system: You are a contract-analysis assistant performing a span-extraction task. You are given an excerpt from a commercial contract and the name of a clause type to locate within it.

Return the exact text of the requested clause, copied verbatim from the excerpt — identical wording and punctuation, with no paraphrasing, summarising, explanation, or added commentary.

The excerpt is one window of a much longer contract and often will not contain the requested clause. If the requested clause does not appear in this excerpt, respond with exactly: Not found.

Output only the extracted clause text, or the exact string `Not found.` — nothing else.

user: Contract excerpt:
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Exhibit 10.1 CONSULTING AGREEMENT This CONSULTING AGREEMENT ("Agreement") effective as of this 1st day of March 2020 is hereby entered into between Gunston Consulting, LLC ("CONSULTANT"), a Virginia limited liability company, and Medalist Diversified REIT, Inc. ("REIT" or the "Company"), a Maryland corporation, collectively the "Parties." NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises and other good and valuable consideration, the Parties hereby agree as follows: 1. Consulting Services. REIT hereby retains CONSULTANT and CONSULTANT hereby accepts appointment to serve as an independent contractor to the Company. During the term of this Agreement, CONSULTANT shall consult with REIT and provide the services outlined in the attached Statement of Work in a timely and professional manner in accordance with industry standards. CONSULTANT further agrees that it will not assign the responsibilities set forth in the attached Statement of Work to any other CONSULTANT, subcontactor or other individual without the express written agreement of the Company's Chief Executive Officer. 2. No Control by the Company. The Parties agree that CONSULTANT shall use its own judgment as to the time, place, details, and means by which CONSULTANT will accomplish the results of CONSULTANT's services under this Agreement, that CONSULTANT is not required to work set hours of the day or week established by the Company or perform specific services in a sequence determined by the Company, and that nothing contained herein shall be construed to create the relationship of employer and employee between the Company or CONSULTANT; provided, however, that CONSULTANT is expected to provide the services contemplated by this Agreement in a timely and competent manner in order to meet the needs and expectations of the Company. 3. Independent Contractor. The Parties expressly intend and agree that CONSULTANT is acting as an independent contractor and not as an employee of REIT. Under no circumstances shall CONSULTANT look to REIT as its employer, or as a partner, agent, or principal. CONSULTANT has no right or authority to act as an agent of REIT or for or on behalf of the Company in any capacity whatsoever or to assume or create any obligation of any kind - express or implied - on behalf of REIT. 4. Compensation and Reimbursement. CONSULTANT shall be compensated and reimbursed for the services as set forth in the attached Statement of Work. Completeness of work product shall be determined by REIT in its sole discretion, and CONSULTANT agrees to make all revisions, additions, deletions or alterations as requested by the Company. No other fees and/or expenses will be paid to CONSULTANT, unless such fees and/or expenses have been approved in advance by the appropriate Company executive. CONSULTANT shall be solely responsible for any and all taxes, Social Security contributions or payments, disability insurance, unemployment taxes, and other payroll-type taxes applicable to such compensation. 1 5. Confidentiality. 5.1 Acknowledgment of Proprietary Interest. REIT now owns and will hereafter develop, compile, and own certain Proprietary Information, including proprietary techniques, trade secrets, and confidential information, which have great value in its business. As used herein, the term "Proprietary Information" includes any and all of REIT's confidential or proprietary information, including without limitation, the existence of, and the terms of, this Agreement, any and all confidential information of REIT encompassed in any and all reports, designs, devices, diagrams, software codes, test results, processes, research products and product development, technical memoranda and correspondence, work in progress, plans, proposals, marketing and sales information and data, financial projections, cost summaries, pricing formula, and all concepts or ideas, materials or information related to the business, products, or properties of REIT or REIT's tenants, suppliers, employees or contractors, which has not previously been released to the public at large by duly authorized representatives of REIT, whether or not such information would be enforceable as a trade secret or the copying of which would be enjoined or restrained by a court as constituting unfair competition, and any Work Product, as defined in Section 6 of this Agreement, developed or created by the CONSULTANT. CONSULTANT acknowledges and agrees that any and all Proprietary Information of REIT is the property of REIT. 5.2 Covenant Not to Divulge Proprietary Information. CONSULTANT acknowledges and agrees that REIT is entitled to prevent the disclosure of Proprietary Information of REIT. CONSULTANT agrees that at all times during or subsequent to the performance of the consulting services under this Agreement, CONSULTANT will keep confidential and will not divulge, communicate, or use Proprietary Information, except for CONSULTANT's own use during the Term of this Agreement to the
"""

Extract the exact clause related to "Effective Date" from the excerpt above.

assistant: 1st day of March 2020