There are members in this Club whom you can barely keep satiated with activity. However, when those members become leaders, this need for consumption becomes a passion for giving their membership the best DB experience possible. This was the type of Consul Blade was.
From running trivia to running our Peacekeeper events to drive our Clan story or keeping our chats alive with pictures of the doge, Blade has and continues to encourage open communication in a fun and lively atmosphere.
One of her most successful passion projects has been our Community Events. These events, often consisting of a gaming and roleplay day, pull together both Odanites and our friends from across the Club. Using these to foster a friendly and tight-knit community, they also allow those who wish to host a day the chance to learn what it takes to lead a small event. Each one often takes some prep work and can last upwards of three hours, so it is a decent commitment. That being said, Blade has hosted 21 of these events since her last recognition and has supported other hosters by attending an additional 35. Blade doesn't just start something; she supports it and sees it through, all for a commitment to make Odan-Urr a home.
Behind the scenes, Blade shows just as much dedication to this community. She's always trying to develop new ways to enhance the member's experience, digging through each member's activity page regularly, looking for what she can award, providing feedback on leadership performance, and offering ways to improve. She teaches that it's not only what you provide the members but also how you recognize their achievements that make for a successful unit. But, unless you've had the privilege of working closely with Blade, you miss the attentiveness she gives these tasks and how she is willing to fight for every member on her roster.
Above I briefly mention her activity. Here is the breakdown since her last recognition one year ago. She has earned 1 Gold Nova, 1 Silver Nova, 3 Crescents with Diamond Stars, 5 Crescents with Ruby Stars, 10 Crescents with Amethyst Stars, 12 Crescents with Sapphire Stars, 5 Crescents with Emerald Stars, 1 Crescent with Topaz Star, 1 Crescent with Quartz Star, 242 Clusters of Fire, 57 Clusters of Ice, 428 Clusters of Earth, 76 Clusters of Graphite, 1 Dark Side Scroll, 1 Scroll of the Master, 7 Legion of the Scholar, and for her outstanding contributions during RoS Escalation she earned 25 Seals of Enmity. In addition to this, she's written 24,693 words of fiction, passed 8 Shadow Academy courses, and has earned 2 degrees. She's even managed to post 9 reports, mostly on time.
Now it's unfortunate that I cannot put all of her contributions to this Clan into some easy-to-read chart or spreadsheet, so she'll just have to deal with it.
Ever since she ripped me out of hiding and CONned me into leadership, I can say that I've never worked with someone more dedicated or passionate. She was a great Consul, and continues to be an outstanding member, one truly deserving of this Amethyst Kukri. Thank you, Blade, for everything you've given us and for your continued support.
Revak Kur
Consul, Odan-Urr
Grand Inquisitor Lizuni Heraga, 2021-08-14 01:20:28 UTC
Sometimes I like to flatter myself by thinking I'm Blade's mentor—but the reality is that all the qualities that made her a great Consul were evident well before she worked for me. Odan-Urr was my baby and I don't know that there's anyone else I would have entrusted it to. And while Blade had some serious rough patches during her first year on the job that would have driven many people to give up, she powered through and rebuilt COU into a more stable unit that nonetheless maintains one of the best activity ratios in the club.
In fact, based on how smoothly COU runs today, you might assume that Blade has spent the last nine months coasting along. I don't think Blade is even capable of coasting. Most people don't see the discussions at 3am about important electorate votes, or notice that COU has never missed a community event because Blade has always been there to save the day if nobody else would step up or if the original host flaked on us. Most people don't see that she participated in every house or BT event to set an example even though she got effectively nothing out of it. Or how she's one of the few people who is consistently active across Telegram, Discord text, and Discord voice, because that's what she has to do to reach everyone. Or her apparently inexhaustible ability to pitch in to any project or initiative seamlessly, whether it's taking a de facto summit/master role herding newer members through their first vendetta or instantly stepping in to cheerlead for anything another Odanite is trying to get started. She's really become the backbone of the clan, a role that I have no doubt she will continue to fulfill whether she's stuck with another summit role or not.
COU is not the only clan in the club to focus on recruitment, host roleplaying sessions, or schedule community gaming night (though we might be the only one with quarterly goals-based summit performance reviews), but Blade's relentless focus on community development truly is unique and has made this an exceptional clan to be a member of. She's amazing and we've been damned lucky to have her.
Alethia Archenksova
Consul Emeritus, Odan-Urr
Headmistress Alethia Archenksova, 2021-08-15 14:41:43 UTC