Ab Antiquo

Vanitas wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 08, 2024 10:02 pm

It is not in the spirit of the NW to accept bribes from individuals and lineages whose interest seems to lie squarely in political gain and the maintenance of status quo. Not when the city is changing. Not when voices from your own lineages and clans are here in these halls, attempting to revitalize and re-enliven this institution and the ideals it stands by.

While my lineage does not ascribe to neutrality as a stance, we understand that diversity of voices and representatives in the CLA leads to the city flourishing under several banners.

I wrote as a concerned citizen, making suggestions that would preserve the NightWatch's identity while ensuring its continued growth and activity. I did not make demands, as I have no authority to do so.

My relationship with the current commander on the NightWatch is well known. I do not blame Dresden for this current situation. I am quite sure she welcomed the advice and help she has received and quite possibly reached out for.

However, there comes a time when as a commander, she has to learn to say NO. No, it is not okay to move into the headquarters

No it is not okay to demand restructure of something that has run without help for years

No it is not okay for the CLA to elude to the fact she could be replaced when she was placed in this position by somebody that is absolutely sure she can and will run the NightWatch and keeping to true to its values that kept it running for many... many years. My conclusions has come after making a comment that the NightWatch was acting in an uncharacteristic manner by calling out and listing city members on a “blacklist” in a local paper, I was instantly called into the CLA and “reminded” as a CLA member that I could have partaken in this conversation, and if I had something to say I needed to be speaking about it in the CLA, while sure this “reminder” was valid, I will not now, nor ever, have my public opinion censored by any one group or organization I belong to or am part of.

A couple points of record:

• the blacklist was not approved by the CLA as it was an operational decision, so I’m not sure why you were reminded of anything; the CLA guidelines for members are to represent their groups faithfully and be respectful of one another, that is all. There’s no provision against public criticism, though if there’s a problem with an operational aspect, it absolutely should be brought up

• the CLA votes used to take place on-site and were only sliced off in 2018; the alternate voting location was used only briefly and really didn’t work as intended, hence moving CLA HQ back here. That does not give the CLA blanket access to operational affairs and things remain separate

• the NW is responsible for operations and the CLA are responsible for oversight; usually this includes formalizing new commanders (for example as happened with Solanea, and her subsequent removal in a vote of non-confidence). Dresden was never formalized as new commander and I was personally hoping this could be rectified in short order once the CLA is a functional unit again.

• CLA members are not privy to internal discussions on operational matters.

It was at this point I followed the action I was already contemplating and stepped down by placing my childre as a representative of my lineage in my stead.

If you believe this concern came out of nowhere, you haven't been paying attention. This issue is not mine alone, nor is it Julia's. There is concern and fear within the very halls of the headquarters, expressed by both officers and CLA members.

However, the longer I observed, the clearer it became that no one had the courage to speak up and voice these concerns. My letter was serious, but measured. I didn't call anyone out by name, nor did I insult the officers or their work. I simply spoke what many are already thinking, both inside and outside the organization.

For sharing these concerns, I was initially thanked. But I watched as the officers worked themselves into a frenzy over the course of two or three hours, despite my saying very little. In the end, insults were directed at me. In my view, their reaction was entirely self-inflicted; I did nothing to provoke it.

Remind your officers that as such, they should remain neutral in all aspects of the city while representing the organization. This would included not calling out citizens for perceived threats unless detrimental to the longevity to the security or ethics of the city. Example, personal opinions, thievery, or acts of war, including instruction of latter subjects.

Oh, and as for your mention of teaching classes - first, I haven't taught any warring classes. I have specifically mentioned in my thieving classes that it is not my purview. Those records are also publicly available to view in the Angelarium if you don't believe me. But if we chose to, it would be with the same purpose and intent as the classes I have held - citywide education and arming people with the tools to prevent what almost happened here, and what has happened to a thousand clans and lineages before us. And if you have a problem with general education from a neutral organization, I can't honestly say I trust your motives.

Looking at you Coldy, the wiki information is there for all. You may need a remedial class, just saying.

In my opinion, stepping down from the CLA was the right decision. If voicing thoughts, concerns, and suggestions results in this kind of reaction, it's not an organization I want to be a part of. I sincerely hope that my childe will not be treated in the same way when she speaks as a representative of the Shadowlight lineage.

It's clear to me that such reactions are why many people are hesitant to communicate openly. But that's fine. Once again, the blame can be placed on me for "stifling institutions and lineages into inactivity." Sure, I'll take it.

Julia, bless her heart, stepped in, unbeknownst to me, when blame was being unfairly placed on Dresden. She spoke after the conversation had already deteriorated beyond the point of being constructive.

On the NW side, in the past 30 days, outside of a promotion and sporadic greenlighting of projects, the entire revitalization efforts have fallen on the shoulders of Everly, Coldy, and Lilou while Dresden has been largely absent. After the blacklist public debacle and still no word from Dresden for a day, I pulled both she and Everly, the other NW officer, into a private conversation after speaking with Vex. The intent was to get everyone on the same page since there was still purview confusion and to also ensure that the imbalance of work was addressed. During that conversation, I told Dresden that she needed to have more of a presence, and she needed to take on more of the workload, and if she did not have the capacity, she needed to resign. She told me that she would not, and she and Everly would work it out. Considering that Everly is the one who was functionally doing Dresden’s job for her and therefore being taken advantage of, that was not an acceptable answer. Due to that, I gave Dresden a 24-hour deadline to submit a work plan that included public presence to the Chancellors and if it was not received, we would make a motion to remove her as Commander. She requested an extension to Monday because she wished to consult with smit, and that was granted.

Take a moment to pause and reflect on the situation before telling people what they can and cannot piss on.

I hold no allegiances to any of you, and I will continue to speak up when I feel it is appropriate.

Thank you.

Vanitas wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 08, 2024 10:02 pm

Thank you for posting this for those of us that weren't present and unsure of what happened. It's greatly appreciated!

ophelia wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 09, 2024 10:05 am

Thank you for posting this for those of us that weren't present and unsure of what happened. It's greatly appreciated!