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State of the RS Address 9-15-03
Greetings Members of the Rebel Squadrons!
The day has finally arrived, and today I officially retire from the Office of the Fleet Commander. As a result, it is my final responsibility to report to you the status of the Rebel Squadrons one last time.
Without further ado, the past couple of months have had their share of noteworthy events to report.
New RS Fleet Commander
http://www.rebelsquadrons.org/bbs/thread.php?id=12329
Perhaps the most important announcement has been the selection of my replacement. Rear Admiral Gavin Cantorph Kravis, the long-time Renegade Fleet Commanding Officer, has been elected to be the next Fleet Commander of the Rebel Squadrons. Once again, please join me in congratulating Rear Admiral Kravis and wishing him the best of luck! This is no easy job! Please check the BBS announcement for more information.
New RS Website Unveiled!
http://www.rebelsquadrons.org/
Also of great importance is the new Rebel Squadrons website design. Over the summer, the RS Internet Staff labored extremely hard to recode and redesign our main website! On top of that, a lot of new content and new features have been added! Please check http://www.rebelsquadrons.org/bbs/thread.php?id=8902 for the official announcement!
New RS Operations Manual
http://www.rebelsquadrons.org/opsman/
To go along with the establishment of the Rebel Squadrons Training Office, General Lamin Zykara and I have put together a new Rebel Squadrons Operations Manual. This Manual will serve as a primary gateway for all RS knowledge! Whether you are a long time member looking to learn something new about the RS, or a new recruit geared towards taking the General Knowledge Test, this source of information has been updated to meet our present needs.
Alliance made with the Elite Republic Commandos
http://www.ercforces.com/
Earlier this month, the Office of External Affairs was able to secure yet another alliance! This time, we have made an alliance with the Elite Republic Commandos (ERC). They have already been participating in the Inter-Club Training Event, and we look forward to many more competitions with them! For the full announcement, please visit http://www.rebelsquadrons.org/bbs/thread.php?id=11787.
New RS Technician’s Website
http://www.rebelsquadrons.org/tech.php
It has been suggested before that the Rebel Squadrons needs to centralize information about technical issues with the older gaming platforms that this club supports in order for our membership to continue to run these older games on newer and advancing operating systems. Thanks to the latest suggestion by Commander Joseph Oberlander, and due to the work of Major General Wes Belden, that has now become a reality.
To view the new Rebel Squadrons’ Technician’s Website, please point your browser to http://www.rebelsquadrons.org/tech.php. This website currently includes information on how to run X-Wing (Win95 and DOS versions), TIE Fighter (Win95 and DOS versions), and X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter/Balance of Power, with Windows 2000 and Windows XP.
It is intended that further technical issues and gaming platforms can be added at later dates as that information becomes available. As a result, if you would like to offer any further information on the Rebel Squadrons’ Technician’s Website, your help would be greatly appreciated. To do so, simply email the Rebel Squadrons Internet Officer, MGN Licah Fox (rsio@rebelsquadrons.org), and the Deputy Internet Officer, MGN Wes Belden (giz@rebelsquadrons.org), with said information.
Once again, I would like to thank MGN Wes Belden for gathering this information and displaying it for us. Hopefully, such support information will attract long time fans of these games to our club that are seeking information on how to run them!
End of Service Report
Just as the past two months have had their share of events, it would only be pertinent to share the results of the past two years. Accordingly, I recently submitted the following “End of Service” report to Rebel Squadrons High Command. This report comes to you unedited and in its original form.
To the Members of High Command and the Executive Staff,
Later today (most likely this late afternoon when I return from classes) I will officially hand in my resignation and retirement notice as Rebel Squadrons Fleet Commander. Today also marks the passing of two years since I was first given the opportunity to act in the capacity of being this club's leader and central figurehead. Some will voice their congratulations for a job well done, others will cheer at my departure, and others will hardly take notice that any of this is even happening. Whatever your opinion may be, however, I have served as our FC, and I would like to report on both the successes and failures that this club has experienced during my tenure. Accordingly, the following is my end of service report as Fleet Commander of the Rebel Squadrons…
By the Numbers
Number of High Command Votes: 16
Number of Fleet CO appointments made: 19
Number of Fleet Checkup Reports: 15
Number of HC/Exec News & Info Reports: 6
Number of major projects completed: 47
Number of Exec. Staff appointments made: 29
Number of Allies added: 5
Number of Allies subtracted: 1!
Number of months served: 24
Long-term Promises and Goals
During my campaign for the Office of the Fleet Commander, I felt that there were four qualities that I could bring to the position that no other candidate possessed. They were: service, availability, experience, and innovation. Throughout my term as FC, I think these traits were the major characteristics that consistently described my daily leadership and policy decisions.
In terms of service, I have now, more than ever, learned what it truly means to be a servant of the Rebel Squadrons. With little recognition, and no complaint, I have persisted at doing the best job I could, day after day, to the best of my abilities, whether we were experiencing ups or downs. In every project I have ever pursued, I have done so with one goal in mind: for it to improve the Rebel Squadrons in some capacity. This has not changed to this day, and this aspect of the job was by far the most enjoyable, and was without a doubt the preeminent driving force behind my love for it. It has endured me to serve for this long, and the only regret I have is that it will finally have to come to an end.
The next trait I described was availability. I had promised daily availability and for the long-term. I think it is safe to say, that along with a handful of others, I have consistently proven to be one of the most active members of the Rebel Squadrons for the past 5 years, and whether I intended it or not, almost always at the expense of my real life. The RS has been one of my top priorities to this day, and a change in those priorities is a reason I must cite for my retirement. Furthermore, it is safe to say that as the longest serving Fleet Commander this club has ever known, I have fulfilled my long-term service promise and then some. I am proud to have lent both availability and stability to the position. This may seem insignificant, but I consider it a major accomplishment. I have seen one RS Executive Officer, and 13 other Fleet Commanding Officers come and go in comparison, not to mention a plethora of Executive Staff officers and non-voting HC members.
The third trait I promised was experience. Throughout my tenure, I hope that others were able to draw upon the experience and leadership I have offered. I have learned how hard it is to be an example no matter what the situation, and have certainly had my share of failings. Even so, the experience, vision, and leadership I have offered to the Executive Staff have turned it into a well-oiled machine that never stops improving each and every fiber of this club. I have made so many decisions in regard to the position and the club at large, that I can only hope that agreeable precedents have been established or learned from by example.
The last trait I promised to offer and espouse was innovation. More than any other characteristic, I believe I have striven to visualize innovation after innovation to help improve the RS. This all-encompassing vision has been responsible for the direction I have intended for the RS to travel, such as improving this club's internet presence in almost every capacity imaginable - including design, professionalism, standardization, functionalism, and support. This also includes bringing more competition and participation opportunities to the club level, increased communication all around, establishing the RS as the predominant leader in our SW gaming community, and always pushing for changes to meet the demands of the present. It is my hope that this vision has succeeded in guiding the RS in the right direction, while keeping the fun vibrantly alive.
Accomplishments
During the past two years, much has also been accomplished. Enough that I dare say this club is a completely different place than when I began, and in many, many ways, hopefully for the better. Too many projects have been taken up to even attempt to name them all, but even attempting to do so seems to diminish the hours upon hours of development and implementation that both myself and countless others have devoted in order to turn these many dreams into the realities we enjoy today - not to forget innumerable smaller projects and regular, daily maintenance responsibilities. However, in chronological order, some of these major accomplishments and events in the past two years are listed below:
Sept. 2001 Dave retires, Rahj elected FC.
Oct. 2001 Planets Database created.
Oct. 2001 Operations Office established.
Dec. 2001 New Roster Database (new design, coding, and features) unveiled.
Jan. 2002 RS Logo established.
Mar. 2002 RS Bylaws overhaul initiated.
Apr. 2002 RS Merit System established.
Apr. 2002 Inter-Club Melee competition begins with the SV, VE, NR5F, and UCFP.
June 2002 Fleet template pages released.
June 2002 AW graduates from RF and becomes a Fleet: ABG.
July 2002 Club-wide uniform images automated.
Aug. 2002 The RS begins to actively participate in BSC's Week of War competitions.
Oct. 2002 Inter-Club Melee competition ends in RS victory.
Oct. 2002 Second major Bylaws overhaul completed.
Oct. 2002 Beginning of Outer Rim War II competition.
Dec. 2002 RS Foreign & Alliance Policy updated.
Dec. 2002 New FC Website; Exec templates finished.
Dec. 2002 New RS Flagship announced: Home-One Class Rebel Spirit.
Jan. 2003 Alliance made with the Vast Empire.
Feb. 2003 Outer Rim War II ends in RS victory.
Feb. 2003 New RS OOB DB created.
Feb. 2003 Alliance made with New Republic 5th Fleet.
Mar. 2003 Shik resigns as RS XO, Spokes appointed.
Apr. 2003 RS Internet Office restructured. Support Call System unveiled.
Apr. 2003 Logistics Office established.
Apr. 2003 Alliance made with Emperor's Hammer.
May 2003 Alliance made with Dark Brotherhood.
May 2003 RS/EH alliance terminated.
May 2003 Inter-Club Training Event established.
May 2003 Domain security updated.
May 2003 RS Academy disbanded as a Fleet. Undergrad control distributed to Fleets.
June 2003 RS Training Office established.
June 2003 New Main RS Website design unveiled.
Aug. 2003 New RS Operations Manual completed.
Sept. 2003 Alliance made with Elite Republic Commandos.
Sept. 2003 Inter-Club Academy concept pursued.
Sept. 2003 Rahj retires, Gavin elected FC.
The accomplishments I am most proud to have been a part of would have to be the Second Outer Rim War (thanks Isoldur!), the redesign of the RS Database (thanks Shik and Deltan!), the overhaul of the RS Bylaws (thanks Dave and Castor!), the Fleet and Executive template webpages (thanks Deltan and Dev!), the many alliances we were able to secure (thanks Lamin!), and the new RS website (thanks Licah and Deltan!). Each one of these projects will hopefully be beneficial to the RS for years to come in their own way.
Each of these accomplishments would have never been realized without such an outstanding cast of officers to help lend their talents, intelligence, time, and support each and every day. I am immensely indebted to a great number of people for helping me pursue my vision, as well as helping add their own pieces to the larger picture. A more proper thanks will be forthcoming in my final good-bye.
Failures
Although I hope that the positive accomplishments I have made have always outweighed the bad, I cannot claim to not be without my fair share of failures. This report is not intended to inflate my own ego, but to give a reasonable synopsis of the past two years. Accordingly, there is one major failing that I hope the next Fleet Commander and High Command can work to correct.
High Command needs to work towards regaining the respectable and professional atmosphere that High Command was once able to pride itself on. Somehow, High Command has transformed itself into a harsh, quick-to-blame, and mean-spirited group that often puts self interest and advancement well before the needs of the club. During the past six months, I think this council has little to be proud of and even less to show for in terms of accomplishment. There will always be, and certainly are now, individuals that I have the utmost respect for within High Command. However, as a group, HC is an embarrassment that is now ingrained with nothing better than a populist, mob mentality. As the moderator of this group, the first finger of blame can certainly be pointed at me. As a result, I willfully take responsibility for this situation and hope that in this next era HC can regain the objectivity, selflessness, efficiency, and rationalism that it needs to maintain in order to successfully move this club forward.
Other failings I would like to take credit for would include the lack of results from the Logistics Office (an Office I established) and having never been able to work with High Command to fix this club's insensible structure.
Conclusion
This has been perhaps the hardest job I have ever attempted to undertake. The pressures can elevate to levels of extreme stress, criticism, and expectation, but the rewards can also be tremendously gratifying. Striking a healthy balance between the two is a difficult task, and nobody can begin to understand what it really means to be in the “hotseat” until you have sat in it yourself. Although I have come to a point where I believe certain aspects of the job have become unbearable, I am immensely proud of what I have been able to accomplish in the past two years. I will more than likely never get such an opportunity as this again, and for this chance, I am forever grateful.
May the Force be with you and may the pride and honor of the Rebel Squadrons carry on in all of you! To put it lightly, this has been a very wild ride.
Respectfully submitted,
":)
Fleet Commander Rahj Tharen,
Rebel Squadrons Commanding Officer
fc@rebelsquadrons.org
The Rebel Squadrons – A H.I.E.R. Organization
Honesty, Integrity, Equanimity, Respect.
http://www.rebelsquadrons.org/
Closing
The past two years have been, without question, an extremely wild ride. It has been an honor to serve with so many outstanding people and have the opportunity to help mold this club into a better place each and every day. Throughout these two years, many, many different projects, events, and people have helped shape this club. I am very proud to have been a part of it all.
It is my sincere hope that the state of the Rebel Squadrons is a better place than when it was when I began, two years ago. However, I will leave that for you to decide. As for the next phase of the RS? The good news is that each of you hold the pen and the ability to write the next chapter in Rebel Squadrons’ history.
In closing, I would like to make one, final challenge to our membership. I challenge every member in this club – at every level of participation and command- to ALWAYS keep the following things in mind while enjoying the Rebel Squadrons: the principles of HIER, maintaining communication, and to always strive towards contributing to the betterment of your unit.
Each and every success story in this club starts with the individual member, and without volunteers and committed individuals like you, this club could not possibly exist. Therefore, keep the concepts of HIER (Honesty, Integrity, Equanimity, and Respect) close, and strive to cultivate an atmosphere of mutual respect in all of your actions. I also challenge every person in this club to take more initiative and to keep your fellow members up-to-date by writing more emails and by forging a powerful bond with the members of your Squadron. Those that can do this will be able to realize an esprit de corps that will turn your Squadron experience into the most enjoyable escape you have ever experienced. Strong communication and interaction is the lifeblood of every unit! Lastly, stop and think about how you can make this club a better place by starting with your primary unit. After all, as a member of this club, it is up to each of us to make the RS experience as enjoyable as possible not only for yourself, but also for your fellow members. While we are here, we might as well make it as great as we can. With these challenges in mind, not only is the future brighter than ever, but we can make this club what we want it to be – together.
It has been something else. May the Force be with you and may the pride and honor of the Rebel Squadrons carry on in all of you!
Respectfully submitted,
Rahj Tharen, Admiral, Rebel Squadrons
Fleet Commander Emeritus
rahj@rebelsquadrons.org
The Rebel Squadrons – A H.I.E.R. Organization
Honesty, Integrity, Equanimity, Respect.
http://www.rebelsquadrons.org/
The day has finally arrived, and today I officially retire from the Office of the Fleet Commander. As a result, it is my final responsibility to report to you the status of the Rebel Squadrons one last time.
Without further ado, the past couple of months have had their share of noteworthy events to report.
New RS Fleet Commander
http://www.rebelsquadrons.org/bbs/thread.php?id=12329
Perhaps the most important announcement has been the selection of my replacement. Rear Admiral Gavin Cantorph Kravis, the long-time Renegade Fleet Commanding Officer, has been elected to be the next Fleet Commander of the Rebel Squadrons. Once again, please join me in congratulating Rear Admiral Kravis and wishing him the best of luck! This is no easy job! Please check the BBS announcement for more information.
New RS Website Unveiled!
http://www.rebelsquadrons.org/
Also of great importance is the new Rebel Squadrons website design. Over the summer, the RS Internet Staff labored extremely hard to recode and redesign our main website! On top of that, a lot of new content and new features have been added! Please check http://www.rebelsquadrons.org/bbs/thread.php?id=8902 for the official announcement!
New RS Operations Manual
http://www.rebelsquadrons.org/opsman/
To go along with the establishment of the Rebel Squadrons Training Office, General Lamin Zykara and I have put together a new Rebel Squadrons Operations Manual. This Manual will serve as a primary gateway for all RS knowledge! Whether you are a long time member looking to learn something new about the RS, or a new recruit geared towards taking the General Knowledge Test, this source of information has been updated to meet our present needs.
Alliance made with the Elite Republic Commandos
http://www.ercforces.com/
Earlier this month, the Office of External Affairs was able to secure yet another alliance! This time, we have made an alliance with the Elite Republic Commandos (ERC). They have already been participating in the Inter-Club Training Event, and we look forward to many more competitions with them! For the full announcement, please visit http://www.rebelsquadrons.org/bbs/thread.php?id=11787.
New RS Technician’s Website
http://www.rebelsquadrons.org/tech.php
It has been suggested before that the Rebel Squadrons needs to centralize information about technical issues with the older gaming platforms that this club supports in order for our membership to continue to run these older games on newer and advancing operating systems. Thanks to the latest suggestion by Commander Joseph Oberlander, and due to the work of Major General Wes Belden, that has now become a reality.
To view the new Rebel Squadrons’ Technician’s Website, please point your browser to http://www.rebelsquadrons.org/tech.php. This website currently includes information on how to run X-Wing (Win95 and DOS versions), TIE Fighter (Win95 and DOS versions), and X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter/Balance of Power, with Windows 2000 and Windows XP.
It is intended that further technical issues and gaming platforms can be added at later dates as that information becomes available. As a result, if you would like to offer any further information on the Rebel Squadrons’ Technician’s Website, your help would be greatly appreciated. To do so, simply email the Rebel Squadrons Internet Officer, MGN Licah Fox (rsio@rebelsquadrons.org), and the Deputy Internet Officer, MGN Wes Belden (giz@rebelsquadrons.org), with said information.
Once again, I would like to thank MGN Wes Belden for gathering this information and displaying it for us. Hopefully, such support information will attract long time fans of these games to our club that are seeking information on how to run them!
End of Service Report
Just as the past two months have had their share of events, it would only be pertinent to share the results of the past two years. Accordingly, I recently submitted the following “End of Service” report to Rebel Squadrons High Command. This report comes to you unedited and in its original form.
To the Members of High Command and the Executive Staff,
Later today (most likely this late afternoon when I return from classes) I will officially hand in my resignation and retirement notice as Rebel Squadrons Fleet Commander. Today also marks the passing of two years since I was first given the opportunity to act in the capacity of being this club's leader and central figurehead. Some will voice their congratulations for a job well done, others will cheer at my departure, and others will hardly take notice that any of this is even happening. Whatever your opinion may be, however, I have served as our FC, and I would like to report on both the successes and failures that this club has experienced during my tenure. Accordingly, the following is my end of service report as Fleet Commander of the Rebel Squadrons…
By the Numbers
Number of High Command Votes: 16
Number of Fleet CO appointments made: 19
Number of Fleet Checkup Reports: 15
Number of HC/Exec News & Info Reports: 6
Number of major projects completed: 47
Number of Exec. Staff appointments made: 29
Number of Allies added: 5
Number of Allies subtracted: 1!
Number of months served: 24
Long-term Promises and Goals
During my campaign for the Office of the Fleet Commander, I felt that there were four qualities that I could bring to the position that no other candidate possessed. They were: service, availability, experience, and innovation. Throughout my term as FC, I think these traits were the major characteristics that consistently described my daily leadership and policy decisions.
In terms of service, I have now, more than ever, learned what it truly means to be a servant of the Rebel Squadrons. With little recognition, and no complaint, I have persisted at doing the best job I could, day after day, to the best of my abilities, whether we were experiencing ups or downs. In every project I have ever pursued, I have done so with one goal in mind: for it to improve the Rebel Squadrons in some capacity. This has not changed to this day, and this aspect of the job was by far the most enjoyable, and was without a doubt the preeminent driving force behind my love for it. It has endured me to serve for this long, and the only regret I have is that it will finally have to come to an end.
The next trait I described was availability. I had promised daily availability and for the long-term. I think it is safe to say, that along with a handful of others, I have consistently proven to be one of the most active members of the Rebel Squadrons for the past 5 years, and whether I intended it or not, almost always at the expense of my real life. The RS has been one of my top priorities to this day, and a change in those priorities is a reason I must cite for my retirement. Furthermore, it is safe to say that as the longest serving Fleet Commander this club has ever known, I have fulfilled my long-term service promise and then some. I am proud to have lent both availability and stability to the position. This may seem insignificant, but I consider it a major accomplishment. I have seen one RS Executive Officer, and 13 other Fleet Commanding Officers come and go in comparison, not to mention a plethora of Executive Staff officers and non-voting HC members.
The third trait I promised was experience. Throughout my tenure, I hope that others were able to draw upon the experience and leadership I have offered. I have learned how hard it is to be an example no matter what the situation, and have certainly had my share of failings. Even so, the experience, vision, and leadership I have offered to the Executive Staff have turned it into a well-oiled machine that never stops improving each and every fiber of this club. I have made so many decisions in regard to the position and the club at large, that I can only hope that agreeable precedents have been established or learned from by example.
The last trait I promised to offer and espouse was innovation. More than any other characteristic, I believe I have striven to visualize innovation after innovation to help improve the RS. This all-encompassing vision has been responsible for the direction I have intended for the RS to travel, such as improving this club's internet presence in almost every capacity imaginable - including design, professionalism, standardization, functionalism, and support. This also includes bringing more competition and participation opportunities to the club level, increased communication all around, establishing the RS as the predominant leader in our SW gaming community, and always pushing for changes to meet the demands of the present. It is my hope that this vision has succeeded in guiding the RS in the right direction, while keeping the fun vibrantly alive.
Accomplishments
During the past two years, much has also been accomplished. Enough that I dare say this club is a completely different place than when I began, and in many, many ways, hopefully for the better. Too many projects have been taken up to even attempt to name them all, but even attempting to do so seems to diminish the hours upon hours of development and implementation that both myself and countless others have devoted in order to turn these many dreams into the realities we enjoy today - not to forget innumerable smaller projects and regular, daily maintenance responsibilities. However, in chronological order, some of these major accomplishments and events in the past two years are listed below:
Sept. 2001 Dave retires, Rahj elected FC.
Oct. 2001 Planets Database created.
Oct. 2001 Operations Office established.
Dec. 2001 New Roster Database (new design, coding, and features) unveiled.
Jan. 2002 RS Logo established.
Mar. 2002 RS Bylaws overhaul initiated.
Apr. 2002 RS Merit System established.
Apr. 2002 Inter-Club Melee competition begins with the SV, VE, NR5F, and UCFP.
June 2002 Fleet template pages released.
June 2002 AW graduates from RF and becomes a Fleet: ABG.
July 2002 Club-wide uniform images automated.
Aug. 2002 The RS begins to actively participate in BSC's Week of War competitions.
Oct. 2002 Inter-Club Melee competition ends in RS victory.
Oct. 2002 Second major Bylaws overhaul completed.
Oct. 2002 Beginning of Outer Rim War II competition.
Dec. 2002 RS Foreign & Alliance Policy updated.
Dec. 2002 New FC Website; Exec templates finished.
Dec. 2002 New RS Flagship announced: Home-One Class Rebel Spirit.
Jan. 2003 Alliance made with the Vast Empire.
Feb. 2003 Outer Rim War II ends in RS victory.
Feb. 2003 New RS OOB DB created.
Feb. 2003 Alliance made with New Republic 5th Fleet.
Mar. 2003 Shik resigns as RS XO, Spokes appointed.
Apr. 2003 RS Internet Office restructured. Support Call System unveiled.
Apr. 2003 Logistics Office established.
Apr. 2003 Alliance made with Emperor's Hammer.
May 2003 Alliance made with Dark Brotherhood.
May 2003 RS/EH alliance terminated.
May 2003 Inter-Club Training Event established.
May 2003 Domain security updated.
May 2003 RS Academy disbanded as a Fleet. Undergrad control distributed to Fleets.
June 2003 RS Training Office established.
June 2003 New Main RS Website design unveiled.
Aug. 2003 New RS Operations Manual completed.
Sept. 2003 Alliance made with Elite Republic Commandos.
Sept. 2003 Inter-Club Academy concept pursued.
Sept. 2003 Rahj retires, Gavin elected FC.
The accomplishments I am most proud to have been a part of would have to be the Second Outer Rim War (thanks Isoldur!), the redesign of the RS Database (thanks Shik and Deltan!), the overhaul of the RS Bylaws (thanks Dave and Castor!), the Fleet and Executive template webpages (thanks Deltan and Dev!), the many alliances we were able to secure (thanks Lamin!), and the new RS website (thanks Licah and Deltan!). Each one of these projects will hopefully be beneficial to the RS for years to come in their own way.
Each of these accomplishments would have never been realized without such an outstanding cast of officers to help lend their talents, intelligence, time, and support each and every day. I am immensely indebted to a great number of people for helping me pursue my vision, as well as helping add their own pieces to the larger picture. A more proper thanks will be forthcoming in my final good-bye.
Failures
Although I hope that the positive accomplishments I have made have always outweighed the bad, I cannot claim to not be without my fair share of failures. This report is not intended to inflate my own ego, but to give a reasonable synopsis of the past two years. Accordingly, there is one major failing that I hope the next Fleet Commander and High Command can work to correct.
High Command needs to work towards regaining the respectable and professional atmosphere that High Command was once able to pride itself on. Somehow, High Command has transformed itself into a harsh, quick-to-blame, and mean-spirited group that often puts self interest and advancement well before the needs of the club. During the past six months, I think this council has little to be proud of and even less to show for in terms of accomplishment. There will always be, and certainly are now, individuals that I have the utmost respect for within High Command. However, as a group, HC is an embarrassment that is now ingrained with nothing better than a populist, mob mentality. As the moderator of this group, the first finger of blame can certainly be pointed at me. As a result, I willfully take responsibility for this situation and hope that in this next era HC can regain the objectivity, selflessness, efficiency, and rationalism that it needs to maintain in order to successfully move this club forward.
Other failings I would like to take credit for would include the lack of results from the Logistics Office (an Office I established) and having never been able to work with High Command to fix this club's insensible structure.
Conclusion
This has been perhaps the hardest job I have ever attempted to undertake. The pressures can elevate to levels of extreme stress, criticism, and expectation, but the rewards can also be tremendously gratifying. Striking a healthy balance between the two is a difficult task, and nobody can begin to understand what it really means to be in the “hotseat” until you have sat in it yourself. Although I have come to a point where I believe certain aspects of the job have become unbearable, I am immensely proud of what I have been able to accomplish in the past two years. I will more than likely never get such an opportunity as this again, and for this chance, I am forever grateful.
May the Force be with you and may the pride and honor of the Rebel Squadrons carry on in all of you! To put it lightly, this has been a very wild ride.
Respectfully submitted,
":)
Fleet Commander Rahj Tharen,
Rebel Squadrons Commanding Officer
fc@rebelsquadrons.org
The Rebel Squadrons – A H.I.E.R. Organization
Honesty, Integrity, Equanimity, Respect.
http://www.rebelsquadrons.org/
Closing
The past two years have been, without question, an extremely wild ride. It has been an honor to serve with so many outstanding people and have the opportunity to help mold this club into a better place each and every day. Throughout these two years, many, many different projects, events, and people have helped shape this club. I am very proud to have been a part of it all.
It is my sincere hope that the state of the Rebel Squadrons is a better place than when it was when I began, two years ago. However, I will leave that for you to decide. As for the next phase of the RS? The good news is that each of you hold the pen and the ability to write the next chapter in Rebel Squadrons’ history.
In closing, I would like to make one, final challenge to our membership. I challenge every member in this club – at every level of participation and command- to ALWAYS keep the following things in mind while enjoying the Rebel Squadrons: the principles of HIER, maintaining communication, and to always strive towards contributing to the betterment of your unit.
Each and every success story in this club starts with the individual member, and without volunteers and committed individuals like you, this club could not possibly exist. Therefore, keep the concepts of HIER (Honesty, Integrity, Equanimity, and Respect) close, and strive to cultivate an atmosphere of mutual respect in all of your actions. I also challenge every person in this club to take more initiative and to keep your fellow members up-to-date by writing more emails and by forging a powerful bond with the members of your Squadron. Those that can do this will be able to realize an esprit de corps that will turn your Squadron experience into the most enjoyable escape you have ever experienced. Strong communication and interaction is the lifeblood of every unit! Lastly, stop and think about how you can make this club a better place by starting with your primary unit. After all, as a member of this club, it is up to each of us to make the RS experience as enjoyable as possible not only for yourself, but also for your fellow members. While we are here, we might as well make it as great as we can. With these challenges in mind, not only is the future brighter than ever, but we can make this club what we want it to be – together.
It has been something else. May the Force be with you and may the pride and honor of the Rebel Squadrons carry on in all of you!
Respectfully submitted,
Rahj Tharen, Admiral, Rebel Squadrons
Fleet Commander Emeritus
rahj@rebelsquadrons.org
The Rebel Squadrons – A H.I.E.R. Organization
Honesty, Integrity, Equanimity, Respect.
http://www.rebelsquadrons.org/