Division Request:

Sooo, you want to be a Division Leader, but you don't know what that entails?  Are you already one but have no idea what is expected of you?  Well, wait no longer!  Thanks to the nagging of our beloved webmistress and my mad skillz at making stuff up (don't worry folks, I have done this before) here is your handy-dandy guide to Panels, Events, and general Division Leading.  

  The heart and soul of a Division Leader's job is at cons.  This is where you shine, and quite frankly, work your miniskirt clad rear off.  All Div Leaders are given the rank of Brigadier General but you don't get that for free.

This is a basic outline of what the MSA expects of you..... 

  You are the Go-To person for the con you elect to lead.  This is your biggest and most important task.  People will need to contact you for information.  Expect email from people you've never met who want to know what you plan to do at a con, or if your div does stuff together and if it's okay if they tag along. You will need to answer their questions and make them feel welcome.  Someone else has an idea for something fun at your con?  They will need to contact you before going off on their own and scheduling it.  Not only is this polite but it saves the confusion of trying to figure out which of the three MSA dinners you need to attend.  Being responsible and providing up-to-date contact information is VITAL.  You will need to provide the names and email/other contact info for yourself and a second and potentially a third in command.  It's a big job and really hard to do alone.  A couple friends will work wonders.  We also need them as alternate contacts in case you go AWOL.  Remember, you need to represent the MSA.  This means you should be friendly and enthusiastic about us and know that people will join or not join partly based on your behavior.  Have fun with it!  If you enjoy yourself, other people will enjoy it too.

  Because this is a lot of work I am including some basic stuff that may help you (and at the very least show Shannon that I was doing some work *looks innocent*) 

Online

  It's probably a good idea to make a myspace for your division.  It's a great way to keep track of who is in it and send them all messages at once.

  Join the MSA forum.  There is a good chance that people will be talking about your con as it comes up.  You should try to answer any questions they have. 

Offline

  Cons.  'Nuff said.  You can also plan stuff together outside of conventions.  That is entirely up to your discretion. 

  Conventions are where you recruit new members and have fun with the people you already know.  At a con you should plan a panel, an event, a dinner, etc.  Let's be realistic, that's a tall order for anyone let alone us with lives outside the internet and depending on the locale of the convention some of these aren't practical.  You don't have to do them ALL every con.  We don't want you to be a nervous wreak, but we do expect you to plan something.  At the very least, you should plan a panel at the cons you represent.

  At your panel you should discuss what we do in the MSA, why you should join, why you are in it -- you get the idea.  Basically, this is your recruitment opportunity.  Tell people how to join and give them the web address.  Prepare for at least part of your panel to be Q&A.  Not sure how to schedule a panel?  Contact the convention you are planning to attend. There should be a link for panels on their website.  They will ask you for whatever information they will need.

  Want to plan an event against the Rangers?  Like Dodgeball or something similar?  Follow the same steps as for panels.  Different con have different requirements and rules that need to be followed.  As much fun as your planned game of Skirt, Skirt, Ranger may be, the con may have liability issues that will need to be addressed prior to starting.  Ah, I will never forget how a Ranger fell and hurt her leg within the first six seconds of the MSA vs Ranger Relay Race that was held at Sakura Con '07 and how my stomach went cold when I realized that I FORGOT to tell everyone that they were participation at their own risk.  So yeah, contact the con and do what they say.  That's important.

  Planning a dinner......this is pretty much the hardest and most stressful thing you can plan.  Sure they are a blast, but without planning ahead chaos and starvation will in sue.  Be sure to contact the restaurant and see if they are accepting reservations.  Not only do places like Olive Garden not take reservation, but a lot of places will stop taking them during cons.  There are a lot of people who are hungry.  Yeah, your party may have 30 people in it but that's a nightmare for them in the best of circumstances and if they can fill your spot with no extra effort in 10 minutes, you had better believe that they will.  Work out how many people will be there and and how the check will be split (are they all going to pay you or will the waiter break it up?) before anyone sits. Get an RSVP list and don't allow anyone else in.  Be firm in this.  More than likely you will have more people try to come than those who confirmed ahead.  Plan for at least 5 extra seats especially if you invite Travis or another VA. 

Oh, so you did one or more of these?  Congratulations, you just survived your first con as a division leader. 

Random-Questions-I-get-a-Lot and Answers-that-are-Sort-of-Related-to-this Time! 

There are two cons that I'm really involved in.  Can I be the leader of more than one?

  Yes.  It's a lot more work, but if you can commit to it, we're happy to have you head up more than one.  

I want to be a division leader but I don't know anyone who can be my second-in-command yet.  Can I still apply?

  Yes.  We may ask you for more contact info though.  Any additional contact information is kept private.  We need to be able to contact you --that's mostly what the Seconds are there for.  Be aware that is you are "missing" or otherwise inactive and someone else wants your Division Leader spot they may be considered for it as your lack of response will be interpreted as a lack of interest.  Hey, real life happens.  We all know it. But if you can't hold up your end, we will have to move on to someone who can.  

What?  I can lose my Division Leader status? But what if I have school and work and my convention isn't for eleven more months?

  Yes.  We really don't want to do that though.  It's a hassle for everyone.  That's why contact info is so important.  Like I said before, Real Life happens.  It's okay.  If you have school or work and will be offline for awhile send an email to DIVISIONS and tell them what's going on and when you can be expected back.  We will help you out all we can from there.  

So are there any perks?  You make this sound like a lot of work.  What do I get out of it?

  Why, I'm glad you asked.  As leader of an official Division you will get an email address with the MSA domain (this will keep your own email from getting cluttered with Skirt stuff), the rank of Brigadier General, you will be able to order a MSA uniform showing that rank from our store (only division leaders will be have access to these).  You will also get to assign rank to the people in your Division.  You will also get the squishy, squishy, feeling of a job well done.  

Assign rank?  How does that work?  I thought my forum rank was my MSA rank?

  Nope,  Forum rank is just your post count.  Only Melly, Alley, and  Division leaders can assign rank to members.  You are limited to assigning rank only to those actually in your division, though.  You can't visit someone else's con and give a rank to people outside of your division.  That's their div leader's job.

Interested?  Send us an email  HERE!  See you at the Front! 

Wow Talis, that was a lot more than Shannon expected you to write!  I read that whole, long winded thing and being a Division Leader isn't for me.  I have some other questions.

You're in luck.  I am feeling particularly chatty today.  So ask away imaginary-person-with-questions! 

I don't know what division I'm in! How do I find out?

  We have a list up that you can look over that has all the convention that have been claimed.  Pick your favorite and that can be your "home con."   

 Home Con?  What do you mean?

   Your "home con" is the con you feel most at home at.  There are a lot of advantages to being in a close one though -- like you can hang out, have a movie night, or plan meet ups. 

There is a Division close to me but all my friends go to a con far away!  I want to be in the same division as them.

  Lucky for you your home con doesn't have to be division closest to you.  As long as it's a con you go to, you can pick to be in that division. 

But what if I can't make it to that con?  Can I be in that division with my friends anyway?

  Yeah, I guess so.  If you really want to.  You will need to contact that division and see about joining up with them 

I did contact them but never got a reply!  What do I do know?

  No reply, you say?  Let us know if you can't get a hold of them and we will try for you.  Send an email with "I can't find my division leader" in the subject to DIVISIONS Be sure to tell us which div you can't get a hold of and when you sent the message.  

I've never been to a con but would really like to go with some Skirts as away to have fun and save money.  How do I find them?

  Hit up the forum and the AIM chat.  Not only are they great places to make friends, they can probably help you out.

Anyone who read all this is awarded Talis' Taco Badge of Courage.  If you have more questions that weren't covered here, contact DIVISIONS