Council Members principally commit time to the ASR. Specifically, Council members should attend a minimum of 6 Council meetings spread over 4 years, hence Council members commit to attend 4 successive ASR annual meetings. The first meeting is held the last day of the ASR meeting in the year in which the Council member is elected. Then for the next two years s/he attends a Council meeting the night before the sessions start and the meeting the evening that they end. The last year s/he attends the opening meeting only. In addition, Council may set special meetings during the course of the year (thus far only at the time of RRA/SSSR)--of course, a Council member would have a voice and vote in determining whether or not that meeting will occur. Council members receive no remuneration for their services nor reimbursement for their expenses either for traveling to or staying at the meetings. (Foreign scholars may apply to the Gallagher Grants program, if they choose.) Normally, meals are provided in connection with meetings.

Council members may be asked during the course of their service to take on Committee Chair or other responsibilities, but there is no prior association between the two, hence Council members are as free as any other members to agree to or demur from such requests.