Click Here to View the Charter                         Click Here to View the Rules of Conduct

I. Be professional and friendly.

We're all only human, and we play this game to have fun. However, as officers we must make an extra effort to maintain decorum and keep personal feelings in check when dealing with members. As officers, a large part of our job is to set an example for behavior for others to follow. Keep this in mind at all times.

Sometimes officers may find it necessary to be firm with members or fellow officers, yet always remember that our words may be recorded and made public at some later time with or without our consent. With that in mind, we must always conduct ourselves in a civil manner, and treat others with respect and dignity. If we feel we are unable to be effective within a framework of such professionalism, then please request the involvement of a superior, or bring issues to fellow officers to help mediate.

II. Do not use position or rank for personal gain, especially at the expense of others, or the guild's welfare.

Sometimes as officers, we have the opportunity to help others while also benefitting from the experience ourselves. This is acceptible as long as it doesn't lead to any type of exploitation. However, demanding favors or special treatment in any way that's connected to rank or position in the guild is prohibited. Every member must be treated with fairness and equality.

We have rules and procedures to cover most situations where members are chosen to participate in guild events, and to determine their level of participation. However, if there is no rule to govern a situation, rank may only play a factor in a placement decision if rank affords a person access or abilities that would benefit the group or event, or has previously been agreed upon as a valid criteria.

As an officer, we must put the guild's overall interest above our own, unless doing so jeapordizes our own welfare and ability to function as officers. In such situations, please request assistance from other officers in order to take the necessary steps to maintain personal health and effectiveness.

Officers are here on a volunteer basis to serve the guild, not vice versa.

III. Always give the guild top priority in raiding, warfare, grouping, or other activities.

When you volunteer to become an officer, you're doing so because seeing the guild succeed gives you a satisfying sense of personal achievement. You no longer care as much about personal gain. Instead, your interests become aligned with the guild's interests. That's how you get your kicks.

As a result, rather than looking outside the guild for raids, groups, or other activities, you always look first at the ones wearing your tabard, who are looking to you to set an example and to lead them. You believe in our mission of being the best at everything, and you enthusiastically stand behind the members in their efforts to achieve excellence -- both individually and collectively.

In order for an event to qualify as an official Order of Twilight function, it must meet the following criteria:

• The event must be on the calendar and/or announced over guild chat.

• Any qualified member must be allowed to attend if he or she meets the appropriate criteria as determined by the event leader(s). Those criteria must be posted publicly, and potentially achievable by almost anyone.

• Guild members must be given first priority on invites, followed by outside guests.

• Only 25-30% (rounded up) of the attendees may be "static" (the same people going, regardless of signups) if it's a regularly scheduled event. For the other 75%, signups must be on a "rotational" basis where different people take turns going.

• If event tracking and related information needs to be shared via the web, it must be stored or linked to from the Order of Twilight website and accessible to at least all Visionaries, if not the entire guild. We understand that some events require some level of secrecy, but at least the Visionaries must have access in order to provide oversight.

• No event may be conducted or planned in a way that is contrary to the Charter, Rules of Conduct, or its associated Council's "Mission Statement".

Leading or attending a non-guild function as defined above with 10 or more members (raids, warfare groups, social gatherings, etc.) is prohibited in all but the most extenuating circumstances. Even then the officer must approach the other officers and offer a compelling reason, and the case will be decided by the other officers or the DreamLord.

Leading or attending a non-guild function of 5 or less is permitted as long as the officer has attempted to include guildmates, and/or has exhausted the possibility of attending with guildmates. (Example: Joining will fill the group, no guildmates of the appropriate level are available, or adding another member will compromise or unbalance the group).

Attending a non-guild function in conflict with a guild function of the same type or level range, when space is available in the guild's event, is also prohibited except under extenuating circumstances and after gaining clearance from other available officers. (Example: Don't join a non-guild Ramparts run on the same night as a guild Furnace run if the guild's event still has room. It's not about the loot, it's about the people.)

In a nutshell, put the guild first for all grouping, raiding, questing, socializing, etc. An officer's time is best spent in service of the guild. If the guild is unprepared or unable to venture into locations that an officer wants to go, rather than finding a non-guild group, an officer should expend his/her time and energy helping the guild. Gaining experience and knowledge in non-guild raids/groups has almost no benefit in comparison to helping guildmates level up, gear up, develop teamwork, and master new challenges together as a guild.

IV. When investigating member concerns, be fair, impartial, and discreet.

Before taking action regarding a member concern, in order to be as fair and impartial as possible, do what you can to gather evidence. While screenshots and chatlogs can be tampered, it's still better than just trying to recount events by memory. At the same time, also try to get both sides of the story.

Respect member privacy. Never share sensitive communications or information about members with non-officers without the express consent of the parties involved.

When dealing with a member issue, first try to resolve the issue one-on-one with that member, or if necessary, by bringing in the parties involved with the dispute or concern, yet privately, out of view of the guild at large. If this fails to yield results, ask other officers for assistance.

If it is later found necessary to remind the guild at large to follow one of the rules, or to give advice in the form of a public message, please wait until after the situation has cooled down so as not to cause a member to feel uncomfortable or singled out in front of his/her peers. Rule 3 from the Rules of Conduct works both ways.

V. What is said between officers, stays between officers, unless requested otherwise.

Sometimes as officers, our duties and responsibilities can generate stress or anxiety, and it is occassionally cathartic to vent some of that stress in a safe environment of confidentiality. Knowing that what we say or think, especially in moments of high stress, won't later be used against us, helps facilitate better commnunication and is beneficial for health and peace of mind.

If an officer is found to be abusing their access, and sharing communication with non-officers that was conducted in confidence between other officers, especially if that communication has the potential to harm an officer's reputation or otherwise malign or impugn him or her, then the officer found breaching confidentiality will be subject to immediate demotion or removal from the guild.

VI. Officer demotion or removal procedure:

Possible reasons for an officer being demoted or removed include, but are not limited to, the following:

Prior to demotion, the Dreamlord or Dreamguard may sit down with the officer in question to discuss the situation and seek a possible remedy. If this fails, a temporary suspension may occur first. If the behavior continues, then the next step is demotion. If the violation is extreme, then immediate demotion/removal, thus bypassing the normal procedure, may be neccessary.

Stepping down, pending discipline or investigation that may result in demotion or removal may involve an officer temporarily losing access to officer-only areas of the guild facilities.

While we make every effort to be fair, impartial, and thorough in investigations, sometimes it's found necessary to temporarily suspend an officer's access to sensitive areas until a situation is resolved. This is not a presumption of guilt, but simply a security precaution.

We hope that officers who fail to perform can gracefully step down and still remain active and loyal members. However, since the process of demoting or removing officers often does not go smoothly because of deep personal ties and emotional investment, all remaining officers are expected to work together to help maintain stability and calm during those difficult times.

VII. Officer Oaths:

VIII. Recruitment, interviewing, new member orientation, and member removals/departures procedures:

For recruitment/interviewing, the first step is to have an interested new member go to the "Guild Hall" (website) and read the Charter and Rules of Conduct, and then sign up under "New Membership" saying they've read and agree.

After that, all of the officers will make an effort to contact the new member, unless the new member contacts us first. Once the new member is contacted, the interview process may begin immediately, or it might be scheduled for a later time.

We prefer interviews to be conducted in the guild's interview channel in the presence of other members and officers. However, occassionally a member might be self-conscious or anxious and prefer the interview be conducted one-on-one. This is also acceptible.

After the interview, the officer conducting the interview is encouraged to elicit input from other members or officers who witnessed, but may make the decision independently.

Once the decision has been made whether to invite the member, the next part is the paperwork. Reply to the New Membership thread with the date of the interview, and any comments that are deemed appropriate, then lock the thread. Then send the member a private message on the guild hall, and optionally an in-game mail message, welcoming he/she to the guild. Reply to the thread containing the welcome message with the member's name and any details deemed appropriate. Then finally, add a note to the new member in the in-game guild roster notes area with the date they joined. All of this paperwork helps us track that member's progress through their time with us.

Once a new member is promoted to Dreamer, if they would like to join an alt to the guild, include in the notes on that alt the name of their "main" character.

A Wishmaker may switch main's before becoming a Dreamer, but may only have one character in the guild at a time.

If a member leaves the guild, or is removed, if any details of the departure are known, then please recount them in the most diplomatic and discreet way possible in the "Guild Removals/Departure" thread in the Member's Only section of the message board.

IX. Protecting the Vision - Procedure for Charter and Rules of Conduct changes:

The Charter and Rules of Conduct are the founding principles that set our guild apart from the rest. They are sacred, and yet they are also living documents.

X. Procedure for promoting new officers (Visionaries):

Please note, the time between applying for a Visionary position and the actual promotion may take up to 4 weeks.

Click Here to View the Charter                         Click Here to View the Rules of Conduct

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The Order of Twilight is a World of Warcraft guild on the Feathermoon Server