- TNP Nation
- McMasterdonia
Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening everyone
This will be my last day as the legal WA Delegate of our magnificent region. It has been my pleasure to serve as WA Delegate for the last 8 months and I am honoured to have been elected to this position on four separate occasions. I admit that I am sad and a bit disappointed to be leaving the office, but that is not a bad thing. It shows that I enjoyed my time as WA Delegate and even better, I have become aware of how many other individuals enjoyed having me as WA Delegate and were willing to amend the constitution to allow for that to continue.
I think that everyone who has been a GCR Delegate will tell you that it has it's ups and downs and that they were unable to achieve everything they had wanted to for the term. It is the nature of the job and many people will not be aware of how much time and effort is involved in the position until they themselves are elected to the position.
We have made great progress in the past few terms and I feel that I can safely say that I left the office better than what it was when I found it. A lot has happened in the past 8 months and it can be easy to forget every little drama or incident that occurred - when at the time it would have dominated my thinking and activity in NationStates for the period.
Finally some advice for the new Delegate (and for future Delegates!)-
Govern for all TNPers
Lennart mentioned this in his campaign and I feel that it is tremendously important. As Delegate, you're expected to take into consideration a wide range of opinions and needs at any given time. This can be tiring and at times tedious. However it is necessary if you're going to be a good WA Delegate and if you're going to be able to enact excellent policy. For example, you may not like RP very much, however there are people in the region who enjoy it. The Delegate needs to govern for all and make sure that everyone is getting the most out of their time here and have the opportunity to get involved.
Think of the next generation
I made some appointments that may have been surprising at the time. However they proved to be quite effective. As Delegate you have the opportunity to provide political and electoral support to new members of the region who will go on to become the next generation of leaders of the region. One reason I did not run for Vice Delegate was because I saw the need for this. I appointed new people to the cabinet to give them the opportunity and to allow them to develop. I was proud to see Abacathea run for Vice Delegate. I was pleased to see all of the candidates for Delegate make a serious go at it (especially those I had helped prepare.
Do not equate stubbornness with strength
Sometimes you will need to compromise. Compromising is not a sign of weakness. I believe this is a misconception held by a few people active in gameplay at the moment. As Delegate it will at times be necessary to make compromises, to preserve regional unity and to ensure the effective role out of the policy or government action. Don't be afraid to bring people to the negotiating table. I spent quite a significant amount of time approaching people and getting them to an agreement - getting them prepared to work together despite past differences.
Seek advice and announce absences
Fortunately in TNP, there is no shortage of former WA Delegates and there is no shortage of enlightened political minds. If you need advice there are many people here who will keep your confidence and offer it. Don't be afraid to ask for it. You can find excellent and sound advice from people you might not normally be prepared to ask.
On the second one - I feel this is important. We have the private halls for a reason. Announcing an absence is less of a security risk than having no presence whatsoever without notice and causing people to become concerned.
Keep the confidence of others
One of my strengths as WA Delegate was described by Chasmanthe (likely paraphrasing here) as being incorruptible and trustworthy. People will come to you for advice and when they need someone to listen. It is important that you show them that you can be trustworthy and that you will keep their confidence. Eluvatar originally taught me the importance of this and he had very strict rules for not breaking an individuals confidence and I have adopted these rules myself as much as possible. You will form strong relationships and make reliable friends if you prove that you can keep their confidence. This will flow both ways.
Finally - that advice is not directed simply at r3naissanc3r. I am sure he is aware of all of these matters, but I wanted to include some "food for thought" both for him and for all aspiring future Delegates in the region. I have worked closely with r3n since he became active in TNP. He has proven himself to be an effective legislator and has been one of my strongest cabinet Ministers. He is infinitely trustworthy, reliable and he will prove to be an effective, efficient and balanced WA Delegate.
Thank you to all TNPers for your enthusiasm, honesty and directness over the past 8 months. I have truly appreciated it. I feel that our government as a whole is far stronger now than it was when I first joined in early 2012. This strength and progress should only continue and I am hopeful that it will.
This isn't goodbye. I don't intend to go anywhere. This is simply a parting statement from the outgoing Delegate... I will serve in the new executive if asked and I hope to maintain a strong presence on these forums and in-game for quite a while longer
- McMasterdonia
This will be my last day as the legal WA Delegate of our magnificent region. It has been my pleasure to serve as WA Delegate for the last 8 months and I am honoured to have been elected to this position on four separate occasions. I admit that I am sad and a bit disappointed to be leaving the office, but that is not a bad thing. It shows that I enjoyed my time as WA Delegate and even better, I have become aware of how many other individuals enjoyed having me as WA Delegate and were willing to amend the constitution to allow for that to continue.
I think that everyone who has been a GCR Delegate will tell you that it has it's ups and downs and that they were unable to achieve everything they had wanted to for the term. It is the nature of the job and many people will not be aware of how much time and effort is involved in the position until they themselves are elected to the position.
We have made great progress in the past few terms and I feel that I can safely say that I left the office better than what it was when I found it. A lot has happened in the past 8 months and it can be easy to forget every little drama or incident that occurred - when at the time it would have dominated my thinking and activity in NationStates for the period.
Finally some advice for the new Delegate (and for future Delegates!)-
Govern for all TNPers
Lennart mentioned this in his campaign and I feel that it is tremendously important. As Delegate, you're expected to take into consideration a wide range of opinions and needs at any given time. This can be tiring and at times tedious. However it is necessary if you're going to be a good WA Delegate and if you're going to be able to enact excellent policy. For example, you may not like RP very much, however there are people in the region who enjoy it. The Delegate needs to govern for all and make sure that everyone is getting the most out of their time here and have the opportunity to get involved.
Think of the next generation
I made some appointments that may have been surprising at the time. However they proved to be quite effective. As Delegate you have the opportunity to provide political and electoral support to new members of the region who will go on to become the next generation of leaders of the region. One reason I did not run for Vice Delegate was because I saw the need for this. I appointed new people to the cabinet to give them the opportunity and to allow them to develop. I was proud to see Abacathea run for Vice Delegate. I was pleased to see all of the candidates for Delegate make a serious go at it (especially those I had helped prepare.
Do not equate stubbornness with strength
Sometimes you will need to compromise. Compromising is not a sign of weakness. I believe this is a misconception held by a few people active in gameplay at the moment. As Delegate it will at times be necessary to make compromises, to preserve regional unity and to ensure the effective role out of the policy or government action. Don't be afraid to bring people to the negotiating table. I spent quite a significant amount of time approaching people and getting them to an agreement - getting them prepared to work together despite past differences.
Seek advice and announce absences
Fortunately in TNP, there is no shortage of former WA Delegates and there is no shortage of enlightened political minds. If you need advice there are many people here who will keep your confidence and offer it. Don't be afraid to ask for it. You can find excellent and sound advice from people you might not normally be prepared to ask.
On the second one - I feel this is important. We have the private halls for a reason. Announcing an absence is less of a security risk than having no presence whatsoever without notice and causing people to become concerned.
Keep the confidence of others
One of my strengths as WA Delegate was described by Chasmanthe (likely paraphrasing here) as being incorruptible and trustworthy. People will come to you for advice and when they need someone to listen. It is important that you show them that you can be trustworthy and that you will keep their confidence. Eluvatar originally taught me the importance of this and he had very strict rules for not breaking an individuals confidence and I have adopted these rules myself as much as possible. You will form strong relationships and make reliable friends if you prove that you can keep their confidence. This will flow both ways.
Finally - that advice is not directed simply at r3naissanc3r. I am sure he is aware of all of these matters, but I wanted to include some "food for thought" both for him and for all aspiring future Delegates in the region. I have worked closely with r3n since he became active in TNP. He has proven himself to be an effective legislator and has been one of my strongest cabinet Ministers. He is infinitely trustworthy, reliable and he will prove to be an effective, efficient and balanced WA Delegate.
Thank you to all TNPers for your enthusiasm, honesty and directness over the past 8 months. I have truly appreciated it. I feel that our government as a whole is far stronger now than it was when I first joined in early 2012. This strength and progress should only continue and I am hopeful that it will.
This isn't goodbye. I don't intend to go anywhere. This is simply a parting statement from the outgoing Delegate... I will serve in the new executive if asked and I hope to maintain a strong presence on these forums and in-game for quite a while longer
- McMasterdonia
