How do you turn around a unit that is suffering from everything from morale issues to low membership numbers? How do you take a unit with a very heavy veteran presence, with members who've been here for over ten years, and make it into a demographically better unit? How do you spread the word of your direction, your ideas, and your success once you have got there? For Tarentum, these last three months, its been from relying on the shoulders of Caesar.

It has been years since I first met this fellow who went by the name Gareth, Since that day I've watched him grow as he in turn developed new and interesting characters. Mist, Tiberius, and more recently; Benedict - these are all names I've known this member by as we both shuffle through the many units that have intertwined in each of our histories. I remember these things because I remember worrying how far he would go. I've always liked him, but unfortunately Caesar doesn't connect well with too many others. He's bounced and been bounced from units because certain people don't see or appreciate what he can bring to the table because they are too busy trying to force things into place that weren't meant to be. That is why I was both glad and nervous to see him in Tarentum when he returned from the Rogues. Tarentum, as everyone knows, has some interesting...strong willed members. However, when someone fits in they are not only allowed to flourish but are encourage by the clan as a whole to; and sure enough Tarentum embraced Caesar and he's been not only allowed to flourish but respectfully pushed by everyone here to further his place in this club. Three years is a long time for a promotion, and to go from Equite 1 to Equite 2 can be damaging towards morale. Fortunately, I've never once seen this with Caesar; he's always optimistic, engaging, and driven to do what he can to get involved - not for his own merits but because he wants to be an active part of the unit. It's something I respect and wish I could see more of. Regardless, three years is almost too long to go without a equite promotion and I'm happy to be the one to push this matter forward. In the time since his last promotion, Caesar has been a consistently active member in the DJB. Participating in everything from general trivia and flash games to vendetta competitions like the Dark Crusades and GJWXI; he's been recorded has having participated in 94 competitions since his last promotion earning him 14 crescents of various types, 50 CFs, 16 CIs, 1 bronze novae, and several of his 5 Dark Crosses awarded since his last promotion was because of his consistent activity. Yet, Caesar is not just a consumer of the DJB, he is a contributor - hosting 20 competitions since his last promotion and serving as a BT Sergeant. Furthermore, and what he has been most useful to the Tarentum cause is his contributions to much of the Clan Summits projects.
When I came in to Consul, Caesar had already been managing the Clan's social media for months (a responsibility he started and took on himself). At that time we merely had a facebook page and twitter account and before Caesar took the reigns these accounts were pathetic with little activity. Since he has taken over, these accounts have grown and so too has Tarentum's marketing. We now have active campaigns on each of these, as well as looking into other medias like flicker, tumblr, and instagram and its all connected to the Social media campaigns Caesar started on his own and has grown to be a benefit in spreading our content and bringing in recruits. It's also be a boost for morale in sharing the stories of our little community, and this is part of the character that Caesar has. He actively engages the Clan on the mailing list and telegram is hopes to get conversation and dialogue started and its part of the kindling that has started the fire for change in Tarentum. Furthermore, aside from his Caesar has also been involved in other side projects for myself in writing up mailing material to the Rogues in efforts to get them back into activity and hopefully into Tarentum. He's also is responsible for the creations of our communications policies and guidelines that we are holding membership accountable to on our official clan channels and it has been a great tool in the reduction of bullying from our unit. He's a member of consistent and appreciated activity, both by consuming and by contributing and further he's been a leader among his peers taking on projects to help the summit, starting projects of his own to bring in members to Tarentum, and frankly without his efforts Tarentum wouldn't have been able to get off probation like it has. Because of these contributions and his efforts, I think its only fitting that this champion be elevated to the next rank to better represent his unit. Thank you Caesar, and congrats.

Sage Lontra Boglach, 2015-06-10 03:17:46 UTC

When he returned to activity from the Rogues in September of 2014, Caesar wrote that he wanted to "start to become active again." To say he's accomplished that in the nine months since would be the most severe of understatements. Since day one of his return to Tarentum, Caesar has been a veritable whirlwind of activity. Some of it is easy to see from a look at his dossier - since his last promotion, he's earned five Dark Crosses, placed in fifteen of the ninety-four competitions he's participated in (receiving fourteen Crescents and a Bronze Nova to boot), and organized or co-organized twenty competitions. He also received one of Tarentum's two nominations for the most recent Exodus Day's Seal of Loyalty.

Obviously, an Equite promotion is less about the simple things you can find on a dossier than it is in the ways you've given back to your Clan or to the DJB as a whole, and I think Raiju has covered that quite well. However, when I pulled up his promotion assessment and saw just what Caesar has accomplished since his last promotion, I know I was a bit blown away. The promotion guidelines state that, when looking at an Equite promotion, "attitude and how one interacts with the larger Brotherhood also plays a role as it represents ones growth and maturity in the club," and he's certainly shown that growth and maturity well in the past nine months. Honestly, if everyone had Caesar's attitude - that can-do, "What can I do to help?" mentality he exhibits constantly - the sky is the limit on what we could accomplish. I try to make sure he knows always how appreciated he is, but showing is better than telling. For that reason, I am beyond pleased to join in recommending Caesar for promotion to EQ2. Congrats!

Adept Farrin Xies Tarentae, 2015-06-10 03:17:26 UTC