New Knighting Procedure

Connor L. wrote: Good. They should be barely functional. Give the power to the people. The Council’s sole job should be to manage law and finances. The Knights should run the site. That’s my opinion.

Really? Barely functional? Why would you say something like that? Why would you want to see an organizational body of any sort "barely functional". I would think you want to see them instead extremely functional in their capacity to lead what it is they are supposed to lead. This has been the problem with council in the past. Lack of accountability and lack of clear leadership leading to lack of vision and progress forward. Now this authority given to the Knights will compound that without a clear leadership structure to guide a vision for the knighting of new Knights. A few bullet points on a post board will not solve this issue. There needs to be a much greater structure than what is being suggested here or this will fail.

OB1 we have tried such a thing. In fact, that is why Adiv came about. The lessons which qualify for Adiv are not standardized. The Edu Admin was not able to standardize the lessons Im not sure why. But the general feeling was a lack of trust.

We shall see what the Knights can come up with without white and gold oversight. Maybe they will do what we have been trying to do for years.

I'll certainly support any effort

One thing I like about this is with the greater voice of Knights, it also allows for the Knights to set a standard, even if it's informal. The discussion of a popularity contest also provides a good context with how this person might be able to function as a member of the group that are the Knights. If someone is combative without reason and would reflect poorly on the Knight cadre, it would allow the Knights a chance to offer corrective advice in a more direct format. It would also allow for better peer moderation. as because Knights are more involved and informal personality standards will grow (and really all that boils down to would probably be "would this person represent TOTJO and the rank well, and would they be a good teacher for apprentices?") it would also mark a level for current Knights to adhere to in a more open setting, not to imply there isn't something already there, this just makes it a tad more transparent.

Edit: Just because I want to roll this out on popularity contests and the like, there's a level of tact that I personally feel is important in a Knight. There's a difference between telling it how it is and finding the best way to communicate to a person so they understand the issue. There's a change in receptiveness, tone of discussion, and overall your impact as a teacher or even a person debating an idea when you learn to use tact in order to convey your point. The associated value of "I tell it like it is" roughly correlates to "I'm going to talk at you until I'm done talking." If you can't find ways to communicate in such a way that you don't alienate people, you probably shouldn't be in a place in which people come to you for guidance.

Personally I just want to finish the next stepping stone of the path that I started six years ago and that is achieving Knighthood here. I don't care about getting power and playing popularity contests. I will punch you in the face with the truth whether I like you or not. I cannot say I'm thrilled to be taking on an Apprentice as I've had issues with that in the past with other things. I started here with a goal in mind, a vision of what I wanted for myself. That vision has remained mostly the same over time but it has also adapted to who and what I am. I'm not going to kiss ass to get knighted but I really don't feel that I have to. There are people here who I trust and that is not something I give easily or to very many. That is good enough for me.

I say it because that's what I believe.

I believe the Council should not be a leadership group, but a quiet, service-based group. The Knights are the leaders, and it is their job to provide the way forward. The Council is a group OF KNIGHTS whose job, in my opinion, is to fulfill administrative roles on this site. And, that's it.

File the paperwork.
Pay the bills.
Vote on the mundane stuff.

The Knights (of which allllll Councillors are, by the way) should, as a group, be the ones leading the site. The Face of the Order. So to speak.

OB1, the problem is that not every Jedi needs to learn the same lessons before becoming a Knight.

We HAVE standardized the process in a lot of ways. The IP is the same for everybody. You learn what you need to KNOW about being a Jedi. Then, the Apprenticeship is learning how to apply those ideas in personalized lessons.

I am brainstorming because I am an ideas guy. I LOVE ideas. So, now my brain is on it...

Perhaps, you could say that each Apprentice will get a set of 15 lessons (let's just say), with the Training Master's discretion to add lessons if need be.

Then, the lessons could be either taken from a bank of established lessons that are accredited by the Knights via a majority vote OR a NEW lesson crafted for the student that could be approved by the Education Admin and then added to the bank via a majority vote from the Knights.

Once the lessons are completed to the satisfaction of the TM, they would send the lessons completed to the Knights to be looked over. If the lessons are completed, then the Knights vote majority yay. Then, the interview happens. Then, it's a Knighthood.

Thoughts on that, OB1? Here, the power of the Knights is really in what lessons are approved removing the need for Knights to vote on people. Also, it puts the onus on the TM to make good lessons that will be approved by two separate parties before being assigned. Then, the final vote is about "did they complete the lessons" rather than voting for the person. The TM, then, would have ultimate authority on the readiness of the apprentice. Perhaps with a Council or Knight override if the TM is being unfair to the apprentice.

My brain just does things. I dunno if that's what you had in mind or not.

Connor L. wrote:
The Knights (of which allllll Councillors are, by the way) should, as a group, be the ones leading the site. The Face of the Order. So to speak.

I think Ren would disagree with you.

This is great progress. Well done on taking this step. Take more.

Connor L. wrote: I say it because that's what I believe.

I believe the Council should not be a leadership group, but a quiet, service-based group. The Knights are the leaders, and it is their job to provide the way forward. The Council is a group OF KNIGHTS whose job, in my opinion, is to fulfill administrative roles on this site. And, that's it.

File the paperwork.
Pay the bills.
Vote on the mundane stuff.

The Knights (of which allllll Councillors are, by the way) should, as a group, be the ones leading the site. The Face of the Order. So to speak.

This, right here. All of it...

I don't really get why it's been such a struggle over the years to get this accomplished, If the Knights aren't to be trusted with this level of authority then what kind of message exactly are we putting forth? It's made getting Knighted, in all due honesty, rather pointless. You trust us to teach, but not lead? Seems hypocritical...

For once, camaraderie won't just be a catch phrase...

I agree whole heartedly. I'm looking forward to what this new procedure will bring. I hope good things