Hevan, I can honestly say that I have been looking forward to this moment for a very long time. Since the moment Hevan joined the club he has been enthusiastically putting in the work to climb the ranks and make sure his name is known by the masses. Well, today Hevan has hit yet another massive milestone in this club and earned a promotion to the Equite ranks.

Hevan’s effort in GJW XVI helped the Clan bring home second place submitting to 6 bins while participating in 7 competitions, this was after Hevan participated in 13 competitions during Pro Bowl VII. All in all, since his last promotion, Hevan has been grinding away submitting to 35 competitions of all variety, trying his hand out at everything from gaming to fiction, puzzles, buttons and just about everything in between. His incredible efforts have earned him a Grand Cross, 2 Crescents with Ruby Star, 3 with Amethyst Star, 1 with Sapphire Star and 1 with Topaz Star. Haven has also written 3118 words of fiction and completed an additional 3 ACC matches earning 22 Clusters of Ice while in gaming he has earned a whopping 196 Clusters of Earth. Still learning more about the Club, Heaven has also completed another 11 Shadow Academy courses and earned the Pundit - Activities.

Despite the constant threat of storms taking out his power, Hevan is consistently engaging other members on Discord, asking questions and is still ticking away at his list of all the Plagueians he wants to face off against in the ACC (spoiler alert: it’s all of them). Congratulations on a well deserved promotion, I am honoured to be able to write this and I can’t wait to see where the EQ ranks take you!

TuQ’uan Varick di Plagia, 2023-10-17 23:13:42 UTC

It seems that not a day goes past where I do not hear about you, Agron Dyrce. Your superiors have sent glowing records regarding your accomplishments, which together add up to no less than 340 XP!

An expedited recommendation for your promotion has been transmitted to the Master-at-Arms.

May the Force guide you, Trainee,

Headmistress Alethia Archenksova
Headmaster

Headmistress Alethia Archenksova, 2023-10-17 17:48:45 UTC

Ignatius Blaeceth, you continue to impress. You're growing more competent each day and you will surely rival the Council when the time is right. You have met the requirements for promotion, and a recommendation has been filed.

I will continue to watch your progress, Ignatius Blaeceth, but my direct intervention in your promotions must come to an end.

You will go far within this Brotherhood.

May the Force guide you, Journeyman,

Headmistress Alethia Archenksova
Headmaster

Headmistress Alethia Archenksova, 2023-10-17 17:44:24 UTC

Wally is one of the most productive members in the history of this club. In the six years since his promotion to EL2, he has served two years as Voice, a year as Exarch, and over a year as a Battleteam Leader and Magistrate to the Grand Master along with stints in the Shadow Academy and as one of the original Exarch staff members helping to get the RP project off the ground. He has been award a Diamond Sword, two Ruby Scepters, and an Amethyst Kukri, and earned dozens of crescents and hundreds of clusters. And he's never really slowed down.

He played a leading role in the DB Story Group through multiple vendettas (not to mention the many vendetta fiction comps we co-organized), dramatically improved the club's character sheet documentation and training, and most recently has helped drive widespread adoption of RPing in the club and led the launch of the brand new Envoy Society. He also played a major role in revising the Consul Handbook for the modern era.

He is always eager to help and willing to put in work that most people simply aren't. For all of this, I am very happy to make Wally the seventh EL3 in club history. Congratulations!

Lord Dacien Victae, 2023-10-14 20:43:59 UTC

Wally's dedication to this club, especially in the context of its fictional development (aka Krathy things) is at times absurd.

He's busted his ass and made this place better.

Well done. Congratulations!

Howlader Taldrya, 2023-10-12 19:05:04 UTC

Marick, aka Wally, aka Wallaby, might just be one of the most dedicated members this club has ever seen. From his insane work ethic to his drive to improve the member experience, Wally has never accepted that things are “good enough”.

His time as Voice was spent solidifying and our fictional systems into a well oiled machine. He pushed for a constant improvement to our fictional universe, while also documenting everything possible to make life so much easier for members new and old to jump into our little sandbox of insanity. Even since stepping down as Voice, he has always been available to help members, and more personally, help me be it with advice, insight, or just an understanding ear of what is going on in the club.

In the time since then not only has he demonstrated exactly how to be an insanely active member, he has rested on his laurels, being one of the major reasons that roleplaying is happening at all in this club, never mind the massive structure he has overseen as Exarch. The same level of attention and drive he had as Voice has continued pedal to the metal as Exarch, turning RP from a fringe activity to a fully supported, developed, and successful one within the club.

Much love Wally, thank you for all you do.

Idris

Lord Idris Adenn, 2023-10-12 19:27:33 UTC

Marick Tyris, aka Wally, is by and far one of the hardest working members of this club, with a drive that outmatches pretty well any other member I've come across since I joined. He and I initially bonded over our love for Android (and custom ROMs), spending hours talking over IRC every time a new update or Google Nexus phone launched. We haven't always gotten along at times, that's no secret, but I have and will always respect his dedication to the Brotherhood and the sheer amount of work he puts in. That is not and should never be in question. Years as Voice of the Brotherhood, Exarch, etc are just some of the contributions he's made. It would be absurd to try and list everything he's done - there's just too much. So much so, that he was one of the fastest rising members through the ranks, and now joins the upper half of the Elder ranks.

Most recently, Wally oversaw the fictional development of our roleplaying supplemental society, the Envoy Corps. This was a massive undertaking, required a lot of data and informed decisions, but it seemed like just another walk in the park with his pup for this man. We worked extensively on the rewards side of that supplemental society, with Wally having pretty well a fully presented award track for possessions and credits ready to rock before I even looked at it. He made whatever adjustments I asked for promptly, accepted the few limitations like the amount of society reward credits that were forced on him in stride, and continues to look for new ways to incentivize activity in the society using our existing systems. He's constantly providing aid to that community, pushing for people to share their resources, and never has any problem assisting someone having issues. Not long after the launch of the Envoy Corps, he came to me with new ideas for additional rewards to keep our roleplaying community hungry for more. That's what we should be expecting from every leader in this club.

To Wally: Our relationship may have been rocky these last couple years, but I have deep respect for the work you done and continue to do. You are and will always be in the top 0.5% of the hardest working members this club has ever seen. You deserve this promotion, and I've been incredibly proud to write this supporting recommendation. I have no doubt that you'll keep on trucking, working hard and always striving to do more.

Congratulations on Elder 3. Now go spend those credits!

Zxyl Besu'liik
Regent of the Brotherhood

General Zxyl Bes'uliik, 2023-10-12 23:55:27 UTC

It's likely I've said it before, but I will say it again: Wally deserves so much. He has done so much, has shown up, every day, every single day, for the last fifteen years. Non-stop.

Battleteam Leader of Oblivion Brigade. Quaestor of Qel-Droma. Proconsul and then Consul of Arcona. Magistrate, Judge, and Professor. Combat Master. Voice of the Brotherhood. Docent. Magistrate to yet more offices. Battleteam Leader of Voidbreaker. Exarch. Di Tenebrous Arconae.

ID lines might be gone, but all those titles listed out like that, all those names, still have power. They span fifteen years of unrelenting, back-breaking, blood sweat and tears dedication given to this club, this Brotherhood, not just one person or a few or a Clan, but the whole. Over multiple generations. Every day. If it's in his power, and let's be honest, also every time it's not, he tries to help anyone with anything. He will listen, advise, start up a chat, game, RP, explain, encourage, teach, anything. Everything. He does it. Because he can't not care about this Club. And that's a strength, not a weakness.

I do not know where I personally would be without Wally's influence, nor where the Brotherhood would be without him, but I do know that neither of those answers would be as good as they are for having him. Not as well loved or believed in time and time again. Not so defended and cared for. Our community, stories, infrastructures, and operations have all been built better, stronger, and beyond previous limits thanks to Wally's work. It doesn't always feel like enough thanks is given for that. So let this be a small chance.

Thank you, Wally, for all you've done. May you stand tall knowing you really did earn this, time and time again, and that it's seen.

Attifer, Clan Arcona

Master Ruka Tenbriss Ya-ir, 2023-10-13 00:20:42 UTC

Wally's contributions to this club's systems are numerous and well-detailed by others. His work ethic is legendary and seemingly endless. That alone would be worth of recognition to the higher echelons of elder. But one thing about Wally throughout his career is his very evident care and advocacy for the club as a community. Whether a battleteam leader, clan leader or architect of our fiction/roleplay systems Wally has always put members first. In everything he does in the club, Wally pumps you up to create your best, have fun and form connections with your other members. The people he's helped feel welcome, the young leaders he's mentored (of which I am one), the communities he helped build. That will be his true legacy long after the systems on the site he helped author are replaced or superceded. I can think of few more worthy of elevation to the penultimate elder rank.

Champion Rajhin Cindertail, 2023-10-13 01:29:41 UTC

Looking at what Wally's accomplished as Exarch gives me no small amount of selfish relief, in addition to its obvious benefits to the club. Because I knew going into Exarch that I could manage the project and design the systems but I was never going to build a community around roleplaying. Knowing it was going to be a two-Exarch job didn't make me feel any less like I'd half-assed it, because that community was the whole point of supporting RP in the first place.

Because the point was growth. We did gaming, fiction, and art. Our recruitment and retention rates for gamers, writers, and artists did and do suck. But you know who was easy to recruit? Roleplayers. The problem was, unless they were also a gamer, writer, or artist, there was nothing for them to do once they got here. We needed official RP.

Well, two clans were already doing unofficial RP and Wally pushed the proposal that made that activity eligible for CIs. Wally got official RP done while I was still hammering away at a proposal. But I said "No, that's not good enough."

The first thing we needed was to make it easy to RP for credit, because if you want to recruit off an activity, it can't be some weird, arcane side process. So we built a system that made it easy to run or join RP for credit. But a simple workflow for an established member is still not good enough.

If you want to recruit off of an activity, the burden for creating a participation opportunity can't be on the new recruit. They have to be able to show up and walk or be dropped right into an RP session, no matter what clan they landed in or what their RP style is. And that's the part that I couldn't deliver on. Building community is hard. You can dispassionately design a system or a tool as you have time. You can't build a cohesive social network of over a hundred people that way. You have to live and breath that job. You have to simultaneously believe with your whole heart that this thing is awesome, and neurotically obsess over eliminating every possible pathway to failure. Anything less than that is relying on luck. And must people genuinely do not understand that kind of work or even recognize it as work when it's right in front of them.

Wally was not the obvious choice for that task to a lot of people. He was the obvious choice to me. He was one of the agonizingly few people who understood both the goal and what it would take to achieve it. One of even fewer who had even tried to run mixed-clan, clubwide sessions. The only one who'd done it successfully. The tools to do that had been in place for nine months or longer, and Wally was the guy who picked them up and got to work.

So I am relieved but not surprised that, barely a year into his term, the Brotherhood RP community consistently includes over a hundred unique participants and more concurrent sessions than even Zuza can keep up with. I see the Essentials 101 and Advancement Survey responses from our new joins and they are joining for RP and walking right into sessions and sticking around. Not just new dossiers, but also members who joined years ago and drifted away in the JM ranks, who we have regained by providing them a better experience. I used to talk about this and people thought I was crazy but it's real now, somehow the mad lad actually did it, and I can finally say it's good enough. Wally didn't just add some trinkets for you to unlock or another status bar to give your lizard brain some dopamine. The club experience is different now, in a way that sets us up for success for years to come. That is EL3 work.

Alethia Archenksova
Headmistress and Exarchissa Emerita

Headmistress Alethia Archenksova, 2023-10-13 03:16:46 UTC

Wally, thank you for your tireless work and endless dedication to our club and above all its membership, congratulations on this much deserved promotion.

Ascendant James Lucius Entar, 2023-10-13 09:27:36 UTC

Wally and I have butted heads almost since the day I joined Arcona. But through it all, we both had the same intentions: make things better for the people around us. Whether it was fighting for member recognition, improving quality of life, or tackling the very real balancing act that is leading a bunch of Star Wars nerds from an unpaid volunteer position (or positions in his case), it was the glue that stuck us together even when we were most at each other's throats.

And that's what I appreciates about Monsieur le Wall-E. That and his catgirl character. He always seeks betterment for those around him. He took the RP concept we had in Arcona and made it a club-wide phenomenon that is now starting to eclipse standard fiction writing. He's tackled position after position, project after project, and hurdle after hurdle with unwavering loyalty to not just Arcona, but the Brotherhood. His personable nature toward cooperative outreach has made the RP society what it is today, and is the example of the "One Brotherhood" tagline that gets so often touted but so rarely realized in practice.

Congratulations Wally. You've more than earned this promotion, and I'm glad you're finally getting the recognition you so readily deserved. Thank you for all that you do. It's what I appreciates about you.

Qyreia Arronen, 2023-10-14 15:16:43 UTC

Wally has done incredible work on behalf of this great community and continues to do so. Congratulations my friend and looking forward to what you accomplish next.

Lord Evio Nezsa, 2023-10-12 20:56:42 UTC

Ruka aka Satsi aka Atty was promoted to EL1 four years ago largely on the strength of her work in Arcona and on the Voice staff. Today, I am happy to promote her once again for her dedication to her clan and to the club's fictional direction. For the last two years she has been back on the Arcona summit helping to organize events and manage our largest clan while somehow also finding time to play a major role on the Exarch staff and write so many words of fiction that I'm worried the site might break if I write the number down. She's also a long-time member of the DB Story Group and has contributed substantially to our club-wide plot development over the last several years by engaging in discussions and helping to edit every single vendetta fiction released in that time.

Since her last promotion she has earned an Emerald Dagger, a Ruby Scepter, and a Sapphire Blade in appreciation for her efforts. Now she's hit one more major milestone in her DB career. Congratulations, Atty!

Lord Dacien Victae, 2023-10-14 19:18:34 UTC

I see Atty’s promotion to EL2 as a no-brainer. Years of leading from the front in ARC, an absolutely insane amount of club writing, countless bouts of helping members regardless of unit, time in the trenches of the Voice Staff, and enduring the absolute insanity of the story group (not to mention constantly trying to fix my inconsistent ability to write).

Atty is deeply passionate about this club, with a default setting of “help”. I can’t think of another member who so consistently jumps at helping members with such speed and intensity. Countless hours of her life has been spent aiding all kinds of people in this club, be it with writing aspects, figuring out how to use the site, or just lending a supportive ear for a vent session. I personally benefited from her relentless desire to help people so many times, throughout the years she spent on Voice staff, her continued time in the story group, and just in general as a friend.

She already has a mountain of awards and accolades awarded to her. It’s time to recognize her as a “Master” in this club.

Congrats Atty, and thank you.

Idris

Lord Idris Adenn, 2023-10-12 19:47:55 UTC

Atty immediately stepped in to aid me in my work as Exarch when I knew I was about to be diving deep into the weeds of launching a new system for the Brotherhood. I knew that there were very few people I trusted to do so, and was delighted to know that Atty would be interested in joining. She very quickly digested the infrastructure of how we wanted to promote and organize RPs, helped assist with policy crafting, idea generation, and overall support in conversation around how RP could work, run well, and become a day-to-day platform. She was instrumental in reviewing the backend setup of the Envoy Corps, and has evolved with our infrastructure to stay on top of approving RPs after they are finalized. This was a manual process for most of her time on staff, but even now with the automated approval button, staff are required to review transcripts to make sure things are kosher.

Beyond her role, Atty organically promotes and embodies the RP Society. She is empathic, listens, remembers people’s characters, and is an out of character “DM” by encouraging and helping anyone from a seasoned veteran to

On a personal level, Atty’s impact on the Brotherhood will be covered elsewhere. But I will pile on by pointing out that when you ask what an Elder in this club should be, let alone a leader, it’s hard not to point to Atty as the prototype. She is a member of the story group, a member of the Exarch Staff, a Proconsul, and one of the most active members when it comes to collecting Clusters of Ice. Seriously, she currently holds the record by over 1,000 more CI’s than the next highest. But a lot of those Clusters come from her writing and collaboration with others. Of learning their characters, and finding different ways to make them feel welcome and included.

All of that to say, I believe that there is no question or lingering doubt that Atty not only belongs among the rank of Elder 2 in this club, but that she is the model of a modern major Master— one that other members and leaders alike should strive to.

I could go on, and on, which probably would be fair retribution considering how many 10+ page fictions I’ve had to proof read over the years. But from the bottom of my heart, Congratulations Atty. This club would be a very different, much less bright place, and I’m honored and privileged to not just get to work with you everyday, but to be your friend.

-W

Exarch

Lord Marick Tyris Arconae, 2023-10-12 19:53:24 UTC

She goes by many names: Atty, Atyiru, Abbey, Ruka, Cucumber, Tiny, Shipmeister Meister of Shipping. And she’s been around for ages in the Brotherhood (ten years as of this past February). Now it’s time to bump her up a notch and make her already OP characters even more ridiculous.

But first in this news broadcast, statistics! Since her last promotion in November of ‘19, Atty has earned over eighty four thousand XP from organizing 26 competitions, co-organizing 18 more, and participating in 265 not counting containers and brackets (which would bump that up to 302). Of those she’s placed in 105, including 16 Vendetta competitions evidenced by her six Gold Novae, five Silver Novae, and five Bronze Novae, giving her a roughly forty percent placement rate, to say nothing for the number she’s outright won (and pending the results from the latest GJW XVI). Of those, her shining achievement is in the fictional sector (given that I’m constantly reminded that I need to catch up to her schutta ass in Clusters of Ice on the leaderboard) (One day, Atty). Again, simply since her last promotion, she’s earned 1,127 Clusters of Ice from forty eight fictions, thirty RPs as a participant, twelve as the DM, and three Run-Ons, amassing a total of five hundred twenty four thousand four hundred sixty three (524,463) words of fiction! In less than four years!

Now if only I could get her to put some of that effort into our AUs.

But hey, there’s other activity in there. While she’s not much of a gamer, she’s still netted 11 Clusters of Fire and 90 Clusters of Earth. Ever an artist, she’s also collected some 148 Clusters of Graphite from just doing what she normally do. Got herself a Dark Side Scroll, a Seal of Loyalty, and 51 other Vendetta Seals of Visions, Enmity, and Ascension. Going back to school, she’s also completed 26 Shadow Academy courses, gained three degrees, and even graded a course. All of this activity has collectively earned her an Emerald Dagger, a Ruby Scepter, and a Sapphire Blade.

And as the droid B1LL-E-M4YZ says, “But wait, there’s more!” In the last almost-four years, she’s done a whole lot of work for the Brotherhood. Her work for the Voice spanned over two years, First as Praetor, then Magistrate, and finally as Special Magistrate; and she finished out her tenure as an ACC Judge with 10 months in the seat. While a Judge, she was credited with (to directly quote Archenksova), “Atty reviewed the revised edition of the ACC rubric prior to publication in order to ensure it benefited the ACC community as a whole and to check against staff groupthink. Her contributions resulted in the re-categorization of inappropriate profanity use in posts, and she also directly engaged with other reviewers' comments in order to clarify their thinking and the implications of their contributions.” In March of this year, she stepped up as an Exarch staffer, helping to make the DB’s new roleplay system and society flourish. All this while she’s been on the Brotherhood Story Group, which isn’t tracked by the site, but no less helps to drive the fictional flow that gets published to the club at large.

Of course, most importantly for me, she’s been kept out of retirement by being the Arconan Proconsul for both me and my predecessor Consul. In that capacity she has been a constant help and stabilizing agent. Aside from crowning some new Arconae title-holders, she’s written four reports when the CONs were off in the refreshers doing stuff, and both reviewed and co-authored at least seven Clan fictions. Most of those fictions revolved our Clan events, including the latest Godhunt event, our co-op with Odan Urr, the Great Slug Raid, and more while under Rhylance’s Consulship. Even more recently, she stepped up in my stead to represent Arcona as the delegate for the 2023 Pro Bowl event. As tired as she claims to be, I can’t seem to get her to sit still.

That’s part of her charm, really. As a leader, she’s exceptionally hard working and easy to work with. My own life has taken me away on several occasions, and she is perfectly able to act under my intent without need of direct instruction, and I’ve never come back to an Arcona wondering what the bloody hell has been happening. Because she gets people. Atty is just as constant of a presence in the Discord chat(s), and has only managed to increase her population of cultists stoledopted apprentices by grace of her constant presence and wealth of knowledge that she so readily shares. When folks get riled up, she is most often the one to defuse things and bring everyone back down to Coruscant (or Earth, if you must use the proper turn of phrase). These are the kinds of things that can’t be captured in numbers, and that even I and my prolific writing have difficulty painting the picture.

Atty has been around for a decade in the Brotherhood and is arguably all but a household name among its members, such is the reach of her impacts. I could say nice things about her all day, but the recommendation has to close somewhere. So for now, Atty, thank you for everything that you do. You’ve been there for the club, for Arcona, and for me more times than I care to count, and I am happy to recommend this promotion. Congratulations.

Qyreia Arronen
Consul, Clan Arcona

Qyreia Arronen, 2023-10-14 14:56:32 UTC

LukeShadows has reached the required 850 XP to reach the rank of Journeyman 2.

Archpriest Quentinshadows, 2023-10-13 11:44:43 UTC

Luke Congrats on this and keep up the good work! Keep knocking out those SA courses and getting into the mix of more comps! Great work, well deserved!

Adept DarkHawk Sadow, 2023-10-12 19:55:38 UTC

    You have completed 19 competitions, recieved the following rewards. Anteian Cross 1 Dark Cross 1 Crescent with Sapphire Star 1 Seal of Ascension 4 You have passed 8 SA courses and gained 1 Degree

    Keep up the good work I look forward to seeing your progress in the Dark Jedi Brotherhood.

Archpriest Quentinshadows, 2023-10-13 04:08:13 UTC

Well done, Lukeshadows! Yet another step towards the Knighthood and beyond into the Equite ranks is down. An Anteian Cross, a Dark Cross, a Crescent with Sapphire Star and 4 Seals of Ascension are not anything to cough at. I saw the recent burst of activity in the Shadow Academy where you tackled 9 courses and got the first of his degrees with your Pundit of Communications.

I will be watching closely with anticipation to see how your carve your way through the Journeyman ranks following, and beyond! You fully deserve this promotion!

Cimozjen Kurios, Quaestor of House Shar Dakhan

Master Bentre Stahoes, 2023-10-13 04:22:24 UTC

Omnora Mayday, you continue to impress. You're growing more competent each day and you will surely rival the Council when the time is right. You have met the requirements for promotion, and a recommendation has been filed.

I will continue to watch your progress, Omnora Mayday, but my direct intervention in your promotions must come to an end.

You will go far within this Brotherhood.

May the Force guide you, Journeyman,

Headmistress Alethia Archenksova
Headmaster

Headmistress Alethia Archenksova, 2023-10-13 21:38:22 UTC

It seems that not a day goes past where I do not hear about you, Omnora Mayday. Your superiors have sent glowing records regarding your accomplishments, which together add up to no less than 205 XP!

An expedited recommendation for your promotion has been transmitted to the Master-at-Arms.

May the Force guide you, Proselyte,

Headmistress Alethia Archenksova
Headmaster

Headmistress Alethia Archenksova, 2023-10-13 19:27:40 UTC

Eight years ago, Sarin made the mistake of promoting Howie to EL3. He then compounded that error by appointing him Master at Arms. We have struggled against the panda tyranny ever since. For all of Howie’s incessant yelling about medals or something, I hereby sentence him to be promoted–for the rest of his natural life or until we have to make up a new rank for James again–to the rank of EL4.

Bubba
Grand Master

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What can be said about our resident panda? Well… The man is simply a staple of our Brotherhood. I've had the pleasure of knowing Howlader since he first rejoined our club, and it's been a wild (but fun) ride ever since. He returned with a flurry of activity, and he's been around longer than many of our members have been alive. Howlader Taldrya has served as Master At Arms for our club for the better part of a decade now. In that time, he's made numerous revisions and improvements to policies surrounding his office for the betterment of all, sought to hold all leaders in this club accountable when it comes to recognition, sometimes forcefully though always with pure intent, and has led the charge for fair treatment across the board. While he does a lot (a lot) of yelling, it's for a good cause. Always for the good of the club. He wants to see this club excel, live on (even with the "shut it down" jokes!) and be a viable place for all members.

Howie has been a mentor to many, including myself, over the years. He's always keen to pass along his knowledge, always available to confide in, and has never let me down on a personal or professional level. He's a stickler for the rules, but that isn't a bad thing; it's just more stability, which is something this club is always going to need. I truly believe Howie will be here until the day the club finally does close up shop. Because of all his accomplishments (that I'm sure everyone else will cover in detail), his mentorship, and his ability to get the job done no matter the obstacle in his way, I am more than proud to be appending this recommendation (which we had to do in the shadows, because Howie sees all).

Aside from James, there is no one else that deserves a promotion to Elder 4 more than the resident panda. Congratulations, Howie. You've earned this. You're so mad right now, but you're just gonna have to deal.

Zxyl Bes'uliik (Noobi)
Regent of the Brotherhood
Son of Taldryan

---

I need you all to understand how much this is going to annoy Howie. That alone pleases me. But it's a symptom of a quality that is easy to miss. In all the time I've known Howie, he has never wanted anything for his efforts. In fact, he's yelled enthusiastically against any recognition. It often came to the point of Dark Crosses as a threat. And it's for that reason I admire Howie. He knows this place, this Brotherhood, is about more than any one person.

Especially him. Can't say I've seen a lot of other members actively campaigning for improvements that would lead to the deprecation of his own position. Usually when someone says they want to be "the last <blank>", they aren't referring to killing off the position, but rather dying with it.

I really can't speak to what Howie has been like as a member, only that he's been a leader. Know that he hates us all equally and that none of us are free from sin, and that when the time comes...he'll turn the lights off on the way out.

Darth Renatus (Atra)
Comrade in Yelling

---

Howie is a good bear, the best even. Sure there is yelling, and there will be yelling when he sees this, because unlike most of us greedy SOBs in this club, Howie very much hates to acknowledge he genuinely deserves this (along side anything else, unless that anything is food or beer in which case he will take 20).

I’ve been doing this long enough to remember the pre-Howie days. To say he was what this club needed for MAA is an understatement. A level consistent eye has helped bring the awarding system of this club back on track. All the while the only real expectation Howie ever has is “do the work”. If someone has earned something, state it. If someone has disappeared, fire them. Reports of being “mean” are greatly exaggerated when really its just “be specific and do the things”, which really is all anyone could really want in an MAA.

While it was very true when EL4 was created that it was 100% a we need to award James moment, it is also true that it is a 100% we need to also award Howie it too. Years of service, quick turn arounds, fixing broken systems, and interacting with pretty much all leaders of the club on some level (if they are doing their jobs right) means Howie has been a very very busy bear. Sometimes its good to recognize that.

Congrats Howie.

Idris Adenn
That Krathy Nerd

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Howie, if you are reading this, then HAHA (/Nelson). Look at you getting the fancy-shmancy rank, that I also hear comes with actual pants that need to be worn. Now, I know you’re going to grind your teeth and flail about like the primadonna you are for getting this rank, but this is what happens when you are older than dirt and continue to do all the things. So you will take this new rank, goddammit, and you will like it!

It has been a pleasure yelling at you for these umpteen years, and I look forward to continue with the yellings and the beatings for many more years, wherever they are. Good bear.

Halc

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I’ve disagreed with Howie on a lot of things over the years ranging from individual awards to particular policies to “do you really need to yell about this?” but I have never once, not even for a millisecond doubted his fairness and professionalism. The bear may yell but the bear is an equal opportunity yeller and more often than not the bear yells on behalf of the everyday member which something not everyone gets to see. As I moved up the ranks of the club’s leadership I learned to counsel young leaders that 1) remands are not personal and 2) the Panda can be persuaded by evidence so add some tangible facts to that rec.

Howie holds every member of the club from the Grand Master to the newest join to the same high standard. That can be a thankless job at times but it is one that needs to be done. His unwavering commitment to holding everyone, including himself, to a high standard is why Howie will always have my respect even if we often have different points of view.

Rajhin aka Turel
Keeper of the Soapbox

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Oh, Howie will hate this, which makes it all the more delightful. As much as he yells, it is always done with good reason and the best intentions. Whether pushing to ensure members receive appropriate recognition or making sure the standards are the same for all of us, fair, and straightforward. I remember how things were (gods, 2003?!), pre-Howie, and the fairness with which he performs the duties of MAA is worlds apart. Since being taken on first as his Magistrate, then his Praetor, he has taught me a lot, not least to speak up and give my input. Well. I am speaking up and providing my input. If you argue you do not deserve this promotion, maybe I will try your brand of yelling until you accept that you’ve earned this many times over with your integrity, dedication, and tenacity.

May you continue to serve the club and keep yelling for years to come! Congrats.

Mune aka Moon Moon
The Nice One

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Howie,

I won't be as Krathy and elaborate as the others here, I'll just state that, even though you might complain about it, it is as well deserved as everyone says. Congratulations on your new rank, and if you even think of demoting yourself, I'll take away your access to do it ;)

James

Lord Dacien Victae, 2023-10-13 14:34:43 UTC