquarters Staff]], who would naturally be unwilling to commute extended distances. Should a move be coincident with replacing the present Consuls staff (something they would not object to), the location could be moved to any suitable place.
However, given the substantial expenditure of time and labor (if not expense) of frequent relocations, and that the Society can ill afford the loss of productivity that accompanies a move, even if it might afford the expense, short-term rentals are unlikely to be in the best long-term interest of the Society.
Note that Consuls [[Headquarters Staff]] have had conversations with potential patrons who might be convinced to offer space appropriate to our need at lower than market prices. The actual price and space available are yet to be determined, but it may be possible to obtain as much as 5000 sq.ft.
'''Proposal: Should a patron offer space not unreasonably far from the present [[Headquarters]] under suitable conditions of security and compatible use for a below-market price for at least a five-year term, the Society should move quickly to accept, even if long-term goals suggest a different (but currently unaffordable) location.'''
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Further advantages may be had from owning rather than renting, including: