|
"The Silver Daggers...
How to sum up a rich history of the Clan in only a few short paragraphs... The Silver Daggers was founded over five years ago
and has been a successful and thriving guild since it's inception. World of Warcraft will be the fourth chapter of the Silver Daggers
and we look forward to matching and perhaps succeeding the successes achieved in other games -- a feat not to be
taken lightly as there is a rich and full legacy in those chapters of the Dagger saga. While the history of no clan or guild is not
without it's trials, the Daggers have met and overcome each challenge and has not let slip it's fundamentals of spirit and drive.
It may seem odd to mention the less exultant aspects of any clan or guild's history but I do so as testament to the strength of
character of our members and as testament to the solid foundation of the clan.
The Silver Daggers put forth their time, effort, and energy to build a community of which they can be proud. Be they role-player or
non, crafter or adventurer, it is their spirit and character that are the foundations of the clan. The focus of the guild is first and
foremost to have fun in a supportive and enjoyable atmosphere. Daggers pride themselves on being excellent players and striving for the
overall success not just of themselves but of each clan member, each ally, and the game overall. It is the Dagger philosophy that
achievement and success need not come at the price of a rich and vibrant community that embraces people first.
The Daggers are most proud of what is called "the Dagger Spirit." It's a fuller thing than I can put into words but I can describe
some of it's hallmarks. A Dagger never puts the game ahead of friendship and is concerned about taking care of their fellow clansmen,
knowing that their fellow clansmen are looking out for them as well. When a new member joins the clan, they are not left to their
own devices to find a place in an established guild, rather they are warmly welcomed and encouraged. A special pride is taken in
the atmosphere of the clan on two levels. The first is the absence of cliques within the clan; the very idea of it is abhorrent. Daggers
see the clan as their family in-game and approach the clan as a team effort.
The second is the leadership from within the ranks. Every Dagger is encouraged take responsibility upon themselves in areas where
they see it's needed, be that leading and organizing events, recruitment of new members, opening the door for new alliances, etc.
The Clan works as a team and while there are leadership positions within the Clan, they are there to provide structure and attend to the
day-to-day running and administration of the Clan. Those in those positions view themselves as members first and see their responsibilities
as a service to the clan and it's members. In this, they maintain an open and approachable air and serve at the sufferance of the
Clan members.
To achieve this Dagger Spirit, we are quite selective in our members. The first step we take is related in our policy that
the player must be 18 or older in order to join the Clan*. This policy is
made for a dual purpose, the most important of which is as an overall gauge of maturity and secondarily to provide our members
an atmosphere where they may speak freely. Many of our membership have children of their own and they are able to leave off their
parental roles while in-game. We also have a lengthy application which we take very seriously. We strongly feel
that someone who has researched the clan, knows what it stands for and believes in, and wants to be a member of the Daggers, will take
the time to fully fill out the application with an eye toward making it a convincing argument that the applicant should be admitted as a
probationary member. The application is the introductory letter of the applicant to the clan leadership, the more seriously it is treated
the more seriously the clan leadership will take the application. There is a high mark set intentionally and it's the preservation
of the spirit of the clan and the clan's reputation. It may look (and sound) daunting but it is an investment in the quality of the clan
and it's membership -- and the high mark for probationary members is one fundimental reason the clansmen are so warm and welcoming: they
know a high mark has already been achieved.
A bit about the Clan... The Clan is lead by a Chieftain and his Council of Toiseach (officers) and while they bear the direct
responsibility for the guild, every effort is made to involve the membership in decisions where it is feasible. And, unlike
many guilds, the officers in the Daggers serve at the sufferance of the entire clan thus we have an explicit policy: any full member
in good standing may request a vote of confidence in any Toiseach or the Clan Chieftain, should an action be taken that contravenes
the clan Guidelines or abuses their authority. For us, this is more than just a symbol, it is the embodiment of the Dagger Spirit
and testament to the longevity of the clan as a whole, as it's center is the family of the Daggers, not any individual person. Among
the Daggers, we fight not just for glory, wealth, or honor, but for that essential liberty without which no virtuous man can survive."
Vincent,
Clan Chieftain
* We, of course, realize that maturity is not
necessarily a function of age. In the past, we have come across applicants who display exceptional maturity and social awareness but lack
the age to meet the requirement. In those cases, we have waived the age requirement after a more stringent recruitment period,
but these rare exceptions to clan policy are handled on a case-by-case basis and no guarantees are made.
|
