The Watch - Organization Information

Ranks and duties for Watch members

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What exactly do all of the people in The Watch do?

"Rank" in the Watch is determined by how involved you've decided to get, and how much you have decided you want to be responsible for. Illustrated above are all the in-character rank slides, in increasing order of responsibility (and therefore time commitment) from left to right.

Not all ranks are in use at any one time, and on all servers on which the Watch is active. The system is designed with "accordioning" in mind - expanding and contracting as needed - and unneeded echelons or ratings just aren't used at all. Since the Watch will always by nature be...let's say "light on personnel", the watchword for any given command will be whatever is simplest and works best for that venue.

Watch volunteers usually work in only one area, to maximize their comfort and effectiveness during the (usually) brief period they spend on their Watch alternates. For this reason The Watch is organized with a regional span of control, going from the individual racial starting area (called a "Bureau") to an entire server, or "Parish."

To accommodate the starting area changes that will come with the Cataclysm expansion in 2010, our organizational structure will change. The new model will also take into account the declining number of genuinely new guests in World of Warcraft.

Titles for Ranks 3 and 4 have been reverted back to their original names for the sake of clarity. (They were originally changed to conform to a non-military police model at the suggestion of the Kirin Tor WOC, but this has caused more confusion with members of the public than it helped our image.)

Each Parish will now be organized into four Precincts:

Each Precinct will be led by a Captain. Individual starting areas will be supervised by Lieutenants in a mostly autonomous fashion. Ward, Parish, and Force organization remains unchanged.

Each member of the Watch is issued a Warrant Number on joining, which stays the same throughout their career and is not reissued once they leave. The Warrant Number is used on all official correspondence, reimbursement chits, server-to-server access to Watch resources, and so on.

Here's what all these ranks are actually expected to do…

 

Rank 9 – Special

At Rank 9 are two types of Watch members. The Rookie is an agent new to the service who has just volunteered to help out and is still learning the ropes from a senior agent. This phase usually only lasts a week or two before they advance to full member status. The exact method of training for rookies will vary from Bureau to Bureau, depending on how the boss there wants it done. Rookies may or may not be issued a watch uniform but don't generally work by themselves.

Members who act as Community Support Officers are also set to Rank 9. CSOs are attached casuals who provide administrative, crafting, or other support to the Watch, but don't go out and deal with the public in any capacity. A few people have made smithing or enchanting alternates for example who only make wands or copper weapons for us to hand out. That's those people.

 

Observers appointed by the Watch Committee are also set to Rank 9. Be nice to them. They essentially pay our salaries. ^_^

 

Rank 8 - Constable

The majority of our volunteers clock in at Rank 8 as either a Constable or Senior Constable. These are the agents that scan the "who" lists, meet new guests, make sure they get their questions answered, and see to getting them armed and armored up before the harsh reality of the World of Warcraft steamrolls right over them. Most, but not all, Constables choose to work a specific geographic area for a few hours a month, usually the one they're most comfortable with. Constables keep careful track of who they've talked to and when in a record that's forwarded up for posting on the website on a monthly basis to prove to the Watch Committee we actually do something. They're also eligible to submit chits for reimbursable expenses (travel, craft training, etc.) while on Watch business. Once the Guild Bank addition goes live, they will also be able to repair from Watch funds.

 

 

Rank 7 - Corporal

A Corporal is really a kind of a senior agent, and in addition to a Constable's basic duties keeps tabs on the agents in their area, answers questions, and gives directions where needed. Corporals are often the ones saddled with one or more rookies to show them all the tricks in their particular nick. A Corporal might be delegated to manage part or all of a shift or area's donations and make sure they're intelligently distributed to the agents who will need them.

 

 

 

 

Rank 6 - Sergeant

The Sergeant in the Watch is a leading member, and is usually responsible for what's going on in their Bureau, directly or indirectly. The way they approach things also will often set the tone and mood for all the people who work with them. In addition to what's expected of the Corporal, the Sergeant provides backup and direction for a larger number of people, is probably in charge of a large part of the stores and community money, and is responsible for making sure information goes both up and down as fast and as accurately as possible. This rate has the ability to invite people into the Watch, promote or demote them as needed, and is usually expected to help plan Watch activities.

This is the breakpoint between "casually helping the Watch" and not-so-casually helping, since your duties will start to eat up more than just 4-5 hours a month if you're doing them properly.

 

Rank 5 – Crown Sergeant

Both Precincts and the Irregulars can have a Crown Sergeant. The Crown is the leading sergeant in that Precinct, and on top of what a Sergeant does has the additional job of supervising and training up all the sergeants under them. At this rank you'll also usually find yourself in charge of a lot of both Bureaus' donated resources and doing your share of the personnel management.

The Crowns meet independently with the Commander or the Commissioner (if there is one) once a month to…well, usually complain.

 

 

 

Rank 4 – Lieutenant

Rank 4 is the first true "officer" rank, from the point of view that it's the first rank that can remove a member from the Watch entirely. Realistically, the rank of Lieutenant exists to assist the Captain by taking charge of one of the two Bureaus that are part of each Precinct. In that capacity, the Lieutenant will supervise aid functions in their area with the help of their Sergeants.

Implicit in that job description is managing donated resources, selecting and training volunteers to assist in carrying out Watch functions, and carrying out sundry personnel actions.

 

 

 

Rank 3 – Captain

The Captain is – literally - a guild-master in and of himself, carrying out the missions of the Watch within his bailiwick however he sees fit. Each Captain runs one of the Precincts in each faction. Captains determine who and what methods will best do the job in those areas, setting local policy to match.

 

 

 

 

Rank 2 – Superintendent

Members at Rank 2 find themselves as one of two Superintendents, a Watch officer that bears the same relation to a faction (Ward) that a Captain does to a Precinct. With good Captains, this is actually easier than it sounds, but only just.

 

 

 

 

Rank 1 – Commissioner

Reigning over an entire server, or Parish, is the Commissioner. These agents are nearly autonomous guild-masters like the officers below them, just on a scarier scale. Mostly they run their own shops and only bug the Commander if (a) they have nothing better to do, or (b) want something done they don't want their fingerprints on.

They also have really, really nice coffee cups.

The Commissioner and his or her aide(s) are the only Watch officers aside from the Commander who have characters on both factions with blanket access to Watch resources. This is, of course, because they pretty sort of completely need it to do their jobs.

 

 

 

Guild Master – Commander

The Guild Master, called the Commander of the Watch, determines policies and provides broad supervision for all agents in the organization. This is a full-time position and eats up more time than you would believe.

 

Well, okay, you might.

 

 

 

"The best index to a person's character is, how he treats people who can't do him any good, and how he treats people who can't fight back."


The Watch is gratefully sponsored by the actions of its members, and the kindness and charity of the following individuals and guilds:

Circle of Discord  Fidelity  The Gold Dragonflight  Haze  Knights of Kegoroth  Lanza  Orlis  Pirates of Misfortune  Praesidium  Sarolas