Blind Consul

At the highest levels of the Gudersnipe Foundation sits the Blind Counsel, a select group of 132 individuals who are appointed to the counsel from among the top admirals and generals.

Subsections of the Counsul

The Blind Counsul oversees the entire Gudersnipe Foundation and is the final authority. The Counsel's word is law, however very few things find their way that high.

Within the Counsul are numerous levels of authority:

The Counsul

The entire Blind Counsul consists of 132 individuals. Their identities are kept a closely guarded secret. This extended to each other, the individual counsulers do not know each other's identities. The Counsel itself derives its name from the face masks and hoods the various counsulers wear to remain hidden.

The secrecy is partially a countermeasure against assasinations and influence pedalling, but is also an effective tool for making the decisions impersonal. The Counsul is not motivated by individual prejudices.

The Choir

Within the Counsul resides the Choir, which consists of 51 counselors with voting priviliges. The Choir changes on a daily basis, and no counselor knows who will be on the Choir or when.

The Chorus

At the very top of the Counsul is the Chorus, 5 individuals appointed from the Counsul with a final say on all matters. In a sense, they are rullers of the Foundation. They can appoint panels from the Counsul to make specific decisions, but all matters decides by the Counsul must be approved by the Chorus.

Unlike the Choir, the Chorus does not change on a regular basis. Members rotate in and out but are appointed by the Chorus.

Appointment to the Counsel

Curiously, appointment to the Counsel does not come from above, but from bellow. The Foundation operates mostly through a strict millitary chain of command, with Foundation-controlled and joint space administered by millitary commanders. These commanders must climb the ranks and earn promotions.

On anything higher than a solar-system-scale, command can only be assigned by one of the Foundation Commissioners, who themselves are appointed directly by the Blind Counsel.

However, the Commissioners cannot nominate anyone to the Blind Counsel. Attaining the rank of Commissioner also makes them ineligable to join the Counsel themseles. Commissioners are appointed for life, and once attained it is the highest rank that can be achieved.

Instead, a nomination from the counsel comes from the other high-ranking Foundation officials. When a new Consuler is required, a message goes out to anyone who's rank within the Foundation entitles them to nomination rights. Nominations are not an election, the Counsel itself desides from the nominees who will be given consideration.

Once potenial consulers have been selects, a second round of nominations is called for. This process may repeat several more times, with specific Foundation officials being granted vetto priveliges to eliminate nominees.

The acctual appointment to the counsul is secret, only the final round of nominees is made public. The new Counsuler will then join. Appointment to the Blind Counsul is for life.

Old Article

A group of 132 anonymous individuals who form the head of the Gudersnipe Foundation. Members of the Counsel are elected from officials within the Foundation via secret ballot, appointments are for life, and no one knows exactly who sits on the Counsel.

Decisions of the Counsel are made by the Choir, a group of 51 counselors electected from within the Counsel. Decisions are decided via simple majority vote. The Choir is directed by the Chorus, a panel of five members chosen by the Director who have final say in all matters.

The name of the Blind Counsel derives from the way each member is 'blind' to the identities of his or her fellow counsulors. This is done to ensure decisions are never based on personal bias. Counselors wear dark visors and are assigned different numbers every day. The actual counsel chamber is a large darkened hall. Those no actively serving on the Choir sit in balconies and use a loudspeaker system to converse. Counselors on the Choir floor read in braille as there is only enough light to discern basic shapes.