Master-Apprentice Program (MAP)

From Wikipedia of the Dark Brotherhood, an online Star Wars Club

The purpose of the Master-Apprentice Program (or MAP) is two-fold:

  1. To provide junior Dark Brotherhood members with the guidance of someone who has been in the club for a longer period of time.
  2. To help that junior member reach the rank of Dark Jedi Knight as soon as possible, according to how much time they can devote to Dark Brotherhood affairs.

Masters must realize that even though in a role playing environment they are in charge, their primary function when they take an apprentice is that they, as master, must do the majority of the serving. A master is there for the good and benefit of the apprentice, just as any leader is there for the good and benefit of the members ‘under their control’. It was not created for senior Dark Jedi to become teachers and junior Dark Jedi to sit there and gawk at them in wonder of their skills. Ideally, every new Journeyman should be paired up with a senior member upon entering their house.

The main purpose, aside from the textbook answers above, is for fun and a closer Clan community. Apart from the master learning or honing their leadership skills in taking an apprentice, the pair should also grow a bond. If the whole of a Clan is participating in the MAP in one form or another then it will lead to a happier time for everyone while boosting morale across the Clan.

Rules

The following are the basic rules to the MAP. These will serve as the foundation to any current MAPs or any unit looking to have one set-up

  • Master/Apprentice Ranks: Masters must be of the rank of Dark Jedi Knight or above; Apprentices are of the rank of Jedi Hunter or below. Masters and Apprentices must be in the same Clan but do not need to be of the same order.
  • Master/Apprentice Pairing: The Master/Apprentice partnership is formed by the House or Clan Summit (Consul, Proconsul, Quaestor, Aedile, or Rollmaster depending on the House and/or Clan). Any Dark Jedi above the rank of Dark Jedi Knight who would like to participate in this program should email their House or Clan Summit to be added to the list. It is also important to state what your main areas of activity or expertise are as it will make finding an effective pairing all the better. A similar process should occur for those Jedi Hunter and below. If you would like a master you should request one through your Summit making sure to state what your main areas of activity are, what you would like to accomplish specifically, etc.
  • Introduction and Welcome: Each master is required to contact their newly assigned apprentice within 24 hours of the pairing. It is a good idea for masters to ask the apprentice at the beginning of the pairing what they hope to get from the master. Faster and more efficient promotions to Dark Jedi Knight is the obvious one, but the apprentice may want something else. For example, an apprentice is not very skilled at writing fiction could request help in that area.
  • "Always two there are... a Master and an apprentice..." A master may only take one apprentice. An apprentice may have only one master. A master should only take on a second apprentice if there are no other available masters who could do an effective job and must be approved by their Summit.
  • Reporting and Tracking: Each master is required to communicate their apprentices progress in the form of an email to their Summit on a weekly basis. This is required to be rewarded for your effort once the apprentice reaches the rank of Dark Jedi Knight. The purpose of this is to avoid having masters who are not committed to their apprentices and just want to cash in on their apprentices hard work.

It is also crucial for masters to use the Promotheus tool on your administration page to accurately track the progress of your apprentice.

Promotions

Once the apprentice has completed all tasks required for their promotion, the master is required to email their Summit with the list of promotion requirements for their Apprentice's next rank as well as the tasks completed. The Summit will then submit the promotion. If you have access to requesting promotions you may do so, but are asked to email the Summit to let them know you have requested the promotion while including the rank, apprentices name/dossier, etc.

The objective of the program is to assist Journeymen in their journey to Dark Jedi Knight. It is not to make it more difficult to reach their goals. Promotion requirements are set by the Master at Arms and are to be adhered to. The master does not have the right to hold an apprentice back if promotion requirements have been met. Any master found to be doing so may be removed from the program and their apprentice reassigned. When a promotion requirement states a minimum time or a Master At Arms assigned task, it is possible to waive the required time. Instead, those responsible for the promotion can contact the Master at Arms, and he will decide on an additional task instead. The task in question can be anything, with the difficulty depending on the rank and the time left. This will only be assigned when all other requirements for that promotion have been completed.

Finishing the Program

A Master/Apprentice Pairing is absolute and will not be terminated until the apprentice reaches Dark Jedi Knight. This is to emphasize the importance of the pairing. However, a pair may be split up if an apprentice or master is forced to go Rogue or otherwise leave the Clan. A Master/Apprentice Pairing can also be broken if one side has not been communicating for an extended period of time. If your apprentice has not been in contact with you for a period of one month and you have attempted a minimum of 4 emails/contact attempts you should contact your Summit to discuss your options.

For an apprentice, if you have not heard from your Master for a period of 2 weeks and have attempted to contact them in that time, you should e-mail your Summit informing them of their absence so that you may receive a new master. The Summit should also be fully aware of their absence as they will not have been submitting regular updates on the progress of their apprentice.

Master Rewards

Though the program is geared for the junior member's benefits, it is only fitting that the master be rewarded for his efforts and work as well. On top of a Scroll of Foundation, a master's efforts will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the Summit for any further rewards. Please note: reporting will be factored into the reward so adhere to reporting requirements.

As a master, your main aim is to make sure that your student is enjoying what they are doing, are having fun, and to give them more of the same.

As a student, your main aim is to make sure your master is well aware of what you enjoy doing, and to make sure they know if you are having fun or not.

Trivia

The current MAP program was written and revised by Kalia Phoenyx from previous versions written by Michael Halcyon. The system originated in House Acclivis Draco under the guidance of Michael Halcyon, Quaestor of the House at the time