Vision Proposals

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Martin Luther is fabled to have nailed 95 theses to the door of the church. This Centennial Vision for The Augustan Society, Inc., does not contain quite that many proposals (yet), but here they are, consolidated for consideration en masse:

    Planning

  1. The Board of Directors of the Society, by delegation to the Order of the Augustan Eagle, should take responsibility for completing and maintaining this long-range vision for the Society's future.

    2. Administration

  2. The Society should consider linking the number of Directors to the size of the membership, with the number of Directors set to the odd number approximately equal to one tenth the number of regular and life members as of 1 January, with a minimum of five and a maximum of fifteen.
  3. The Society should consider how important it is that each department be represented on the Board by a dedicated Director, and if this is felt important, then steps should be taken to ensure that this is the case, possibly by amending the By-Laws to provide that a Director shall head each Department.
  4. The Society should pursue conversion of the administration from the present "shared power" arrangement to having either a strong Board overseeing a largely clerical staff, or having a strong Executive Director and a token Board.

    5. Staff

  5. The Society should document all of the tasks and procedures employed to the degree that a reasonably competent person might be able to follow such procedures to good effect, notwithstanding that some tasks may require specialized knowledge or skills.
  6. The Society should transfer all responsibilities presently performed at Headquarters that do not benefit from being done there to other volunteers.

    7. Facilities

  7. The Society must have a goal of obtaining (and retaining) a public Headquarters. To ensure that such a facility may be retained, we must create an Investment Fund sufficient that its revenue will cover the costs of rent, utilities, and taxes (if any).
  8. The Society should adopt a policy that any lease or rental be for a term of not less than five years with maximum rent defined, and that funds sufficient to secure the facility for said term be identified before a lease or rent is authorized.
  9. Should a patron offer shared 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.
  10. The Society must have a goal of obtaining (and retaining) a public Headquarters that is owned by the Society. To ensure that such a facility may be retained, we must create an Investment Fund sufficient that its revenue will cover both the initial capital cost of acquisition and modification to our purposes, and the ongoing costs of utilities, repairs, and taxes (if any).
  11. The Society should remain open to the opportunity to purchase a location for the primary purpose of storage, even if unsuitable for a headquarters, in order to reduce the burden of rented storage.

    12. Chivalry

  12. The Society should maintain and publish the criteria by which the Society will judge Orders of Chivalry (and organizations of a chivalric nature) worthy of Society recognition.
  13. The Society should document the appropriate process (preferably within this Wiki) for reviewing Orders of Chivalry (and organizations of a chivalric nature) as a byproduct of such reviews to serve as a model for future reviews.
  14. The Society should maintain and publish a fully comprehensive and public List of Recognized Orders (of Chivalry and organizations of a chivalric nature) which the Society has judged worthy of recognition.
  15. The Society should maintain and keep private a list of those Orders of Chivalry (and organizations of a chivalric nature) that we have examined and found unworthy, along with the disqualifying conditions, so as to speed reconsideration should those change, and so staff can answer questions about them appropriately.
  16. The Society should maintain and publish the standards by which they judge membership and rank in recognized Orders of Chivalry (and organizations of a chivalric nature) worthy of recognition.
  17. The Society should document the appropriate process (preferably within this Wiki) for reviewing membership and rank in recognized Orders of Chivalry (and organizations of a chivalric nature) as a byproduct of such reviews to serve as a model for future reviews.
  18. The Society should maintain and publish a listing of those chivalric memberships recognized, both for present Augustans and for others.
  19. The Society should maintain and publish a list of those Orders of Chivalry which the Society recognizes, and which the Society accepts as having fought in the Holy Lands during the Crusades, or is a legitimate descendant of such an Order.
  20. The Society should maintain and publish a List of Postnominals used in Society publications, recognized by the Society at any time, granted by the Society, or likely to be of value to members. This list should include postnominals not presently recognized by the Society for historical purposes, and these should be so flagged.
  21. The Society should publish a new edition of the Guide to Orders of Chivalry, and to produce further editions as changes in the field dictate.

    22. Genealogy

  22. The Society should maintain and publish the standards to be applied to the review and approval of lineages, including the question of when an in-depth survey might be needed.
  23. The Society should maintain and publish the standards to be applied to the review and certification of lineages.
  24. The Society should maintain and publish a Standard Format for Lineages, and oblige petitions for review to adhere to that format when written, or to GED format when submitted digitally.
  25. The Society should publish in a suitable form those lineages that have been certified. Such to redact most data more recent than the latest release of US Census data (presently 1940).

    26. Heraldry

  26. The Society should direct the Heraldry Committee to develop and publish a system of arms and logos for Society sub-groups, indicating which are entitled to full achievements, which shields, and which logos which are not intrinsically heraldic.
  27. The Society should consider a policy that senior Sub-Groups are entitled to shield, helmet, mantling, crest and badge; that Lineage Groups are entitled to a shield only; that standing Committees are entitled to a logo upon a circle; and that Study Groups are entitled to a logo upon a square or rectangle.
  28. The Society should generate reviews of heraldic books, magazines, websites, and programs in consultation with the Librarian and Omnibus Reviews Editor utilizing Heraldry Department staff.
  29. The Society should require the Heraldry Department to advise the Library on the accession, deaccession, and classification of books and other materials related to heraldry.
  30. The Society should publish additional volumes of The Augustan Society Roll of Arms in hardcover as registrations (including artwork and English blazons) are available.
  31. The Society should identify and maintain a list of qualified and affordable commercial heraldic artists to be employed at need when volunteers are unavailable.
  32. The Society should reprint Volumes I through III of The Augustan Society Roll of Arms in color.
  33. The Society should periodically publish a Rose Roll of Arms in softcover both now, and as the Noble Company of the Rose requests.
  34. The Society should publish a new edition of a Manual of Heraldry to address the deficiencies of the current edition.

    35. History

  35. The Society should make serious efforts to staff this Department, even if it must do so by assigning a willing volunteer as caretaker.

    36. Nobility

  36. The Society should maintain and publish the standards by which to judge fontes honorum to determine if they should be recognized by the Society.
  37. The Society should maintain and publish a list of those fontes honorum that have been deliberately recognized by the Society.
  38. The Society should maintain and keep private a list of all fontes honorum that have been examined and found unworthy of recognition by the Society, along with the reasons for the decision.
  39. The Society should maintain and publish the standards by which to judge if a claimed title of nobility is worthy of Society recognition, including such titles as may attach thereunto.
  40. The Society should maintain and publish a list of those individuals whose titles of nobility have been recognized by the Society.
  41. The Society should maintain and publish the standards by which to judge if a claim to untitled (or personal) nobility is worthy of Society recognition, including such honorifics as may attach thereunto.
  42. The Society should maintain and publish a list of those individuals whose untitled (personal) nobility have been recognized by the Society.
  43. The Society should maintain and publish the standards by which to judge if an individual possesses gentility worthy of Society recognition.
  44. The Society should maintain and publish a list of those individuals whose gentility has been recognized by the Society.

    45. Study Groups

  45. The Society should organize interdisciplinary projects, and some discipline-specific projects, as Study Groups under the direction of the Dean of Studies, rather than as Committees attached to the various Departments.
  46. The Society should adopt a policy limiting Coordinators of Study Groups to being in charge of only one such group at a time. If two groups are related—such as Anthropology and Archaeology—then the groups could be merged under a single Coordinator. Membership in additional Study Groups would not be constrained.
  47. The Society should more clearly specify and publish the purpose and scope of the Descents from Antiquity Project.
  48. The Society should more clearly identify the individual lines that it attempts to prove or disprove with the Descents from Antiquity Project.
  49. The Society should produce reports on each of the lines studied by the Descents from Antiquity Project on a regular basis until each is proven or disproven, with the final reports on each published in the Omnibus.
  50. The Society should document and publish the process by which the Family of Augustans Project is to be pursued.
  51. The Society should place the combined lineages included in the Family of Augustans Project online for use by members. This should take the form of a useful web site, not just a collection of GED files. Data on events after 1940 should be redacted.
  52. The Society should oblige the First Peoples Study Group to create a statement of purpose.
  53. The Society should work to identify the individuals and locations (and to the extent possible, the dates) of the prints in the Society's photo collection.
  54. The Society should, on a rotating basis, advertise the potential of the inactive Study Groups to the membership in an effort to reactivate as many as may have support.
  55. The Society should, through the office of Dean of Studies and guided by the Member Interest Survey, invite specific members to reactivate particular Study Groups, and to create more for new topics.

    56. Communications

  56. The Society should work toward publishing the members newsletter on a monthly schedule, presuming sufficient funding and material enough for four pages are available.
  57. The Society should conduct a survey to test the level of interest in publishing the members newsletter electronically, and a decision made about the value of devoting the time needed to reformat as HTML (versus publishing as a PDF file).
  58. The Society should reduce the publishing frequency of The Augustan Omnibus to annual; targeting 68 pages/issue minimum, until such time as the Society's finances are able to support an increased frequency.
  59. The Society should continue to publish Rosarum, the newsletter of the Noble Company of the Rose, at such frequency and size as that group is able to support with copy and funding.
  60. The Society should publish additional volumes of the Augustan Society Roll of Arms as registrations permit.
  61. The Society should reprint the first three volumes of the Augustan Society Roll of Arms in color.
  62. The Society should publish special Rolls for Sub-Groups of the Society, such as the Noble Company of the Rose, as those Sub-Groups request.
  63. The Society should monitor and update the Main Website on an ongoing basis to ensure that it remains complete and correct.
  64. The Society should monitor and update the Online Store website on an ongoing basis to ensure that the offerings are complete and correct; that they have full contents data; that the genealogical titles have surname lists; and that pricing reflects current costs.
  65. The Society should establish an online forum in some suitable venue, possibly the Main Website, wherein public conversations about the Society and Augustan topics are encouraged, as soon as a moderator and suitable rules may be established.
  66. The Society should convert all former publications to electronic form; first as PDF files, then as text files with improved illustrations where possible.
  67. The Society should create independent issues of back issues published as part of the Augustan Society Ominbus so that they may be sold separately.
  68. The Society should continue to offer Reprints, creating and expanding reprints on a topical basis. Single-article reprints should be phased out as stock is exhausted.
  69. The Society should institute a program of book publishing, both leveraging the material already on hand and inviting original work.
  70. The Society should publish the Guide to Orders of Chivalry and see that it is updated as necessary.
  71. The Society should obtain an email server that is tailored to the unique needs of the Society. This may be a commercial product, or a custom application running on a Society server.

    72. Library

  72. The Society should obtain sufficient Library space to house the entire collection accessibly, with sufficient study and work space adjacent.
  73. The Society should obtain sufficient Library furnishings to house the collection accessibly, with due regard to long-term preservation.
  74. The Society should make the Library collection publicly accessible, preferably through a library facility open to the public on a regular schedule.
  75. The Society should oblige each topical Department (Chivalry, Genealogy, Heraldry, History, and Royalty & Nobility) and each Study Group to support the Library by providing advice and recommendations about materials to be added to (or removed from) the collection in their field of study.

    76. Sub-Groups

  76. The Society should oblige the Order of the Augustan Eagle and Noble Company of the Rose to align their offices and define job descriptions for them.
  77. The Order of the Augustan Eagle should repeal the provision of the Rule of the Order that permits proxies at meetings.
  78. The Order of the Augustan Eagle should maintain its standards for membership, even if that might mean periods of dormancy result.
  79. The Eagle Council should be called to meet not less than quarterly until the Five-Year Plan stabilizes.
  80. The Society should document the process for imposing Administrative governance on the senior sub-groups, the process of that governance, and the process for returning to normal operation.
  81. The Noble Company of the Rose should return to their former practice of Meeting in Chapter each year during the Annual Convention.
  82. The Noble Company of the Rose should establish the nature of Meetings in Chapter such that they form a legitimate forum for the election of the Magister Rosae and such other activities as may be found appropriate.
  83. The Noble Company of the Rose should repeal the provision of their Rule that permits proxies at meetings.
  84. The Society should name Deans for each of the Lineage Groups, and to encourage them to organize sufficiently that they may contribute to Society programs with more than their entry fees.
  85. The Society should consider the creation of additional Lineage Groups in areas not presently served by another organization, and where there is sufficient member interest to suggest that the new group would be a productive part of the Society's programs.
  86. If enough records are available, organize a "final report" of the Heraldry Society of the USA and formally merge it into the Society.


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