The Structure of a Successful Clan

I'm no moderator, but I study people, social interaction, etc. It comes with the territory of what I do in the real world. In my time with 2old2play, I've developed my vision of the highly successful clan. Like me, it's simple.

1. Dedicated, innovative moderators that don't have overinflated egos. These moderators not only think outside of the box, but are smart enough to use the creative energy and talents of clan members. This also gives clan members a sense of ownership. This sense of ownership breeds dedication and a positive gaming environment.

2. Concise, simple, and non-wavering guidelines for members. What is expected of them? What will not be tolerated?I'm not implying military state, but there are things that members should be doing and some they should not. I've been booted from two clans for no viable reason. In one clan, I had the misfortune of belonging to another group that they didn't like. All of a sudden, without warning, I can't get into the forums. In another clan, I was at least given the choice of dropping out of one to stay with the other. The last time I looked in the mirror, I was well over twelve years old. But there are some behavioral expectations that should be in place, especially regarding respect and participation. I'll expand on that as I go on.

3. I know some will roll their eyes at this, but unconditional respect and ,yes, love for your clan mates. The highly succesful clan is a family. Laugh if you wish, but it's true. People are people, and being such, they on occasion say or do things that would have been best unsaid or undone. You don't have to forget, but you must forgive.. If a member makes a habit of being a pain in the butt, you remove the wart. Plain and simple. Otherwise, inevitably, that attitude, like a cancer, will grow until the clan implodes.

4. No gaming cliques. People of all abilities have a place in ANY clan. On clan night, what is it going to hurt to let someone with lesser skills join a room of more competitive members? And when they are in there, build them up! There is nothing on Live more demoralizing than sitting in a lobby for 45 minutes with thirty - five clanmates online, and you get not one invite. There are several clans on this site that are good at avoiding this, but based on my involvement, 2old4Duty wins this hands down. OMM and SI are also very good about getting you into games. If they don't get playing time with your clan, they will go somewhere else. If your clan has the elitist attitude that reflects a "So what?" attitude, you will find yourself being a living example of an army recruitment ad. You will indeed end up being an army of one.

5. A clan night is simply a must. This is when you make special effort to play with a diverse group of people in your clan. Yes, it's good to have people you enjoy gaming with. There are six other nights in the week when this can happen. If a clan has no clan night, you'll notice a decline in forum activity, interest, and eventually membership. I've seen this happen. I actually favor having one clan night and a calendar of suggested games for each week day. So what if it's not used all the time. It's still there, and as new games come out, it needs to be modified.

6. If you have a beef with someone, keep it off of live, out of the forums, and between you and that person. I've found the best thing to do is just ignore some things. Some you can't ignore, but don't let one rat take the whole ship down. The drama club meets on another site. Your clan doesn't need them. You belong to a clan to get away from that stuff. You get enough of it in real life.

7. Members must be active on the forums. Pay attention to what is being posted. It may be your opportunity to lift someone in need up. Celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, marriages . . .Be a listening ear for someone with marital problems, financial concerns, etc. It's all part of being a functional family. You show me a clan with an inactive forum, and I'll show you a clan on the decline or existing in name only.

8. Participate in inter and intra clan events. As a moderator, one must either initiate these events and/or capitalize on a clan member's talents to do so. The highly successful clan isn't satisfied with the status quo. How can we be different? What can we do to involve every member?

9. And speaking of involvement. If someone joins your clan and never participates in games, events, and forums, ask them what they would need to happen to get them more involved. If you get no response. . .perhaps another clan better suits their needs.

10. In summary, it all boils down to dedication, loyalty, unselfishness . . .simply put, a positve attitude and the willingness to go the extra mile for your cyber-family. You don't have to agree with me on everything I've said, but from my experiences, they are all correct observations.