Five-Year Plan

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For medium-range planning, The Augustan Society, Inc., has named a Planning Committee and assigned them the task of developing and maintaining an rolling five-year plan for the Society. The October 2014 draft of their plan follows:

The Future of the Augustan Society FIVE YEAR PLAN

This document presents a plan for The Augustan Society, Inc. to continue to stabilize and grow according to its mission. With a mind toward the organization's 75th anniversary, this plan also includes some long-range desired outcomes, but the focus of this report is on actionable and measurable items that may be undertaken during the next five years.

Structured in a sequence based on the Mission and Values Statements below, this report presents ideas and recommendations in three areas:

  1. Administration and Infrastructure
  2. Areas of Study and Tradition
  3. Areas of Service

Recommendations have been made by individual Board members and Consuls, in committee discussion and in Board meetings. Where possible, proposed measurements of success have been indicated.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Augustan Society, Inc. promotes the study and traditions of chivalry, genealogy, heraldry, history before AD 1700, and nobility by providing unique, high-quality resources, including a library, museum, publications and services for members and the public.

VALUES STATEMENT

We work to further chivalric values in society by the manner in which we conduct ourselves and our business.

This should be considered a "working document" that can be amended and developed according to the needs of the organization and as new information is gathered. This document should also be updated to reflect the results of initiatives. It is further recommended that portions of this document that are undeveloped be submitted to existing relevant committees and subgroups for development and evaluation on a periodic basis.

It is ultimately the recommendation of this document that it function as the basis for a series of annual business plans for the organization. While we cannot accomplish all things in a single year, we can certainly break down this large body of recommendations into plans and tasks that we may be able to accomplish and measure on an annual basis.

Area 1 — ADMINISTRATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE

As the Society grows, there are fundamental needs which must be met. This list below includes a range of resources to develop and implement organizational infrastructure that have been identified as essential to the Society's growth and wellbeing.

  1. Annual Communications Calendar
    1. An internal schedule of all planned communication with members and the public will allow for smooth and predictable times to share information, for planning ahead to promote initiatives, and reasonable deadlines for inclusion in communications. The schedule may be developed with assistance and input from the Publications Committee.
    2. The schedule should include:
      1. Augustæum
        1. Frequency: bimonthly. Annually, frequency should be re-evaluated to consider increase to monthly. Factors to consider in increasing frequency: cost, urgency of information, member participation in providing content.
        2. Currently produced by Consul Bruce Metcalf in his capacity as Augustæum Editor. Printing and mailing are done at Headquarters.
      2. Augustan Wiki
        1. Replace printed Handbook with online wiki, allowing for fast updates and immediate distribution at trivial cost.
        2. Updates would be done on an as-needed basis.
        3. Link to Wiki would be regularly provided to all members, perhaps in the Augustæum and in the members section of the website.
        4. Infrastructure to be developed by Kimon Andreou and Bruce Metcalf. Updates to be entered by Consuls and responsible volunteers.
        5. Regular review of content to be scheduled as part of communications calendar.
        6. Regular promotion of specific content to be scheduled as part of communication calendar. I.e.: including a link to the nominations section when Board nominations are mentioned in print to members.
      3. Fundraising
        1. Regularly scheduled direct mail requests for donation for the annual campaign.
        2. Inclusion of fundraising news and requests in Augustæum
        3. Digital form on the Society website for donations via credit cards and PayPal
      4. Board Nominations
      5. Calls for Content for Publications
      6. Invitation to Annual Convention
      7. Rose Newsletter
      8. Augustan Omnibus
        1. Published twice annually
      9. Announcement of new publications
        1. Include in Augustæum
        2. Include in advertising sections of Augustan Omnibus (Note: The Omnibus does not presently have an advertising section. Ads are distributed through the articles to fill pages.)
        3. Flyer to be included in mailings
        4. Online advertising where appropriate for subject
          1. Attempt to barter or trade advertising instead of spending funds
          2. On Society website
        5. Review copies of publications sent to relevant reporters, news editors, bloggers and book reviewers, with follow up to ask for reviews and endorsements
      10. Email Newsletter
        1. A survey of members to be undertaken to determine necessity
        2. Content can be digital version of Augustæum
        3. Use of service such as Constant Contact can yield useful data about member interests and allow for automated management of email lists
      11. Social Media Updates
        1. Facebook - optimal updates are daily or multiple updates per day
        2. Twitter - optimal updates are daily or multiple updates per day (Note: The Society does not have a Twitter account.)
        3. Use a platform such as HootSuite to pre-load updates and release them according to a planned schedule.
      12. Website Updates
        1. As needed
        2. Routine review of web content on periodic basis, perhaps to be assigned to various committee and board members by webmasters (Note: This is presently being done by the Webmaster with almost no support.)
        3. Establish a Forum for discussion on the website; moderator needed (Note: A Forum already exists on the main web site, but was disabled at the order of a previous President. Given a moderator, it could be enabled very quickly.)
      13. Indicators of success: annual schedule is created, with 75% of deadlines met in 2015. 80% in 2016. 85% in 2017. 90% in 2018. 90% of deadlines met is ultimate goal.
    3. Expanded Volunteer Involvement
      1. Staff expect that the opening of our Library will encourage and enable local volunteers. (Note: A distinction needs to be made between Library accessibility, which exists now, and a public Library facility that would permit the use of volunteers.)
        1. Broadcast this opportunity using online resources such as volunteermatch.org
      2. For non-local volunteers, staff feels the need for a Volunteer Coordinator.
        1. Advertise this opportunity to members via the Augustæum (Note: Presently awaiting receipt of copy by Augustæum Editor.)
      3. Increase in members' volunteering
        1. Committee participation
        2. Writing for publication
        3. Research as a paid service and also as an assist for staff
        4. Fundraising
        5. Digitizing Back Issues of publications; cross-check of OCR documents
      4. Indicators of success: increase in number of volunteers, number of volunteer hours and number of projects successfully undertaken. More specific data needed to cast these goals into concrete numbers. (Note: Volunteer hours have been tallied since 2007.)
    4. Financial Management and Development
      1. Investment Fund
        1. The Investment Fund is currently earning approximately $11,000 annually with a very cautious approach to investment that is yielding about 4% return.
        2. Indicators of success: continue to gain 4% return.
      2. Fundraising
        1. Establish Fundraising Chairman and possible committee to spearhead annual fundraising campaign
          1. Indicators of success: active member(s) contribute time and effort needed to accomplish annual fundraising campaign
      3. Establish and promote annual campaign for specific goals
        1. 2014 - Augustan Library Fund (Note: What is the purpose of this fund, and how is it different from the Headquarters Fund below?)
          1. This pilot project aims to collect $10,000 in FY 2014
          2. This campaign collected $2,284
          3. Has been on hold due to loss of nonprofit status of organization (Note: Consuls disagree that our 501(c)(3) status greatly inhibits fundraising.)
          4. Indicators of success: participation from 95% of membership, meet 50% of goal (Note: Consuls disagree that it is constructive to claim success when failing by 50%.)
      4. 2015 - Augustan Library Fund
      5. 2016 - Augustan Special Collections Fund (to repair, rebind or replace volumes in unusable condition) (Note: Consuls recommend this line item be added to the budget.)
      6. 2017 - Augustan Headquarters Fund (to purchase permanent location) (Note: Consuls feel this is unlikely in this decade.)
      7. 2018 - suggestion needed
      8. 2019 - suggestion needed
    5. Continue "Buy-A-Box" campaign until all books are unpacked
      1. In mid 2014 it was determined that a critical lack of shelving space required borrowing from the Cataloging Fund to purchase more storage shelving.
      2. Requests for donation to the "Buy-A-Box" fund have been included in recent member communications and have yielded some return. The debt to the Cataloging Fund has been repaid as of October 2014.
      3. Indicators of success: close deficit by end of 2014.
    6. Cataloging Fund
      1. A $10,000 donation was made in 2011, with the stipulation that it be used to fund the expenses incurred by cataloging the book collection.
      2. An online book catalog has been established
      3. Over 3,000 books have been cataloged to date
      4. This project is managed by the Consuls at Headquarters
      5. The establishment of a publicly accessible Library location would allow Consuls to recruit and supervise volunteers to work on the project
      6. It is estimated that approximately 15,000 to 25,000 volumes remain to be cataloged.
      7. Indicators of success: all books and ephemera cataloged at a rate of 10% per year (Note: The current rate of cataloging is approximately 700 volumes per year. Doubling that will require work to be transferred from Headquarters to volunteers or projects discontinued.)
    7. Establish perennial campaigns for general support
      1. Trusts, Wills and Life Insurance, life annuities
        1. Mention of these donation options may be made in regular member communications. (The Augustæum Editor has not yet received any such submissions.)
        2. A direct mail project is recommended, with a letter to be sent to all members suggesting that the Society be remembered in wills, trusts and life insurance, with relevant information such as tax ID. (It would be imprudent to publish the Society's Tax ID number.)
        3. A direct mail project is recommended, with a letter to be sent to all members suggesting that book and ephemera collections and personal papers be donated to the Society
          1. Indicators of success: mailing sent on annual basis, mentions made three times annually in various publications
        4. Memorial Funds
          1. The Hans Von Leden Memorial Fund was established in 2014. It has raised $10,565 as of October 2014. (Note: This fund has been declared complete; final distribution of the fund has been deferred to 2015.)
        5. General Fund
          1. Historically, the annual fundraiser has aimed to replenish this fund, which is used for operating expenses
          2. Donations that are not received for specific purposes are placed in this fund. (In 2015, such unspecific donations are being placed in the 2015 Fundraiser.)
        6. Public Relations
          1. Memberships in scholarly organizations
          2. Board members and Consuls attend relevant events and conventions, representing Society
          3. Identify top salable items and services and advertise those in relevant websites and publications (Note: Consuls are unconvinced that the following list includes the "top" items. A survey of "bestsellers" could be provided on request.)
            1. Registration of Arms
            2. Augustan Society Roll of Arms
            3. Little Manual of Heraldry
            4. Augustan Omnibus Subscriptions
            5. Used and surplus books and magazines.
        7. Headquarters
          1. Suitable location to be found
          2. Headquarters Chairman to be named and to assist in search
          3. Possible renovations or building maintenance to be performed before move in (Note: Staff expect this to be a non-trivial expense, especially as it will be quite difficult to reach the walls, floors, and ceilings after move-in.)
          4. Need for furniture, office supplies and equipment; budget tbd for these expenses (Note: Most such items are already on hand.)
          5. Indicators of success: location found, secured and occupied
        8. Staff Development
          1. Paid staff or executive director position has been discussed
            1. It may be prudent to reach for a part-time clerk rather than a full-time Executive Director
            2. Consideration of this position should wait until move into Library is complete and needs of organization can be better assessed
            3. Consul is unsure if a paid executive director is needed or necessary. It may well be that competent clerks could perform most of the Society's administrative work, with volunteers covering matters requiring expertise.
            4. A post-Metcalf plan needs to be established
              1. Capture institutional knowledge and directions for processes in the Wiki
              2. Determine how to handle transition from Consuls once they retire
          2. To revise our lists of offices and chairmanships to distinguish between essential and optional
            1. Consuls suggest that any reorganization create departments for the five major areas of study, Library, Museum, Communications, and Administration. (Note: This has been done, with the Chairmen of the five major study area committees in nominal charge of their departments, and Consuls in charge of the others.)
          3. Fill vacancies in essential leadership positions
        9. Membership
          1. Membership Development
            1. Membership drive
              1. Identify subgroups of potential members, e.g: college history students, members of specific orders of chivalry, New England Colonial Genealogist
              2. Research past programs, members, publications to analyze for success, new ideas, better understanding of membership interests and needs
              3. The Omnibus Editor will be reaching out to Phi Alpha Theta, the national history honors society, for articles. This may prove a worthy model (positive or negative) for other such.
            2. Advertising
              1. Identify magazines and websites that serve membership drive subgroups
              2. Advertise membership to those subgroups
          2. Membership Participation
            1. Attendance at Annual Convention
            2. Leadership to invite participation in committees, etc. from specific members
            3. Awarding Balling and Metzler Awards to promote idea of participation
            4. Geographical chapters (long term goal)
              1. A study of member residences (in US and Canada) suggests that some areas may already have reached sufficient membership density to make this possible, the New York area in particular.
            5. Special interest groups membership increased (long term goal). This is already the immediate goal of the lineage groups and an explicit assignment of the Deans.
          3. Member Interest Survey
            1. Staff suggests it's about time to send out another round to those who did not at first reply — though perhaps, given the largely electronic nature of our communications, it would be sufficient to contact members by email
          4. Membership Marketing materials
            1. Digital
              1. Keep website updated (Note: This is being done on a daily cycle.)
              2. Web banners
              3. Brochure PDF (Note: The present brochure has generated zero response. Clearly, a different approach is needed.)
            2. Print
              1. General brochure
              2. Standard print ads for use in advertising (Note: Consuls feel strongly that ads need to be tailored to each target audience.)
          5. Board members' recruitment efforts

        Area 2 — STUDY & TRADITIONS

        1. STUDY & TRADITIONS - HISTORY
          1. History Committee
          2. History - First Peoples Committee (Staff recommend this be converted from a Committee to a Study Group.)
        2. STUDY & TRADITIONS - GENEALOGY
          1. Genealogy Committee
          2. Descents from Antiquity (Staff recommend this be converted from a Committee to a Study Group.)
          3. Family of Augustans (Staff recommend this be converted from a Committee to a Study Group.)
          4. Society of Descendants of Ireland
          5. Society of Descendants of Scotland
          6. Society of Descendants of the Conquest
          7. Society of Descendants of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem
          8. Certified Lineages
        3. STUDY & TRADITIONS - CHIVALRY
          1. Order of the Augustan Eagle (Note: The OAE is not a chivalric organization, and does not belong in this category. Staff recommend it be classified under Sub-Groups.)
          2. Noble Company of the Rose
          3. Chivalry - Recognized Membership
          4. Chivalry - Recognized Orders
          5. Chivalry Committee
          6. Chivalry - Recognized Orders Qualifying for SDLKJ
        4. STUDY & TRADITIONS - HERALDRY
          1. Heraldry Committee
          2. Arms Registration Committee
          3. Online Index to Arms
          4. Online Ordinary of Arms
            (Staff would add the Online Armorial to the above list.)
        5. STUDY & TRADITIONS - NOBILITY
          1. Royalty & Nobility Committee
          2. Nobility - List of Contemporary Royalty
        6. OTHER
          1. Medals and Decorations Committee (Staff recommend this be converted from a Committee to a Study Group.)
            1. Insignia Sales (Note: The only insignia sales at present are of Society insignia and those only to eligible members. We do not presently have a stock of non-Society insignia to sell.)

        Area 3 — SERVICES

        1. LIBRARY
          1. To obtain and occupy rented facilities for our offices and library (Note: Consuls feel that publicly accessible facilities are needed.)
            1. Feasibility study - financial
              1. We have essentially conducted such recently. It would require an additional $12k/an. income or an additional $250k in the Investment Fund. Both would need to increase to keep pace with inflation.
              2. Renovations/Updates
            2. Furniture/Equipment (Note: Consuls believe that most needed furniture and equipment is already on hand.)
          2. Grand opening
          3. Online Public Access Catalog (This is already open to public access.)
          4. Research services (Note: Consuls do not consider this to be a Library activity, though the Library would certainly support such a program.)
          5. Indicators of success: location selected and established by end of 2014 (needs revision): cataloged books are shelved at library location and available for use and/or loan. Purchase of space is a long term goal, possibly beyond the 5-year scope of this document. (Note: Cataloged books are already shelved, save perhaps the most recent box thereof.)
        2. MUSEUM
          1. Exhibits
            1. Inventory our museum collection, disposing of items which do not support or enhance our mission and our core products.
              1. We have a fine philatelic collection, for example — probably the most through and complete part of our collection — but does it permit us to pursue our mission? (Note: The topical collections have historically been used to enhance publications, and could be used for museum exhibits. The general collection, not so much.)
              2. Most museum surplus items are of trivial value
              3. Design and construction of traveling exhibits based on the collection
                1. Solicitation or purchase of artifacts needed to enhance or complete traveling exhibits
          2. COMMUNICATIONS (name changed from Publications)
            1. Communications Committee
              1. Consider peer-reviewed publications (Note: This has been reviewed and found unworkable at this time.)
            2. Augustan Omnibus - Annually (Note: Presently published semi-annually.)
              1. Increase frequency (Note: The Editor-in-Chief does not believe that the flow of articles and reviews is sufficient to support a third issue per year without an unreasonable reduction in page count.)
              2. Increase Augustan Omnibus average page count (Note: The Editor-in-Chief observes that this is limited by both articles and budget at present.)
              3. Periodically evaluate design/layout to remain current within field (Note: This is an ongoing task of the Omnibus Editor.)
              4. Subscription Development
            3. Book - revised Manual of Heraldry
            4. Book - Germond, Ancestry (Note: Work is in progress.)
            5. Book - Uphoff, Chinese Kings
            6. Book - Vigil, a Knight's Training Program (Note: Work suspended due to the resignation of the editor.)
            7. Augustan Society Roll of Arms, Volume IV
              1. The Augustan Society Roll of Arms is mostly self-funding, thanks largely to print-on-demand technology. Promotion will likely require more funding than printing. Pre-publication sales should help with that.
              2. Rolls Editor has been appointed
            8. Rose Roll of Arms
              1. This project has been approved by the Rose Council, and presently awaits input from the new Rose Herald.
            9. Back Issue Digitizing and Back Issue Sales
              1. This is an ongoing project.
              2. Off-site volunteers are needed to edit the output of the OCR software and to reformat the material for reprinting. (Note: The Editor-in-Chief observes that present volunteers outstrip the ability of staff to complete the work. Plans are to develop volunteer skills sufficient that little additional work is needed.)
            10. Chivalry Newsletter
              1. Has been tabled for the time being.
            11. Roll of Arms Reprints
            12. Online Armorial
            13. Ordinary of Arms
            14. Rose Newsletter
            15. Online Index to Arms
              1. This is presently idle as we focus on the Armorial and Ordinary, but would be revived if a volunteer were found. (Note: An editor has been appointed, but is presently inactive due to health issues. Progress is unrelated to the Armorial and Ordinary.)
            16. Social Media
              1. Blogs - work to be featured on others' blogs
              2. Facebook
            17. Descents from Antiquity
              1. A major revision is in progress, as time permits. (Staff recommend this be converted from a Committee to a Study Group.)
            18. Increase variety of media in which publications are presented (paper, digital, etc.) (long term goal)
            19. Reprint Sales
            20. Book Sales
            21. Online Store
            22. Main Website
              1. Our main web site is a fixed cost based on membership, no matter how large we make it. Our Store and Library sites combined cost less than $20/month, and it would take quite substantial growth to exceed that.
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