When Jerome Blake
reestablished the First Circuit of HPG's, he also established a corresponding
First Circuit of advisors. Administratively, the First Circuit was a small group
made up of the chief administrators, or Precentors, of the HPG transmitters on
the former Hegemony worlds. Jerome Blake drafted a simple, two-page set of
parliamentary rules and procedures for running the First Circuit meetings. His
document called for a Prime Admistrator, or Primus, to act as chair and
president, but gave the First Circuit the power to veto the primus' decisions by
a majority vote. Blake's short memo eventually would become part of the Articles
of ComStar, the basis of our blessed Order's law.
Primus Karpov
formalized some of the organizational structure in the Doctrinal Edict of 2861.
The process of naming a Primus was set down officially, in which the current
Primus would choose his or her successor, who would then be confirmed by the
First Circuit. The only formal organization recognized below the Primus was the
position of Precentor of each world's HPG station. The Precentor controlled the
ranks of the adepts, the working technicians. Finally at the lowest level of the
hierarchy are the acolytes. Though this three-tiered structure already existed
in most of the HPG stations, established during the time of Blake and Toyama,
the Doctrinal Edict made it official.
Additionally,
Primus Hartford passed several reforms during his tenure that permitted the
First Circuit to name a successor to the Primus or to remove a Primus from power
on a full vote of all Precentors. The measures also called for at least three
members of the First Circuit to be informed in writing of all major ROM
operations.
In 2988, Primus
Takami further revised the First Circuit. Until Takami's reign, the First
Circuit had always been composed of the Precentors of the first communications
circuit of HPG transmitters in the Inner Sphere. Primus Takami believed that the
First Circuit members had become more like politicians than technocrats, which
was no longer faithful to Jerome Blake's original vision.
Primus Takami
decided to name four new members to that governing body, one for each of the
capital worlds of the House governments not already represented. These
Advocate-Precentors were to speak for all the ComStar installations within their
given realms. The added positions were Precentor Tharkad for the Lyran
Commonwealth, Precentor Sian for the Capellan Confederation, Precentor Atreus
for the Free Worlds League, and Precentor New Avalon for the Federated Suns.
Precentor Dieron was made the advocate of the Draconis Combine.