No matter what brought them to the Dark Jedi Brotherhood and Tarentum initially, every new member deserves the best chance possible to succeed and grow as a part of our organization. The lifeblood of a unit is in its Journeymen, and so it is vital that each and every Tarentum Journeyman has the best foundation of knowledge and experience we can give them in order for them to succeed and grow. This strong base of Journeymen will then grow into a strong base of Equites and take up leadership positions within our unit, thus giving back and growing the next generation of Journeymen to repeat the cycle.
It’s with that in mind that we introduce the Tarentum Master/Student Program. The goal of this program is to pair every new Journeyman that comes into Tarentum with an experienced and capable mentor to show them what it takes to be a successful member of our unit and of the Brotherhood as a whole. As stated, it’s hoped that the end result is a stronger core of Journeymen to grow and strengthen the entire Clan.
Role of the the Student
This entire program exists solely for the success of the student and thereby the success of the Clan as a whole; though Masters certainly have things to gain from serving in their position, the student is the one that this program is quite literally designed around. Once a Tarentum Journeyman has reached the rank of at least Novice the Clan Rollmaster (or the Consul and Proconsul, working in tandem in the absence of the Rollmaster) will pair them with a Master. The student will then work closely with their Master through the entirety of their climb through the ranks, with the ultimate goal of achieving Dark Jedi Knight.
Responsibilities of the Student
The following are the responsibilities of the Student:
- Students are expected to be as active as possible. We all understand that real life happens and should certainly take precedence over the Brotherhood; after all, we are all here for our own enjoyment and to escape from real life for a time. However, at the very least students should contact their Masters every two weeks if for no other reason than just to let them know they’re still around, albeit busy.
- Students are expected to be open-minded to suggestions that their master or others might give them. It should be the the goal of every member of Tarentum to help Journeymen, so the experience of the Master and others in the Clan, such as the Equites and Elders, should be at least considered with that in mind. With that said, students are always encouraged to approach the Rollmaster or another member of the Clan Summit with concerns on this (or any other) matter.
- Students are encouraged to voice their opinions on all matters, trivial or important, that the Clan as a whole or in part discusses. There is and should never be the mentality that they must “earn” the right to have an opinion.
- Students are expected to participate in the Master/Student Program unless their participation is waived for a compelling reason by the Clan Rollmaster in consultation with the rest of the Clan Summit.
- Students are encouraged to work closely with and hopefully form friendships with their master. However, if for whatever reason the student feels they can no longer work with their assigned master, they should contact the Clan Rollmaster who will take whatever action he or she deems necessary, including but not limited to: counseling the master, student, or both; or finding a suitable replacement for the master.
Role of the Master
As our Journeymen are our most valuable resource, the position of the master - expected to serve as the chief mentor for each individual Journeyman - is a vital and sensitive position. Any Tarenti who meets the requirements discussed below may inform the Clan Rollmaster of their desire to be a Master. The Clan Rollmaster, in turn, will keep a list of potential Masters and will consult that list to find the most suitable candidate(s). Once the Rollmaster has made the pairing and informed all parties, it is the master’s responsibility from that point forward to encourage the student, serve as their advocate, and seek out every way they possibly can to ensure the student is enjoying their time as a member of our organization.
Responsibilities of the Master
The requirements to be considered for a master position are: at minimum, the rank of Dark Jedi Knight; being an active and participating member of the Clan; able and willing to have an IRC presence; an email turnaround time of no more than 72 hours; and knowledge of the Promotion Requirements as set forth by the Master at Arms.
- Masters are expected to be a regular and positive influence on their student(s). They should be constantly encouraging them, working with them to find and develop their talents in activities within the Brotherhood and, most importantly, find activities that they enjoy.
- Masters are expected to be understanding of how real life can adversely affect their student(s) and help them to work within whatever confines (time or otherwise) real life presents.
- Masters are expected to know, understand, and most importantly follow the rules of the Brotherhood. Additionally, they are expected to help ensure their student(s) know and follow these rules as well.
- Masters are expected to know where their student(s) can find assistance with whatever they might need help with, or, failing that, at the very least feel comfortable reaching out on behalf of their Student(s) to answer any questions that might come up.
- Masters are encouraged when and where possible to help their student(s) make the connections with others, both in and outside of Tarentum, that might help them find the friendships that form the backbone of long-term membership and enjoyment of the Brotherhood.
- Masters are expected to write recommendations for promotion when their student(s) are eligible for the next rank, working in coordination with the Rollmaster and/or the rest of the Clan Summit.
- Masters are expected to report monthly on the status of their student(s) to the Rollmaster and the rest of the Clan Summit.
- Masters are encouraged to have no more than one student at a time in order to focus their efforts. The Master may request consideration for a second student, with approval of this to be granted at the discretion of the Rollmaster. Masters may not have more than two students at any time unless approved by the full Clan Summit; this should be only done under the most rare and special of circumstances.
- Most importantly, Masters are expected to always be working towards the goal of their student(s) growing as a member of Tarentum and enjoying their stay within it.
Role of the Rollmaster
As of the time of the writing of this document, the following was included in the official Brotherhood description of the role of the Rollmaster: “Their primary focus on retention of our newest members makes this position the cornerstone of our future. They are charged with ensuring that no new member falls through the cracks and facilitating them in their journey of familiarization with the Brotherhood and its many facets.” In the context of Tarentum’s Master/Student Program, then, it could be said that the Rollmaster is the one making sure of the program’s smooth functioning in order to achieve the goal of “facilitating them in their journey” through the Journeyman ranks.
Responsibilities of the Rollmaster
- The Rollmaster is expected to maintain a list of potential masters, knowing the strengths and weaknesses of each to ensure that the Master/Student pairings are the best matches they can be.
- The Rollmaster is expected to be intimately familiar with the Promotion Requirements as published by the Master at Arns.
- The Rollmaster is expected to contact each new Journeyman immediately upon their admittance into Tarentum and endeavor to learn their interests and skills so as to make the best possible Master/Student matches.
- The Rollmaster is expected to be in regular contact with each participant in the program, both masters as well as students, in order to have a working knowledge of the progress of each Student as well as resolve any potential problems before they even arise.
- The Rollmaster is expected to work in concert with the rest of the Clan Summit to revise and edit this document, and the program itself, whenever necessary.
- The Rollmaster is expected to regularly update the rest of the Clan Summit on the progress of the Journeymen entrusted in his or her care.
- The Rollmaster is expected to be a compassionate and fair arbiter of any disputes or differences that may arise in the course of the Master/Student relationship, always working towards the betterment of the Clan as a whole.
Role of the Clan Summit
The remaining members of the Clan Summit - the Consul and Proconsul - have a large amount of responsibility including oversight of the Rollmaster and the Tarentum Master/Student Program. While the direct, day-to-day oversight of the program lies with the Rollmaster, as his or her superiors the remainder of the Clan Summit is a vital part in its successful running as well.
Responsibilities of the Clan Summit
- The Clan Summit is expected to fill in for the Rollmaster in case of their absence or inability to carry out their duties.
- The Clan Summit is expected to counsel the Rollmaster throughout his or her tenure in the position; in the context of the program, this means they advise the Rollmaster in its development, implementation, revision, and operation.
- The Clan Summit is expected to supervise the Rollmaster to ensure his or her duties are being exercised as is necessary.
Notes
- Last updated May 2015 by Farrin Xies
- Special thanks to Raiju Kang, whose Taldryan Master/Student Program document informed many of the decisions that went into the creation of this one.