Hello, All -
Welcome to Lunar Eclipse, the UnGuild.
We're a family bunch, and we tend to shun things like organization, structure and lots of rules. It's all part of what makes us Loonie.
We realized some time back, though, that an "unguild" only worked so well when looking for new members; we lacked real membership criteria, things were often done ad hoc, and voting, if there was any, was often a three-month process, if we didn't lose the prospect to old age in the meantime.
We decided (after about three months of discussion) on some voting "guildlines" a while back, and it seems like a good time to refresh the basic ideas, since we have several new members who haven't been through the "official" process.
So here's how we bring in new Loonies...
Basically, we all want to meet the person involved. We want to play with them, hunt with them, adventure with them. We want to see if they can say more than "heh;" see if they know where Odus is; see how well they play with other children.
We also want someone to sponsor the candidate; someone who feels interested enough in the person we'll eventually "vote" on. We expect the sponsor to post a topic in the Members Only forum, introducing the prospect, and why they'd make a good Loonie. If we haven't already had a chance to have a few groups with the potential member, the sponsor will organize some type of event or party, so we can all get together. It's also the sponsor's responsibility to explain our rules (such as they are) to the neophyte, and to explain why we take forever (or two weeks) to decide on new members.
It's certainly expected that by this time the candidate will have visited our boards, seen how we operate, and posted a brief "Hi, I'm Schmoo!" note. Nothing special, just something we can use to chat with the prospect, or plan an event where more people can meet her.
Once we meet and greet the candidate, and someone pushes enough to start a vote, we vote in the Members Only forum. We leave the voting open for a few weeks. A person needs 14 "Aye" votes, at a minimum. We also have a provision for 3 "Negative" votes that will disqualify a prospective applicant.
Your vote is important; it will shape the Loonies for some time to come. Here's what your vote would mean:
- Aye
- I have personal knowledge of this candidate. I have grouped with them and have spent time getting to know them. I feel they are a welcome addition to our family.
- No Vote
- I have no opinion one way or the other as I have not been exposed to this candidate enough or I have not been convinced that they are a good fit for our group.
- "Nay"
- I am opposed to this candidate becoming a member of our group. I have personal experience with the applicant that leads me to feel this way.
An "Aye" vote should not be given because you trust someone else who is giving an "Aye" vote. In the past, we've had a single "Aye" vote, and 6 "you said Aye, and you're a good person, so I'll vote Aye!" votes, and the results just weren't pretty. An "Aye" vote means you know the person, and you yourself want them in the guild [ed. note: back when the number of "Aye" votes was 7].
So, that's about it. Nothing special or exotic in our guildlines. No fancy initiation fee, or level restrictions. We just want to know who it is that's Arooooooing us from across Norrath.
In Brell's Service,
Harvaku
[April 14, 2003] Number of required "Aye" votes increased to 14 and "Nay" votes increased to 3.