Members of the Brotherhood,

As many of you are aware, our Covenant establishes term limits for seated Grand Masters at 36 months. Sometimes, though, it's in the club's best interest for a Grand Master to step aside early. In my case, although my term could run until mid-October 2026, I have recently accepted a promotion at work that is taking a considerable amount of the time and energy I would otherwise be able to devote to this club. I recently notified the Council and Star Chamber that I intended to step down in January and let someone who can more fully perform the duties of Grand Master take the helm.

Today, I have nominated my Deputy Grand Master, Atra, to the Electorate to succeed me as Grand Master. This nomination will begin an approximately two week process that will allow Atra to engage with the membership and lay his plans out for the Brotherhood. If ratified by Electorate vote and approved by the Star Chamber, Atra will assume the duties of Grand Master on Sunday, January 11.

Atra has my complete confidence and I know he will lead the Brotherhood well. From running successful Vendettas and the Brotherhood's first Season to playing major roles in the launch of both the possessions and XP systems, and serving with a level head as Justicar, Atra has a breadth and depth of experience that few members have ever achieved. In everything he does, he concerns himself with improving the member experience and preserving this club we all love for the future.

I have included relevant sections of our Covenant that detail the Grand Master Nomination, Vote, and Ratification process. If you have any questions on this matter, please email the Justicar and myself. You will be hearing more from Atra shortly.

Section 4.02 Appointment of the Grand Master
(a) Eligibility - The Electorate is charged with verifying the adequacy of candidates for the position of Grand Master. No member is eligible to be Grand Master who has (1) been previously removed from the position of Grand Master; or (2) is not permitted to serve in accordance with the term limits set forth in this Article.

(b) Nomination, Initial Vote, and Ratification – A Grand Master that announces his resignation will remain in the position until a new Grand Master is installed. Upon announcing his resignation, the Grand Master may nominate to the Electorate a member to succeed him as the Grand Master. The Electorate will then vote to ratify the nominee by a three-fourths majority. Upon ratification, the nominee will be submitted to the Star Chamber for approval. For the purposes of appointing a Grand Master, the Electorate includes the retiring Grand Master and, if the nominated member is a member of the Electorate, the nominated member. Nothing in this provision prevents any member from stating their desire to be considered for Grand Master during the initial vote; that is, the Electorate is permitted to compare the nominee to other options for Grand Master, including members that have declared their desire to be Grand Master. Such declarations may be made to the Justicar, who will timely inform the Electorate of the interest.

(c) Secondary Election - If the Electorate does not ratify the initial nominee or if the retiring Grand Master does not submit a nomination within 48-hours of announcing his resignation, the Justicar will hold an election for the position of Grand Master using the following procedures:

(i) If the Justicar is a candidate for the position or the position of Justicar is vacant, the Star Chamber will conduct the election. (ii) The Justicar will accept nominations from any member of the Brotherhood. All nominations must be accepted by the nominee and seconded by a member of the Electorate. (iii) The Electorate will vote to name the next Grand Master. A majority of votes must be obtained to become Grand Master. If no member gains a majority, the candidate with the lowest vote count will be removed and a vote will be held on the remaining candidates. This will be repeated until a majority is gained by a candidate. Once a candidate is so chosen, his name will be submitted to the Star Chamber for approval.

(d) Star Chamber Approval - The Star Chamber must approve of the new Grand Master. This approval will be assumed unless the Star Chamber votes to veto the nomination within 72 hours of the completion of the election. If a nominee is vetoed by the Star Chamber, another election will be held without the formerly approved candidate.