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SotRS 09-14-01
Members of the Rebel Squadrons. ":)
Welcome to the last State of the Rebel Squadrons Address of my tenure as FC! It has been a year and one month since I wrote the SotRS that announced my
succession to you all. Now, as my time here draws to a close, it's my pleasure to address you once again, officially, for the last time.
Tomorrow I will post my final resignation notice, and Vice Admiral Rahj Tharen will officially and formally take over the office of Fleet Commander. Until that time, however, I am still the FC, and so it is my duty to talk to you about.. well, about the State of the RS.
Quite simply, the RS is in an upward spiral. Our membership is growing; and with the end of summer, activity is beginning to climb once again. Our club can look forward to a productive year under a new FC. But how does one measure success? That's difficult. So I wanted to give you all a taste of what I think success is. Trying not to be too arrogant, I think that the past year has been a very successful one for the RS. Because I want you all to know why, the bulk of this SotRS is going to be a re-release of my Fleet Commander's One Year Report. This report was addressed to the High Command about a month ago. It is now being made available to the general membership for the first time.
I hope you enjoy reading. The report is most candid, and has not been edited in any fashion.
From archives, date August 15, 2001:
"Greetings, High Command. ":)
The big day has finally arrived. Today, August 15th, marks exactly one year since I took my first actions as Fleet Commander. There will be those that cheer, there will be those that jeer, and of course there's always those who just plain don't care. But regardless of whether you are happy to have me in this chair, I'm here. Without being too vain, this report is dedicated to my office and the work I feel I've accomplished.
-=By the Numbers=-
Since I became Fleet Commander...
Number of Bylaw changes: 12
Number of Total votes: 16
Number of Fleet Check-ups you've filled out: 10
Number of Projects completed: 11
Number of new Executives appointed: 6
Number of new Fleet CO's appointed: 8
Number of Allies added: 3
Number of SotRS released: 14
Number of HC NF released: 35
-=Goals & Musings=-
As a Fleet Commander, I've had several longterm goals. The primary goal has been to be a leader. A leader to High Command, a leader to my Executive officers, a leader to the club at large.
After an almost frenzied pace of discussions in my first six months, High Command has greatly mellowed during the second six. Number of discussions has dropped off, and if you contrast the numbers for this report with the numbers in my 6 month report, you will note that the number of votes has all dropped off. This may be a sign of degenerative weakness, or a sign of unqualified success, depending on how it is viewed.
To the club at large I have endeavored to remain, quite simply, Dave. I'm not bent on formality, and I believe everyone knows that. I'm probably more accessible than is healthy, but its better to err on that side than on the other. I believe I've done a good job of keeping in touch with the average member, and hopefully you would all agree with me.
After a year in office, there is not much to say about my original goal of lending stability to this office. A year is an eternity in the virtual universe. I'm proud to say that I've been here and doing what I do for that long. The Rebel Squadrons will never have the stability in a central figure that the Emperor's Hammer has in Ronin. But then.. do we really want that?
-=Policy=-
The policy of my administration has remained the same since I took office, since I filed a report 6 months ago, since I wrote the last State of the RS Address. I will provide strong, stable, central authority to this club and oversee its day-to-day operations in accordance with the bylaws and the club's best interests until such a day when I feel I am unable to do so.
-=Accomplishments=-
Can we say the RS is a better place now than it was one year ago? Hopefully so. Several things have served to strengthen our club internally and externally. A few of the major accomplishments in the last year:
-Roster Database: I still believe this is the club's biggest technological advancement in recent history. Its importance is second only to that of the occasion of our first moving to our domain. Our domain has remained a part of the RS ever since it was procured, and so will the DB survive in some form as long as there is still a club to populate it. The importance of our database and the services it provides cannot be overstressed.
-Outer Rim War: A bigger overall conflict than even Minos which preceeded it. Groundbreaking in terms of overall attendance, participation, complexity, and number of clubs involved. It will take a major effort to produce a competition to replace the ORW. Whichever way you look at it, ORW was an integral part of RS history for the past year.
-New RS Webpage: Valuable in more ways than one. The "new" look may not be everybody's favorite in terms of fashion, but in terms of functionality the design is an improvement by leaps and bounds. The controversy that swirled around its release also taught many important lessons, to myself especially. Definitely a high point in RS history and the history of my administration in particular.
-System Descriptions: Our planetary database, so to speak, has grown exponentially. From the seed of the Greeop System have sprung up additional territories, including most of the Cadrel Expanse annexed at ORW. My XO is currently in the process of compiling all these into an actual database, and when complete this will provide an excellent tool for matching pictures and maps to storylines. Certainly not the most important thing to ever happen to our club, but helpful and useful nonetheless.
-Uniforms: Finally completed during my second six months, the uniforms proved an instant hit with the membership. Although every member might not yet have a uniform, a significant percentage do. They look very nice and help increase our "official" appeal. I'm immensely proud that this project was finally completed under my watch, for the dream of uniforms has been a dream of every FC that I'm aware of. It is certainly a jewel in our collective crown.
-=Conclusion=-
That brings us to the end of my report. I've tried to keep it succinct, but I apologize for the length anyway. If any of you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them. Finally, I'd like to thank a few people. Most of all, I thank my Executive staff, who have been terrific and supportive throughout the year. Without them, I wouldn't get nearly so much done in my name, and I would probably have lost it several times over. And I thank High Command for its support, without which I wouldn't be here in the first place. My job is to serve, and I hope I have succeeded in this primary task."
So, fellow members of the RS, there's the tale of the past year. What will happen in this next year? With my retirement, I'm leaving it to you to fill in the blanks. I have no doubt that the Rebel Squadrons will continue to prosper, for as I have said time and time again, we are at heart a community of people. The ties that bind us together are strong. That's what makes our club special. I thank you all for allowing me to be part of that, and to even claim leadership. Its been a pleasure.
Reach for the stars, and you will find that you can often catch them!
":)
Dave "Raptor" Trebonious-Astoris
Rebel Squadrons Fleet Commander
=The Rebel Squadrons=
...a H.I.E.R.* Organization
*(Honor, Integrity, Equanimity, Respect)
-Commanding Officer, Rebel Squadrons
-Member of the High Command
-Grey Squadron, Grey 5
-Former RS Executive Officer
-Former C.O, Redemption Fleet
-Former C.O, Crusader Fleet
-Former C.O, Kalidor Wing
-Former C.O, Delta Squadron
-Former RS Medals Officer
-Former pilot, Rza Squadron, RgF
-Formerly of many other things
(The Excellency of Service, awarded by MO Mike Bullian)
|//Oo\\| (The Tatooine Suns, awarded by MO Ben Jynzer)
||U|| (The Kessel Kup, awarded by FC Castor)
|**| (The Combat Medal, two stars. Adm Jim and MO Ben Jynzer)
*?* (The Alliance Dagger, one. Awarded by Adm Jim)
^|VCC|^ (The Valiance Combat Citation. Awarded by MO Ben Jynzer)
*V* (Five Year Veteran Service Medal)
"I want you to understand this, and I want future generations to believe it; you and they will do more than adequate service to my reputation if I am held to be worthy of my forebears, careful for your interests, steadfast in danger, and not afraid to be unpopular if I am serving the national good." -Tiberius Caesar
Welcome to the last State of the Rebel Squadrons Address of my tenure as FC! It has been a year and one month since I wrote the SotRS that announced my
succession to you all. Now, as my time here draws to a close, it's my pleasure to address you once again, officially, for the last time.
Tomorrow I will post my final resignation notice, and Vice Admiral Rahj Tharen will officially and formally take over the office of Fleet Commander. Until that time, however, I am still the FC, and so it is my duty to talk to you about.. well, about the State of the RS.
Quite simply, the RS is in an upward spiral. Our membership is growing; and with the end of summer, activity is beginning to climb once again. Our club can look forward to a productive year under a new FC. But how does one measure success? That's difficult. So I wanted to give you all a taste of what I think success is. Trying not to be too arrogant, I think that the past year has been a very successful one for the RS. Because I want you all to know why, the bulk of this SotRS is going to be a re-release of my Fleet Commander's One Year Report. This report was addressed to the High Command about a month ago. It is now being made available to the general membership for the first time.
I hope you enjoy reading. The report is most candid, and has not been edited in any fashion.
From archives, date August 15, 2001:
"Greetings, High Command. ":)
The big day has finally arrived. Today, August 15th, marks exactly one year since I took my first actions as Fleet Commander. There will be those that cheer, there will be those that jeer, and of course there's always those who just plain don't care. But regardless of whether you are happy to have me in this chair, I'm here. Without being too vain, this report is dedicated to my office and the work I feel I've accomplished.
-=By the Numbers=-
Since I became Fleet Commander...
Number of Bylaw changes: 12
Number of Total votes: 16
Number of Fleet Check-ups you've filled out: 10
Number of Projects completed: 11
Number of new Executives appointed: 6
Number of new Fleet CO's appointed: 8
Number of Allies added: 3
Number of SotRS released: 14
Number of HC NF released: 35
-=Goals & Musings=-
As a Fleet Commander, I've had several longterm goals. The primary goal has been to be a leader. A leader to High Command, a leader to my Executive officers, a leader to the club at large.
After an almost frenzied pace of discussions in my first six months, High Command has greatly mellowed during the second six. Number of discussions has dropped off, and if you contrast the numbers for this report with the numbers in my 6 month report, you will note that the number of votes has all dropped off. This may be a sign of degenerative weakness, or a sign of unqualified success, depending on how it is viewed.
To the club at large I have endeavored to remain, quite simply, Dave. I'm not bent on formality, and I believe everyone knows that. I'm probably more accessible than is healthy, but its better to err on that side than on the other. I believe I've done a good job of keeping in touch with the average member, and hopefully you would all agree with me.
After a year in office, there is not much to say about my original goal of lending stability to this office. A year is an eternity in the virtual universe. I'm proud to say that I've been here and doing what I do for that long. The Rebel Squadrons will never have the stability in a central figure that the Emperor's Hammer has in Ronin. But then.. do we really want that?
-=Policy=-
The policy of my administration has remained the same since I took office, since I filed a report 6 months ago, since I wrote the last State of the RS Address. I will provide strong, stable, central authority to this club and oversee its day-to-day operations in accordance with the bylaws and the club's best interests until such a day when I feel I am unable to do so.
-=Accomplishments=-
Can we say the RS is a better place now than it was one year ago? Hopefully so. Several things have served to strengthen our club internally and externally. A few of the major accomplishments in the last year:
-Roster Database: I still believe this is the club's biggest technological advancement in recent history. Its importance is second only to that of the occasion of our first moving to our domain. Our domain has remained a part of the RS ever since it was procured, and so will the DB survive in some form as long as there is still a club to populate it. The importance of our database and the services it provides cannot be overstressed.
-Outer Rim War: A bigger overall conflict than even Minos which preceeded it. Groundbreaking in terms of overall attendance, participation, complexity, and number of clubs involved. It will take a major effort to produce a competition to replace the ORW. Whichever way you look at it, ORW was an integral part of RS history for the past year.
-New RS Webpage: Valuable in more ways than one. The "new" look may not be everybody's favorite in terms of fashion, but in terms of functionality the design is an improvement by leaps and bounds. The controversy that swirled around its release also taught many important lessons, to myself especially. Definitely a high point in RS history and the history of my administration in particular.
-System Descriptions: Our planetary database, so to speak, has grown exponentially. From the seed of the Greeop System have sprung up additional territories, including most of the Cadrel Expanse annexed at ORW. My XO is currently in the process of compiling all these into an actual database, and when complete this will provide an excellent tool for matching pictures and maps to storylines. Certainly not the most important thing to ever happen to our club, but helpful and useful nonetheless.
-Uniforms: Finally completed during my second six months, the uniforms proved an instant hit with the membership. Although every member might not yet have a uniform, a significant percentage do. They look very nice and help increase our "official" appeal. I'm immensely proud that this project was finally completed under my watch, for the dream of uniforms has been a dream of every FC that I'm aware of. It is certainly a jewel in our collective crown.
-=Conclusion=-
That brings us to the end of my report. I've tried to keep it succinct, but I apologize for the length anyway. If any of you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them. Finally, I'd like to thank a few people. Most of all, I thank my Executive staff, who have been terrific and supportive throughout the year. Without them, I wouldn't get nearly so much done in my name, and I would probably have lost it several times over. And I thank High Command for its support, without which I wouldn't be here in the first place. My job is to serve, and I hope I have succeeded in this primary task."
So, fellow members of the RS, there's the tale of the past year. What will happen in this next year? With my retirement, I'm leaving it to you to fill in the blanks. I have no doubt that the Rebel Squadrons will continue to prosper, for as I have said time and time again, we are at heart a community of people. The ties that bind us together are strong. That's what makes our club special. I thank you all for allowing me to be part of that, and to even claim leadership. Its been a pleasure.
Reach for the stars, and you will find that you can often catch them!
":)
Dave "Raptor" Trebonious-Astoris
Rebel Squadrons Fleet Commander
=The Rebel Squadrons=
...a H.I.E.R.* Organization
*(Honor, Integrity, Equanimity, Respect)
-Commanding Officer, Rebel Squadrons
-Member of the High Command
-Grey Squadron, Grey 5
-Former RS Executive Officer
-Former C.O, Redemption Fleet
-Former C.O, Crusader Fleet
-Former C.O, Kalidor Wing
-Former C.O, Delta Squadron
-Former RS Medals Officer
-Former pilot, Rza Squadron, RgF
-Formerly of many other things
(The Excellency of Service, awarded by MO Mike Bullian)
|//Oo\\| (The Tatooine Suns, awarded by MO Ben Jynzer)
||U|| (The Kessel Kup, awarded by FC Castor)
|**| (The Combat Medal, two stars. Adm Jim and MO Ben Jynzer)
*?* (The Alliance Dagger, one. Awarded by Adm Jim)
^|VCC|^ (The Valiance Combat Citation. Awarded by MO Ben Jynzer)
*V* (Five Year Veteran Service Medal)
"I want you to understand this, and I want future generations to believe it; you and they will do more than adequate service to my reputation if I am held to be worthy of my forebears, careful for your interests, steadfast in danger, and not afraid to be unpopular if I am serving the national good." -Tiberius Caesar