Changes in the Department of Administration!

[Ubahsur Kindellaer]

We now have about year under us, hurrah!

First I'd like to give thanks to our team: Legal (Hammar, Atreyu, Leora, Calypsa), Kiana, Leilwyn, and Mashiara!

Kiana has been actively working on our Membership Survey, the Job Forum, and tag teaming with me and Leilwyn in all around HR consulting. Kiana is going to pair with Mashiara this year for the Membership Survey, as a transition year for Mashiara to pick it up on her own next year! In the mean time, Kiana will be taking over from me the handling reviews for any position that is 18 months or longer.

Leilwyn has helped us with a new format for the Annual Report and getting the 2009 Annual Report available to everyone! However, due to the real life monster, she has had to pass on her duties.

This allows me the chance to welcome Isarma! Isarma originally applied last year and will take over both getting the (almost ready 2006 and 2007) past and future Annual Reports available to membership, as well as help provide a Western European perspective on the Membership Survey questions.

Mashiara has been a very active help with ALL the projects within the department - from archiving old threads, hunting down job descriptions, providing comparative data for the Membership Survey Report, and so much more! We are moving Mashiara away from being a catch all to being co-Project Manager on the Membership Survey this year and take it on in full in 2012.

Also, a special mention to Naomi who assisted with crunching data from the Membership Survey. Super special mentions to Atreyu and Hammar for their involvement on getting the 501(c)(3) application put together and all the other items involved - from totally redoing the ByLaws, Conflict of Interest form, Confidentiality Agreements, and other documents.

Sounds great, right? Would you like a chance to be involved? Lucky you, we DO have a space for a few people!

We are currently looking for members who are Eastern European* as well as anything else not American or Western European. Why? One of the biggest opportunities from the last Membership Survey was that it was too American centric. We want to change that for 2011! (*Note: We recognize that there are still differences between Western and Eastern Europe, which is why we would like to ensure we are inclusive and have a member from Eastern Europe too! Also, another big change in 2011 will be anonymity.)

What will you do in this position? Review the questions and the available options to ensure that they are accurate and inclusive to all members. Also, if you see an area where more questions are necessary - say so! You may be asked to assist in creating the report to Execs at the Administrative Meeting (specifically socioeconomics for demographics) as well as the more fleshed out Membership Survey Report.

Things we are looking for in the few that will assist us are:

• Provide input on non American demographics[/*:m:3mcjfo66]
• Familiarity with non American events[/*:m:3mcjfo66]
• Familiarity with non American philanthropies [/*:m:3mcjfo66]
• Knowledgeable on the socioeconomics of your region[/*:m:3mcjfo66]

Still interested? Please email administration@tarvalon.net and keeper@tarvalon.net with "APPLICATION -
MEMBERSHIP SURVEY - YOURNAMEHERE" as the subject. The application deadline is October 3, 2010.

 

[Pip al'Dealys]

I am insulted that you put Western Europe into the same category as America. For one, you don't find any of us, what? East-east-east Americans running around claiming nationality of another nation that we've probably never even visited! Scandalous. It's like the Nazis.

 

[Ubahsur Kindellaer]

Isarma is Western European. Therefore that slot is filled. I am not stating that Western Europe is anything like America.

 

[Pip al'Dealys]

But she appears to be Swiss! They're hardly anything European at the best of times! :-O

 

[Ivien Tarkand]

Socioeconomics of whole Eastern Europe or just country we live in and those close to it?

 

[Ubahsur Kindellaer]

Just your immediate region. Can't expect you to be an expert of everywhere.

 

[Lenore Carvoe]

And Northern and Southern Europe, which are indeed different from Western and Eastern Europe?

 

[Pip al'Dealys]

No, apparently we're one way of thinking, Lenore Sedai.

 

[Niere al'Aman]

Just like the USA is one way of thinking. :P
vs california vs Iowa vs NY,
north vs south vs east vs west vs south west vs texas
red vs blue
etc


Though, should the admin need a dept of curmudgeonry, Pip would be a natural. :P

 

[Pip al'Dealys]

That is irrelevant. They are/We are trying to de-Americanise our precious forum and drag it out of the pits of civilization that the American collective have demoted us too! One Swiss woman representing all of Western Europe isn't going to do that. :tug

As as for the Dept of Curmuudgeonry, a greater compliment has never been bestowed upon me (except for my beatification, you understand). :mother

Anyway, I'm done here. As you were. :mother

 

[Niere al'Aman]

As you were. :mother

I never changed from what I was to go back to where I were.

:P

 

[Deoan Kakarot]

If you have to have a member of Administration representing every geographical area, then you're going to have a lot of members of administration. And if you're going to pass on other members from a given geographical area, just because that area already has too many members, then perhaps you're passing on the better candidate for a given position, thus weakening the group, and all for the appearance of diversity.

Instead, you try to hit the major areas, who are likely to be familiar with a different set of customs and protocols for another area. Every European nation has its own rich culture and heritage, as do many individual European cities. Shall we have a member of administration for each area? Or would a little bit of generalization be okay?

As was pointed out above, every area from every land has its cultural idiosyncrasies. So, you try to hit the major ones whenever possible, and recognize that trying to separate it all out is just not possible.

I applaud the Department of Administration for expanding the scope of geographical diversity. Perhaps the next time another member is added to it, geographical diversity should also be a part of the decision; however, I'd hate to pass on a candidate that was perfect for a position, just because he happened to be born on the wrong side of the train tracks.

 

[Ubahsur Kindellaer]

Folks, the Keeper and I have discussed this. We have a plan. Trust us, k?

By the way, I'm really glad that so many are as excited as we are to ensure that the Membership Survey is as inclusive to all members as possible.

 

[Guest]

Hm.

I've lived all over Metro Detroit. I've lived several places in and near Minneapolis. I've lived in and around the Greater Madison area. None of these regions are nearly identical, and they span over 950 kilometers in distance - similar to the distance between Dublin and Luxembourg. Despite that, and not due to the supposed American hegemony, they all share enough of a commonality to their culture that if you had an international venture that wanted to improve relations with the Great Lakes area of the USA, getting one representative from that area would be a great help in understanding all of it better. Not perfect, but better.

Better is good. I applaud the striving for "better".

 

[Darim Pelegro]

Presently our administration is highly Southern United States Concentrated! I have issue with this!

 

[Mathei Kardone]

They still believe in slavery down there!

 

[Deoan Kakarot]

Well, it would just be silly to believe it didn't exist anywhere anymore, so I believe in it. Much like I believe in the color blue. But I've lived in the south my whole life I I think I could count on one hand the number of people I've met that still think it's acceptable.

 

[Mathei Kardone]

I bet they hold slave auctions at parties!

 

[Deoan Kakarot]

Wait.... that's wrong?

 

[Isarma Maracanda]

But she appears to be Swiss! They're hardly anything European at the best of times! :-O

:trout
I'm half-French too

Edit:
And hey, why not wait and see ? You know, sometimes changes are made for the better, not for the worse :P Trust Ubah Sedai and the Keeper