Arbiter

I do think it is important for you guys to at least approve your nominations in advance.  Sif has pulled together a list of names and statements for the three people who have offered themselves up as Arbiter candidates.  I am posting up their names and statements below for you to look over and discuss.    The VP is conducting background checks on them as per the new bylaw requirements.  If there were any candidates that have been missed please tell Sif ASAP so we have time to to a check on them as well:

Lauren (Bohmer) Partlow /Phoenix Wyndmere

Statement: "Recently I messaged Graymael and spoke to my unit mates as well as leaders of my realm about the arbiter position. I am stepping forward as someone who is ready and willing to take up this torch. I feel strongly that the safety of our participants is of utmost importance. I also feel that it is important for whomever takes this position to approach each report with an open mind and a search for truth. But it is also paramount that each report be investigated to avoid witch hunts or false accusations. Whomever holds this position needs to be able to interact with people who have undergone trauma and to hear them when they report. As a mental health professional with over 5 years of experience I believe I have that qualification. This person needs to be able to handle disputes with fairness and a sense of justice. The arbiter needs to be a safe person who can be approached and who can maintain the confidences of those who report. I believe that the arbiter should keep in contact with chapter heads regarding any local bans so that any reports of Code of Conduct violations can be quickly cross checked to prevent instances where a person is able to be banned from multiple areas before being dealt with at the national level. I believe that I am capable, qualified, and more importantly I want to step up."

I am still interested in stepping up and I believe that in spite of never having been a chapter admin (but have been a unit admin) that I am more than qualified for this position. I would even propose that the admin requirement be removed for persons who can demonstrate a professional experience in a related field. I have been in the game since I was a freshman in college (2005) and have been attending events since the first Rag at Coopers (2010?). I have been volunteering as a medic since my third Rag (I was in grad school during my second and was attending classes during the week).

I was specifically asked by this year's head of safety for Rag to run a "Take Back the Night" tent to provide a safe space at Rag for any woman who needs it. I will be providing a listening ear and advocacy for those who need it. I hope to find some men to assist who can provide the same thing for any men who need it. I am currently working on a policy and procedures as well as a mission statement for this service. I will be making a post this week asking for specific volunteers to assist me with the tent this year. My goal is to have an additional female or two assisting (Kalika Karika is already assisting) and two to three males assisting. The request is going to be made for people who have mental health or trauma advocacy experience to assist this year. The ultimate goal is to make sure that people are safe, that incidents are dealt with quickly, and that appropriate medical attention is obtained or authorities notified if necessary.

Lauren/Phoenix”

Robert (Bob)  Heintel/Sir Armory mf Thündercracker - Vice President of Einherjar

Statement: “I would like to put my name in for the Arbiter position. I would like to be in this position because my biggest thought on Dagorhir is that everyone should have fun.  If there are people who do not feel safe and in return cannot enjoy themselves then I'd like to do whatever I can to provide that experience for them. As VP of Einherjar I have instituted an internet code of conduct and a ban / suspension list which is very similar to the one Sif proposed as the Dagorhir standard ban list.  Unfortunately, we have already had to use this ban list in our realm but the unit leaders in the area are very please with the results. Thank you very much for this opportunity. If you need anything else please let me know.

Regards,

Bob Heintel

Sir Armory Thündercracker “

Brent Walker/Sir Rune

Statement: “Good evening Dagorhir!

I am volunteering to fill the role of Arbiter. For those that do not know me, I want to provide you with some information about me, both as a Dagorhir player and in real life.

Some in game background on me:

- I have been participating in Dagorhir for 14 years.

- I have ran, with a great team, Mittelmarch in Indiana for the last 9 years. If you don’t know the realm by name, you might be familiar with events that we run - Olympics and WAR.

- I have been the unit leader for a national unit, Legion of the Dragoons, for the previous 5 years.

- I have been a Knight for 8 years, teaching and advocating the importance of servant leadership and leading by example, as a member of the Silver Order.

- Role play wise, I’m the Warlord of Mittelmarch and Bear King in the Northern Steppes.

- I enjoy sewing, leather crafting, and teaching others how to do these things. I’ve taught classes covering all aspects of the game, from crafting, administration, combat, and volunteering.

In my real life:

- I have an amazing wife (Tari / Liz Walker), an 8 month old daughter and a giant friendly puppy.

- I have a passion for helping young adults plan for and achieve career goals, be it through entering the workforce or college. I’ve worked in this field on the state level, nonprofit sector, or college side since 2007.

- I enjoy activities outside of Dagorhir, such as playing softball, woodworking, board games, and volunteering with the Indiana Student Financial Aid Association.

- I have a reputation for being a down to earth, unbiased, patient, and responsible person, and often times fairly boring as I’m not big on parties, don’t drink, and am more prone to listening than talking.

In the end, I have a strong desire to see the game and culture grow in a positive way, and feel that I have the level head needed and the necessary qualities to step into the Arbiter role, and set it on a path for success for the future. It will play a vital role in shaping the game moving forward, helping to ensure the safety of participants and events, and I feel that it needs to start strong so that there is a good base to build off of in the future.

Thank you greatly! If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to ask. I’m an open book.

Brent Walker / Rune”

For reference, I am the Brent Walker above. Please feel free to ask any questions or voice concerns.

Thank you!

Phoenix may not have been elected into one of the three chapter admin positions for Angaron but she has worked as a unit admin within Angaron for ages and as such has acted as a representative of our chapter on numerous occasions which includes hosting Dagorhir events and garb-required practices.

Angaron hopes her status of not having been an elected chapter admin can be overlooked. We are quite proud of the work she has done and hope to see more of what she can do.

This is probably too late, but to address the original question, as it happens I sent an email a while ago and got a reply today. 

“typically realms or chapters have positions already that are assigned to go, for example, Eryndor,s Magistrate and President must attend war council and if they cant someone else on eryndors exec board will.....for those who dont have an eboard or system, as far as i know, whoever the realm appoints they are logged in......the same person does not get checked in for more than one realm.

Will this be the new Arbiter discussion thread?