Post by Flora=builder1=even2all on Apr 30, 2009 9:54:39 GMT
Long ago I was in a clan that bursted due to drama. Saw that happen a couple of times and I (oh I was so naive back then) thought it might have to do with kids being in charge.
After that I joined a clan named the RS-Elders. They mainly had adult members and it was led by a couple (real life married couple) and had some clan members in council.
It was a great group where I did fit in and felt at home!
But...
The married couple was having trouble in their marriage and their trouble found its way into clan.
I stepped away a bit when underlying stress slowly started surfacing:
We were told we couldn't talk about personal things we knew about clan members, with people out of clan, without first consulting staff. I'm not going to ask permission to talk with whom ever about what ever. First asking the clan leader if it is ok to do so felt as an insult to the trust in clan.
While I was drifting away from clan (and being kicked out in the end for being inactive) the bomb bursted, long lasting friendships broke and the couple decided the female clan-members had been out to ruin their marriage and they left Runescape.
(btw... this is what I think has happened.. I do not claim to know the full truth)
What was left of the Elders, after a short while, started a new group: Kindred Spirits. We tried to be fully democratic.
But..
Democracy is a VERY slow process when people don't vote when a vote is up and when there is no majority for anything. I think all were still tired from the Elders and shocked what happened there, for it had ended real nasty.
I was asked to organise events in KS and I did, but....
ALWAYS a but
We never got started as a functional group.. We never had a protocol to have new members join, we never decided on what ever. And those, chosen into management, didn't have the full power to make decisions. The one holding the admin acc always had the power to limit their ability's. That led to great stress and arguments etc etc etc
And since we were leaderless NO ONE had the power to rule
So after a couple of months, seeing slowly decreasing the number of people that played and were in group, while nothing was achieved: I quit and I left Kindred Spirits, disliked the name anyway.
This group fell apart
The events created for Kindred Spirits were well liked
So, a couple of months after I left KS, I started with a real life friend of mine (Marja) Even2All.
* We decided it should have as few rules as possible, for rules need a system to sustain them and being among adults most rules are clear: just common sense.
* We decided to have no leader, for leadership sometimes triggers weird ...well: power corrupts. We wanted this to be a group, not a platform for an ego-trip. Group management would do the work that is needed to keep everything rolling. Between the ability’s of management there would be no difference.
* All we wanted was a group to share events with.
Since all live everywhere we needed a site to post these events, and share skill ideas etc.
And have a clan chat to have some place we could find each other
* And we had no restrictions for joining. Although young ones can join this is a group for adults, so if they feel ok among us, they'll have to adjust to us, and not the other way round
* Everyone can start an event, all in group can join these events and we all hold same power.
I still believe in this setup.
The simpler we keep things; the least space there is for drama. Personal urges and desires, hidden agenda’s and the usual conspiracy theories, all are real ‘clan-killers’. If we manage to avoid that we will do well as a group!
Being young, or being grown doesn't matter much.
~Flora~
After that I joined a clan named the RS-Elders. They mainly had adult members and it was led by a couple (real life married couple) and had some clan members in council.
It was a great group where I did fit in and felt at home!
But...
The married couple was having trouble in their marriage and their trouble found its way into clan.
I stepped away a bit when underlying stress slowly started surfacing:
We were told we couldn't talk about personal things we knew about clan members, with people out of clan, without first consulting staff. I'm not going to ask permission to talk with whom ever about what ever. First asking the clan leader if it is ok to do so felt as an insult to the trust in clan.
While I was drifting away from clan (and being kicked out in the end for being inactive) the bomb bursted, long lasting friendships broke and the couple decided the female clan-members had been out to ruin their marriage and they left Runescape.
(btw... this is what I think has happened.. I do not claim to know the full truth)
What was left of the Elders, after a short while, started a new group: Kindred Spirits. We tried to be fully democratic.
But..
Democracy is a VERY slow process when people don't vote when a vote is up and when there is no majority for anything. I think all were still tired from the Elders and shocked what happened there, for it had ended real nasty.
I was asked to organise events in KS and I did, but....
ALWAYS a but
We never got started as a functional group.. We never had a protocol to have new members join, we never decided on what ever. And those, chosen into management, didn't have the full power to make decisions. The one holding the admin acc always had the power to limit their ability's. That led to great stress and arguments etc etc etc
And since we were leaderless NO ONE had the power to rule
So after a couple of months, seeing slowly decreasing the number of people that played and were in group, while nothing was achieved: I quit and I left Kindred Spirits, disliked the name anyway.
This group fell apart
The events created for Kindred Spirits were well liked
So, a couple of months after I left KS, I started with a real life friend of mine (Marja) Even2All.
* We decided it should have as few rules as possible, for rules need a system to sustain them and being among adults most rules are clear: just common sense.
* We decided to have no leader, for leadership sometimes triggers weird ...well: power corrupts. We wanted this to be a group, not a platform for an ego-trip. Group management would do the work that is needed to keep everything rolling. Between the ability’s of management there would be no difference.
* All we wanted was a group to share events with.
Since all live everywhere we needed a site to post these events, and share skill ideas etc.
And have a clan chat to have some place we could find each other
* And we had no restrictions for joining. Although young ones can join this is a group for adults, so if they feel ok among us, they'll have to adjust to us, and not the other way round
* Everyone can start an event, all in group can join these events and we all hold same power.
I still believe in this setup.
The simpler we keep things; the least space there is for drama. Personal urges and desires, hidden agenda’s and the usual conspiracy theories, all are real ‘clan-killers’. If we manage to avoid that we will do well as a group!
Being young, or being grown doesn't matter much.
~Flora~