(The Sodality | Unofficial Logo)
The clan has been around for quite some time now. If my math is correct, the group was officially established on November of 2010. At least that's the date we're using for the meantime. I'm not particularly sure when the exact date is. However, I am aware that I wasn't an official member until around February 2011. That is if my memory serves me correctly. Regardless, we are definitely around at least 2 years and a few months old. The first six were given their official [SoW] call-signs during a meeting in a sushi place at night. And the rest was history. Needless to say, we've gone through a lot of good times and a couple of not-so-awesome times as well. We've met a lot of great people because of video games and we've become very close friends too. All because of a gaming clan and our passion for video games. The Sodality is an intimate collection of people carefully chosen and meticulously screened in terms of personality and compatibility with the other members. It makes the clan a very tightly knitted group with an emphasis for quality over quantity. It's an excellent way to approach the growth of the clan though it does have its downsides.
And the technicalities behind our minuscule roster are starting to arise and become more of a matter deserving of attention. Immediate attention.
And the technicalities behind our minuscule roster are starting to arise and become more of a matter deserving of attention. Immediate attention.
The Sodality |
What SoW is to me might be a completely different entity to another. What my beliefs are and how much I value the clan as a group and as a family may not be shared by some of the members either. The ambitious visions I have and my expectations of how we should progress as a clan and as a brotherhood, are very easy to laugh at and dismiss as an impossibility or a feat not deserving of any form of effort. And I can understand that. Wholeheartedly. What one thinks of a subject will not necessarily ring well in others' ears. And if that was the case with the other members, I can accept it and respect their opinions and priorities in life.
The Sodality, to me, has become more than just a Call of Duty clan. What was once only a clan tag I wore as a guest while playing with some random people I didn't even know, is now a set of a 3-letter tag that represents a collective I can consider as my brothers. And I continue to accept them as such. And I intend to label them as brothers through everything.
I'd like to see the clan go far. The notion of this group progressing further than just 6 members is something I've taken on with enthusiasm and excitement. And I proved this by suggesting the SESS initiative. And sure enough, we all agreed that it was a recruitment we should've done a long time ago. I saw it as a monumental step towards a better future for the clan. It was significant that we finally considered to bring someone else into the clan. And I know with all my heart that it was a maneuver we will never regret. It was just the beginning and I would love to see the clan grow in number while keeping the standards and requirements from what a Sodality of War member should possess.
I dream of the clan becoming bigger than just the six of us. I would like for the Sodality to continue becoming a gaming clan and perhaps becoming more than just a brotherhood even after all six of us are gone. It's something I've always thought we should attempt to realize and execute. It's quite a daunting task and frankly an extremely difficult feat to accomplish. But with unity in ideas and vision, it becomes less of an impossibility and more of an established goal.
Current Clan Complications |
The clan has been through ups and downs in terms of activity. Online activity is a fundamental aspect of what makes SoW click. After all, it is mainly a Call of Duty clan and was built around the notion of gaming together as a team in retrospect to the importance of having social gatherings as a brotherhood. It is undeniable that a huge chunk of our functionality that makes us a clan, revolves around each member's online attendance and being able to play together as a team. You take that crucial aspect from members and it creates an imbalance that leads to diminished connection from the clan and from its members in terms of the online gaming portion of what it entails to be SoW. Regardless of what members think, we cannot disregard the fact that it is important that we do our best to preserve that activity as a group because it is the driving force that made us the SoW clan. And if we're faced with a crisis involving our online activity as a clan, may it be little or alarmingly serious, we should definitely face it head on and solve it as a clan. it is the right thing to do. Devotion levels aside.
Aimbot noticed a significant drop in activity and he made sure it was noted by the others as well. Whatever problems we face in the near future or years down the road, it should always be brought to everyone's attention and get remedied as soon as possible before it becomes a more serious issue or turns into a problem beyond solving. Mad props to him for showing his concerns and not being ashamed to show his worries regarding the clan's decline in activity. Though in my opinion, his methods could easily be misunderstood as being aggressive or intimidating, it is without a doubt obvious that his intentions are clearly and solely for the good of the clan and that he means well. It is a bit alarming to realize that some of us are not even playing anymore. And the majority of the line up are either working full time or doing that in addition to attending school and being in a relationship. It is understandable that as we grow older, our responsibilities grow with us. And in some of the members' case, I can understand that they are busy with their own lives and probably just really don't have time to pay anymore. I go to work and school part-time, and I almost don't have time to play either. Imagine if I had a full-time job like the others and went to a higher level of studies? I'm probably not going to play much at all either. I'm not even in a relationship, imagine the others in the clan?
Life is busier to some compared to others. It's a fact and will always be a valid case. It would be very appreciated if the members in question could hopefully sign in and join the rest of us in a regular basis if possible. But it's undeniable that some just can't have that free time due to more pressing matters they need to attend to in their lives. And hour or two per week would be nice and acceptable. More would be good. But I can't expect anyone to force themselves to make time for online clan activities. If they could try and find the that hour or two to play with the others, I'm sure we'll all benefit from it.
The Root of the Problem |
In my opinion, the real issue lies not within a member's inability to participate and take part in online clan activities. Though without a doubt that complete absence is just terribly unacceptable. That is clear and unquestionable. A member's activity and participation is paramount and must never be disregarded. We must all do our best to secure an active gathering may it be inside the game or out in a social setting.
But the way I see it, in our current situation, the major factor that makes this issue a problem can be traced to our significantly minuscule roster size. (That sounded so bad...) In reality, we are an extremely small clan. A roster with just a total of 7 members is terribly intimate for our own good if we want to accomplish anything outside having fun. Though it is only an issue because we can't all play at the same time. Which is what's happening right now due to various factors that contribute to diminished online presence.
Due to the significantly intimate number of members that makes up the group, a sustained online attendance becomes an extraordinarily difficult thing to regulate when the said "various factors" all fall into place. In essence, we wouldn't even have this problem if there were just more of us. More numbers added means more possible combinations. In this case, more members result to more possible login times and availabilities that could lead to an increased online traffic between members of the clan. It is simple mathematics and a tiny bit of probabilities.
A small number is ideal towards knowing everyone in the clan and connecting with each other in a more intimate level. I appreciate that about our clan and it has been an amazing time. Having a group with an extremely large number could easily cause problems as well. We know of someone in a large group and he admits that he doesn't really know everyone in it. In all honesty, I don't want that for the Sodality. But I believe we can't stay stagnant when it comes to moving towards the clan's growth either. Our small number has its ideal advantages we can all appreciate but at the same time, it can easily be detrimental to clan progression/growth. Member participation is important and should be noted. We cannot force members to play, but we should all definitely at least try to find the time to devote to the clan. Either by playing together or through regular SoW social gatherings.
Suggested Solutions |
Low clan activity or not, it is imperative that we take a good look at our roster and consider bringing more people in. It is a risky maneuver and I wouldn't even recommend it because I already like our setup. But of course, there will always be improvements and ways to make things better.
Recruiting members is not something we should handle lightly. A recruit should meet the established standards and requirements. And more importantly, go through a bit of screening in terms of personality and attitude towards other members and other people. A member who carries the SoW tag represents the clan as a whole, whether we like it or not. What members do and how they act can damage the clan's image as a group. So you don't want to just let anyone in. Recruitment is a solution I can suggest but I understand the risks we're taking by executing such an initiative. I wish we didn't have to do this to remedy our current situation involving low activity. However, I still do have a few people in mind that I feel should be SoW members. Not just because they're decent in the game, but because they are excellent people that get along with everyone in the clan. It should be noted that while bringing people in will definitely increase the chance of regulating a sustained flow of online activity, we also increase the chances of letting someone in that could be potential trouble. But it's something we can avoid by through thorough screening of incoming recruits.
And in the occasion that we actually decide to consider bringing in more people to the clan, assuming we've already established the requirements and standards we look for in members, it is advisable that we break the clan into squads or teams. We can do this in many different and interesting ways. One that I've thought of is making the first six members become a part of the same squad and giving it a name like: Team ALPHA, F6 (First 6) or any title related to or synonymous to something that was initial or was formed in the beginning. While the following set of incoming members can fall into Team BRAVO as an example. Squad names can be discussed and decided at a later date.
Another way is to collectively put members of the same play style or characteristics under the same squad and give it an appropriate name. For example, a squad populated by snipers like Scout can belong in a group, let's say titled, "Archer". There's a lot of possibilities regarding divisions and groupings, we'll just have to settle and agree on the arrangement of how we intend to execute the selection.
Another solution to this problem, as how Aimbot initially proposed it, is to motivate and encourage the members to just really try and devote some time into communicating with the other members and playing together. In my opinion, this is the best possible solution that I know of, at least. It requires less work for the clan and we can preserve the setup that we have right now as a group without the need to populate it for the sake of online activity. If we're going to bring people in, I want it for the good reason of us knowing that the specific person is a must have asset to the clan for his or her good personality and skills. Though I do have a few recruits I'd like to bring to the discussion, it is a topic for another day.
If we could just somehow encourage and push the initiative to get everyone to devote some time into playing for at least an hour or two a week, I think it will create a good amount of change. Significant enough that we might even start enjoying the game more and feel like we're a clan again. Aimbot's concern is valid and is something we cannot ignore. However, like I mentioned in the beginning of this report, we cannot expect everyone to value the clan the way we do. Some might not give as much of a fuck about SoW and some might value the group as more than just a gaming clan. It's a matter of personal appreciation and opinion.
Clan Challenges and Operations via ELITE aside, it is still important that we do not become oblivious to our activity as a clan. May it be through online gaming or social gatherings, we need to make the effort to make things happen if we really care about being part of this brotherhood. I believe that's the message our brother, Aimbot, is trying to convey with his recent text messages to members. Like I said, his intentions are good and he means well. We gotta admit that activity is downright dangerously low. It's undeniable. If we want to preserve our existence as a clan and our continuity as a brotherhood, we need to remedy this situation. Not tomorrow, not next week. But as soon as possible if it can't be now.
I dream of the clan becoming bigger than just the six of us. I would like for the Sodality to continue becoming a gaming clan and perhaps becoming more than just a brotherhood even after all six of us are gone. It's something I've always thought we should attempt to realize and execute. It's quite a daunting task and frankly an extremely difficult feat to accomplish. But with unity in ideas and vision, it becomes less of an impossibility and more of an established goal.
(The Sodality | Recent Clan Portrait)
Current Clan Complications |
The clan has been through ups and downs in terms of activity. Online activity is a fundamental aspect of what makes SoW click. After all, it is mainly a Call of Duty clan and was built around the notion of gaming together as a team in retrospect to the importance of having social gatherings as a brotherhood. It is undeniable that a huge chunk of our functionality that makes us a clan, revolves around each member's online attendance and being able to play together as a team. You take that crucial aspect from members and it creates an imbalance that leads to diminished connection from the clan and from its members in terms of the online gaming portion of what it entails to be SoW. Regardless of what members think, we cannot disregard the fact that it is important that we do our best to preserve that activity as a group because it is the driving force that made us the SoW clan. And if we're faced with a crisis involving our online activity as a clan, may it be little or alarmingly serious, we should definitely face it head on and solve it as a clan. it is the right thing to do. Devotion levels aside.
Aimbot noticed a significant drop in activity and he made sure it was noted by the others as well. Whatever problems we face in the near future or years down the road, it should always be brought to everyone's attention and get remedied as soon as possible before it becomes a more serious issue or turns into a problem beyond solving. Mad props to him for showing his concerns and not being ashamed to show his worries regarding the clan's decline in activity. Though in my opinion, his methods could easily be misunderstood as being aggressive or intimidating, it is without a doubt obvious that his intentions are clearly and solely for the good of the clan and that he means well. It is a bit alarming to realize that some of us are not even playing anymore. And the majority of the line up are either working full time or doing that in addition to attending school and being in a relationship. It is understandable that as we grow older, our responsibilities grow with us. And in some of the members' case, I can understand that they are busy with their own lives and probably just really don't have time to pay anymore. I go to work and school part-time, and I almost don't have time to play either. Imagine if I had a full-time job like the others and went to a higher level of studies? I'm probably not going to play much at all either. I'm not even in a relationship, imagine the others in the clan?
Life is busier to some compared to others. It's a fact and will always be a valid case. It would be very appreciated if the members in question could hopefully sign in and join the rest of us in a regular basis if possible. But it's undeniable that some just can't have that free time due to more pressing matters they need to attend to in their lives. And hour or two per week would be nice and acceptable. More would be good. But I can't expect anyone to force themselves to make time for online clan activities. If they could try and find the that hour or two to play with the others, I'm sure we'll all benefit from it.
The Root of the Problem |
In my opinion, the real issue lies not within a member's inability to participate and take part in online clan activities. Though without a doubt that complete absence is just terribly unacceptable. That is clear and unquestionable. A member's activity and participation is paramount and must never be disregarded. We must all do our best to secure an active gathering may it be inside the game or out in a social setting.
But the way I see it, in our current situation, the major factor that makes this issue a problem can be traced to our significantly minuscule roster size. (That sounded so bad...) In reality, we are an extremely small clan. A roster with just a total of 7 members is terribly intimate for our own good if we want to accomplish anything outside having fun. Though it is only an issue because we can't all play at the same time. Which is what's happening right now due to various factors that contribute to diminished online presence.
Due to the significantly intimate number of members that makes up the group, a sustained online attendance becomes an extraordinarily difficult thing to regulate when the said "various factors" all fall into place. In essence, we wouldn't even have this problem if there were just more of us. More numbers added means more possible combinations. In this case, more members result to more possible login times and availabilities that could lead to an increased online traffic between members of the clan. It is simple mathematics and a tiny bit of probabilities.
A small number is ideal towards knowing everyone in the clan and connecting with each other in a more intimate level. I appreciate that about our clan and it has been an amazing time. Having a group with an extremely large number could easily cause problems as well. We know of someone in a large group and he admits that he doesn't really know everyone in it. In all honesty, I don't want that for the Sodality. But I believe we can't stay stagnant when it comes to moving towards the clan's growth either. Our small number has its ideal advantages we can all appreciate but at the same time, it can easily be detrimental to clan progression/growth. Member participation is important and should be noted. We cannot force members to play, but we should all definitely at least try to find the time to devote to the clan. Either by playing together or through regular SoW social gatherings.
Suggested Solutions |
Low clan activity or not, it is imperative that we take a good look at our roster and consider bringing more people in. It is a risky maneuver and I wouldn't even recommend it because I already like our setup. But of course, there will always be improvements and ways to make things better.
Recruiting members is not something we should handle lightly. A recruit should meet the established standards and requirements. And more importantly, go through a bit of screening in terms of personality and attitude towards other members and other people. A member who carries the SoW tag represents the clan as a whole, whether we like it or not. What members do and how they act can damage the clan's image as a group. So you don't want to just let anyone in. Recruitment is a solution I can suggest but I understand the risks we're taking by executing such an initiative. I wish we didn't have to do this to remedy our current situation involving low activity. However, I still do have a few people in mind that I feel should be SoW members. Not just because they're decent in the game, but because they are excellent people that get along with everyone in the clan. It should be noted that while bringing people in will definitely increase the chance of regulating a sustained flow of online activity, we also increase the chances of letting someone in that could be potential trouble. But it's something we can avoid by through thorough screening of incoming recruits.
And in the occasion that we actually decide to consider bringing in more people to the clan, assuming we've already established the requirements and standards we look for in members, it is advisable that we break the clan into squads or teams. We can do this in many different and interesting ways. One that I've thought of is making the first six members become a part of the same squad and giving it a name like: Team ALPHA, F6 (First 6) or any title related to or synonymous to something that was initial or was formed in the beginning. While the following set of incoming members can fall into Team BRAVO as an example. Squad names can be discussed and decided at a later date.
Another way is to collectively put members of the same play style or characteristics under the same squad and give it an appropriate name. For example, a squad populated by snipers like Scout can belong in a group, let's say titled, "Archer". There's a lot of possibilities regarding divisions and groupings, we'll just have to settle and agree on the arrangement of how we intend to execute the selection.
Another solution to this problem, as how Aimbot initially proposed it, is to motivate and encourage the members to just really try and devote some time into communicating with the other members and playing together. In my opinion, this is the best possible solution that I know of, at least. It requires less work for the clan and we can preserve the setup that we have right now as a group without the need to populate it for the sake of online activity. If we're going to bring people in, I want it for the good reason of us knowing that the specific person is a must have asset to the clan for his or her good personality and skills. Though I do have a few recruits I'd like to bring to the discussion, it is a topic for another day.
If we could just somehow encourage and push the initiative to get everyone to devote some time into playing for at least an hour or two a week, I think it will create a good amount of change. Significant enough that we might even start enjoying the game more and feel like we're a clan again. Aimbot's concern is valid and is something we cannot ignore. However, like I mentioned in the beginning of this report, we cannot expect everyone to value the clan the way we do. Some might not give as much of a fuck about SoW and some might value the group as more than just a gaming clan. It's a matter of personal appreciation and opinion.
Clan Challenges and Operations via ELITE aside, it is still important that we do not become oblivious to our activity as a clan. May it be through online gaming or social gatherings, we need to make the effort to make things happen if we really care about being part of this brotherhood. I believe that's the message our brother, Aimbot, is trying to convey with his recent text messages to members. Like I said, his intentions are good and he means well. We gotta admit that activity is downright dangerously low. It's undeniable. If we want to preserve our existence as a clan and our continuity as a brotherhood, we need to remedy this situation. Not tomorrow, not next week. But as soon as possible if it can't be now.
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