It has been more than four years since Eminent Val Cole left the Dark Council, but in that time, he has found a myriad of ways to contribute to the Brotherhood. Over these last four years, he has been an integral part of the group of leaders advising two Grand Masters, and for much of his time since leaving the Council, he has been an active participant and, most recently, an accomplished leader at the Clan level. His varied contributions have left positive impacts on multiple Clans and the Councilors with which he has worked; it is rare that the combination of even temperament, experience, and leadership ability are all maintained even after a member has left the Dark Council, but Val is one such case.

Over the least few years, Val's activity and leadership have been impressive. Sarin describes Val's personal accolades in detail below, but it is worth noting that he is one of the few members that has completed all bins oin the last two Vendettas he took part in. This impressive achievement, along with multiple Novae earned, helped his Clans place in both of the last two Vendettas we have had. Later, as a founding member and Proconsul of Vizsla, he helped guide the unit to forming its first House, and when its Consul had his time reduced due to real life for a brief period, he stepped up and helped run our first Clan Feud in some time, marking him as one of the few non-Council members to run a Vendetta in recent memory. Sarin provides additional details on his noteworthy accomplishments as a member of Vizsla, below, that highlight Val's excellent activity. Val also contributed to the Shadow Academy and benefited the Brotherhood as a whole, first as a Professor handling gaming courses, and later as a Docent in the Shadow Academy with Leadership Hall responsibilities. In these capacities, Val managed courses and graded more than 50 exams with an under 9 hour average turnaround time.

But most of my personal interactions with Val over the last few years have been as an advisor, where he has excelled. First, as Magistrate to Pravus, and later, as my informal advisor, Val has been an essential contributor to many major decisions in the Brotherhood. Val has weighed in on various decisions ranging from the selection of new Consuls and Councilors to modification and additions to major changes to our systems from fiction to gaming. Val has his ear to the ground, and when he notes concerns he hears from members, he is quick to approach us respectfully. Val's reasoned perspective and objective evaluation has allowed us to address many member concerns rapidly. The kind of feedback Val provides is particularly useful due to his extensive experience on the Dark Council and across multiple Clans that gives him a unique perspective on member concerns.

In short, just as when he was a Dark Councilor, Val has been an exemplary member with a range of varied and important contributions to our club. And most recently, he has helped form a Clan, conducted a Feud, maintained a high level of activity and leadership, and been an instrumental advisor. These varied activities have helped make the Brotherhood a better place, not just for the members of the Clans he has served, but for all of us. As such, I congratulate Val Cole on his new Ruby Scepter!

Telaris "Mav" Cantor
Grand Master

Telaris "Mav" Cantor, 2020-04-19 21:15:22 UTC