Teylas was my Praetor (yes I had to look this up) for 3 plus years (from early 2017 well into the COVID times) - and in that time he helped me with everything and did everything.

The MAA Office is still a bit different from other DC offices, our large projects (or even any projects) come once every few years – and little projects are once or twice a year. The real work of the MAA Office comes in the day to day work of approving and denying medal requests, processing appointments and resignations, managing competitions (and manually editing competitions) – and knowing the nuances of our database to make competitions work.

To toot my own horn a moment, one of the cornerstones of leadership (and frankly, the most important job)? Recognizing the contributions and activity of your members (in your house, clan, whatever) - and ensuring they are properly awarded with medals and/or rank promotions. The MAA Office is the engine behind making that go. We try and do it fast, and we try and do it well. Teylas, for years, exemplified that that engine. The biggest contribution Teylas made, and truly – every magistrate, praetor and MAA makes – are the discussions that occur among the staff about medals and promotions. That happens with every single sacramental award (and many of the merit), every equite and higher promotion – that is where the bulk of the work occurs.

Teylas has offered opinions on medal or promotion recommendations that are sometimes in line with my own to verify my own lack of senility. Sometimes though, he demonstrates that I am off my game – or I have not considered a position or opinion. Or sometimes? Sometimes I am just flat out wrong – and Teylas points it out and corrects me. For all of that? I am forever grateful.

All this work for the MAA Office? All the processesing, assisting, policy writing? Teylas did it all. He did it in spades. For years. If that's not a contribution to making sure our club doesn't fall into the sea? I don't know what is.

Teylas wasn't just a great Praetor, he was and is one hell of a member of the Brotherhood.

Since his last promotion, Teylas has accomplished the following: Participated in 119 competitions, hosted/co-hosted 84 competitions, earned himself 162 clusters, 23 crescents, two novae, two Anteian Crosses, a Sapphire Blade, a red club, - and oh yeah, a god damn Emerald Dagger.

For all these activities, and more? You are promoted to Dark Adept. Congratulations!

Howlader Taldrya, 2021-12-29 02:50:13 UTC

The fact that Teylas has waited as long as he has waited for elevation to the Elder ranks is, honestly, astounding. He has, as Howie has outlined above, made major contributions as part of the MAA's office. His time in service to Clan Plagueis as a Consul and then as a senior leader without a position to go with it, however, has been incalculable. At the time of his retirement, Teylas was the longest tenured Consul in the Clan's history. In his time as Consul, he built the unit into a self-sustaining machine that generated both high levels of activity and member engagement. One of his greatest achievements is as one of the fathers of the Plagueis Pro Bowl, a competition event that the two of us worked to develop that has since become one of the most successful non-Vendetta events in the history of the Brotherhood. Even after the end of his Consul tenure he oversaw both the second and third Pro Bowl events, the former including Clan Taldryan as the first non-Plagueis participant with the latter also adding Clan Scholae Palatinae to the mix. These kind of contributions while not holding Clan leadership are those that really stand out from the crowd, and are responsible for the Pro Bowl as a format now growing to include four participating Clans in the last iteration, the fifth Pro Bowl that has taken place.

His body of work for our Clan and the Brotherhood can be seen in the text of the recommendations on the sacramental awards he has been given since his last elevation, an Emerald Dagger, Ruby Scepter, and Sapphire Blade. He is one of only two recipients of the Emerald Dagger to have not also been recognized with the rank of Elder out of the sixty-eight Brotherhood members to have earned one. It is my hope that, at long last, that oversight shall finally be remedied. Thank you for the years of dedication and service you have given to this organization.

Master Selika Roh di Plagia, 2021-12-28 19:39:17 UTC