Coordinator's Guide: The Camarilla Fan Club

t h e c a m a r i l l a fa n c l u b
Coordinator’s
Guide
ar t i c l e 1
Direct Assistants: The Life Preserver of a Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . 3
ar t i c l e 2
Training Your Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
ar t i c l e 3
Independent Chapters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
ar t i c l e 4
Movin’ On Up in the Camarilla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
ar t i c l e 5
Time Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
ar t i c l e 6
Communicating at Various Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
ar t i c l e 7
Common Problems: A Doctor’s Bag for the Coordinator . . . . . . . . 24
ar t i c l e 8
Reporting and Auditing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
ar t i c l e 9
Stuck in the Middle with You – A Guide to Mediation . . . . . . . . . . . 29
T h e c a m a r i l l a fa n c l u b 2 Coordinator’s Guide
Direct Assistants:
The Life Preserver
of a Coordinator
Co n t en t b y Lana Tessler US2002022632
Ed i t i n g b y Ryan Coogan US2003081944
Ar t wo r k b y Shelley Skipper UK9705-0336
A
t some point in their coordinating career,
most coordinators look about and real-
ize that the number of hands and brains
required to do all the work on their plate
would require them to possess a few extra heads and
another four pairs of arms. Since cloning or sprout-
ing extra limbs is not a viable option to getting all
that work done themselves, most coordinators come
to the realization that they could use some help.
Enter the direct assistant staff.
Direct assistants are life-savers for any chapter or domain
coordinator. They can assume tasks that may be completely neces-
sary to running a domain, but that you personally may not have
the time or resources to keep up with. A well-trained assistant can
take on small, repeated and regular tasks, or they can be hired for
larger projects.
Typically, if you find yourself realizing that you do not have
time to keep up with routine tasks, it is time to consider an assistant
for that job set. A coordinator needs to examine the job set itself
and be certain it is something that he or she can teach another indi-
vidual to perform, and that it does not violate any confidentiality
with their players. Mediation and other conflict resolution should
probably be handled by the coordinator directly, however it is pretty
simple to teach an assistant how to regularly advertise game times
and special events. You might want to start by going
through the job duties of the coordinator office and
identifying which tasks can be taught and reasonably
passed on to an assistant.
The number of assistants that you hire really
depends on how much work you can reasonably do
yourself and the number of members in your domain.
More members means more work for you overall
— on reports, in communication time, in prestige
reviews, and in many other ways. Large and active
domains can be a handful to take care of, particu-
larly because newer members will need more remind-
ers than older, more experienced members. If you
find yourself always running around trying to keep
up with every little task, it is time to hire assistants.
However, you also want to keep in mind that you are
in charge of all this administration and if your entire
domain is on the assistant staff you have probably
pawned off a bit to much. Work load should reason-
ably reflect the number of assistants hired. If there
is one announcing job to be done, do not hire three
people to do it. also important that any assistant you hire can keep in touch with
A domain of 40-50 people can easily have five or six assis- you and the membership regularly.
tants — sometimes more. For smaller domains, consider starting Traditionally, there are several positions that coordinators
with two or three assistants and expanding if you find you need have found helpful to keep on their staff. An assistant admin is a
to divvy up tasks more. good position for times when the coordinator is unavailable —
Once you’ve figured out how many jobs you have that you this is also a great way to train someone into a full coordinator
can give out, and how many people you need to hire to accom- position over time. An assistant to help organize social events can
plish those tasks, the next step is figuring out who to hire. An help add more activity to a domain, while another member in
all call over your local e-mail list can really help create a pool charge of organizing and running charities can help maintain the
of potential assistants. This gives all of your members, especially philanthropic activities of our organization. An assistant in charge
the new ones, an opportunity to apply. A brief resume of skills, of websites may be useful for administering a domain site if you
both in and outside of the camarilla, can be useful in judging an keep a very active web presence. Lastly, an assistant in charge of
applicant’s qualities; you should not hire assistants just because recruitment can keep an eye out for new recruitment chances to
you have known them forever — give them a chance to outline gain new members. Other possible positions include prestige,
their skills and convince you why they might be good for the job. finances, sites (if you are constantly looking for and switching
Hiring assistants is a matter of matching skill sets to the assistant game sites), and settings and props.
job tasks. For example, if a position has a lot of interaction with Make certain that each of your assistants has a set task of
members (or new recruits) then your assistant needs to be able to duties that they are responsible for keeping up with on a monthly
communicate clearly and reliably with new members and current basis. That might mean announcing games, mailing out remind-
staff. Regardless of your assistant’s natural skills you may still ers, or other day-to-day tasks. Each month you may want to meet
have to train them — particularly if they are new to the Camarilla or have an e-mail or phone discussion with your entire staff to
— but the work and time in training them can really pay off in set up any special events or to brainstorm upcoming ideas and
the long run as they will be able to help the domain grow and may projects. This is the time to assign tasks to your assistants, or take
be encouraged to become elected officers in the future. them on yourself — as needed.
Certain qualities make for very good assistants, no matter Being up front with your assistants can really help the staff
how little or how much experience they may have. Assistants run smoothly. Establish your expectations early. Give your assis-
should have enthusiasm first and foremost. All of the experience tants defined tasks and teach them how to do those tasks if they
in the world is useless if a member does not want to put energy do not already know. Do not be afraid to tell your staff to slow
into their job — and an enthusiastic assistant staff can really down either; everyone sometimes gets a little too enthusiastic and
make a domain take off. Creativity, flexibility, and the ability to it may be necessary to remind an enthusiastic member that their
work well with a team are skills that are always in demand. It is term paper for school or their overtime at work really is more
important than getting a prestige review done. Frequent commu-
nication is really the key to everyone working together and main-
taining a healthy level of activity. An assistant with an appropriate
workload should be working on at least one or two projects a
month (including their regular tasks).
So you have set clear expectations, you have got a staff; they
are doing great brainstorming and coming up with activities to
work with in the domain. They communicate regularly and every-
one seems pretty happy. But then you get a question on a ruling
made by one of your assistants in your absence. You are certain
you never authorized that ruling and the players are all confused
— after you have delegated all of these tasks, where does your
assistant’s authority stop? The authority of your assistants often
depends on the coordinator and on the job being done. It is
important that you consider this before you hire an assistant and
be up front with them about where their authority stops. Do not
be vague about what they are in charge of. Your charities person,
for example, may be totally responsible for all the organization
and implementation of a charity event, but you will probably
want them to make sure that you as the coordinator approve of
the event before they get going. Make sure that your assistants
are telling you about their ideas and plans and sign off on them
before they get going; it may forestall a problem down the line.
Your assistants should not be in charge of any sensitive
issues, mediations, or DA’s unless the players involved agree to
their participation. You, as a coordinator, have a responsibility to
be certain that any investigations or personal issues are resolved to
the best of your ability —0 personally. The last thing you want
is your socials assistant suddenly running full scale mediation. If
you are training an assistant administrator to later take over your
position, you may want to see if they can be involved in the pro-
cess to learn the ropes, but remember to seek the approval of the
players involved first.
While it may take a little background work to set up and
train a good assistant staff, they really can be a boon to both the
domain and the direct coordinator. Assistants serve as those extra
hands you always seem to need and their ideas and perspectives
can help jumpstart your own energy and enthusiasm for new proj-
ects. You may find that they make your role as a direct coordinator
both easier and a lot more enjoyable.
Training Your
Replacement
Co n t en t b y Stephanie Wheeler US2006086211
Rewr i t t en b y Erica Martinez US2002021903
T
he job of a coordinator within the
Camarilla can be an arduous and
tedious task, with a lot of work for
little reward. Burnout is inevitable and
real life can cause the need for turnover on a regular
basis. Additionally, with the opportunities within
the Camarilla, many try new challenges within the
organization and leave their position open. So what
does a coordinator do when they know they must
train a replacement to take over their position they
will leave behind?
Depending on where you are in the timeline of your office,
you might be ready to finish your run as a coordinator or you
may just be starting. Either way, there are reasons you decided
to become a coordinator. Perhaps you came into it thinking that
the domain needed to have certain things done correctly, maybe
the previous officers did not track prestige properly and players
complained; maybe reports were not filed or there were no socials
or charities of any value. It could also be that you had a great
previous coordinator and you wanted to make sure that things
continued to be done right.
Regardless of your intentions, you took this office for a reason.
The time and energy that you put into your office is important and
the things that you accomplished for your players are as well. In
training a replacement you are ensuring that these things will con- without increasing the chance that the members will riot over
tinue to be done correctly. Are you willing to take the chance that something that can be avoided.
the next coordinator will have just as much know-how as you did Remember, as per the membership handbook, coordina-
when you took office, are that they will do just as much with no tors are elected, but assistants that have already been trained as
training? You can take the time and energy to train a replacement replacements have a better chance of getting the job and suc-
now and try to ensure that there is a smooth transition of office ceeding in it.
or you can take the chance that in a year’s time you will have to Finding someone who wants to be a coordinator is not
step up and run for coordinator again because you feel as though always easy, especially if you have a small group. Being honest
all of your work was for nothing and has not been continued. In about needing a replacement is a good place to start. Announce it
an extreme situation you could start a vicious cycle where you at a meeting and over the local OOC email list and make sure to
keep running for coordinator every other year to fix problems mention that you will train them. More people are willing to step
when all you really need to do is properly train someone. In the into positions if they know that they will receive training in how
long run, training a replacement just takes less time. to do the job. There are many ways to approach doing this, but
Think of your successor as the continuation of a legacy. they depend on how much time you have.
One of the most valuable things that you can do for the club and The best way to train a replacement is to start as soon
as you get the job. Having someone around
that can effectively take over for you if you
need to go on a trip or take a break for
any reason is wonderful and terribly help-
ful. Assuming that you will start training as
soon as possible, you will have at least a year
to do so. You can take on your replacement
as an ADC Legacy, training them until your
term is up. If you find that you do not have
enough time to fully train your legacy, then
you can always take them on for the remain-
ing of your term, and stay on the coordina-
tor staff as a consulting assistant, essentially
training them through the beginning of
their term. If you have absolutely no time at
all to work with your replacement, you may
have to train your replacement after they are
already in office, working with them for at
least the first six months.
Assuming that you have a choice in who the
next coordinator will be, there are a few quali-
the next coordinator is to train them. Assuming that the person ties they should possess. Your replacement should have a desire to
wants to do a good job and that is why they ran for office, why do the job well, understand the importance of training and asking
would you set them up for failure? Every time that a new coor- questions, able to make deadlines and be computer literate. Finally,
dinator is left standing in the rain with no training they end up when all is said and done, you will want to ask yourself the ques-
re-inventing the wheel. As a club we complain about having to tion, “If there is an emergency, can this person be professional
do this all the time; this is your chance to make sure this does enough to handle the situation on behalf of the group?”
not happen in your domain. If you were one of those coordina- Once you have someone that wants to take on the job,
tors that did not have any training, remember how frustrating it how you train them will depend in part on the time you have
was. If you had fantastic training from an amazing coordinator, with them. Training a replacement is very different than men-
remember what it was like as well and pass on the tradition. toring a new member. A replacement needs to understand
Training a replacement is your contribution to the avoidance what happens behind the scenes to make the domain func-
of drama. Frustration breeds negativity. The players in a domain tion. A replacement needs to be trained to create and maintain
rarely see a “bad coordinator” as someone that was not trained resources to help new members and retain old ones. They must
properly; instead they see them as someone who is trying to move past the point of using tools locally to creating and
“run the domain into the ground” or “take away their prestige”. maintaining them for other members.
Managing the organizational culture of a local group is enough Assuming you have at least six months or so to train your
replacement, there are a few steps you can take to properly train You can keep track of the training process for both of you
your successor. To get their feet wet, let them run the OOC sign- by requiring your replacement to report once a month. This will
in table for games. They need to get used to being a person in also get them used to reporting every month as well and identify
charge and the organization needs to get used to seeing them as a initial computer or email issues that they may have. Give them a
coordinator. This also allows them to talk to everyone that comes template that includes:
to game. It is a great way for them to get to know all of the mem- • Activities this month:
bers by face and name. • Detailed account of things learned this month:
Your successor can, and should, cross-train with all of your • Goals for next month:
other assistants to learn their jobs. They need to learn how to • Areas still to learn:
plan and implement a social or charity, how charities are picked Finally, have them take the membership, coordinator, and
out, how to review prestige logs, why the website looks the way prestige ordeals. This is a great way to either introduce them to
it does, how much money the domain brings in and where it is the subject matter on a three-tier scale of progression or reinforce
spent. Cross-training also allows the assistants a chance to get to a lot of the things that they already know.
know the person that they may be working for next year and vice In an ideal world, your replacement will be adequately
versa. Do not throw this member in head first and tell them to trained and as ready as you can make them for the day they are
learn all of these positions, let them train on a monthly schedule elected. However, even after they take over the position, your
or from project to project. Additionally, you may choose to let job is not entirely complete. Records and money will have to be
your replacement fill in for assistants that are absent or fill vacan- transferred to your replacement – this includes copies of reports,
cies on your staff. This will get them used to the problem solving prestige logs, prestige reviews, disciplinary actions, investigation
that sometimes has to happen when the charity assistant cannot documents, email accounts, etc. Problems frequently arise records
make it to game where collections are being taken for some event are lost or not transferred. Additionally, follow through support
like a regional food drive. really is necessary. If you can, offer to be an assistant to them for
If you choose to give your replacement this kind of hands- a while and lend some behind-the-scenes structure. You also need
on training, give them the tools to do the job. Make sure they to show the domain that you support them and will be around
know exactly how to access the prestige section of the member- for any transitional issues that arise. A simple way to do this is
ship handbook online, they have a copy of the report template, to publicly thank them for stepping up to do the job and remind
they know who the regional coordinator is along with their staff, everyone that sometimes the coordinator position is a thankless
copies of prestige logs of members, old reports and make sure job because if they are doing everything right there is nothing to
that they are on all of the correct email lists. see and everyone can focus on the game.
You may also choose to copy them on emails that you send Unfortunately, we do not always have the luxury of living
out from your office. Tell them if you do not want them chiming in an ideal world where we can pick and train our replacements.
in on anything, but to ask you privately. This keeps them in the For instance, you may find yourself forced to leave your office
loop of all the little day-to-day things going on that are some- quickly with little-to-no time to train a replacement. Be really
times forgotten when communicating in meetings. Additionally, honest with your direct supervisor and make sure that your
show them the file template for reports and have them sit down supervisor and the new coordinator know each other, are aware
with you when you file yours to see everything that goes into it. of the situation, and that the new coordinator will need more
After that, have them do a section of the report every month and training. Additionally, be honest with the local organization and
send it to you. explain that things may be bumpy for the new coordinator for
Management training is very useful. Show them that man- a while, but you will be around for questions. If you can, make
aging a staff of assistants is important, as well as managing the yourself available for questions for the new coordinator as well.
domain culture. One activity that you may do is go over each Finally, make sure that all records are transferred to the new
assistant’s strengths and weaknesses and explain to him/her how coordinator quickly and completely.
you play on the strengths of each person. Explain which assis- Alternatively, you may find that a new coordinator does not
tants need more structured deadlines and which ones excel with want your experience, strength, or help. Backing away and making
more autonomy. your direct supervisor aware of the situation is probably the best
If your training is going well, increase the responsibilities course of action so that they know what to expect and so that
given to your replacement. Let them be responsible for more and they can offer some training themselves.
more things, such as pre-game announcements. This gives them Not every assistant is equally suited for the task of becom-
a feeling of accomplishment and relieves some of your stress. ing a coordinator. It may come to pass that the assistant you have
Positive reinforcement is important —more responsibility and been grooming to replace you does not have the personality or
public praise is a way to demonstrate your faith and appreciation temperament for being a coordinator. If this is a real issue, then
in your replacement. be straightforward about it. It is better to have an uncomfortable
situation now than a disaster later on. Discuss very openly why
you believe they are not suited for the position, giving examples
that support your statements, with the intention of working on
these issues in the future. Make sure you talk about why particular
personality traits are important to the position and discuss situa-
tions that could arise because of them. If things have already gone
past the point of working on their shortcomings, then move for-
ward. Have a frank conversation about why this person will not
be a good replacement and then, if possible, go over the strengths
that they do have and recommend a better job for them that they
will excel at.
The best replacement you can ever have to do the job you
are doing, is one you have trained yourself. The will have inti-
mate knowledge of what the job entails as well as any pitfalls
to avoid. However, if you run into any difficulties with training
your replacement and it is not covered above, do not be afraid to
ask questions to your direct coordinator, or your fellow seasoned
coordinators. They may be able to assist with suggestions and
wisdom from their own tenure. Who knows, they may be training
you to eventually be their replacement!
Independent
Chapters
Co n t en t b y Davon Kellum US2005127017
An d Jess Fazio US2002034251
T
Camarilla Membership and Forming a New Chapter
he Camarilla is a global organization.
Yet we sometimes find that members,
or potential members, live in areas
where there is no local Camarilla game.
These members can still participate by joining the
Four Winds Chapter, which hosts games online for
members who live too far away from other domains
to participate regularly. While this is an option, we
find that members enjoy attending games and events
on a regular basis, and therefore set out to create
their own chapter. While this guide is intended to
provide our collective experience with starting a
new chapter, there really is no replacement for the
help and assistance of other Camarilla members. We
strongly recommend that you contact members of
nearby chapters and domains to help assist you in
forming your own chapter and helping it to thrive.
The first step in beginning a chapter in your city is to find
some friends who would like to play with you. These can be friends
you went to school with, friends from work, friends you share other
hobbies with, or even friends of friends. If none of your friends
are interested in playing, talk with your local game stores and ask any additional or different officers to contact. There may be addi-
to post information about starting a game. You may also want tional officers to contact, to make sure you have reached everyone
to consider posting fliers at local colleges, community centers, consult the national affiliate for a complete list.
coffee houses, or performing art centers where potential mem- Before you can start playing in the Camarilla sanctioned
chronicle, the chapter will need to decide
which venue it would like to participate in.
It is strongly recommended to start with
one venue and play a few games until the
chapter becomes accustomed to the global
sanctioned chronicle. Remember that the
regional officers are there to help you get
familiarized with the Camarilla and the
chronicle. After a venue is chosen, the chap-
ter will need to elect someone to be the venue
storyteller and someone to be the assistant
venue storyteller. The storyteller will need
to submit a venue style sheet to the regional
storyteller for approval. A venue style sheet
describes the mood and scope of the venue,
including the types of characters allowed,
special rules, and the theme for the venue.
This sheet is available from your regional
storyteller, and may also be available from
your region’s website. The regional story-
bers might be found. Once you and at least five friends who have teller will also be able to share the venue’s history and current
obtained a Camarilla membership, you have the beginning of plotlines with the venue storyteller to help tie the chapter into the
your independent chapter. “Independent” simply means that you global chronicle.
are not part of or attached to any domain. Independent chapters With an approved chapter application and an approved
have the same boundaries as a domain, and any existing mem- venue style sheet, your chapter is ready to begin playing in the
ber or new member in that geographic boundary automatically global sanctioned chronicle. The Camarilla uses White Wolf ’s
becomes a member of that chapter. Exceptions to this rule can Mind’s Eye Theater rules for the global sanctioned chronicle.
be found in the Membership Handbook (p 39). The structure Please note that additional rules and rules clarifications can be
for your Independent chapter is the same as any chapter, with the found on the master storyteller’s website (http://camarilla.white-
exception that instead of working with domain officers for issues wolf.com/mst/). It is recommended that the members, and espe-
beyond the chapter, you will be working with the regional officers. cially the storyteller, familiarize themselves with the rules system.
If you consult the Membership Handbook (p 39), anywhere that The Membership Handbook also offers some tips on creating
it instructs you to consult the domain coordinator or the domain a character according to the rules that may be helpful (p 11).
storyteller, as an independent chapter you will need to consult the Each member will need to create their own character, submit it
regional coordinator or the regional storyteller. to the venue storyteller for approval, and begin having fun in the
One member of your group will need to act as the coordina- Camarilla global sanctioned chronicle. For first time members
tor for the chapter and it is advisable to have a second person act as creating their first characters, it is recommended to make basic
their assistant. The chapter coordinator will be the administrative characters that do not have any special approvals.
leader for the group. They should be the “face” of the chapter. For From here, your independent chapter will be hosting games
a complete list of chapter coordinator duties please consult the and social events. If you announce these events to nearby chap-
Membership Handbook (p 48). The chapter coordinator will be ters/domains and to your regional lists, you may have many
the person to obtain and complete the chapter application from members come support and participate with your chapter and
the regional coordinator. For a current list of regional officers, go welcome you into the Camarilla.
to http://camarilla.white-wolf.com. Instructions for submitting The chapter officers will need to contact their regional offi-
the application are included in the application. The regional coor- cers to obtain the templates for the monthly reports, which are
dinator, the regional storyteller, the assistant national coordinator part of the chapter officer’s monthly duties. The regional officers
chapters, and the National Coordinator must approve the appli- will also be able to guide you to the appropriate e-mail lists to
cation. You may want to consult with your national affiliate for be on and guide you in your general duties until you are more
comfortable. Remember that as officers, your job is to not only official and begins a six month probationary period. The domain
report to regional staff about what your chapter is doing, but coordinator and domain storyteller will need to report all policy
also to disseminate information from regional and other levels to decisions and approvals to their respective regional officers so that
your chapter members. Encourage your members to complete the the regional staff can help maintain consistency between domains
ordeals which can be accessed through the Camarilla Resource within the region.
Database. Ordeals have been designed to help members learn All of the information for this section can also be found in
more about the Camarilla. Members will not only become famil- the Membership Handbook on pages 39 thru 41.
iar with the organization, but also the Membership Handbook
and other Camarilla resources. Chain of Command: Differences between
Independent Chapters and Domains
We have an approved Independent Chapter, So far we have only outlined brief explanations about the
now what? differences between Independent Chapters and Domains and the
Once you’ve become an independent chapter and become benefits of becoming a domain. This section will explain these
familiar with the rules and regulations, now what? Keep growing issues in a little more detail. Hopefully, with more information,
and expanding! You can host socials and charity events in addi- you will be able to more fully understand the system.
tion to games. You can go out and recruit new members. Make Obviously, the most prevalent difference between and inde-
sure that the chapter officers are reporting on time. Teach your pendent chapter and a domain are the number of members.
members about prestige and teach them to send in their prestige Independent chapters are required to have 5 members to begin
reports to the chapter coordinator. and domains require 10 or 15 members, depending on the loca-
As the chapter grows and expands, you may begin thinking tion of the nearest existing chapter or domain.
about becoming a domain. Becoming a domain allows more flexi- Independent chapters have no domain level officers. Any
bility and puts more of the decision making back into your hands. approvals on characters that require a Domain Storyteller are
As an independent chapter, many things have to be approved thereby required to be sent up to the regional storyteller. This
through regional officers, which can take time. As a domain, you often takes time as the regional storyteller is very busy taking care
will have domain officers to handle many of those issues on site of matters for the whole region in every venue. Likewise, prestige
and by people who are actually a part of your domain. reviews that would go to the domain coordinator have to auto-
To become a domain, there are a few requirements. First, you matically be sent to the regional coordinator. Again, the regional
must have at least (preferably more than) the minimum number coordinator is very busy taking care of matters for the whole
of members. If you are within 30 miles of an existing domain, region, in addition to prestige reviews. Often the regional staff
you will need at least 15 members. If you are in excess of 30 will appoint an assistant regional coordinator and/or an assistant
miles from the nearest domain, you will need at least 10 members. regional storyteller specifically for independent chapters, which
Second, the chapter’s officers must send in their reports monthly can help speed up the process a little. However, they often have
for at least six months. Preferably the reports need to be sent in other duties as well, so the process is not as quick as having your
on time. Late reports may influence the regional officer’s com- own domain officers. Additionally, because the independent chap-
ments and thus the final outcome. Next, the chapter must hold at ter does not have domain level officers, its members are unable to
least one social event and one charity event within the six months participate in elections
prior to the application to become a domain.
After meeting the above requirements, the chapter coordina-
tor should send a list of the chapter’s membership, a description
of the chapter’s social and charity events, a request to become
a domain, and the proposed boundaries for the new domain to
the regional coordinator. The regional coordinator will add their
comments, pass it on to the regional storyteller to add their com-
ments, and then submit the request to the assistant national coor-
dinator chapters and the national coordinator for approval.
Once approved, the new domain will have 45 days to con-
duct both a domain coordinator election and a domain storyteller
election. The regional coordinator and the regional storyteller
(respectively) will need to be contacted to run these elections for
the domain. Again, you may need to consult with your nation’s
affiliate for the appropriate officer to contact. After electing
a domain coordinator and a domain storyteller, the domain is
Movin’ On
Up in the
Camarilla
Co n t en t b y Jenn Eiland US2002023825
M
oving up in the Camarilla is
widely regarded as expanding
beyond your home domain, into
a Regional or higher position.
How do you know that you are ready to move up
in the organization? If you have a sincere desire
to help the club at a higher level, if you are pre-
pared for a larger workload, and if you are ready
to be in a more visible position of the club than
you already are ready.
If you have already made the decision to work at higher levels
in the club, you may want to begin by looking for opportunities to
assist various offices. If you have an idea for a project that you think
would help the club, contact the appropriate officer at the appro-
priate level. If your interest lies in charitable organizations that are
accessible across the Region, contact your ARC Charities.
You should never be afraid to apply for anything. No matter
when you joined or what country you are from, every position is
open to you if you have the skills, the energy, and the drive to take
it. If you feel that there is a glass ceiling prohibiting you from mov-
ing up, talk to people who have done it. How did they do it? Will
they help you? More often than not, officers are looking for replace-
ments in the future and might be willing to help you.
Two skills are the most important to ensure success when
moving up in the Camarilla. The number one is Communication. at how quickly that attitude turns around when someone makes
Everyone understands that this is a volunteer club, so real life noticeable progress towards their goals. If you have worked with
happens and it is expected to take priority. As long as you com- someone in the past, offer to be a reference for future jobs that
municate what is going on to the other people you are working they may be shooting for. If you are working at higher levels, your
with, everything will be fine. If you are not able to juggle ten recommendation can be a real boost for them, as well as show
jobs at once, it is best to know that and plan accordingly. Do not them that you are not “too good” to help your friend’s progress.
accept more than you can handle. It is better to do fewer jobs at Ultimately, be the change you want to see, and expect it from oth-
110% than to do many at 80%. Second is to, again, have a good ers. Talk to an officer if you do not like the way something hap-
understanding of your strengths and weaknesses. Are you a gen- pens. Even better, is to apply for a position that directly handles
eralist or specialist? Do you work best as an overall coordinator or what you do not like. Make the change you want to happen, and
are you great at organizing conventions or making rules calls? If you will bring those who envision the same change with you.
you are a specialist, find other specialists and work with them. If In addition to preserving a positive attitude, it is equally
you are a generalist, make sure you know full well your strengths important to remain professional. This means, above all, apply-
and weaknesses — showcase your strengths and make up for your ing the same standards to everyone. If you are professional when
weaknesses. If you are working on a project that will allow it, find handing out a disciplinary action to someone you do not know,
a specialist who will help make up for the areas that you are not you must be professional when handing it to a friend. This may
especially skilled in. It shows you can work as a team and that actually make an awkward situation easier. If you are normally
your areas of weakness will not necessarily hinder you in a posi- very relaxed when someone is reporting late, it should not matter
tion higher up. who is late. We are a big organization that spans a lot of distance,
When looking at the various
levels in the organization, there are a
few things to keep in mind. The big-
gest difference between each level is
the sheer number of people who fall
under your purview. If you are work-
ing as an ARC Special Projects, you
have one Region’s worth of people
to deal with, and only the occasional
cross-domain issues. If you are work-
ing with the Club Director’s office,
however, you suddenly have different
affiliates, which set different rules and
guidelines. The hardest part about
making the jump from Regional to
National or Global is that you can-
not look people face-to-face as often
when dealing with a problem. There
are often issues of time zones or dis-
tance to contend with. Your email tone must be perfected in so it is hard to be friends with everyone like you might want to
order to handle issues at that level. Your changes, however, have be. Coordinators do get put in tough situations. Adopting an air
a wider scope. Suppose you are able to implement a new stan- of professionalism throughout a rough decision like disciplining
dard for tracking investigations. If you implement that on a a friend can make it easier to handle, as long as you are able to
local level, that is great! It streamlines your local organization. buy them a drink and remain friendly afterwards. This also works
If you implement that at Global and all the affiliates turn to use both ways: meeting someone in person who you may have only
it… well, you have just made the whole club better. known because you handled their appeal can be tense if you keep
It can sometimes be difficult to motivate others to invest in the same professional air you adopted in your adjudication. But
the Camarilla at various levels. Negativity can often come from a if you instead use this time to be friendly, get to know them and
person’s own stagnation in the club, while you are moving up. If it make friends, you will find any lingering tension may disappear.
is coming from a friend, it may be that they think you are going One of the best ways to keep perspective in the club is to
to become inaccessible. You have to show them that this is not keep a local job. Even if it is something that is relatively low
the case. Offer to help folks. If you are in a position to give them activity and prestige, having a job at the local level is a great way
work that they can excel at, offer to do so; you will be amazed to remind yourself that the Camarilla does not, in fact, revolve
around you. Making friends at various levels is also a great way to
keep an eye on what is going on. Hearing the casual gripe from a
local buddy who is on your local staff may not only give you ideas
for things to fix higher up, but nothing brings back the point that
everything affects other people like hearing them complain about
how something you did has made their lives harder — even if
they don’t know it was you.
As long as you are being true to your own skills, there is no
such thing as “moving up too fast.” After all, if you are an expert
computer programmer, why should you not be able to work with
Global the moment you get your Cam number? The concern
about “too fast” may come from people who are new to the orga-
nization and might ignore the historical background of the club.
This often manifests as people trying to reinvent the wheel —
systems that have been tried and failed, systems that just do not
work. This can be overcome by acknowledging that, while you are
an expert in your field, you are indeed new to the Camarilla. This
is an opportunity to someone who has already moved up to give
this person guidance, and the cycle begins anew.
Time
Management
of a
Coordinator
H
ave you ever had a day when it seems
like all your obligations for the
Camarilla, your job, and your obliga-
tions to friend and family just seem
to mount up to an insurmountable pile of work?
Whether you are an assistant or a full coordinator,
the odds are good that at some point you will feel
a little overwhelmed by all your responsibilities and
you will not be sure how to juggle them and meet all
those report deadlines, get to all the domain activi-
ties, and answer all that e-mail. Twenty-six hours in
the day might help, but they just will not let you
rearrange the clock. Some coordinators throw in the
towel when they reach this point, but all that is really
needed for most people is a look at time manage-
ment and how it applies to your officer duties.
Time management is the organizing of a schedule for the
most efficient use of time. Time management for a Camarilla
coordinator involves juggling e-mail time, response time to play-
ers, attending events, reporting, and often arranging multiple
small projects at once.
Good time management can help keep you from becoming
stressed and burned out on your position; after all if everything
If you’re fretting over your time management — or lack of
it — you should not worry too much. Time management is really
just practice. Start with a breakdown of what your duties and spe-
cific tasks are and when, if any, deadlines you have that apply to
those tasks. Try marking dates on a calendar for Camarilla proj-
ects so you can keep track and know how much leeway you have
before a report or project or event plan is due. This will give you a
much better picture of your upcoming jobs and allow you to plan
accordingly. Write things down; it seems like such a simple answer
but really being organized with your time is half the battle of a
good coordinator.
For each of your tasks, decide whether it is a one-time task or
whether it is ongoing. Ongoing tasks need to be listed as well —
the report deadlines can really creep up on you! If it is an ongo-
ing task figure out what days you need to have specific portions
completed by; for example, you should have information in from
members and assistants at least one week before a report is due.
For larger projects, break the task down into smaller benchmarks;
this can ensure that you can complete the job and also gives you
a sense of satisfaction rather than making the whole project seem
overwhelmingly huge. For example, make sure a few months in
is pretty much done or in on time, you can focus more on the advance of a special event that the site is rented, schedule a walk-
important real-life things you need to do. Having an idea of time through, and create a payment schedule. Set “check points” for
scheduling and management can also allow you the freedom to large projects that you need to keep an eye on to remind yourself
pursue a real-life activity guilt-free when that takes precedent. to mail or contact individuals before the final deadline.
Time management can also help your domain. Knowing that But what about all the day-to-day stuff ? Set aside a small
you are more organized as a coordinator helps reassure the player time each day (even fifteen to twenty minutes can be enough) to
base that the staff is competent and effective. The domain can work on Camarilla and coordinator e-mail and requests. Some
also be made aware of the schedule (there are some great free days you will not need that much time, some days you may seem
online calendars to help) so that they can also plan their activi- like you need more. However, setting aside a set time each day
ties and reporting need. Members tend to be more comfortable even for a very short while will help keep you abreast of situa-
knowing when their prestige is due, when they have to give money tions in your domain and allow you to keep up with work load.
for an upcoming event, when the game is, and knowing when the Leaving everything to the end, just like in regular jobs, means you
regular socials are. They will also be very happy to know that will probably end up stressed out and burned out. It may seem
their coordinator will get back to them within a day or two of like a large commitment to work on Camarilla officer jobs every
mailing because you are able to manage your e-mail time effec- day, but in the end it actually means you are probably spending
tively. However, to encourage all of that, you have to start with less time at the work because you have kept up with it. A report
your own personal time management and scheduling. done a little each day is a lot less time consuming than left to the
Conversely, bad time management can seriously affect both night before at two am.
the coordinator and the domain. Coordinators with bad time Another skill that you can develop is to teach your domain
management are more likely to feel stressed by the demands of how you would like to run things. For example, you may want
their office as they rush to keep up with projects at the last minute. to tell your domain if you prefer your prestige reported in a
They may miss reporting deadlines or project deadlines because certain format because it is easier for you to input into a report.
they were not fully keeping track of their time. Eventually, stress You may want to also want to request that any entries in their
like this can lead to burn out and the loss of a potentially great personal prestige logs be made directly from your report — this
coordinator. The domain can be equally affected; think about the can speed up audits since you only have to quickly double check
frustration level of a player trying to get their prestige audited for what you already awarded. Do not let members push you into
an MC review when their coordinator keeps pushing the project accepting late reports or late prestige and be up front with your
off for yet another week. More practically, officers who cannot response times and how long they can expect to wait to hear
keep up the reporting deadlines for their chapters and domains from you. If your domain knows what to expect from you for
are often scrutinized by regional to see if the domain can ade- their own deadlines, you can make your own deadlines a lot
quately support itself. easier to keep up with.
Lastly, ask another coordinator or a particularly organized
domain member to help you out. Time management and orga-
nization are skills that can be learned and many of our most
organized members would be happy to help you figure out a
schedule that keeps your work load from piling up and becom-
ing stressful.
In the end though, time management is a tool. If you are
organized and working on things each day and are still struggling
to keep up, consider whether you have the time to devote to a
full officer position. If you are in a brief spell of frenzied work
and just cannot respond as quickly, a quick note to your domain
and other officers in your chain should give you a little breathing
room for a few days. However, if it is becoming a pattern that you
notice you never have time to get it all done, consider seriously
assessing your ability to hold the position full time. A responsible
coordinator also knows when to step back because they simply
do not have the time to do what the domain requires. Frequently,
having an over-burdened, cranky coordinator is far worse for a
domain than running a new election. While there are a number of
strategies to alleviate that, there are certainly points in life when
you may not have the luxury of volunteering as a coordinator in
the Camarilla. Do not be afraid to admit at those points that you
need help, assistants, or someone to step up and run for the job
so you can go take care of important real-life concerns.
Communicating
at Various
Levels
Co n t en t b y Jessica Fazio US2002034251
r ewr i t t en b y Erica Martinez US2002021903
C
ommunication is an important part
of everyday life, both inside and out-
side of the Camarilla. Please keep in
mind that “communication” is a very
diverse field with many aspects. This chapter
is simply a broad overview of communication,
which contains some tips on how to effectively
communicate with other people both in the
Camarilla and in everyday life. For more infor-
mation on communication, you might want to
look into such books as “Men are from Mars,
Women are from Venus” by Dr. John Gray,
“Powerphrases” by Meryl Runion, or other com-
munication related books. You might also want
to check into communication seminars through
your work or city.
Perspectives
Our perspective, or “point of view,” is the set of conceptions,
rules, and opinions which are the basis for the way we communicate. In
order to communicate clearly and effectively, you have to understand
not only your own perspective, but also the perspective of the person
you are communicating with. There are a large number of factors that
can go into determining and shaping someone’s perspective – while 3. Follow the 1:3 rule. The 1:3 rule says that, for every
some of the most popular and prevalent are included here, please minute you spend talking, you should spend three min-
remember that this is by no means a complete list. utes listening – so if you talk for ten minutes, you should
Some of the most popular factors in shaping someone’s per- be ready to listen for thirty. While you do not need to
spective are: time yourself with a stopwatch, it is important to remem-
• Gender: Males and females receive different biological ber that the aim is to listen more than you speak.
and social signals, meaning that they often think in 4. Watch Your Body Language: Actions do speak louder than
different ways. words, so be aware of what your body is saying. Make and
• Age: Age and experience will often lead to different per- maintain eye contact with the person you’re speaking to.
spectives. A twenty year old will view life different than Remember that someone with their arms crossed is going
a fifty year old, just as someone that has been working to appear less approachable. If you lean forward and nod
for ten years and is married with five children sees things when someone makes their points, then you’re showing that
differently than someone that is eighteen, single, and just you’re paying attention and are engaged in what they’re say-
entering college. ing. Keep your body language open and approachable and
• Culture: Race, religion, ethnicity, national origin can all people will find it easier to communicate with you!
combine to give someone a particular perspective that var- 5. Don’t Interrupt! Even if you feel strongly against what
ies from their peers. the other person is saying, DON’T interrupt. Keep an
• Life experience: Arguably the single largest factor in open mind, let them complete their thought, then explain
determining perspective is life experience – meaning what your side if necessary.
has happened to someone in the past and the conclusions 6. Reflect: Reflection is the act of condensing and summariz-
they drew from it. Life is different for everyone, and the ing what’s been said to make sure that everyone understands.
same event can have very different effects on two people. After someone finishes making their points or explaining
their side, but BEFORE you go into your side, paraphrase
The world is increasingly more complex, not less. As our what they have said in your own words. This will give them
culture becomes more global and our everyday lives become a chance to correct any misunderstandings, as well as show-
more complicated, people (and perspectives) become more ing them that you listened and understood them.
complicated as well.
Understanding someone’s perspective – as well as your own Different Personalities and
– will make you a more effective communicator, as well as helping Communication Styles
to calmly and rationally explain the reasons behind disagreements There are certain differences ingrained in personalities and
or arguments, as well as how to resolve those disagreements in a how each personality communicates with the people around them
way that everyone can accept and work with. (please keep in mind that this is a very broad overview). First, is
simply our personality – who we are. Past experiences shapes a per-
Active Listening son’s perspective and is the living record of what made us into the
Listening is not only the first step to communicating, it is personality that we are today. Communication skills are also a large
the step without which communication will not occur. “Active factor in communication style. Some people are simply naturally
Listening” is a term that describes a set of techniques meant to skilled at communicating with others, while some receive profes-
ensure that you are communicating effectively. Active listening sional training, and others are simply not good at communicating at
works by making sure that not only are you listening to the other all. All three types of communicators are equally valued and equally
person, but that they know you are listening – if people do not valid. Finally communication style might be determined simply by
think you are paying attention, then they will not want to com- time constraints. Is the situation an emergency? If so, the conversa-
municate and will become frustrated instead. tion will likely be short and to the point. Is it a broad debate? Then
expect it to be more of a broad, extensive conversation.
Techniques for active listening: In addition to the four factors that influence communication,
1. Focus on the person speaking. This means minimizing there are several “communication types,” that, like personality types,
or eliminating all distractions. Silence your cell phone, influence the ways that people communicate. Some of the more
turn off the TV, and make sure that you are in a reason- common types are listed below to provide guidance and examples.
ably quiet, private space.
2. Ask questions! Questions will allow you to clarify points Bottom-Line Betty
about which you are unsure. It also shows interest in the Bottom-Line Betty likes communication to be succinct, to the point
topic, draws out all the details, and keeps the channels of of oten using one-word responses. She prefers e-mail over other forms of
communication open. communication, and may have a bad habit of interrupting others.
Bottom-Line Betty is usually under time constraints, tends to be in the loop, be detailed in your communications with him, explain your
a quick study (that expects the same of others), and usually is not very thought processes, and present your solutions instead of the problems.
interested in socializing. This means that to successfully communicate
with them, you should be brief, try to use e-mail as the primary form of Regardless of the personality type in question, some things
communication, put your action items first in a message, and ask direct are always good ideas, such as saying “please” and “thank you,”
questions. being careful with the tone you take in your e-mails, explaining
your thought process, and using multiple forms of communica-
Confusing Carl tion to find which one will be most comfortable for you and the
Confusing Carl often sends ambiguous or rambling messages, loses person you are talking with.
track of the point mid-sentence, and may have problems responding to Given these personality types, how do you tell which type
e-mails or other communication in a timely manner. you are dealing with at any given time? The short answer is, “you
Confusing Carl is usually smart and very creative, but lacks orga- can not always tell.” If you know the person in question, you
nization and has trouble focusing. He will sometimes need to process can make educated guesses based off your past experiences with
information verbally before being able to get to the point, and will that person – but if you are working with someone for the first
appreciate it if you can help them be more organized without seeming time, that is not going to be a viable option. To complicate things
condescending. For best communication results with Confusing Carl, further, some people are a mix of two (or more) communication
you should establish a structure, use multiple forms of communication types, which makes it even harder to guess.
(repeating your points if needed), ask a lot of questions, and take the The best solution to this problem is to communicate. Talk
initiative when it comes to suggesting new processes or procedures. to the person in question! Ask them how they prefer to handle
things and how they prefer to be approached. Another thing you
Personal Penny can do is to know yourself. Knowing how you handle things best
Personal Penny prefers to talk in person, and will usually love to and how you prefer to be approached will make it easier for you to
chat. She also tends to be very sensitive to other people, and can have communicate that to others, which will in turn give them a better
her feelings easily hurt. She focuses on emotions rather than logistics idea of how to communicate with you – meaning that you will be
when communicating – if she sends an email, it will usually be long, better able to meet in the middle ground.
with plenty of emotional content. Being upset or aggravated will often put you in the worst
Personal Penny feels that socializing is an important aspect of frame of mind to communicate. If you are speaking with some-
work – in order to deal with this, you should socialize, but maintain one and you feel yourself becoming upset or emotional, then
a healthy emotional distance. She likes to influence people and wants stop, take a deep breath, and if possible, take a mental step back.
people to like her. Make sure to acknowledge her contributions and to Don’t be afraid to call the 24 Hour Rule on yourself so that you
always be polite (meaning that you should be careful with the tone you can calm down, evaluate the situation, and communicate better.
take, as well as remembering to say “please” and “thank you.”) Because Elevated tempers and upset emotions will make things more com-
Personal Penny is so sensitive, she can take criticism or a harsh tone plicated, and will often escalate matters to the point where they
very personally. Just remember to keep that in mind and make allow- are more difficult to resolve. Additionally, always be up front and
ances when you are communicating with her. honest with people, even if it means calling the 24 Hour Rule as
a result – dishonesty will never lead to solid communication, and
Micromanaging Matt will result in people feeling hurt, betrayed, and upset when they
Micromanaging Matt wants a constant flow of information, find out that you were not forthright with them.
embraces structure and
detail, and will typically pre-
fer e-mail to other forms of
communication. He often has
problems trusting others to do
their work or with delegating
responsibility, and will worry
about mistakes – his and other
people’s. He may also feel inse-
cure if he is not included in all
communication regarding a
project. In order to counteract
these tendencies, make sure
to keep Micromanaging Matt
Diplomacy willing to work with a person to come to a mutual agreement.
Remaining diplomatic during a conflict is, for the most part, In addition to providing options, you should be willing to
simply about the willingness to see a situation from a different explain your thought process to the people you communicate
perspective. The ability to see a conflict from another person’s with. By explaining “why” you show that you have valid, well
perspective, regardless of the situation, is invaluable to resolving thought out reasons for saying what you do and that you are not
any conflict. Although their perspective may be completely differ- making a hasty or careless decision. This can also lend a new per-
ent from yours, it is still valid. Being diplomatic will mean doing spective on the issue, which may help in resolving the conflict or
everything you can to try and understand where the other person finding a compromise.
is coming from – what they think happened, what they feel about Ultimately, diplomacy is about reaching a compromise. A
the situation, and why they feel that particular way about it. good compromise, is something that all parties can agree on, and
You may find that adopting a different point of view is dif- usually involves both parties giving up some of what they want in
ficult – especially with issues that you feel strongly about. Part exchange for getting some of what they want. The terms and results
of understanding a different point of view is doing research and of the compromise should also, of course, fall within the rules and
examining the situation from every angle. Ask questions, re-read guidelines outlined in the Camarilla Membership Handbook.
the Membership Handbook, speak with other officers and players Although compromise is best, sometimes it simply will not be
to try and get a more complete picture. Maintaining a sense of possible and you will just have to say “no.” The time to say no is
professionalism and respect can go a long way into preventing your when, after giving all of your reasons, working with the other person,
efforts into being misconstrued as gossip or rumor-mongering. If and trying for a compromise, you still cannot come to an agreement.
the conflict reaches the point of Arbitration or Conflict Resolution, When you are forced to just say “no,” make sure to do it in person,
then once again, do research. Has this issue come up in the past? explaining your reasons, and then follow it up with an e-mail restating
What was done then? What does the Membership Handbook say your points and reasoning. If possible, include examples, and always
about the issue? Make sure that you re-read it and are familiar with remember to be polite and to choose your words carefully.
all the rules directly from the book and not just anecdotally.
Be mindful of your tone and the way that you communicate! Assertive Communication
A heated issue can easily be made worse if both parties lose their Assertive communication means, standing up for yourself and
temper or try to communicate over a medium that lacks direct creating a respectful, powerful argument for your point of view.
interaction (such as a chat program or e-mail), whereas being Assertive communication is not the same as bullying, being rude,
able to see and hear the other person directly may help to avoid or other negative forms of communication, and should not be con-
misunderstandings. While they are convenient, e-mail and other fused with them. Included below are some hints and tips on how to
internet communications should be a last resort – the inabil- communicate with power and confidence while still being polite.
ity to accurately relay tone and expression means that the same • Use “I” statements – by describing your feelings, behav-
person could read the same e-mail in two completely different ior, and perspective from your point of view, and without
moods and come away with two completely different messages. making assumptions about what the other person sees,
Communicating face-to-face is always best. Once you’ve spoken thinks, or feels, you help diffuse the situation and make
in person, a follow-up e-mail that creates a written record of what your perspective more clear. It’s also important to use “I”
was said and agreed to is fine – but talk first. statements to take responsibility (i.e., “I was late because
Always remember that what you intend and what the other I didn’t leave enough time for traffic”).
person understands may be totally different. This is no one’s • Keep your responses short – shorter responses help keep
fault, it is simply the nature of communication – again, do not the conversation on track and the lines of communication
be afraid to ask questions and to explain your thought process, clear. It is also important to speak clearly, which can mean
such as by saying “When you do X, the way I heard it was Y, and speaking slowly as well to make sure that you are clear.
that made me feel Z.” Additionally, speaking slowly and clearly will help you to
Another important aspect to communication is vocabulary. calm down if you’re becoming excited or upset.
It is important to try and be sensitive and aware of word choices • Remember to be an active listener – pay attention to the
– if you offend or upset someone, then they are not going to want other person’s body language, maintain eye contact, be aware
to communicate with you! A good example of word choice is of your tone and word choice, listen more than you speak,
using “we” instead of “you” or “I.” By using “we,” you show that and do not be afraid to admit it if you make a mistake. This
you are willing to work with the other person on a compromise will all help to keep things on a calm, productive level.
instead of a confrontation. Another way to diffuse the situation is
to give options. If a person has options, they will feel less threat- Dealing with Negative Behavior
ened, and they will feel like they have some control over their Unfortunately, even with the best communication skills in
fate or the fate of the situation. Options also show that you are the world, negative or counterproductive behavior is going to be
unavoidable. Effective communication is not about avoiding this “Intergenerational Relations in the Workplace: Generational
behavior, but knowing how to deal with it in a constructive man- Characteristics.” Texas A&M University Employee Services. Texas
ner when it occurs. Below are two different methods for coping A&M University, College Station, TX. 11 January 2007.
with negative behavior, and both are aimed at achieving a positive
end result. “How to Communicate with Every Personality Type.” Office
The first method is the FIRR method, which stands for Team: Specialized Administrative Staffing. Texas A&M University,
Facts, Impact, Respect, Request. In this method, you first list the College Station, TX.
fact, then the impact of that fact, followed by a respectful request
to change the fact or situation. For example: “How to Become a Better Communicator.” SkillPath Seminars.
Crown Plaza Northwest, Oklahoma City, OK. 10 April 2008.
“I noticed that you’re kicking the back of my chair, and the jarring is
starting to make my back hurt. I realize that you may not have been “The Administrative Assistants Conference.” SkillPath Seminars.
aware of the impact, or that you were kicking my chair – will you please Four Points Hotel Sheraton, Oklahoma City, OK. 7 March 2008.
give me a hand moving our chairs a little further apart so that we can
both sit comfortably?” Gray, John. Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus: A
Practical Guide to Communication and Getting What You
The request begins by stating the fact, then moves on through Want in Your Relationships. 1st ed. New York: HarperCollins
the impact and to a respectful request – in this case, a proposed Publishers, 1992.
compromise that will leave everyone satisfied.
If you try the FIRR method without success, you may con-
sider trying the more assertive PIRC method. PIRC (Problem,
Impact, Request, Consequences) is a method that is better suited
for dealing with concrete problems that are not best served by
compromise and discussion. The method lays out the problem,
the impact of that problem, the requested solution, and the con-
sequences of not following that request. For example:
“I have noticed the last two times that you checked in your character
sheet at game that you have spent more XP than you’ve earned. I warned
you both times that it’s against Cam rules, and both times I asked you to
make the needed changes to the sheet (Problem). Spending XP that you
haven’t earned is a violation of the rules, it’s unfair to other players, and
it could cause larger problems if challenges are thrown against your char-
acter (Impact). Please take the items that were purchased with the un-
earned XP off your sheet and review with me any changes made to your
character sheet between games. Also, please pay more attention to your
XP expenditure and do not spend XP you have not earned (Request). If
you spend more XP than you have earned again, as an officer, I will have
to file appropriate penalties against you according to the rules of the
Cam as laid out in the Membership Handbook (Consequences).”
By following the techniques above, and combining them with

those already laid out in this chapter, you will be able to far more
effectively communicate and deal with negative behavior without
escalating the issue.
Works Referenced
Please note that the information in this article is an assimi-
lation and conglomeration of years of psychology classes, soci-
ology classes, cultural anthropology classes, seminars, and many
books. The following are the main sources:
Common Problems:
A Doctor’s Bag for
the Coordinator
Co n t en t b y Jess Fazio US2002034251
T
he Camarilla experience reflects day-to-
day life. Most days are great, but some-
times a coordinator is faced with the
unexpected. This section of the guide
is intended to provide Coordinators with advice on
how to react to certain problems.
Prestige Reporting
A common issue with the club is having prestige removed dur-
ing a review; even more prevalent is not receiving recognition for
said work in the first place. Every time this happens, a Coordinator
must refer to page 19 of the Membership Handbook: “It is neces-
sary for members to report their activities to a Coordinator and
maintain a personal record of their prestige.” Educate your domain;
hold a “Prestige Night.” Engage in an inclusive discussion with your
members, so you can all help each other with tips for earning and
maintaining prestige. This also gives you an opportunity to explain
procedures to members both new and old, so that everyone is on the
same page.
Helpful procedures to lay out at the meeting (and a handy
email afterwards) include a template that you would like to see used
to report prestige. Establishing clear dates and step-by-step instruc-
tion also helps. Explain why this procedure is useful. People do not
like to undertake an investment without understanding the benefits.
Offer incentives for on-time reports. A small prestige bump will
hook new members, and older members can use more General on submit the order. When you receive the shirts, distribute, enjoy,
their way up the chain. An example includes 5 General for turning and advertise at the same time.
it in early, 2 General for an on-time report. Award for consistency:
10 General for six months of early reporting. Domain Sites
Sometimes you can receive sites in the form of a domain
Legal Restraining Orders member’s house. While this does not usually carry a price for the
Sometimes legal issues may exist between two people who domain, it can come with conditions, such as pets, availability, and
join the club, or between members that are already apart of the size. Having a site that is outside of someone’s home allows for a
Camarilla. When this arises, it is important to understand the neutral area to be established for all members. This also creates a
wording of the order. To do this, you will need an actual copy of sense of legitimacy and independence for the organization.
the legal document. You can use this to determine who is affected It can help to speak with a business or organization to donate
in the order, what is exactly required, and legal distance require- space in exchange for services, goods, or even cash. This is where
ments, et cetera. When you have the parameters established, work the Domain Funds (see above) can help. Offer one or two mem-
out a schedule with the individuals. In the Camarilla, all members to help officiate a tabletop tournament at your local gaming
bers are allowed to participate in Camarilla-sanctioned events. Be store in exchange for game space, or pick up trash to help secure
the intermediary and find out which games they wish to attend. park pavilions. Additional places to consider would be Church
Provide opportunities to each, and attempt to plan games around Recreation rooms, hotel ballrooms, university student centers,
this. Create backup plans for events such as domain meetings. and apartment recreation rooms.
Domain Funds Event Apathy

Money makes the world go ‘round. Having a pool of cash With the Camarilla being in the hands of White Wolf since
available allows a domain access to various sundries like sites, 2002, and a standalone organization for ten years before that,
socials, and Featured Games. Domain fundraisers come in handy many of its members have seen quite a few shakeups, charities,
not only in raising money, but providing an opportunity for and games. For all members, to keep the interest going, start with
members to get together. Some can be ongoing, such as snacks or a “thank you.” This can help encourage members, new and old, to
drinks that are sold at Domain events. Donating books, CDs or continue to visit the events you lay out. Ask for input on events,
DVDs that aren’t being used anymore can be prestige-worthy for as giving and taking on events can lead to a greater turnout.
members and bring in money at a resale shop. You can use this Recent charity drives have offered Camarilla members three
same type of idea to establish a garage or yard sale. Collections of methods of participating: donating money, time, and materials.
items can be taken up, and volunteers assigned times to work the Keep this in mind for your own domain. When you have a blood
sale, again offering incentive to a domain.
Car washes offer an opportunity to
provide a service to the community while
earning funds for the domain. Arrange for
a location - this requires scouting out a busy
area and having discussions with business
owners for access to the location and a water
faucet. Domain fund raisers can also double
as an opportunity to advertise the local club.
Arrange an item, such as lollipops, that can
be purchased in bulk, and attach some sort
of card or tag that advertises the organiza-
tion. You get the name out for the local area
and make money at the same time.
One additional (and by no means final)
idea is to create a t-shirt for the domain.
Collect logos and ideas for the shirt, and
find a cost effective way to have them printed.
When you have finalized the T-shirt, take
orders from members in the domain. Raise
the price two or three dollars to make money
for the domain, and collect before you
drive, encourage members to drive each other, particularly those
who cannot donate donating for one reason or another. You can
also offer small incentives, like sodas, lollipops, or certificates
for recognition.
Recruitment
The Camarilla thrives off its members. This means maintain-
ing the ones you have, but also obtaining new ones to help your
domain thrive. Because of the diverse nature of the Camarilla
organization, there are many resources that we have available to us
to recruit more members to the cause.
The most direct is to post fliers anywhere and everywhere.
These handy sheets of paper can be posted in many different areas,
with options to tear off contact information as well. Affirming
that you are associated with the Camarilla (and by extension,
White-Wolf ) along with general information about the domain
may hook potentials into following up. Encourage members to
submit artwork. Start with local gaming and bookstores, and
leapfrog into arcades, universities, conventions and theaters, as
each of these offers an exciting venue to attract new blood.
Universities often have gaming clubs for members, and some-
times Sci-Fi events happen annually on campus. Conventions of
the sci-fi, comic book, or even anime can draw the attention of
folks curious about LARPing in a global setting. Set up a table or
booth during cons, or during a time of year when organizations
get out to boost membership. Hosting a game during an event as
part of a convention can be a good way to allow folks the initial
peek through the window into how the game is played.
Creating a web presence is easy to do in this day and age, and
can make your recruitment efforts much easier by having a page to
refer potential members to that contains a little bit about the local
organization. Set your schedule on the site, and include informa-
tion about officers. You can even include an In-Character area so
people can know your game before you show up. Don’t forget to
update it often.
Hopefully you will find all of these tools useful in dealing
with the not-so frequently encountered situations within the club.
Nothing replaces experience, but a good understanding can often
defuse a situation before it gets out of hand.
Reporting
and Auditing
R
eporting for a coordinator consists
of monthly status reports and pres-
tige reports from members. Both
types of reports are vital to the way a
domain or chapter runs and while the paperwork
on both of these can sometimes seem extraordi-
nary, it is also the only way that the organization
has to keep track of what goes on in an indi-
vidual domain. Domain or chapter reports can
also be great ways to keep your group up to date
about what is going on.
Status reports for your chapter or domain are due on a monthly
basis. It is important to start compiling these with enough time to
complete them because they can be time consuming. Your status
reports should include information on finances for your domain,
recent meeting notes, times and dates for upcoming meetings and
games, any disciplinary actions in your domain, questions or com-
ments for your coordinator chain, and a tracking of the prestige for
your members. Your affiliate may have a standard reporting form
they wish you to use to include all this information. Status reports
typically are sent to a reports list for tracking purposes, but an edited
version should also be shared with your domain or chapter mem-
bers; remember to remove any sensitive information like disciplinary
actions which should not be discussed with those outside of the for a raise. It’s also vital to remember that membership class goes
investigation. It is also important for coordinators to keep records beyond numbers and the actions and attitude of the member needs
of past status reports on file – sometimes in several locations in to be considered before any MC is awarded. When you complete an
case there is a computer problem. audit, you should make a notation on the member’s log with your
The other type of reporting that coordinators have to deal name, the MC awarded, and the date awarded.
with is prestige reporting. Prestige records are logs of activities and Often prestige audits seem to be very difficult, particularly
awarded prestige for each individual member. Members report their if you are a new coordinator. Remember, however, they are really
activities each month and the coordinator is responsible for approv- a matter of paying attention; if you are still nervous, often more
ing and awarding prestige for those activities. These tallies get placed experienced coordinators will be happy to help you with an audit
into the domain report and the member is notified of their prestige to walk you through the process.
gains. Members should always keep their own individual prestige

logs; it is not the responsibility of a coordinator to keep individual
logs for their members and in fact would be so much work as to be
nearly impossible, particularly for larger domains.
When a member has reached the correct amount of prestige
for a member class raise, they should submit their log to their
coordinator for an audit. Audits can seem overwhelming but are
in fact fairly simple if records for the domain have been kept.
The most important part of prestige auditing for a coordinator
is attention to detail and taking one’s time.
The coordinator should go through the log line by line since
the last audit was completed and be certain that the correct num-
bers were entered and that no prestige goes beyond the caps for
each category. You should be sure to check that each line is placed
in the correct category. This is important to check as sometimes
members are not aware of the category caps or do not pay atten-
tion. Check to see if members are claiming reasonable amounts
of prestige too. Remember that coordinators award prestige – not
members and not storytellers – and that people should not be
hitting the maximum in an award every single month; maximum
awards are rare and usually reserved for exceptional work.
If your member is reporting regional or national prestige you
will need to check those against regional or national files as well.
It can be helpful to note where you found regional and national
records (in a particular officer’s report, on the USNC site, etc.).
If you find any discrepancies in a member’s log you will need to
make corrections and be certain their numbers are still sufficient
Stuck in the
Middle with
You – A Guide
to Mediation
Co n t en t b y Erica Martinez US2002021903
I
n the Camarilla, mediation is an important
and necessary step in the conflict resolu-
tion process. Although a challenge, media-
tion is an opportunity for a coordinator to
resolve issues in their own area directly, without
escalation or influence from outside forces. In
Chapter 6, we provided a primer on commu-
nication and diplomacy skills, which would be
quite useful to any coordinator that must take
on the task of mediating a conflict. This chapter
focuses on the specific procedures for conflict
resolution in the Camarilla.
If a conflict is brought to your attention as a coordinator, the
first thing you should do is find out where the two parties are in
the conflict resolution process. Has the twenty-four hour rule been
called after a heated or emotional conversation? Has communica-
tion been attempted between the two parties? If these actions have
not occurred, it is important to encourage your members to take
sometime to reflect on the issue, and discuss it calmly and rationally
with the other party. If you have been tapped for mediation, and
verified these steps have occurred, it’s time to arrange a forum to
discuss this conflict with both parties.
It is important to remain objective when mediating a
conflict. We all have opinions, but it is important that as responsi- resolving the issue and being respectful, they will not see eye-
ble mediators we can measure our objectivity and remain neutral. to-eye. You, as a mediator, may need to reframe the issue to help
This is the only way to be fair to everyone involved. If you find both parties understand one another.
yourself in a situation where you cannot be objective, try and see At the end of mediation, if you have done your job effec-
the conflict from each party’s perspective. Why do they feel the tively, each party should have a better understanding of where the
way that they do? Why is there a conflict? Only in understanding other one is coming from, and some sort of resolution should be
both sides of a conflict can a resolution be found that is reason- in place. If you are unable to accomplish this, you may want to
able to both parties. engage a senior coordinator or your direct coordinator for advice
It is best to meet in person if there is any way possible. or assistance.
Meeting face-to-face adds a personalized
element so that there is less chance for
misunderstanding. If you are able to get
both parties to meet in person, choose
a neutral location. If the parties cannot
meet face-to-face, there are other options
such as phone, email, IRC, or other mes-
saging services.
When you meet with both parties,
it is important to establish some ground
rules that can be agreed on during the
discussion, such as not raising voices,
abstaining from profanity, and allowing
each person to say their peace uninter-
rupted. These types of rules are impor-
tant to ensuring that the discussion is
productive and orderly. Make sure that
both parties understand the end goal is
to resolve the difference between them.
Anything that does not assist this end goal is counterproductive. Whether you are engaging another coordinator or mediation
Once the ground rules are established, the mediation can is complete and resolved, you will need to have taken thorough
begin. Each party should take their turn in explaining their side, notes to be able to reference at a later time. If you have engaged
and actively listening to the other party when it is not their turn another coordinator, you can share these notes as a point of refer-
to speak. If both parties practice good communication skills, ence. Additionally, if there are future conflicts, you can reference
both speaking and listening, many misunderstandings and minor these notes as far resolution.
issues can be laid to rest with minimal hassle. These suggestions will assist with most mediation, but bear
As a mediator, you are the one who has control of the situ- in mind, there will be the really hairy ones where nothing you do
ation. If one or both of the parties refuse to participate, you will be able to resolve the issue. The best thing you can do is ask
can engage them yourself. Start a dialogue between you and the for assistance as needed, and get advice for future issues. Provided
members and work the other into the mix - here are many ways you seek assistance with issues you cannot resolve, you will
to create conversation between two parties. Asking probing ques- become a better mediator, and a better coordinator as a result.
tions or rephrasing the original issue according to each side are
two ways to create conversation between the two parties.
Once conversation is established, you should keep it focused
on resolving the issue, regardless of what else is brought up. In
keeping the conversation flowing and focused, you can steer both
parties toward a resolution. It is also important to make sure that
the established ground rules are kept, regardless of how heated
the conversation becomes. If one or more of the parties seem
to say something particularly harsh or the conversation seems to
heat up, you may want to ask if the parties wish to take a moment
or pause to calm down and refocus.
Sometimes, even if the two parties are both intent on

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t h e c a m a r i l l a fa n c l u b

Ar t wo r k b y Shelley Skipper UK9705-0336

Ed i t i n g b y Ryan Coogan US2003081944

Ar t wo r k b y Shelley Skipper UK9705-0336

Ar t wo r k b y Shelley Skipper UK9705-0336

Ar t wo r k b y Shelley Skipper UK9705-0336

By following the techniques above, and combining them with

Ed i t i n g b y Ryan Coogan US2003081944

Domain Funds Event Apathy

Ar t wo r k b y Shelley Skipper UK9705-0336

gains. Members should always keep their own individual prestige

Ar t wo r k b y Shelley Skipper UK9705-0336

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