Strength and Unity

Well, what a great month it's been.  The Western Alliance has steadily been growing and maturing and life in the Alliance seems to get better and better with each passing week.

A month ago I remember chatting to people in Combe and Staddle, and in the Prancing Pony tavern, trying to persuade people that this little kinship with just me and a couple of others was actually going somewhere great, whilst trying to evaluate the people I was talking to to see if they were made of the right stuff.  Well, I feel like I have succeeded in that goal and our Alliance has now sailed past that invisible barrier that marks a kinship doomed to failure from a kinship ripe for success.

Our Council structure has filled out nicely, with eight of the nine council seats (Burglar leader being the exception) now taken by officers of the Alliance.  These positions are temporary until the first elections, which will take place in two weeks time from today.  Initiates joining later than today will not become full members before the elections (initiation is 2 weeks minimum) so today is the unofficial 'joining deadline' after which new recruits will find they cannot vote.

We have steadily increased in size; instead of grabbing 50 random people in a week and nobody knowing anybody, we have recruited in dribs and drabs, taking our time with each candidate so they feel as much at home as we full members do.  There must be about 25 of us now, enough to make a great core of members, but we still need a few more.  For some of the later challenges that require 24 people I think we'll need a good 50 members so that we'll be able to raise the required number of people in an evening, but no more than 50 or people may start to get left out.

Already we need to start looking at limiting applications.  In particular, we have a lot of Guardians already, so for a Guardian to successfully apply now they'd have to be an exceptional candidate.  On the other side of the coin, we are very short on Burglars.  While we will not recruit anyone who doesn't seem up to our standards of friendliness and courtesy, we may well pay special attention to anyone who we spot un-guilded and with quick fingers, shady clothes and light feet.  Minstrels would also be more than welcome.

This Friday, we shall spend the evening in the Inns of Breeland, probably just in the Pony, looking for more able bodied Hobbits, Men, Dwarves and Elves to add to our cause.  Burglars may well find they get the most attention from us, followed by Minstrels; Guardians may get overlooked a little, but we shall remain courteous and polite at all times, striking up conversations about whatever takes our fancy and building up a rapport with potential recruits before telling them about our great Alliance.  Good Luck!

<Edit - I changed 'Captains' to 'Guardians' - I got the wrong class, oops!>

Aye, i still remember the day i posted on the forum for recruitmend.
I was invited by a friendly man who goes with the name Methrendomir.

It was clear to me this was the Kinship for me, i saw it grow in a quick period of time.
And made it into the council, i am really looking forward to the election.

I agree on the part of captains, if someone does find a capable man he should be discussed in the council boards.
There we can take a vote to let this Captain in or not. (same goes for Gaurdians)
If you come across a burglar you do not have to discuss him, just have a good chat and try to figure out what it is he wants.
(Same goes for Minstrels)

I wish all of you good luck tonight on the recruitment drive, try to bring home some burglars for me.