Consuls
In Roman civic administration, two Consuls were elected to manage the affairs of the city. Each had broad powers, but every act was subject to veto by the other Consul. This was the model chosen for the administration of The Augustan Society, Inc., in 2007, and is the foundation for Consular authority and limits. Obviously, they also serve at the pleasure of the Board under contract, and under Board direction through the President.
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 largely complimentary, and while it would be inaccurate to describe their administration as being without conflict, these are in nearly all cases resolved between them without recourse to Board authority.
Consuls 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" was generally preferred for this, and could be employed by either Consul (unless that.
Contract
Consuls worked under 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 included a payment in lieu of rent for the space the Society occupies in their home. This was meant to compensate them for the space used by the Society within their home, and for the additional expenses of operating Society equipment. It was not meant as compensation for their time — they serve as volunteers.
Rent
The rent for space in the Metcalfs' 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 expected that multiples of two will be more strictly applied in future.
The logic for the exponential payments is 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).
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 was be split into two semi-annual payments; in 2018, it was split into quarterly payments. This gives the Metcalfs the opportunity to waive a portion of the annual rent if the Society — in their sole opinion — has made significant progress toward moving out. 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.
Another proposal that has been offered would cap the rent at the annual revenue of the Investment Fund, provided that the Society deposit ten percent (10%) of gross revenues into the Investment Fund. This proposal won't be worthy of consideration until 2019, at which point it would offer measurable savings to the Society.
While no longer associated with Consular duties after 2017, contracts will still need to be executed annually for Headquarters space in the Metcalfs' home. They intend to continue the fee schedule described above.
Official Duties
In general, the duty of the Consuls is to perform all work of the Society under the direction of the President that is not assigned to others. This includes some specific roles:
- Attendance (by one) at each meeting of the Board
- Service as Production Editor of all Society publications
- Eagle Assistant Chancellor (previously the Eagle Administrator) for the Order of the Augustan Eagle in cooperation with the Eagle Council
- Rose Assistant Chancellor (previously the Rose Administrator) for the Noble Company of the Rose in cooperation with the Rose Council
- SDLKJ Clerk for the Society of Descendants of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem, in cooperation with the Dean of the SDLKJ
- SDI Clerk for the Society of Descendants of Ireland in cooperation with the Dean of the SDI
- SDS Clerk for the Society of Descendants of Scotland in cooperation with the Dean of the SDS
- SDC Clerk 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
That said, it is desirable that all duties that do not benefit from being performed at Headquarters be transferred to other volunteers. It would also be desirable to transfer some of their duties once a public Headquarters has been obtained and local volunteers become known.
It had been customary for one of the Consuls to deliver a "State of the Society" address at the Annual Meeting. Occasionally the Board 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.
Unofficial Duties
Consuls had a second set of obligations, ones that 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, served as the Society's institutional memory, especially in those many areas where the history is unwritten. In the performance of this duty, they not only answered questions, but pro-actively advised officers and councils of that history. This isn't to say that they had the authority to block change, only that they required that it be done knowingly, and with full awareness of relevant Society history.
They also served as that nasty little voice of conscience in the heads of officers, chairmen, and others. They tried to keep track of which tasks had been assigned or assumed, and gently (and privately) reminded others of what yet needed to be done.
There was also a negative duty — to conduct themselves in ways that 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 was thus to strengthen the Board so that it could actually manage the affairs of the Society, to develop volunteer chairmen who could carry out the work, to develop vice-chairmen who can step up at need, and to deemphasize the need for their services until they could be replaced by a clerk or two.
These unofficial duties will not be performed after the end of 2017.
Alternative
There is a "Plan B" in reserve that provides for the Board to appoint a true Executive Director to assume all power and authority of the Board save his hiring, compensation, and amendment of the By-Laws. A draft of an implementing By-Law has been drafted, and would require member approval. The challenge here would be to find a suitable candidate, as the Metcalfs would prefer to decline.
Consuls feel that this plan, especially if one of them is to be named Executive Director, is the worst possible answer short of dissolving the Society.
Termination
The office of Consul was eliminated effective 31 December 2017. This was motivated by the failure of this mixed-authority form of Society management, and by the emotional exhaustion of the incumbents.
The Metcalfs intended to continue in 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 the motivating force for the Society and other activities shown above as Unofficial Duties. It was thereafter to the Board, Sub-Group councils, and especially the President to see that things continue to happen. In particular, the Metcalfs would no longer serve as the "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.
The annual contracts will continue, but as a rental agreement only, and with the same pricing as described above.
