My fellow Magisters,
Recently, there have been doubts amongst Magisters about 2 things: (1) my performance as Provost; and (2) my mental faculties in relation to my ability to continue to serve in the Office. My first term, I’m sure, did not paint a great picture of the latter, but I believe in the last 3 months that has improved. As for the former, I will today make my case for extending my tenure.
I first owe an apology to this fair Magisterium. I was hoping to get this out a lot sooner than I did, but life has a funny way of happening sometimes, and I just never got the chance to address the Magisterium in a means befitting of a campaign thread. (Which is, in part, to say - until about right now, I genuinely couldn’t think of multiple paragraphs to write.)
You all have had me for two terms. I would hope that you have me for at least one more (though it is well within your power as Magisters to vote NAY!). It is my belief, therein, that most of you should at least know who I am and what I stand for. However, what is true is that we are in different - ever-so-slightly calmer - times now, and the Magisterium has new matters to address in the never-ending search for legislative Nirvana, a thing I fear none of us will be around to witness, and no matter how hard I try, I cannot promise to the people of The East Pacific.
- I understand there have been questions about Magisterium recruiting — which has been quite the issue for quite a number of years — under this Provostship. I refer you, thus, to the Record of Magisters, and assure you that we are in no short supply of men (well, people. Persons, women, men, cameras, TV’s, gender notwithstanding, you get the idea.) This is the product of efforts that extend far beyond simply this Office: two newly-created indexes, one as a gameside dispatch written by Aivintis — a man I respect very deeply for his long years of service to this region — as part of his public information campaign addressing the rights of TEP’s Residents and Citizens; and the forum index by AMOM, which I think requires no further introduction. The effect that these indexes have had on this Magisterium is a very positive one—since Aivintis released his dispatch on August 25th, this Magisterium has processed and accepted no less than seven new applications. By my math, this comes out to about one application every five days. To me, that is incredible. Additionally, I’ve found myself speaking to a lot of very interested Magisterial candidates (many of them now a part of this fair body) who just weren’t quite sure where to start. Through the ancient art of talking to people and the slightly more recent art of organizing our resources in indexes on platforms that people can access in a much easier manner, this Magisterium has seen growth unmatched in at least the last half-decade if not longer.
- We continue to develop hardworking TEP Government members through a growing number of successful Deputy Provosts who make my job simultaneously much easier and slightly harder to do (as it becomes difficult to get anything done when Ladonatalacton usually snipes the work right off my desk). As Provost, I’ve scouted talent both fresh and tenured to help me run this body, and my selections have to this point paid off — two of my former Deputies are now in the Conclave, and the people I have now exude plenty of promise and are very participatory in our Government. I believe that one of the roles of the Deputy Provost position is to give enthusiastic prospects something to work towards — a chance to do something meaningful whilst still giving them a fallback/safety net if something goes wrong. This also gives such prospects (e.g. Arleat at the time, Ladonatalacton, Ernest Drake) a better idea of how our government works. With this knowledge comes the confidence necessary to pursue bigger and better things, to fill any needed roles in our well-oiled political simulation factory. I continue to be enthusiastic about the ability of this Magisterium to develop new talent and, ideally, to give a voice to new viewpoints and systems of belief.
- Operationally, we’re doing great. For the most part, things are getting done in a timely manner, and records are being updated as they should be. If they aren’t, someone tells me, and I fix it. Simple. Ladonatalacton has been key in this process, and I cannot thank him enough for his work these last 3 months.
The changing demands of The East Pacific and its people require a changed mindest on the part of the Magisterium, and my mindset these next 3 months is to promote the continued function of this body and encourage growth in our government, especially from bodies such as the RMB, which for a long time has been hopelessly and disturbingly distant from our Government and the rest of our region. The continued effort between both parties to change that status quo shows plenty of promise, and I will do what I can to facilitate such an ideal.
Other than that, I believe I am fit and ready to serve this Magisterium as its Provost for a third term.
I welcome any and all questions hereforth.
Ex Oriente Lux
Provost AC