Ronin

Ronin,

In case you haven't tracked it, there is an interesting thread developing on the NR website, nightravens.net, under General/The Letter. Some of the dialog is the same bickering we all saw this weekend, but some of it is more thoughtful. I posted the letter below and wanted to post it here as well, as I believe it states some important principles for us to keep in mind as we draft our charter and move forward.

Best Regards,

Ironshiek

"Hem,

Speaking for myself only, I believe a guild exists to serve its members. For the months I have been in Night Ravens (about 10), I have learned that each member of the guild contributes to it being a worthwhile endeavor, each of us in our own way albeit in varying degrees. A guild is simply a loose organization of players banded together for mutual advantage, camaraderie, and ease of game play.

The idea that a guild consisting of dozens of people is the property of the guild manager to do with as he/she pleases is repugnant to me. A guild manager's authority is not absolute, as the guild members always have the power to simply leave if their interests are not being met. A guild manager is precisely that, a manger, not an owner or dictator. As such, it is unacceptable for a guild manager to arbitrarily and unilaterally demote some of the most active people in the guild. Such unbridled authority is reminiscent of a pyramid scam, where the only way to have any power in an organization is through the coincidence of being involved at the inception. Unilateral demotion is also inappropriate on a personal level as it is insulting and disempowering to the affected individuals.

I wish you no ill will and enjoyed the one time I grouped with you. While I appreciate the work you put into Night Ravens, I cannot abide your decision to treat its members as if they owe you personal and unswerving allegiance. Additionally, regardless of my emotional reaction to your decision to dissolve the council, the people who elected to leave NR represent the clear majority of the people who have helped me level and have grouped with me in the past, and I fully endorse and join in their decision to create a new guild where no single person will rule the roost.

From reading relevant posts, Night Ravens will apparently continue to be a guild where you will have all the authority because you were once promoted to GM by the previous GM. Ronin, on the other hand, is built on the principles that management of an organization is a privilege, and that the management privilege must be exercised for the exclusive benefit of the organization's members. That philosophical difference is simple but profound, and it justifies a parting of ways in my opinion.

It is my sincerest hope that we can all move past the hurt feelings and work on building our respective guilds. I wish all Night Ravens the best and I will certainly group with any of you in the future."

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