What are Non-Raid Members?
Non-Raid members are members of the guild who are interested in being part of SS socially, but who, for whatever reason, are not part of our organized 10 man raiding team. This could be due to a lack of time, a lack of interest, a lack of gear, or any other reason.
Most importantly, note that Non-Raid members are members of the guild. Outside of 10 man raid activity, a Non-Raid member is as meaningful a rank as any other. Except for inclusion in 10 man raids, Non-Raid members are entitled to all other benefits and courtesies shown to a member of Shadow Syndicate.
Who are Non-Raid Members? Who is eligible?
Non-Raid members run the gamut from very casual friends of other members, to serious PvP focused players, to retired officers and veteran raiders. There is no requirement on gear, skill, or playtime for Non-Raid members...some are, to use Warcraft Jargon, total noobs, while others I can attest are better players than 99% of the raiders in this guild.
The following categories of players are generally eligible to become non-raid members:
Former Raiders - Raiders who are taking a break or have retired from active raiding can step down to NR status and remain in the guild.
Friends & Family - Friends and Family members of raiders and active non-raiders are welcome to join the guild as Non-raiders. This can be anything from your friend who has a 2300 Arena rating but only PvP's to your little sister who plays an hour a week.
What benefits do Non-Raid members receive?
Other than participation in 10 main raiding, Non-Raid members are entitled to all the same benefits of any other member. These include:
The SS Community Recognition - SS is a long-standing guild on the server, and the name will get you alot farther w/ PuG's and other players than a fly-by-night guild tag.
Guild Bank Mats - Nonraid members are allowed to purchase mats, items, and patterns from the guild bank for 1/2 the cost of the mats on the AH. Raiders are able to purchase mats at the same rate, or for dkp. (Note: reselling mats on the AH received in this way will result in instant expulsion)
Participation in 5-man, 10-man Alt-Runs - Nonraid members participate in PuG 5 and 10 man runs set up by both NR's and Raiders.
How should Non-Raid members be treated?
As stated above, Non-Raid members are full members of the guild and are entitled to the same courtesy and respect that every other rank is. Whether the non-raider is a seasoned veteran w/ the ear of every guild officer, or a total noob who doesn't know what "LFG" means, they are to be treated with respect and courtesy. Non-raiders should never be belittled, insulted, or harassed because of their playstyle, ability, or gear. While common-sense teasing is fine, anyone observed to be consistently or harshly belittiling an NR member (or any other member), will be dealt w/ harshly. If you see examples of this in game, please forward screenshots to myself and the other officers.
The following cannot be stressed enough: As a raider/class leader/officer/whatever, you are not "better" than an NR member, and deserve nothing better than them outside of 10 man raid privileges. Any examples of people acting otherwise will be harshly dealt with by me.
Non-raid members should be included in non-10 man raid activities, and should be considered a cut above non-guildies and PuG's...if you are putting together a PuG Karazhan, check with NR members first. If a NR member is interested in coming but you don't think they are qualified, it is fine to turn them down, but it should be done politely and for solid reasons ("you don't have the gear for a bear run in ZA"), not w/ insults.
Finally, if you have a problem with a Non-raid member, or a Non-raid member has a problem with member, both should feel free to bring it up w/ guild officers. However, in all cases, your first question to yourself should be "Would use of the /ignore function solve this problem." If you find someone annoying and don't want to see them in guild chat, /ignore is your friend. Obviously, if someone is harassing you that is a different story.
Who is not eligible? What are Non-Raiders not?
Non-Raiders are not a "pre-recruit" rank that is likely or expected to lead to becoming a raider, nor are they a dumping ground for people who are recruited to raid but don't make the cut. They are also not a "consolation prize" for apps who are clearly unqualified. The rank is also not open to people who otherwise have no ties to the guild.
The following categories of players are examples of who should not be made a Non-Raid member:
Failed recruits - Someone who applies to be a raider and then stops showing up, or proves totally unsatisfactory. No one should ever go from the rank of "recruit" to the rank of "NR Member."
Bad apps - Someone who applies to be a raider, is clearly unqualified, but is offered NR status in lieu of just being told no...generally the idea is they would work on their gear and move up to raiding later. This is no longer an option, the app should be rejected.
Random People - Someone who has no ties to the guild (no friends/family) and just wants to hang out. NR is for proven raiders who are done raiding, and friends and family.
Can a Non-Raider be promoted to Raider?
Yes, in some circumstances. If a non-raider wishes to become a raider, and has demonstrated the commitment, skill, and level of gear necessary to join as a raider, they certainly have a leg up on an outside app when we are looking for a specific class. However, there is no guarantee we will ever recruit in that non-raiders class, and as the lifetimes of expansions go on the gear gap between raiders and non-raiders becomes more pronounced, making it harder to find a way to include them.
The best time to move from Non-raid to raid is between expansions, when a non-raid can make and then demonstrate a commitment to leveling and preparing for raiding on an even-playing field w/ current raiders.
