Recruitment Page Rough Draft

I know its been a long time in the coming, but I am finished with my rough draft on the recruitment page for this guild. I have included what I have considered important, and what I believe others may wish to know. Alahew has done the same for the Iron Garrison and we will now place them before the Council to be reviewed. If anyone notices anything missing or has concerns or questions as to what is put, I am always open to suggestions and would be happy to answer any questions. It is about time we entered the recruiting stage, and I am proud to be a part of it.

The Jedi Order
The Defenders Of Peace and Justice

Introduction

*bows* Greetings potential members, I am Jedi Valryn Vynn of the Jedi Order. We live in dark times, a time where both the Republic and the Jedi Order itself are in a state of turmoil. The Sith have carried out their brutal campaign and hold nearly half of the Galaxy in their hands, but all is not lost. The time has come where we must rise together, Jedi and Soldiers, and meet this threat head on, for the sake of the Republic, for the sake of the Jedi Order, for the sake of Democracy. Though the battle will be long and hard, we have proven time and time again that we will never step down to tyranny and will continue to fight for civilization and peace. I come to you now, not to simply ask you to join and fight, but to stand for what you believe in and meet the encroaching darkness with your own blades of light. Let not the sacrifices made not be in vain, and may the Force be with you all. *bows*

Overlook of the Jedi Order

The Jedi Order is filled with many mature people who wish to help each other learn and have fun, without the cost of maturity. We are all here for the same reason, our favor of Star Wars, and would like to keep the respectful manner that we are expected to have as Jedi. We treat everyone with respect and compassion, and in turn expect the same from you. We have a chatroom for members to converse in, and a seperate website for our forums, which hold all of our discussions and Roleplaying. These forums are open to both Jedi and Trooper, and contain various areas of discussion, from the Roleplaying section, to the Council Chambers, and the Iron Garrison, where our Trooper counterparts reside.The archives are for those who have found knowledge they find worth sharing with the rest of the guidl, from Force abilites to Lightsaber techniques and other ideas. Anyone is welcomed to post, however you must first ask the Council for permission before doing so. While guests are able to visit the forums, they will be unable to access most material until made full members. As a Guild that depends on its members to stay alive, we ask that you be as active as possible in both attendance and affairs concerning the guild. As a member here, your input in greatly wanted and any ideas you have to better the guild will be most certainly considered, so long as it is done in a polite and respectful manner. We have all come here to have fun together, not to be insulted and ridiculed. Such acts go against the Jedi Code and the Charter that all members must abide by, to which the Council will administer the appropriate punishment. However we all understand that events in our real lives do have their importance, one that overules any held here. Should anything occur, we simply ask you inform the rest of the Guild of your absense and take as much time as you need.

Training and Rank

As in tradition of the Jedi, we have the standard ranks that comprised its members

Initiate/Youngling: The Initiate or Youngling is the first and lowest rank among the Jedi. Beginning their lessons by studying holograms and practicing beginning forms of lightsaber combat, they are limited to just the basics of knowledge and must strive to prove themselves in order to be accepted by a Jedi Master or Knight.

Padawan: Once an Initiate has be taken in by a Jedi Master or Knight, the obtain the rank of Padawan. Padawan's are exposed to a more broad amount of knowledge. Studying under their Master is their top priority, and it is through this that they begin to mature into the Jedi they will become. After their training is complete and they have faired well in the trials, they must go before the Council and prove their readiness. If the Council agrees with their Master, the Padawan will be given the rank of Jedi Knight.

Knight: A Jedi Knight is the most common rank in the Jedi Order. Renowned for their skill with a blade and the Force, a Jedi Knight is a beacon of hope and justice for many. Though they have progressed far and have learned much, they continue to learn and continue expanding their knowledge and abilities untill they become one with the Force, or are deemed worthy by the Council to ascend to the rank of Jedi Master.

Master: A rare rank given to a Jedi Knight, it is saved for only the most gifted and skilled in the Order. A Jedi Master is given a considerable weight in the decisions of the Council, and may be asked to give advice to Council members themselves. Renowned for their wisdom and strength, the mantle of Jedi Master is no easy path and therefore a special and honorable title.

Councilor: When a Jedi Master has demonstrated great talent and wisdom, beyond that of their peers, they may be asked to join the Jedi Council. An increadible honor and rare oppurtunity, those selected are immediately endowned into the elite governing body of the Jedi Order. Though composed of most of the Order's brightest and renowned, it is always the choice of the Jedi in particular to join the Council or not. Those who choose not to join and not treated differently, and still hold the title of Jedi Master.

Master of the Order: The title of Master of the Order is saved for one who has demonstrated a strong will and continued dedication to the Order and its members. Though mostly serving as another Council member, the Master of the Order dictates most of the dicussion among the Council and leads it in its debates and considerations. Second only to the Grand Master, the Master of the Order serves as a second in command when the Grand Master is unavailable or missing.

Grandmaster: The highest rank in the Jedi Order, this rank is saved only for the most patience and worthy. Chosen by the Order with recommendations from the Council, the Grand Master leads the Order in all its actions and events, while also having a seat on the Council. Able to break any stalemates in the Council and its dicussions, the Grand Master focuses on the main developments in the Order and seeks to maintain a state of peace and harmony among its members.

Rules and Regulations

Training itself is also based on ancient tradition. Initiates must study the code and test themselves by taking the trials and presenting their answers to the Jedi Masters and Knights. When they have been selected by one, the Council will be informed and consider the idea. If the Council agrees, the Initiate will ascend to the rank of Padawan. They will then learn from their teacher and when their Master is certain they are ready, they will go before the Council and prove their are worthy of the title. If successful, they will ascend to the rank of Jedi Knight, and continue down the path of knowledge. Should they not meet the Council's standards, they may continue their training until the Council feels they are ready. When a Jedi Knight is considered ready to ascend to the rank of Master, the Council will summon them and present another task to prove themselves. If the are successful, they too will ascend to the rank of Master and continue on. If they are unsuccessful, they are more than able to attempt again, but only when the Council sees them fit to do so. To join the Council, one must be invited first. With the recomendation of one Council member, the situation if brought before the entire Council, and they will discuss the possibility. If it is passed, then they will be able to join the Council and will be granted the rank of Master if they have not already. If it is opressed, then the member will not join the Council and will be able to carry on their place in the Order. A member is always free to pass on the invitation, and it does not affect their standing in the Guild. The Master of the Order is a position held by one who has proven themselves to be loyal to the Guild and the furthering of its members. They serve as a second in command during the Grandmaster's absense and lead the Council on its decisions, though they still only count as a single vote in meetings.The title of Grandmaster is to be decided by the Council only and is not open to other members. The position is vital and therefore open to only those who have proven themselves both active and dedicated, to the Order's members and the guild itself.

Rules and Regulations

As Jedi of the Republic, we must learn to keep ourselves at a different level than most others. Below is a Charter that lists all conduct we must follow besides the regulations of the Jedi Code. Though these are only a few of the rules contained, they are the ones that hold the most merit and importance. Members may review the entire Charter in the Forums. Listed are a few of our more important rules of the guild. A more detailed list can be found on the guild site itself.

I. Respect any and all fellow guild members. We are all here to have fun and prepare for the upcoming game, not to be insulted and treated badly. This is especially the case when referring to Council members, as they are here to help benefit this Order and its members. Any violation of this rule will result in proper punishment, usually a warning at first followed by more serious action if necessary.

II. No Godmodding. Godmodding is an insult to all others and the idea of roleplaying itself. This includes but is not limited to: giving oneself unrealistic powers and abilities. Rendering another member's posts and actions futile and damaging another character's body or equipment. Such things cannot be done without the permission of the associated member and will be dealt with as deemed necessary.

III. Maturity. We are all mature members here and expect the same from you as well. Any immature behavior will not be tolerated and will be responded with swift and necessary action. We all call ourselves Jedi here, it is time we acted like it. While like other offenses, it will begin with a warning, more drastic methods will be taken if deemed so by the Council.

IV. Activity. This Guild depends on the effort and cooperation of all members. This means that with each ascention of rank comes and increase in responibility and purpose. We all expect each other to play our part in how this Order grows and develops, so let us all place the needed time to do so. However, we are all aware of the importance of outside affairs, events that will always overule those held here. If you find yourself needing to leave for some time, all that we ask is that you let the guild know of your absense, so that we know to progress without you. While everyone has a say in what goes on here, some have more input than others. Knights and Masters should be sure to be up to date with current affairs going on with the guild, while it is a must for Council members. As in the case of a Councilor, if you need to leave for more than a few days just be sure to let the rest of the Council know. Padawans being trained and their Master's training them should keep in fairly good contact with each other, so as that when one leaves, the other is aware.

Other aspects

While the Jedi Order was originally meant for Jedi only, we have recently expanded to include the Trooper class and have opened a Garrison on the website under the careful eye of Lieutenant Artemis Garp. While the Garrison answers to the Council on more serious matters, the Troopers will have their own set of rules and conduct, to be explained by the following information.

Rules/Code of Conduct:

I. All Recruits MUST take Oath of Service.
Oath of Service: Applicant must verse oath word for word and salute. “I hereby state my allegiance to the Jedi Council. I swear to uphold peace and justice under any circumstances, following all orders unto such goals in the name of democracy to carry out my duty. I will respect all members, the Jedi and fellow soldiers alike. To my life or death I will protect the Republic, the Jedi, and all allies thereof. Under no circumstances will I betray the members of this Guild, the Jedi Order and its Councils, or the Republic. I am a soldier of the Republic under the jurisdiction of the Jedi Council, and pledge my service, my respect, my oath… my LIFE.”

II. All Soldiers are required to meet with Councilor Alahew Kel-Revik or Councilor Kael Sune in the Chat.

III. No Marine runs from battle. I am there from start to finish. I am fighting to defend this Order and the Republic.

IV. If captured I will continue to resist by all means. I will make every effort to escape or help others escape. If taken prisoner of war, I will give my name, service number and date of birth. I will evade any further questions, period. I will reveal nothing that may compromise my command or my comrades.

VI. No Soldier Left Behind Policy: It is required that the gathering of the dead be carried out before leaving area. However, during battle any soldier’s life is secondary to the mission’s main objective.

VII. I promise to follow the code to the best of my ability and fight for the freedom of the Republic within the mandate of this Order.


Behavioral Conduct within the Guild:

1. No derogatory or offensive language towards others. Absolutely no tolerance for making fun of other members.

2. Marines must make at least one post per week in the Garrison. This is for the purpose of keeping it active and showing you are active as well. Only exception is if you are away or sick.

3. You must notify an Officer if you will be away for an extended amount of time, or if you have been sick.

4. No spamming in the Garrison.

5. Show the proper respect to your comrades and your leaders.

6. Do not mod unless you are a mod. You have no right to tell someone they are breaking the rules. Report to an Officer if you find a problem with someone, or their post.

7. Mandatory that each Trooper goes through Academy Courses.

8. You may only be in one SWTOR Guild. I do not want to find out that a Marine is in six different Guilds. Your loyalty and time should be put into one Order and one Garrison.

Again, any questions on what is writtin can be addressed to either myself for the Jedi part, or to Alahew for the Trooper part. We are both open to ideas and would appreciate any advice or constructive critisism you have for us. I ask the Council to revew this and respond with their concerns or approval. I thank you for your time and mtfbwy *bows*

This is very good, our new step to the future. Good work Garp and Valryn. Job well done

Well I thank you for your thoughts Hybrid. I put the charter in there to emphasize on the rules, but if you incorperate it into a part of the application, then I can remove it. A general outline could be implicated to replace the charter, defining our more serious boundries. As for the Archives comment, I did put that "Anyone is welcomed to post, however you must first ask the Council for permission before doing so." But if that is not clear enough, I can rewrite it to make it clearer. This is not to be a single post either, as Garp and myself discussed earlier, they will be two seperate posts, one after the other. Any other concerns would be welcome, dont be afraid to state something you dont like.

I think this is really good, we are making some progress here, and progress always sounds nice

I have to agree with Hybrid on putting the charter in there. As awesome of a document as it may be (okay, I'm done), it doesn't need to be in our recruiting posts. I do think we could create a link to it in your recruiting spiel if people actually have an inkling to check it out, though.

True True, but progress is being made, and i am very proud of everyone in the guild

If that is all that is to be said, then I would ask the Council for permission to post this on the SWTOR guild forums, after I add the corrections mentioned. If anyone else has something to add, do so now.

Nice

Garp wrote:

Glad to see we are finally ready to start posting on the main site. But I am about to make every groan because I would like to put a hold on it before putting it out there.

The deny of name change is one thing that we might run into trouble with in the long run...but something even more important must be discussed before putting out this post. Seriously guys when it comes down to recruiting and there is a certain reputation that should be upheld for our guild. What I am saying is we need some standards on membership. We obviously do not want to be overrun by kids do we? There should be some requirements in joining the guild such as 18+ in age. This will at least ensure that we can avoid SOME problems that will surely commence if we take in children.

We really need to set some of these standards if we want to maintain a healthy body of members. I am not saying be incredibility picky…but make some requirements is all.

I second that Garp. It may take time but it will be worth it.

It Varies, if we feel like going through all of that

Yes i know all of that Garp, but its whatever the whole guild decides, I personally dont really care, because we will still be the same Order.

This has truly been placed in the right hands. Well done Valryn and Garp.

And I do not believe that Master Hybrid was trying to be racist; he was simply pointing out the fact that more and more members ascend up the ranks with no one underneath to train or assist, using an old saying.

I would have to agree with Garp, that an age restriction be implemented. Can't wait to start seeing the results. We will do just fine, just as we always have. May the force continue guiding us towards conscious decisions and level headedness through logic and reasoning.

I see that there is much to be done before any attempts can be made to recruit. There is much distrust and tension here and I have no intentions whatsoever to bring in anyone new until they are resolved. We need to get our priorities straight and decide on the path we will take. I am tired of seeing the effects this "silence" has placed on the guild and its members. The sides have clearly been drawn and I will refrain from proceding until they have been broken, and a compromise reached. We have been through too much to have such childish squabbing threaten our existance. I suggest we step back and take a good look at what we want and follow through with it, meaning following the rules and behaviors we have diligantly set before us. No more tension among each other, distrust in our Council and fighting amongst ourselves. We have reached a critical stage in our growth and I will be damned if I let it be ruined by infighting. We need to work out our differences and keep ourselves loyal to what we are supposed to stand for.

O god.... Oh Lawd

enough, both of you. This kind of talk serves no purpose and only proves to throw us in more turmoil. I suggest that both of you settle down and stop acting like children, that includes keeping the racist comments out of this place.

First, a metaphor was used; which btw Hybrid was using another Council Member's words to describe a situation with symbolism, allowing a shorter amount of words to transcend all understanding or misunderstanding in order to explain much more. Then joking words are used; which were only used to laugh at the misunderstanding. Is there so much hate within our Guild, that we seek to name call or run into arguments fist first? Hybrid acts the same as he always has.. how does any of this come from left field for some? His intensions are just and his meaning is just. How many times over must Hybrid prove himself to us? Nausicaa should calm down. I also believe that Garp means well, but perhaps also requires a lighter touch. I suppose none of these words matter now, as everyone involved yelled then ran... Unfortunate that no one stuck around to talk about things rationally. Unfortunate that no one sought to help others or themselves even, that no one acts for the betterment of this Guild. But no, it seems that too many act only for themselves and their own selfish goals. I myself now state my views here, out in the open. I seek enlightenment and understanding and do not wish for any further mishaps. Please, if anyone has more knowledge on the subject... state it here. Or if any of you disagree in any way, I listen with open ears and a humble mind. I do not claim to know everything, nor do I judge. I am here.. and I remain HERE, in the Guild I support with all of my efforts. I am here for this Guild and for every member within. We are formal friends, but friends none the less. May the Force Be With Us All...

I know I am not exactly the voice of reason nor the most well liked member, but if I may, I wold like to offer a theory. Yes, while it is deeply regretable that these events transpired, and left a certain air of instability, we need to look past perhaps the words that are just here in this one Forum subject. I believe that some do not doubt nor seek to infringe upon what Hybrid has done, more than certainly they are greatful. Yet, perhaps it is the way he carries out these actions which may have agitated people, into a discord of hate, stemming from any number of actions. One, maybe his Roleplaying, the amount of violence and gore, perhaps sickens people, though not offended by it, I personally frown upon it.
While what Nausicaa, Hybrid, and Garp may have done was wrong or not, there comes a time when we must set aside ourselves, our intrests, our goals, for that of the greater good. By no means am I say that you are to sacrifice what you believe in, or become a lock-step follower, only that we express a more tolerant, yet fair system and actions. I have done things I am not proud of, and have suffered for them, some may have seemed unjust, others fair, but that isn't for me or you to decide. We are suffering from a feeling of dis-representation, that there just are not enough Council members to evenly distribute power, leading to strife and discord. Or at least from certain aspects I've seen.
Together, we all must take a collective stance, and find reason in these trying times. Our hearts have bled much, and we have overcome numerous events, but those will all be for naught if the Order can't learn to be friends, to be able to peaceably disagree. Every turn, we have discontent, maybe from lack of asking or representation, to outright distrust in the Council to other members. Would it not be in our best interest to work together? In order to instate a aura of justice and equality, should we all abide by the same rules, of what it means to be a Jedi. This doesn't only mean in the Chat-room, but also the forums. And when we are on the forums, as we have seen, refrain from being racist, in even the smallest matter, and if someone is offened, simply and clearly state to them you had no intention of your words being taken as such, just talk it over, and not bicker and squablle.
I offer my deepest regrets to what happened between Hybrid, Nausicaa, and Garp, but it happened. The sooner we learn to peacefully talk and discuss matters, the better. I apologize if I over-stepped my station and boundaries, but I felt it had to be done. I wish the Order good life and luck, and May the force be with you, each and every one of us.

Yes you are right Alcanor, though I do not believe that there was any racism to speak of. There simply was NO racism in Hybrid's words. Not his first chiefs and indians reference, and not the second remark either. Rather a joke that came out because of the offending notion. He tried to laugh at it. Honestly, I laughed at it. I do not believe Hybrid to be in the wrong here. Should he be punished for being the only one who stayed active? He does something good, by staying with us and for us... and it is to be called a misbalance on his part? It just seems that everyone has let certain issues bottled up inside them and now the fireworks have exploded from the self inflicted pressure. Certain people explode at each other, rather than bring up a suggestion formally and seriously in the proper places... Though here we are. Talking this out the way it should be. Like Alcanor said, it is in our best interests to work together.

I think what has been said here today more than covers everything. However I do understand the racism part of this petty arguement. Alahew and Hybrid, I understand that you dont see any hint of racism in the statement but that doesnt make it alright to say either. The metaphor is nonetheless racist, whether Hybrid meant it or not. Just because someone doesnt mean it in that way doesnt make it ok. While I know Hybrid meant no offense, I still agree that such statements should be left out of the Guild. It is difficult to understand where someone is coming from when you dont know the pain that comes with every word. The same can be said about all race's. The bottom line is, that such remarks should be left out of this place, as they disrespect others regardless of the speaker's intentions.

As for being filled in Hybrid, I would be glad to speak to you on what has occured and help you reach a peacefull solution.