Brethren of Galeres,

One year stretched late into the night until the bell tolled twelve times. In the hollow, empty echoes of those thunderous rings it faded into the past. What had been large and ominous was now withering into nothingness in the present. Deep from within its shadow, something fragile and new emerged. It carries our hopes and dreams, our unfulfilled potential, and our hearts and minds. It is not something you can capture: it is a whisper, a gentle breeze, a promise. It only shows itself for the briefest of moments and most strongly during times of chaos and turmoil. And there was a lot of turmoil in House Galeres in the first half of the year, but stability came with change.

Auspicious Beginnings

It started with the appointment of a new Aedile, Uji Tameike, who brought raw emotion and passion for his role. It was not unchecked or misdirected emotion, though. He handles himself far better than many give him credit for. Uji bridges gaps between divided factions in our House and Clan. He created a proposal and a plan to bring House Galeres from a shadow organization to a militant branch of Clan Arcona. He pushed us forward with the Fall of SCEPTER, energized the Clan with Halloween Horror Nights, helped construct our newest parody event Captain Arcona: Civil War, and is constructing another Clan-wide competition for February. He also created a wildly successful series of gaming events known as Arcona Gaming Dominance. AGD has become a prominent part of our success in driving our House members into the Top 9 of the GMRG for the past two quarters.

Next came an old, wily Adept. I was desperate for a second chance in the Brotherhood. And I was eager to leap at the opportunity to join Clan Arcona to work with the deep talent bench it possesses. I was also excited to create and put into practice a Post-DJK Program that would focus on empowering and educating our Equites into something more than warm bodies. I received a ton of feedback and teamwork from Atyiru and Arcia during the planning phase and we inducted our first class of members: Mako, Zakath, and Kaiburr. Execution has been trickier, but Arcona has a deep talent bench (like I said) and I picked up a partner in Rayze Erinos Arconae (Zandro) to help me keep our work going along with two additional participants: Celahir and Nikola. I was a former Consul on a mission to prove myself.

If one Consul is good, two is better. And a Consul Emeritus of Arcona emerged to firmly take Soulfire Strike Team in hand. Celahir Erinos Arconae reminded me that leadership is not merely a position, but a calling. One that some will hear and answer. And we were fortunate enough to receive his guidance and resolve to Soulfire Strike Team. He brought renewed energy and a new direction to his team. With the House moving toward a co-op militant nature, he recognized the need to distance himself and his team from the strike team moniker. Now a rugged group of mercenaries, they work with and for the Dajorra Defense Force and Arcona Expeditionary Force. He continues his work by helping members continue to realize and fulfill their goals; including inducting one of his best members - Riverche - into a BTL Training Program. His eyes are focused on the future, but his hands are busy holding up House Galeres from his supportive role.

Old blood is not new blood. And old dogs can only learn new tricks from young pups. With Kordath vacating his seat as the Captain of the Nighthawk, we were left with a major hole in - arguably - the Brotherhood's best Battle Team. We had already tapped a veteran for Soulfire, so we turned - with equal parts excitement and apprehension - to our untested upstart in House Galeres: Rulvak Qurroc (Warp). While the old dogs hemmed and hawed, it was the push and directness of Warp and Uji - combined - that showed us that dreams can be attained. Between running numerous competitions, writing his reports regularly, and raising several of his recruits... he found time to become the GMRG's top man. He is gaming incarnate. Not selfishly, though. From his command center, he helps DB Members work through Destiny raids, explore new games, and find enjoyment in their grind for Clusters. What I love about him most, though, is his beliefs. He didn't take command of the Nighthawk to be the guy... he took it to help other members find enjoyment and fun in what we do. Oh, you might also note that he lead the following Arconan Legends so well they all praise him: Ood Bnar, Ernordeth Puer-Irae, Kordath Bleu d'Tana, Zakath Argona, and Mako Henymory.

A Mission Defined

Our purpose was not immediately evident to us in 2015. We labored, we toiled, we worked to the brink... to discover our mission. It had stared us in the face, but we oft over complicate things. We feel that a lack of words means to not properly describe it. And, to some, this may be true. But a rose by any other name is simply criminal. When you say 'rose' a vivid image should propel itself into your mind - it is a rose in full bloom, very likely red, with a delicate stem of green. Yet when we tried to define Galeres our minds could only summon a confused jumble of words: loyalty, honor, tradition. But deep inside us, it silently said: safety, family, home.

We started there. If this was going to be a House that spoke to our member's souls and not their minds, we would have to have a simple message. And, thus, our message became "to do your best while having fun." It was a message that focused less on projects or mundane tasking. We lifted up the idea that what we do should be simple and fun. It should put a charge in our batteries, not drain them. And we should distance ourselves from the things that did drain us. At times, we did this so much that it took us far, far away from the direction of the Clan. Rather, we took the scenic route to arrive at our destination opposed to the tried and true paths everyone knew.

We began with engagement. You cannot mentor from a distance and you cannot call a propped door 'open' to your members. We went to our members opposed to waiting for them to come to us.

We strived to educate. It is an essential building block to leadership. Our style is about helping others become the best versions of themselves; build them up by their strengths. Those blocks are held together by the mortar of teaching, helping, and guiding. We were not teaching just about the Brotherhood, but about life, too.

We wanted to equip our members. We had to create an environment that others can be productive and excel in. We did not attempt to force people into predefined roles, but create opportunities based on the members that were inclined to strive to meet their potential. We provided fuel - physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually - that would help them accomplish their goals.

We had to encourage you. Without praise, you cannot hope to have the fuel required to create engagement, education, and be equipped for the journey ahead. Our leaders care, lift others up, and encourage. Our people were provided with affirmation and encouragement.

We had to empower our members. True empowerment is preparation followed by appropriate freedom. At some point, we had to let you loose to do your jobs. And since our job was fulfilling your potential while having fun... we let you pick and choose how you would get there and how big (or little) those tasks would be in your path.

We had to energize each and every active member. And a few inactive members, too. Great leaders energize, motivate and inspire those they lead. Intentionally.

Last, we had to elevate our active members. The ultimate goal is to build and grow other leaders for long-term, sustainable success. The regenerative idea that leaders produce leaders, who in turn produce leaders is a powerful concept. At the heart of this regeneration is the principle of elevation - raising people up. Raising up leaders is the truly selfless goal of every mentor leader in House Galeres. It is our pursuit. It is our lifeblood.

Results Or Excuses

You cannot have both. We could easily hide in our cloaks of defeat and talk about how unfair the world is. There was a great deal that our leadership team wanted to accomplish in 2015. We did not complete it all. We have even bigger plans for what we plan to do over the next 12 months. It will take a lot of work, some sleepless nights, a couple hundred million messages on Telegram... and we still might not get it right in 2016. But damn it... we will have fun.

Since we introduced our mentor leadership style into House Galeres, we have had some phenomenal success in regards to promotions and awards. The aim is always to drive activity, but the result - or sum - of our efforts is in the recognition we dole out to our members. And there are some astounding statistics to know in those regards. We collected 71 promotions and 36 awards since Uji took office as Aedile. As you can see (below), our members have had success from the lowest levels through the Equite ranks in regards to promotions. We have also been able to see our members recognized from a Dark Cross to an Amethyst Kukri. All a testament to our House willing to embrace our credo of "doing your best while having fun".

29 of our 43 members received either a promotion or a medal since Uji Tameike's tenure began. A lot of those people received both. Or, in Stang Mach's case, a metric ton of both.

A Bright Future Ahead

We vaulted into the new year with a massive competition called Captain Arcona: Civil War. This parody event brings our social issues (as members) to the forefront through our characters. We have seen a smattering of puns, rap battles, ponies, heated debates (Pop! Soda!), Ohio's annexation from the US, and our Ryn's deviant behavior in our Clan chat. This competition mocks the best of us and keeps us reminded that we are here to have fun. To celebrate and rejoice within one another's company. To know that we are not alone or unimportant in this world.

We have many, many more things planned for you in the future. But, as always, we invite you to find and fulfill your potential. No one can know how bright your star will shine save you. And if you are willing to put in the hours, your House Galeres Leadership Team is willing to work side-by-side in the trenches with you. We want you to take on ambitious projects like the ACE Pilot Program that became our first Legendary Unit - Void Squadron. We want to see you tackle the production of major competitions like An Arconan Holiday and Captain Arcona: Civil War. We desperately want someone to find Wiki work sexy... and be able to shove all of Uji and I's backlogged work onto you. We want to see additions to our programs focused on helping members grow their skills and tackle new things.

Most importantly. We want you to keep coming back. House Galeres isn't just about loyalty, honor and tradition anymore.

This is where we find safety. A place where we are surrounded by family. This is home.

We are, your servants,

Braecen Kaeth
Uji Tameike
Celahir Erinos Arconae
Rulvak Qurroc