Three of our four review committees, [[Arms Review Committee|Heraldry]], [[Chivlary Committee|Chivalry]], and [[Royalty & Nobility Committee|Royalty & Nobility]], all now have active chairmen, and all are reviewing submissions and making recommendations to the Board in a timely fashion. It will take a bit of time for all of them to firm up their procedures and achieve the sort of response time we all want, but their clear dedication to their duties is most satisfying. We hope that the [[Genealogy Committee]] will soon find an active Chairman and join them.
We do have some research committees, primarily the [[Descents from Antiquity Study Group|Descents from Antiquity]] and [[Family of Augustans Study Group|Family of Augustans]], which have been moving slowly, but are far from dead. And even those many committees that are presently dormant are but that … they can be reactivated at the whim of a single willing member.
The [[Order of the Augustan Eagle]] is filling out its [[Eagle Council|Council]], and has been tasked with several long-range projects, such as the “[[Mission Statement]]”. We think this is the right group to take on such issues that involve significant changes to our traditions and practices, and we expect proposals for more dramatic changes in the near future, which should rightly be referred first to the OAE.
The [[Hereditary Order of Armigerous Augustans]] has been dormant the past five years, save for the nearly independent [[Heraldry Committee]]. In short, this group needs to be revitalized or euthanized. Barring the emergence of a champion, we recommend it be placed on dormant status. This will require an amendment to the qualifications for entrance to the [[Order of the Augustan Eagle|OAE]], and the Heraldry Committee can easily be spun off as independent.
The [[Noble Company of the Rose]] has also been dormant for five years, but a new ''[[Magister Rosae]]'' recently elected may change that … once he gets his new duties as [[Treasurer]] and the [[Audit Committee|Audit Committee Chairman]] under his belt. I recommend that we offer him our patience.
The five [now four] [[Lineage Groups]] have not attracted any members to their ranks in the past year. However, we have received an increasing number of calls from non-members wishing to join them. We feel that serious consideration should be given to opening up membership in these groups to non-members. It would provide a source of revenue—the original purpose of these groups—and they may thereby offer a path to membership in the Society that such individuals might not otherwise consider.
One lesson learned in the past year is that too much of our operations are focused on the [[Consuls]]. We have become the bottleneck in most programs, and this is not good. True, some things must necessarily be done at headquarters, and it is not possible at present to include volunteers in our operations here, but other projects that could be as easily managed elsewhere are now on a list for “outsourcing”. We look for your support in this change, as it will be necessary if we are to expand our operations.
But I have seen many groups torn asunder by a misplaced sense of loyalty or an inflated sense of authority. For some, these matters can trump all else, even justice and truth. From this unworthy mindset can come acts that will be viewed as evil by others, while seeming virtuous to the actors. As Directors, and indeed as Augustans, I would remind you that your loyalty to all of us is greater than your loyalty to any one of us (Consuls included), and that the authority of your offices is strictly limited. This is no monarchy; only our [[By-Laws]] reign supreme. Know that they will always have your Consuls' first allegiance.
Finally, we wish to express our sincere and humble appreciation for the acts of confidence and spontaneous spontaneous gestures of support offered by Officer and Member alike in recent weeks. Considering that our fiscal compensation is almost beneath notice, it is these shows of confidence that sustain us in our efforts on the Society's behalf.
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