VOLUNTEER

[XGC arcameli]

I guess I’m just writing this to express something that has been crossing my mind lately. I can’t help but continue to think that XG is a volunteer organization. Some of you might wonder what I mean by this. I mean it in the following way: Everything that we do for, or as part of XG is solely because we WANT to. I continually see other generals becoming overly stressed and disgruntled because of their “responsibilities” and the amount of work they “HAVE” to do for their clan. After working with a number of volunteer organizations, I have realized that the motto should be, “you get out of it, what you are willing to put in.” Notice the “willing” aspect of this motto. Let’s look at this from a different perspective… when did volunteer groups pick up job descriptions and homework assignments? Our weekly general’s meetings are starting to feel more like a corporate meeting where work assignments are doled out and Lumberg is asking people to come in on a Saturday as opposed to a group of people getting together with a common goal. I have proudly been a member of XG since shortly after its inception (roughly 11 months), and understand that our growing numbers do put a constraint on our mobility, but when did we bring in the Bob’s for some corporate restructuring? Everything I do is because I want my clan and XG as a whole to prosper, which is why it is so hard to hear that we have homework assignments and growingly strict job descriptions. It almost feels like we aren’t volunteering enough, which is a ridiculous statement in and of itself. I just want to know what everyone thinks?
Arc

 

[blondiizzle]

Honestly Arcameli, I agree that there is a lot of responsibility here. I do have to say, though, that I volunteered for the Red Cross during the Katrina-Rita disaster. I busted my *** fourteen hours a day (officially - I also made rounds to shelters, and purchased and delivered supplies into the night), slept on a cot, once we finally got them - showered in a HAZMAT clean up tent in a parking lot with cold water (once my group hunted down suppliers, and bought, and delivered them) for two weeks straight, to the point of breaking down into tears (as in nervous breakdown) in the airport when my connecting flight home left without me (Delta sux), missed two weeks worth of work that put a serious dent in my finances that took me about two months to recover from (and that was with my boyfriend staying home and continuing to work).

I wouldn't trade that experience for the world. I just wanted to share that so that you do realize that most volunteer work is just that - work. And usually it is harder because volunteer organizations don't have the resources to structure their organization, they rely solely on their volunteers and what minimal training that people receive.

That being said - yes, this is a gaming community. Yes, people should ENJOY what they are doing. But I think that everyone is so worried about ranking up that they don't stop to think about whether they really WANT the added responsibility. I also feel that the old recruiting style of a lot of people is putting added pressure on the community as a whole right now - too many inactives, too many problems with people who are promoted to positions that require a higher level of commitment and then disappear, leaving someone else holding the bag. Additionally, the increase in 360 users is also detracting from activity in Halo 2, which is another contribution to the stress on the community (especially our backbone, H2).

There's my two cents.

Oh, and yes, volunteer organizations have job assignments, departments, and titles. I worked in the Headquarters in Logistics. I can't remember what my title was, it's on my resume and my review somewhere. (yes, they have "reviews" for their volunteers.)

 

[XGC Pentagram]

I understand where you car coming from, but, as generals, we are the backbone of XG. Clans cannot function without a general, I have seen them try. They flounder for a while until someone picks up the slack, and soon they are a general, and they actually run the squad.

Perhaps, with you being in XG for so long you have seen your role as a general change a lot, and I guess that might bug you, but I am a new gen., and I have always known that when I got the skull king, I was going to be busy we XG issues as much as I was playing, and yet, I embraced it. People who are leaders are out there looking for this challenge and this responsibility, that's why we are where we are.

With the rediculus number of people in XG, we have to be this dedicated, or we will fail. That is why only the elite leaders get to this point, they need people like you and me and every general here to take upon ourselves that extra work outside of the games, and have things orgainized enough to call ourselves a real gaming community.

Just on a further note, think about the higher ranks. The council set up this amazing website by paying their own US dollars for it. It wasnt funded by donations, it wasnt funded by sponsers, this is all them. They put in the effort towards this gaming community that makes all of us pale in comparrison, which is why they are the council. That is the kind of dedication that we leaders need to show, perhaps not to that degree, but the dedication to helping our members have the most amazing experiance that they can.

 

[blondiizzle]

Totally Pentagram.

 

[XGC arcameli]

First of all, there is a large difference between a volunteer organization and a non-profit and/or not-for-profit organization. The latter has paid positions (whether you were payed or not) such as the red cross, which I have also worked for and are run on more of a corporate basis, because they are actually considered an incorporated group. Secondly, I did not mean for my post to be misconstrued as a complaint about the responsibility we have. I thoroughly enjoy my job, uphold all of my duties and represent XG in a very proud manner, but do so because it is a personal goal, as opposed to an external goal. My frustration has nothing to do with the responsibilities we have but the way they are presented to us. As much as the council has done (which is a GREAT deal and I thank them for it and have repeatedly in the past) this is and has been a collective effort for a large majority of the time. People do exemplary jobs when they want to, and do just enough to get by when they are forced to and I worry that generals’ actions seem forced recently as opposed to the product of a simple cajoling.

 

[XGC Pentagram]

I get what you are saying, you want to have your responsibilities, but you want to run your own clan and not be told what to do, because some people arent as dedicated.

Im a little tired, so I could be interpreting this wrong, but am I in the right neighborhood?

 

[XGC Perdition]

yeah, i agree with all of you 100% here. Every general should've known the responsibilities they were taking when they took their skull kings and they should be prepared to carry them out (and i realize this isnt the issue here, i just wanted to through in my 2 cents agreeing with all of you on that issue).

Also, i agree that our jobs as generals should be known of the generals and carried out by the generals willingly. There are many instances of things like sectional leaders micro-managing clans (where it is the generals job to run it) and on the same note of generals micro-managing their clans too much (taking away from responsibilities that should be the captains). The leaders must realize that they promoted the people under them because they knew that they could do it and only under extreme circumstances should they have to step in on the others job.

I (being a reletively new general) haven't seen a lot of what Arc is talking about in the sence that generals are seemingly "forced" or "obligated" to do things instead of volunteering but i am sure that is simply because of the youth of my skull king. I do agree with him that this should not be the motivation of the XG leaders... really anyone in XG (although the leaders have to set the examples).

Everything i do for XG, (which alhtough not as much as some, is still very much) i do for myself and for my fellow gamers. The better we can make XG the more fun it will be for everyone involved. and that is the key...

to quote a quite influential document...

"BOTTOM LINE!!! Have fun, play games, and network with other gamers that share the same interest. At the end of the day, it is after all just a game!"

 

[XGC arcameli]

I totally agree... this is "after all just a game!"

 

[XGC Aldier]

I know a little of what Arcameli is referring to and it is not just with the Generals position, but I feel that the general spot is where it is the biggest concern. Being a general takes work, no one is denying that, but to make XGC feel like a 2nd job is not what some people want. Being a general should not feel that way. Section leaders, Division leaders, the Council, I can see the argument for it feeling like a job sometimes, but even then it needs to be fun, and in the long run, enjoyable for the people. Over the last month, I have watched 2 section leaders, 4 generals, 2 captains, and a few others leave because XGC was becoming a "2nd job for them" and that is not what they had signed up for. For the generals of clans with 80-100 members where there are 7-8 active captains and 2-3 active generals and 20+ people on each night, the work of holding a clan together by a strand with your own 2 hands is not prevalent. Just as a general with a 20 person clan, that sometimes has other people besides themselves on does not know the issues that go with trying to settle disputes between full parties of people and listening to the issues that arise. EITHER WAY, it needs to be "for the most part" enjoyable for the generals to play the game.

 

[k4oz]

im just a lieutenant and i think its quite stressful because many of my clan members are inactive and my general and SL are telling us to recruit or there will be demotions but in the end we only have like 20 sometthing members. i spent a whole day recruiting.(like 7 hours) and i only got 2 ppl. its crazy. nobody else in my clan recruits. i want to see it grow but recruiting isn't as easy as it was and when they see that our clan members aren't haveing the correct symbols and not playing they end up quitting. its just crazy. all the new recruits think that the clan im in KINGS OF GAMING is just too small. they would rather go into the other KOG clans. they want to b in a big clan. buit they dont realize that if they stay it will grow. but they want results right away and just want a big clan. im trying to make that but its quite stressful. and im only a lieutenant. idk. my clan isn't too organized. but i still am happy with it.

 

[blondiizzle]

Wait - demotions for not recruiting? There is no WAY that is actually allowed in XG?!? I don't care if those are idle threats, that just doesn't strike me as very fun community-wise!

 

[XGC Maggnus]

Whoever is telling you you'll get demoted for not recruiting is wrong. We are a community built for fun and enjoyment and as good as recruiting is for a community, it should not be mandatory to recruit people to hold your position. From my own experiences on recruiting, I have actually only recruited 3 people into my clan since I was brought into it in August of 06'. Quality over Quantity, no one should be forced to recruit.

 

[XGC HYLANDER XC]

Who is demoting someone for not recruiting? Please let me know via Private Message.

Arc and everyone, the primary issue here is, many generals and those under them do not even know what their responsibilites are and XG has and will keep on Evolving as time goes by.

In the beginning it was all about recruiting new people and growing so sometimes people got ranked up very quickly and had no idea how to run clans but they were a friend of a friend and recruited lots of people.

The responsibilites of each rank have not changed since XG started. Many people before us have looked past them or just flat out ignored them for their own personal reasons. So many do not realize that we were not a HALO2 clan but that we are GAMING COMMUNITY that is GLOBAL.

In order for it to be successful we need to have consistency and great communication at all times. To get that way we must insure those that accept the promotions they are given are owning up to their responsibilities.

A simple example is this - SQUAD LISTS!!
I have been around for 10 months myself and well, I can tell you that over 50% of the clans do not post a squad list at all. What is that about?

If you are a general, post your squad list. End of story. Otherwise, train a captain to do it for you and make sure they do when it is due.

Check the forums right now and see how many Generals have posted a current squad list and then see how many have been properly merged together by the Section Leader over that clan. Not many!

As for people calling this a second job, that is self inflicted. As a General I knew very well what I was getting into and yes it was stressful at times but, I also knew that my job was to run the clans I was over but not be the only one to do so. I had captains who ran their squads which had 1 LT and 8 other people in them. That was their primary responsibility. I dealt with 4 to 8 people in the clan. They dealt with their squads issues and worked together as captains should to resolved those issues before even coming to me.

As a Section Leader I have 9 clans in my section and I deal with the generals and top captains that fill in for their generals when needed. No way I could try and deal with issues in every clan in every situation. I would go insane!!

Also as a Section Leader I help out in all of XG when needed. I have help people in KoG and SYN with various issues but I remain consistent in how I do that which I think helps XG as a whole.

We now have a lot of great Section Leaders that come from this very same mold of leadership so the consistency will keep growing thoughout the community and the DRAMA will slowly go away more and more.

The primary source of DRAMA generally comes from negative unhappy people that want others to feel like they do. Some get bored and frustrated becuase they think no one appreciates their efforts. This is not true. What do you think goes on in our weekly meetings? We talk about the issues of XG to include speaking of those that are doing good jobs and those that are not.

Look at the super bouncing issue. I mean, come on this is so simple yet for three weeks everyone went around whining about not being able to super bounce in a game. Some people in leadership roles actually left prior to getting all the facts on the issue. Even still if you can't bounce in matchmaking so what. That is not a very serious thing in my book and no way I would walk away from months of hard work and leave my clan.

Can you see why we must truly enforce some very strict leadership training? It is vital to the success of the community as a whole. Without we have Chaos and Drama which all the other gaming communities have and we don't want.

Life in XG is rather simple when you get down to it. Each rank has specific responsibilites and we all follow an Honorcode.

If everyone just focused on those things and left all the personal issues off XBL to include political and religious views as well as being rude to other gamers, life in our community we be just fine.

Inactive clans? Come on.
There are at anytime 20K to 80K people playing HALO2. How on earth can we not find good people to join our community?
How about recruiting while playing the other games as well?
If you got 10 , 20 or 30 inactive people who is to blame for that? The people that recruited those people should be the blame. There are clans with 80 or more people in them and over 90% are active gamers. You don't have to play HALO2 to be in XG.

Arc, I do not direct all this to you personally. So please do take it that way. I am posting in response to the issue themselves you and others have brought up in this thread and many others.

I do think it was you that said, you get out of it what you put in to it.
If that is the case, and someone is getting stress and frustration from their experience then possible they need to change what they are putting into.

I hope this post has been helpful for everyone.

 

[blondiizzle]

Hylander - I just want to say that your posts are awesome.

Yes, I recruited quite a few members for Nightmare, but they were QUALITY members who are still on three or four months later, EVERY NIGHT, and have deservingly made Captain and Lieutenant positions. Part of the reason that I have recruited QUALITY members is that I played with them for weeks, every night, before even suggesting that they join. That and I had a great group of people that I played with from Nightmare as an example of the comraderie in our clan. As a matter of fact, most people have played with members and myself for long enough that THEY approached ME about joining.

Nightmare is drama-free because Tard Rage did an excellent job following the rank structure and honor code and knew what he was looking for in members. Promotions were given to people who DESERVED THEM. Not because they recruited a bunch of people, but because they helped bring the clan together. Yes, it has taken a while to build the clan, but the clan is, in my humble opinion, a prime example of what Xiled Gaming is looking for - people who play together, enjoy each other's company, respect each other's opinions, and most of all, HAVE FUN!

I have to say that I totally agree with leadership training. There are way too many instances of people who do not share in the vision that is XG. The prime example is that of yours, k4, in that they are looking to be portrayed as great generals who can build a clan quickly. I just got Top Shelf, and my co-general and I are in complete agreement - we want to bring in quality members that are chill and enjoy the XG. If it takes me six months to rebuild a great clan, I would prefer that over building a mediocre clan in three.

 

[XxSnowyxX]

Generals are the backbone of XG while Captains are the backbone of your clan. If you have good captains and you divide the -work- evenly. You should not have a problem in my mind. I was in XG for quite awhile before I became General and I saw the responsibly involved in accepting the rank. But I still took the rank and do not regret it one bit. I got excellent captains helping me, and I love this clan.

To me that little bit of work I do for my clan makes it all worth it.

 

[XGC PR3D4TOR]

I personally feel that when an organization grows as large as we have, that we eventually take on the responsibilities as a job and w/ growth comes more organization and more and more responsibilities. so yeah. . . still volunteer, but some pple see that it sometimes takes a bit more commitment that just being a volunteer sometimes u just have to give it ur all and then u are a step above a volunteer. this is where the stress comes in and some pple just can't take it.

 

[XGC PR3D4TOR]

yay my clan has current and up to date squad lists every monday!!!!

 

[XGC Aldier]

The thing some people are missing is it is not the clans that are at 80 strong with 90% activity that are having people upset about XG being a job. It is the clans where there are NOT active captains running squads and that responsibility falls back onto the generals on top of the rest of their responsibilities.

 

[SYN ChickenDawg]

I agree our section leader is having computer problems and isnt on but our general still posts the squad list. We do volunteer our time but it is our choice yo do so. And by accepting the positions we hold we are volunteering our time and should take the time to do what is deemed to each person under their job title. Not just Generals but section leaders and even us captains. I hold four practice a week a snipe, slayer, and 2 elite squad practices i make every meeting and if i help take care of any problems i encounter or hear about. Theres no complaints from me though i agreed to become a snipe capt and when i switched to slayer i would not abandon sniper squad also it was my coice to join and head the elite squad these were positions i agreed with knowing the time consumption and energy it would take. But XGC is made up of close friends of mine we are a team all of us so i have no problems and as a general what u should do if its to tiring or time consuming put some responsibility on ur capts.

 

[XGC SUPER FAT]

I am so proud now. Dope is one of my best captains and devotes alot of time to XGC. The best thing I know to do is get great people to help lead along side you. I have some of the best capts I know of. Half of them should be generals. I try to do my best to make sure I am setting the ultimate example and as well as I demand it from my captains. My captains hold meetings to train LTs how to become capts and my LTs have meetings to train srgts and prvts on how to become LTs.

This clan is a brotherhood, if member don't want to participate and hold each other accountable for yours and their actions, they usually weed themselves out.

Demotions should never come from not recruiting anyone. I only demote people for inactivity problems and attitude problems. I have a capt that hasn't recruited anyone since joining in Oct 2006, and he is one of my best.

So take some advice from an old fat man, lead by example, if you want that person to recruit, you go on a recruiting spree with him or her and show them how to do it, not demote them.