State of the Union Address

Well, it seems summer has killed attendance as of late. Upon checking with other guild leaders, this seems to be common across the game. We are at half the attendance of where we were on June first.

We have recently brought in members and then allowed them to bring in friends, no questions asked. This has not worked out since these players tend to stay in their own little clique and do not integrate with the general guild members. Soon they get bored with the guild (when in effect they are bored with themselves) and then they leave enmasse.

We have lost focus on what it means to be a Cherubim. People do not read the forum and have no clue what it means to be Cherubim. we are meant to be helpful, friendly, grow together and be a community. Way too many members are anti-social, and are clueless as to what is going on or being attempted.

We have had a number of inactives, including officers with medical issues. To make room for a recruitment push in the near future, we have eliminated most of the old invitees left over from TSK's overflow. As of this moment nothing will be done to long term inactives but this may change in the future.

The new focus will be on bringing new members through a full application process with integration with the guild members on a social basis.

This is a rough time for us and we will persevere with patience and a renewed dedication to Cherubim ideals. Remember that the end goal is not a giant guild of impersonal members , but instead a close guild where we all have a common comraderie and have people we enjoy the game with.

This rough patch is no one persons fault, save perhaps mine, but together we can work through this and get back on path.

Following is parts of a rough draft post I placed in the officers section on how we are going to proceed with recruiting and what our focus will be.

..........We had an officer meeting between myself, Franc,
and James on saturday to try to address some concerns and find some
focus for the future. We have decided to go back to the original intent
for admitting new members. we have had many new members that exhibit
less then ideal Cherubim behaviors and feel that we will start from
scratch with new members.

Here is what we arrived at from our meeting on saturday:
1.
New recruit procedure: They MUST post an application response in the
forum. If approved, they WILL hunt with officers and groups of members
a "couple" of times. They will then be brought in by an officer who
WILL be responsible for aiding them into getting settled and to a point
in the game where they are comfortable.

2. Everyone will be
required to view at least the forum Portal on a regular basis. Those
found not doing so will be addressed by an officer.

3. Everyone will at least be verbally socialable with the guild.

4.
Everyone will be expected to either help or accept help from fellow
Cherubim. That is the Cherubim way. Period. Exclamation point!

Lets
remember that our long term focus is to grow people into being high end
players. It is at their pace but always with the end intention of being
our comrades and hunting partners in the end game areas.

Following is the revised application in rough draft. Please feel free to make suggestions.


If
you're interested in joining The Cherubim Knights, please follow the
application format as listed below. Simply cut and paste the
application as a new post in the "Recruitment" section and be thorough
and informative. After review of applications, we will contact you in
game to set up times to hunt/play together. If you and we turn out to
be a fit for each other, you will then be offered an invite to the
Guild.

The Cherubim Knights are a sister guild of The Seraphim
Knights, and member of a 7 guild Alliance under the Seraphim Knights.
Unlike the other guilds in our alliance, we are more relaxed and
focused on new and less experienced players. We like to teach the game
and allow new members to grow into our friendship and comraderie. Our
vision is to eventually end up with a close knit group of friends that
will then move on and meet the challenges of elite areas and sojourn
into Guild Wars 2.

We are open to both totally new players as
well as experienced players, however, to be totally up front, there are
some things for you to consider before applying:

A) If you are looking for a Guild to rush you through the game and into UberGodness....we are not for you.

B)
If you are an experienced player looking for aid in Elite areas and
filling max titles on a regular, or daily basis, we are not for you.

C) If you have a strong inclination towards pvp, we are not for you.

D)
If your idea of "helping" new players is to run them through a mission
and then bolt off to what you were doing, we are not for you.

E)
If you are expecting a Guild with a full compliment of highly
functioning players and a firm set of daily events and runs and
farming, we are not for you.

This is not to say we do not do
these things, it is just that we are not focused highly on them. I/ We
wish to be absolutly honest and clear of where we stand and what we
represent.
Now, on the otherhand, this is what we are looking for and what we expect:

A)
A Cherubim is helpful. We expect members to teach what they know; take
the time to explain; spend time playing with lower members. If this is
you, we may be what you want.

B) A Cherubim is patient. This is
a slower process of building a guild and has a lot of ups and downs. We
feel the payoff is worth it. This may take a lot of time and effort to
achieve. If this is you, we may be what you want.

C) A Cherubim
is friendly. We want to know you and each other. We expect our members
to be communicative and open to playing with each other. We like to
tell about ourselves and get to know others. If this is you, we may be
what you want.

D) A Cherubim loves NEWBIES. This game would be
nothing without new players coming in. It can be intimidating and
confusing. If you want to help us help newbies, OR you want a guild
that can help you as a newbie, we may be what you want.

If,
after reading this, you feel you do not wish to apply, please consider
contacting us for admuittance to one of our other guilds. We have
several that may be more to your needs and liking. If you wish to
continue the application, please cut the following questions and paste
them into a new post with your responses.


1. Your In-Game Names and classes and what made you choose these names:

2. Chapters of Guild Wars that you own and how long you have played them:

2. What is your real life Age and Gender, (and it's ok to be an ingame crossdresser, our leader is):

3.
Location, in the real world (feel free to be as specific or
non-specific as you wish. It's just nice to know where you are at in
the world):

4. Times and days you play:

5. Do you have
Ventrilo? (this is not a requirement but it makes things a darn site
easier to teach and learn through. We have an Alliance server)

6. What do you expect from the guild, and try to elaborate about your needs:

7. In couple of sentences introduce yourself?

8. What do you like to do in the game, and what would you like to accomplish in the game?

9. Tell us how you found out about us. If you are a referral from another guild member or a guild, we would like to know.

10. Any other information about your self or your GW experiences you feel we should know or that you want to share.

Please remember to be as imformative and clever as possible. One worded
responses generally show a lack of genuine interest and reflect upon
you as being less then a fun, friendly, and witty Cherubim

Thanks for your interest and Hail Cherubim and well met.



Pampered One

Anyone in the Guild currently that does not feel this is what they want to strive for or be a part of, is welcome to leave the guild for greener pastures. If you wish to be moved to one of the other Alliance guilds, I will speak with you and together we can help you find a place in the Alliance. If you just want to bail, you can do so with our blessing and no hard feelings. If you decide you still want to be part of this Guild, then please help us make this ideal work better.

Please keep in mind that the above application is still in the rough draft stage. This is a very hard guild to grow because we have a rather unconventional view and approach, but whoever is left at the end will end up being long term friends. I hold to the vision.


Pampered One

Alright, I wasn't gonna post here but it bothered my conscience enough to do so. I know I haven't been a great member. I know that sometimes I try to ask for too much. I know that I don't help out as much as I feel I should. I actually considered leaving the guild, just for the summer, since attendance was so low. But apart from that, I also know that I can do better for myself and the future of the guild.

Yes, I agree that we need the application process re-instated. As Franc has probably mentioned (or not), we had a new recruit that left after 1 minute. They were one of those players looking a quick way into a high-end guild.

While I am impatient at times and wish to rush at some points, I can work at this so that I only ask for help on things whenever I get in WAY over my head.

This said, I wish to have my future in the guild be a good one. I will try to keep true to the Cherubim way.

- Andrew (Adrian Redgrave)

I went to LA for a week, y'all don't have to shut the Guild down for that. I'll coming back, don't worry!

Scion

********This said, I wish to have my future in the guild be a good one. I will try to keep true to the Cherubim way.

- Andrew (Adrian Redgrave)**********


This one may yet show that the way is not lost..

Porphyry

I like it here! As long as there are no rules against dying i will stay. I have made great strides toward making dying an art and I have not found every way to do it yet but i haven't played every class or finished every chapter....YET. So I am sticking around and if any one needs any tips on what builds don't work...I have quite a list.




By the time I turn 60 I plan on being out of my rookie stage.

Di Daanq
Da Danq
Little Di
Di Fleche
Di Moine
Di Guerre

To add onto my previous statement:

Since the application process is going to be re-instated, I could be an unofficial talent scout, along with Franc. I probably have the most flexible daytime hours for it, most of the time. On another note, I would never dream of leaving the guild. The only times that I'd leave is if the guild was disbanded, if I was kicked out, or if unexpected circumstances left me to quit playing altogether.

On the note of guilds again. I actually considered making my own guild at some point, but I feel like I'm not worthy of having my own guild just yet. I might consider doing this in Guild Wars 2 though, so don't worry about me leaving on a whim right now to try my hand at running my own guild.

HAIL THE CHERUBIM!
- Andrew (Adrian Redgrave)

PS: If you do find a guild called The Wild Geese in GW2 wishing for an alliance with the future Seraphim/Cherubim Knights, there is a chance that it will be me.

I just got on a played a bit, checked the Guild roster. A lot of people I thought would stay had left. Kind of bummed me out. I spent a lot of time turning Sagd and Kyle from WoW into GW.

It's crap.

I am a big fan of application process and all that, but how are we to measure someone proper? Back when I ran my own guild, I asked real life age and checked their current skillbar. Between those two things alone I knew where someone stood and how well they played. But as Cherubim, we are teachers. Those two things are pretty much useless as a litmus test.

I think it really comes down what you hope to gain by being in a guild. I've never turned down anyone asking for help, in guild or no, and I think we need to keep that rolling. If someone is here for some help, to learn to play, or is looking for a group of people to enjoy GW with, invite them in.

Like James' story; a lot of people may show up, but only the select will stay on.

Well, I have to apologize that I havent been active as of much...I am playing the other half...entertaining, taking care of family business and trying to find employment...with that its been difficult to get focused back into guild wars, but I too will try to get on.

I was a little bummed that i wasnt included in the meeting, but like Scion I disagree somewhat about turning people down. Here is my feedback. I think the appropriate way is to bring them in on a trial basis with a REQUIREMENT TO COMPLETE THE APPLICATION WITHIN 48 HOURS WITH A 2 WEEK TRIAL. Every officer and the class lead will play with the new player. Once the 2 weeks are up, then we will have a vote. This is the way Arkangels did their recruiting and it was effective as far as I know. Each person was to sign into the forum at least once a week and post. If not, then they are to put themself into missing in action with a response. If no response, then we put them on missing in action. After 3 weeks they go inactive. I also think that in our guild status opener...we list names once a week on "possible inactives".

Recruiting is a difficult job in itself and asking a new person who doesnt even know how to add him/herself into a guild through the tab bars to go to a forum and sign up will make it even harder to bring in people. If we are to stay as a guild that supports new people then we have to reforumulate the most effective way to bring in a new player. When I ran TSK, most of our recruitment was done through friendships and later through the application process. We were the elite guild, and people were looking for players with experience and an opportunity to play the elite areas. That doesnt happen with new players. They just want to learn the game.

We are not going to get people to arbitrarily check the forums; so I want to be a little flexible in the recruiting process. but be more stringent in the acceptance in the guild. People will stay if the guild gets involved with the players and their is a sense of community, but I just know that getting people from forum posting is not an effective way to recruit. I've posted on the forums 2 months in a row...and these are the people who we accept in the forum and leave. Oh well... guess they were not people with like minds, and would have eventually left.

Then there are nice people like Xanthos and others....who leave and come back to try our guild again, and Im ecstatic...since he has been a great help with this forum (*hugs to Xanthos*!). We cant stop people from leaving...but we can monitor their response to our guild and get feedback from the new player as well as the guild members.

Well that is my two cents. Im sure I'll get some reprecussions.

Lady

LOl....

By the way...I will put my foot down on gunter and I starting a guild in GW2...I would be happy if someone starts one and I get to choose who I get to join....

Lady

Well, I guess i am the repercussions she mentioned above.

Ok, I am not, nor ever will be a fan of "Thats the way we did it in yada yada yadata". I work for the US government and hear that on a daily basis. Rarely if ever does it make sense or apply to the given situation/circumstances. Maybe thats the non-conformist in me and maybe thats why I am so fond of statements like "yeah, well they can kiss my lily white _ _ _ if they don't like the way I do it !"

Ok, that part of my personality aside, what Lady proposes seems a little rule intensive and a little on the demagogueish(not a real word) side. I understand her concerns and wanting leeway on the recruiting side, but truthfully, if, as you yourself has said Lady, 9 out of 10 are going to reject us, why would we want to waste 2 weeks on 9 out of 10 rejects. Thats 20 weeks of attention spent to obtain one person. Thats a terrible amount of wasted effort.

Bear with me, because i have some concessions to offer, but, I really am sticking to my guns in the initial idea of recruiting we came up with. If you spend the time chatting up a recruit and then approach them with the application procedure....game over. either they have what it takes to finish it and show true interest, or they wimp out and take the cookie cutter mold route. Either way, it is passed on to the other officers and then to the guild membership. My concession is, that I can agree to the 2 week trial. It would be incredibly difficult to organize time together with a new recruit if they are not in the guild. Communication is incredibally convoluted.

Now as to the forums. i will be the first one to say, everyone should check the forums with regularity. If you are not, you are missing 90% of what is going on with your guild mates. However, to require you to post once a week...I think thats silly. I can easily check ( and I do every day) to see who has logged into the forums. I can tell you that as of 11:17pm Thursday PST, Pampered, Lady, Xanthos, Franc, James, Jay, Adrian and Di have been on in the past 24 hours. Nursey has too but she fails to log in....silly nurse.

All I really care about, is that members check the portal to see what new things are going on and look at the scrolling recent posts. If something catches you eye, great. respond, add to it...whatever. But at least you have an idea of what is going on.

As to inactives....well the game has changed a lot in 3 years. There are probably 10 times more online games then there was then. We have to remember that when we first recruited, we promised a laid back guild environment that put NO restrictions on activity. ALSO, we have seen more than a handful come back from months of inactivity in the past 2 weeks. Krissa, Sky, Arete, and Marie come to mind. Since this is a free game, after initial purchase, I feel we will see people come and go like that a lot. Does this make them bad guildmates? Are we so desperate to hit that 100 member mark that we sacrifice them for it? What exactly is our aim for guild size?

As far as i know, we never wanted to be a big guild....small to medium. what does that mean exactly? That varies from person to person. To me it means about 30-35 active daily and 50 on a weekly basis. I don't think it should exclude those that jump into another game for a few months, or are in school and busy, or whatever. If they are good people, they should be given a lot of time to come back, imho. Why else would you want me to keep 6 invitees at the bottom of our list Lady?? Because they were dang good people and we would like to give them every chance to come back.

But realistically, we do need to have people start using the forum to let us know when they are leaving and for how long. BUT, we never trained our members to do that so we can not hold the older members to that. I am happy leaving them there if we have the room, but in the future maybe we should adopt a time limit for these older members. I would say 4-6 months. But it is open to discussions and is not really the main crux of what we are trying to work on here.

I do not want to discount James' idea, either, of the officer that brings the new person into the guild(not the recruiter) be responsible for aiding and assisting them until comfortable. The mentor idea was good BUT it had serious timing issues. Instead of assigning a mentor to a recruit....we have a list of mentors so that an officer that is busy can ask for an available mentor to step in for him. This way will work better I think.

Ok, since i am spouting, I want to add one final thing. This has always been a pet peeve of mine. Use Guild chat for general conversations. It is terribly terribly annoying to have everybody whisper you all the time. Guild chat channel should be busy. Whispers are usually for personal, or private conversations. You will get a lot more people interested in talking if you use this channel. if everyone is whispering, it appears we are inactive and disjointed. Also, it may spark new players to come out of their shell.

I got long winded, so i will step down from my soap box. Love you all. Lets hash this out so we can start recruiting again.


Pampered

The boss has spoken...*lurks in the corner*.

I joined this guild because of its emphasis on PVE and its lack of emphasis in PVP. I stayed because of its size and its attention to its members. I am new to online games and thus GWs and in the 1 month I played before joining TCK I tried 2 other guilds. The first was a rip off artist that conned me out of 800 gold before I wised up. The second, and I really do not remember the name had so many members that I never knew anyone but did get a lot of criticism, some of it helpful.

I like this guild and its members, while I do not know all of you as well as I would like I feel that will change. I do not want to deal with 100 people. I am here to have fun, learn the game and hopefully contribute at some point.

In my opinion big is bad and volume does not produce quality. I am here to stay but I would like to see the guild stay manageably small.

Di Daanq

How a man dies is a good measure of his character and Dying is something I do well!