Proconsul’s Handbook

Position Overview

The position of Proconsul is that of an assistant, though it is vastly more important than just aiding the Consul. Each Consul-Proconsul relationship is a unique thing and because it is unique each Consul will have his or her own list of tasks/projects for you to work on. This doesn’t mean that you are limited to only what your Consul gives you. There is a lot of room for you to explore your own creativity and work on your own projects and ideas. For the most part the Proconsul position is in place for grooming future Consuls. You work closely with much of the Dark Council while getting the feel of running an entire Clan, creating Clan-wide competitions and activities, and dealing with leaders and members from different Orders.

Expectations of Proconsul

Keeping in mind that each Clan and Consul/Proconsul relationship is different, here are a number of possible things you can be expected to do during your time as Proconsul. The list is far from complete but it will give you a general idea of what to expect on a day-by-day basis.

To assist the Consul with anything he/she requires
To monitor the activity of Quaestors and Aediles to make sure Houses are running smoothly
To assist in expanding the fictional role of the Clan within the Dark Brotherhood
To make note of leaders and members within the clan worthy of promotions or medals
To promote activity within the Clan, Houses and DB as a whole
To uphold any values or beliefs your clan stands for
To assist in the creation of competitions, vendettas and feuds between your Clan and others
To assist new members in becoming oriented with the Brotherhood and Clan, to further the development of new members through instruction and guidance, to provide a timely answer to any questions a new member may hold
To keep track of what you have learned during your tenure to pass onto your successor and help train them for the job

Difficulties of Proconsul

Difficult situations can arise with any Brotherhood position. How you deal with such difficulties really defines you as a leader. The follow is a list of examples of problems that can and do happen in Clans.

Resolving personal conflicts between your clan members or between your members and another Clans members
Removing inactive or unsuccessful House leaders
Dealing with different Clan enmities
Keeping yourself and your members motivated
Encouraging activity during Vendettas and other competitions and more importantly, insuring a constant level of activity during periods in which no Vendetta/RoS/GJW is going on
Dealing with problem members
Remember that you serve the members, they don’t serve you. You run competitions and activities so that they can gain promotions and medals and it can become annoying to see them get something instead of you, but good things always come to those who deserve them
Observe how members act on IRC, MBs or in game situations. It’s easier to deal prevent a problem than to deal with it when it’s out of control
Keep in mind a lot of what you do/say in private will get repeated. Try not to be overly insulting to fellow leaders from different clans or to the Dark Council
Be prepared to become a role model to your members. There are times when a member may look to you for support or advice with a real life problem or situation. Be honest, be supportive, and above all, remember that the person talking to you came to you not only as a leader, but also as a trusted friend. This may be especially true with younger members, who may often find it easier to turn to you for help coping with something rather than their parents

Those are some general problems you might face as Proconsul but sometimes other things arise. You have to have your own style for dealing with problems – everybody is different does things differently. A few suggestions on how to deal with certain problems are listed below.

Keep your cool. The best way to deal with most member conflict problems is to keep a level head. Remember that some of these people are little more than kids, some of them don’t have pleasant real lives and real life frustration can result in an episode on IRC or the Message Boards or even through email. Talk with them personally to see what’s up before getting angry and yelling yourself.
Lead by example. One of the most difficult things, in my opinion, is encouraging activity amongst your clan for general competitions and vendettas. You try offering motivations, threats, encouragement, but sometimes you come off sounding threatening or angry. Try to lead by example. If they see you participating and putting yourself out there they’ll be all the more inclined to go out and do the same thing.
Take it slow. A lot of times when someone gets a new position they go all out for the first month or two with activities, competitions and projects and burn out way before they should. It’s good to be excited about the new job but you need to control your excitement so that you can stick around as long as possible. If you have a million ideas at once – write them down. Make yourself a schedule. This is also true when making competitions. Members need a break every now and then too otherwise they’ll burn out.
Be Impartial. You make a lot of friends and enemies in a club like this, but never allow personal feelings to interfere with doing what you know is right. Whether that means choosing someone you don’t like for a position they deserve or not giving that medal to your best friend when they haven’t been active.
Share the load. The Clan Summit positions are tough and can easily become too much to do alone. Split the jobs with your Consul or go back and forth. This will help you work together better and last a lot longer than you would trying to take everything on at once.
Be Flexible. Be open to new ideas and new competitions. Members are a great source of new ideas and it makes them feel important to be helping shape the clan. Staying to one strict path will deny you the opportunities to make great changes for your members. You have to roll with the punches. In an online club things come up in real life that people need to deal with so they can’t always meet your deadline or schedule – your ability to take these things in stride will keep your members happy and allow you to retain your sanity.
Know your own limits. It’s always a hard thing to admit that you can’t do something, but it is far better in the long run to do so rather than let things fall a part on your watch. This can be something as simple as seeing your activity dwindle as a leader. You’re hurting your members and your reputation by allowing yourself to go AWOL without resigning. Step up. Admit that you’ve hit your limit and you will be looked upon better for it.

Effects of the Position

The Proconsul can be a big influence on a Clan progresses and grows. You work with the Consul to ensure your members are happy and having fun while keeping them competitive for Great Jedi Wars and other vendettas. For the most part you have a hand in shaping the way the Clan and Houses work, how the members act and how the Clan appears to the rest of the Brotherhood. The Clan Summit plays a pivotal role in the function of the Brotherhood – liaisons between the Dark Council and the general membership. You get a voice in major decisions; you speak for your members and help improve the overall quality of their DB lives.

As a Clan Summit member you have a lot of dealings with the Dark Council as a whole via the Dark Summit mailing list. You are included in the majority of the important decisions and conversations that will affect the entire Brotherhood. Be sure to use this access to its fullest extent to ensure the DC offers the very best for your members. Make sure to volunteer for things that interest you or that you know you have intimate knowledge about. Of course, they don’t always openly request volunteers, but it never hurts to send an email or message on IRC and ask. More often than not that is what will get you noticed by the higher-ups.

While you get to partake in other people’s ideas and plans there’s also nothing stopping you from creating your own. If you have your own idea you can write up a proposal and send it to the proper people. Your CON, the GM and DGM should always be CC’ed if it’s not going directly to them so that they may comment/keep track of what you’re up to. A well-written, well thought out proposal goes along way when trying to push a new idea. Remember there won’t always be room for your idea to be accepted but never let that stop you from trying. Fresh ideas are what make this club more interesting every year.

Position Organization

The Proconsul is a member of the Clan Summit. He/She is directly beneath the Consul but still deals with both the Grand Master and Deputy Grand Master. While you report directly to those three positions you also work closely with the Tribunes in an effort to improve DB-wide activities and competitions.

Again, each Consul/Proconsul relationship is unique. A lot of different factors affect the relationship between you and your Consul. Sometimes you’ll share the work 50/50, other times you will be given specific duties or tasks. The best working relationship is usually one of friendship. It makes dealing with each other a lot easier and allows you to work together to better your clan.

However, sometimes there will be problems. In an online club that is an inevitable truth. Dealing with such problems can be difficult if you don’t know what to do. Who you have a problem with is an important factor in deciding who you should talk to about it. With regular members in your own clan it’s best to talk to the Consul. He’ll be able to deal directly with the members in question. If it’s a member in a different clan talk to that members PCON/CON while CC’ing your own Consul.

Members within your Clan

-Talk to your Consul

Members in another Clan

-Talk to that members Consul/Proconsul and include your own Consul

Your own Consul

-The Grand Master and Deputy Grand Master

Dark Council Member

-The Grand Master and Deputy Grand Master

Superiors: Consul, Deputy Grand Master, and Grand Master
Subordinates: Quaestors, Aediles
Close working relationships: Tribunes

Specific Duties

PLACE HOLDER. Each Clan/Consul will have their specific duties for the position. I’d prefer to see each Clan have their say in this rather than me outlining things that may not be the same in other clans. Sorta ties into my theory that each CON/PCON relationship is different.

Position Checklist

Immediately Following Appointment:
- Introduce yourself to your clan with an introductory email. Remember that some of the clan may not know you, especially if you have transferred from another clan or have only been active within your House
- Make sure you have access to all House mailing lists as well as the Clan list and any Clan Summit related lists that exist
- Make sure you have access in any Clan or House IRC channels
- Obtain access to your Clan’s website so you can utilize any news or competition functions

Within Two Weeks of Appointment:
- Have settled into the task of dealing with each House as well as the Dark Council
- Run a small, fun competition as a sort of warm-up so your members can know what to expect from you
- Have written at least one formal report in your own personal style and sent it to the Clan’s mailing list
- Have started a list of projects and/or tasks you wish to work on
- Make it your mission to get to personally know each member of your clan

Weekly Tasks:
- Weekly Reports
- Encourage members to explore different aspects of what the DB has to offer. The DB offers a variety of activities and if some members give these things a chance they may find they actually enjoy them

Monthly Tasks:
- Write an Internal Report for the Grand Master and Deputy Grand Master
- Review activity tracking to award members with promotions or medals
- Review past and current project progress
- Monitor members who are being active but can’t seem to place in competitions. It’s always good to reward such members for trying their best before they become discouraged

Quarterly Expectations:
- Work with the Consul to create and run a Clan-wide competition
- Evaluate individual Houses, members, leadership, and order leaders
- Make progressive goals – don’t allow what has always been standard or normal deter you from improving your Clan
- Run a Leadership survey in your clan to see how members feel things are going. Keep it anonymous so that members can say what they feel without fearing reprimand

Document(s)

Proconsul's Handbook (.doc)