Larry: Great post boomer! It’s about time they get recognition!
Nono recently made a post titled “How to Not Be a N00b for Dummies”. It had some good points, but it reminded me of a critical flaw in all armies, not just ACP. The post explained everything a new recruit should not do, but didn’t really explain what they should do. As an army, we need to reach out to the new recruits and help them get used to the army experience, not criticize their naivete.
What most armies fail to realize, is that after the leader, the recruits are the most important members of the army. Recruits do about 3/4 of the work and get close to none of the credit. If you went on Club Penguin after school someday, you would see a group of them on Club Penguin patrolling or recruiting for ACP. Recruits have more motivation to work hard than anyone else, because with time comes laziness and an undeserved sense of accomplishment for higher ranking soldiers. I recognized this when I was leader the last time, and I built an army around these recruits, using their work ethic to feed the progress of the army to levels no one had ever seen.
We as an army community have turned our backs on these oft-forgotten warriors. We were all n00bs once. Many of our greatest soldiers may not be where they are today if it weren’t for a few kind soldiers who showed them the way. That is what I look for in a soldier. Not just someone who works hard when everyone is watching, but someone who works hard when no one is watching. That is the mentality of the recruit, which I am trying to instill in you today. To devote everything you have to this army even when it does not benefit you. Because lending a helping hand to a new recruit will do wonders for them, as well as for this army.
So I am asking you, as the veterans of this army, that the next time a new recruit comes on chat asking where we are on Club Penguin, join them. When they ask when the next war is, tell them. Because they are not trying to bother you. They have an unbridled desire to serve the Army of Club Penguin, and it is so vivaciously expressed that it may come off as annoying at times. Instead of banning them, kicking them, or ridiculing them, send them a PC. Explain where they can find our servers on the site, how to get the uniform, even take them on a patrol. Take them under your wing and teach them what you know. Because what they really need is a mentor, someone to show them the way. We, the veterans of this army, have the knowledge to teach them, to guide them through life in the Army of Club Penguin.
Your assignment for the next few weeks is this. When you see a new recruit on chat, I want you to talk to them. Introduce yourself, and get to know who they are. Tell them how great ACP is, explain how things work, and answer their questions. Be a mentor to them, and for the next few weeks, show them how to be a soldier. Leave a comment on this post if you agree, and once you have met someone you would like to watch over, leave a comment, tell me their name and what you talked to them about. If all of our soldiers did this, ACP would be a better place for everyone. A helping hand goes a long way.
~Boomer
Oagal: As a quick add-on, I’d like to remind you that the ACP was founded by “recruits.” If those first few soldiers hadn’t have been so eager to serve the newly founded ACP, none of this would be here. Sure, many of them left later on, but that just goes to show that even a short burst of dedication can go a long way. You were all recruits once, and look at where you are now. Imagine if every new soldier got just a fraction of the respect that we veterans receive–hell, the ACP could go farther than ever before.
ACP: We started as noobs, but the dedication our early recruits turned us into the behemoth of an army that we are today.
UMA: At its hight, Pink Mafia’s UMA was enormous, and had very few ranked soldiers; they were nearly unstoppable because of the fervor of their recruits.
Nachos: Grows ten-fold whenever the sombrero is in the catalog. Why? Recruits.
Boomer: Well put Oagal, it is very very true.
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