Recruiting

[Aerick]

It seems to me that we used to get a fair number of new exiles who eventually joined the clan. Now they seem to be joining up with Open Hands and Tan Team.

There are two major issue I see with this. First of all, it interrupts a constant gradation of power. We used to range from decently powerful down to really weak, but I don't think we have anyone who is first circle anymore. This means we don't have members who know first-hand what is going on in the new exile experience. I know that I feel somewhat cut off, at least more so than I used to. Perhaps this is a personal issue for me to overcome, though.

Also, new people have lots of energy. Properly harnessed, they can do great things, generate new ideas, plan and execute events, and keep things moving. I'm all in favor of a vibrant clan that's bursting with activities, and I think the key to that is a constant supply of fresh blood that you use until they're tired old bums who pendant out from South Town because they're too lazy to walk back.

How well do Tan Team and Open Hands retain their members? Are most only in for a few weeks/months, then they move on? Or do they stay there? Do we have anyone who is closely tied into either of these clans who know what their situations are? It seems that if they are 'transition clans' that a member is in only for their weaker years, that we would be an excellent clan for their people to move on into, and then we can set them to work!

[Kiriel]

Actually, from what I can tell, Tan is having as many issues as we are in the recruitment area. Not sure about Open Hands, but it seems that these days a large percentage of newer exiles are joining Clan of the Purple Tor.

Personally I feel that someone shouldn't join a clan until they've been in the lands at least a month or two. The real way we learn about the new exile experience is by interacting with them, not inducting them.

I would like to see some fresh blood in the clan, but I think that the key to that is identifying promising folks early on, and letting them know we think they'd be good candidates, before they join other clans. A lot of clans invite folks to join, so some folks don't feel comfortable approaching clans to apply. I find that usually when I'm about meaning to talk to someone about them being a great candidate for WoD, they've just joined a clan right beforehand. I think everyone in the clan needs to do their part to keep an eye out for promising folks and be sure they know we think they'd be good candidates for membership. I dropped another hint Schmu's way today, after a very nice hunt in South Forest with him and a new exile.

[Aerick]

I forgot about those Tors. And I'll sharpen my eyes and loosen my tongue to be more encouraging towards people interested.

And I always feel like someone coming down from on high when I talk to people. I've gotten really paranoid about sounding condescending. I suppose I'll work to get over that, but I really think that new exiles relate better to somewhat-new exiles, than they do to Lords and Ladies.

I was always uncomfortable around the super-power (2

[Curiousity]

Open hands has been struggling to get on its feet since the clan was founded. Initially, we had some lively "discussions" that resulted in some poeple leaving. Then we had trouble with our bank account, which hampered our activities. Fortunately, we seem to be sorting things out now, and are going back into active recruiting mode. Right now, we have a core of 7-8 members, but we seem to have lost track of some members. I'm not sure I ever knew everyone in the clan, and I'm the one that is supposed to rally the troops for clan meetings and hunts ;). Our current meeting schedule is alternating between Monday at 6PM PT and Sunday at noon PT, with our next meeting to be this Sunday. Erasmus is in the process of setting up web pages for us, and I think he is going to try to get the address www.openhandsclan.org (just plain openhands was taken).

-Curiousity, Open Hands clan gatherer

[Aerick]

Curiousity, thanks for filling me (and us) in. I hope things progress more smoothly for you all.

On a side note, do you realize how much grief your name has given me? The correct English spelling is 'curiosity' but EVERY SINGLE TIME I try to use the word in writing, I write 'curiousity' first. And it's ALL YOUR FAULT!!!
Just so you know. [:)]

[Konoko]

I think this stagnation happens to lots of clans. I don't think stagnation is even really the best word for it. It's perhaps more like those who are in the clan do their thing and get people to join. then those say "burn out" (for lack of a better phrase) or take a break. This is where the "new blood" is needed to help out. Grab someone off the newly exiled boat and tap their enthusiasm and energy, talk about their grandiose ideas and try to make some things happen.

There's always a new clan starting up that takes ideas from an earlier clan and uses these ideas with a mix of their own to start another clan. Silver Drakes for instance: Karkas came to the drake meetings and we even went as far as having a tan talon thing. Then Hearts of Tan was created. And Winds of Dawn was created. (Sorry - I can't remember which came first - did we?) Since these two clans have formed, Open Hands and the Tors have come into existence.

With all these clans operating and focusing on new exiles, I don't think there is as much newbie talent around that hasn't already been approached by one of these clans.

And then there are all the other clans. I don't think they focus on newbies as much but say a newbie joins one of these clans because a friend is in it. Or some higher-ranked exile was so helpful to Newbie Ned that Newbie Ned decided to join the clan of this higher-ranked exile.


So I guess what I'm saying, I don't think we're necessarily "out of touch" with the newbies of the world, but it's just that there's more competition now. Which is great, right? If we aren't the ones helping Newbie Ned, then at least some other new-exile-focused clan is...

Konoko

[Konoko]

Geez! It's Curiousity! Who spells it Curiosity?
Probably the same types of people who spell words like colour, armour, and favourite wrong... [:D]

[Aerick]

Konoko, is it really? MS Word always underlines it when I spell it with a U, and leaves me alone when I don't have the U in. Is this a British vs American thing?

[Konoko]

Yeah - I think so...

There's US English and UK English. Being the proper Canadian I am, I use UK english... :)

I think it all started way back when when I had a prof I think that forced UK english or something like that.


In Word go to the menu that has spelling. I think there's a languages submenu or something and you can choose UK english.

Konoko

[Kiriel]

Just to clarify, Hearts of Tan was formed while we were still in Silver Drakes. I think they've got at least a month or two on Winds of Dawn.

[Farhope]

I am embarrassed on this topic.
I almost never speak about joining to new (or less new) exiles.

I think the reasons are:
- I don't want to "force" some in. In my mind, if they want to join, they will ask.
- I am very very "picky" about who MAY be in MY clan. I don't want anybody but the nicest people in :-)
- It is not because someone is nice that she/he is a good candidate. People must agree with our goal too... and our goal is not an easy one.

... yes, I am not good with marketing, sorry.

[Delirium]

I'm not sure we should have a *big* push to recruit new members. We should all be on the lookout for helpful new exiles, but we need people who really want to take on our clan's mission of helping new exiles. We don't want to presure people into doing it. I have encouraged several people to join, including Mehan and Lex. Mehan joined us, but Lex told me that while she likes all of us, she wasn't sure she wanted to take on our clan's mission.

As far as our clan's mission goes, I'm afraid I haven't been very good recently. I'd like to do a new exile hunt, but I feel these need to be scheduled at least a few days in advance, and I'm really hopeless at scheduling things. I'd probably schedule something at a time I couldn't even make it. So I'd rather try to help on new exile hunts that others schedule when I realize I can make one.

[Sargon]

Hi

To be honest I'm pretty happy that we don't get new members every zodiac. I have nothing against the Tors but I wouldn't like to be a member of a clan with 70+ clan members. *shrugs*

About 'advertising' our clan: I always thought that mentioning our clan and/or our scrolls to a newbie (or any other non-clan exile) doesn't hurt. But I'd never go further. I hope that our clan consists of members who _really_ want to be part of this clan (as opposed to almost being pushed in =) That's why I also told Farhope to not push Nuvali back then. I'm _glad_ he finally joined us! Don't get me wrong on this!

Having said that, I know that I'm a terrible clan member when it comes to helping newbies.. *sighs* I will attend Farhope's new exile hunt today and try to heal all the newbies though! Hey, it's a start! =)

/action congrats Curiousity that he spelled his name right =)

Sargon

[Goric]

Greetings all.

Deliriumm its beens so long since ive seen you. I was happy to read your message.

I have belonged to other groups that have had similar thoughts. Some think that if we are not seeing new members every week, we must be doing something wrong or not working hard enough. BAH!!!

People will come along when and if they are meant to do so. This does not mean that we should not talk to folks about the clan when the situation presents itself. I do, but not very often. I like the fact that the clan is small and I shutter at the possibility of it becomming large.

Large groups often tend to be cold and impersonal. I like the feeling of a small group of friends. Does this mean that we should not recruit or be a closed clan? Of course not. If we become a large clan at some point, so be it.

I do not think that we should try to think of ideas on how to get more folks to join. We should do what we do best. Help people! If we do what we do well, people will come. All things in time!

I've always been against recruitment. I find that if someone joins a clan under their own power, then they are much more likely to stick with the clan. Many people will just give into recruitment so they can gain experience until a spot in their ideal clan is open. Recruitment is the fastest way to form weak, short lived clans (with few active members), but I think WoD's membership methods (little 'forced' recruitment) are much more effective and better for the clan in the long run.

And the idea of us being 'old' exiles who don't understand this generation is a bit off. Most of my characters are newbies, and I've found that (real) newbies look up to WoD quite a bit. I've even heard several unprompted complements to the clan without any (revealed) members present. I think members will come; they always come. Newbies know we're out there. The last thing we want to do is target membership to any specific group, especially newbies, since they are ussually a bit undecided when it comes to clans. We just need to wait.

(example) When Super Chicken was in his must-recruit-all-newbies-we-have-too-many-oldbies-and-they're-no-
fun-plus-newbies-are-easy-to-recruit phase, the membership of Laughing Academy doubled for a few months, until people started leaving to join the clans they really wanted to. After that, the remaining members noticed that no one else was in it, so they left. I think LA has one active member nowadays, Super Chicken himself.

In other words, I completely agree with Farhope.

-Lerris the Newbie