Hello,
Over the past six years, I’ve had a great opportunity to serve in and lead this glorious army, but now it’s time for my career to come to a close. And while I’m no longer going to be with you, the many memories of the friends I’ve made and the experiences I’ve been a part of will remain in my heart forever. It’s difficult to express how hard it will be to leave this all behind – we’ve created a very wonderful army together – but my activity and interest just aren’t as strong as they once were. It’s my turn to move on. And at some point during your time here, no matter how engaged in this game you might be, it will be yours.
For the first year and three months of my leadership, I sat firmly under a security blanket of tremendously talented people who are considered legends not only within our army, but within the entire community. And once I became entrusted to lead without them, it wasn’t long before I could feel the walls closing in all around me. And then they did. I fell flat on my face the first time I was exposed to a difficult situation, and all I did was sit there and ask myself why, when the problem (and answer) was staring me right in the eye: I had no idea how to lead. So what exactly do you do when you don’t know how to do something? You go seek out the people that do. You see what they did that brought them success, and you emulate them. You learn. And once I did that, I was much better off. During that period, I learned two valuable principles that are still resonating with me today:
A) Quality over quantity.
B) Leave whatever you think to be a personal achievement out of a game that requires a team. As long as you are on that team, you give the credit and the glory to them, not yourself.
The latter really made me abandon the whole idea of running the show myself, which I actually did end up doing for a couple of weeks early on in the year, before remembering that two is better than one. Though there definitely are exceptions, if you’re the only one leading in this game, then you’re probably just doing it to fulfill your own personal desire for power, and not for the good of the team; selfishness just isn’t a good trait for a leader to have. The former didn’t really have its effect on me until May, when I realized that we were once again in another deep hole. That’s when the “tactical transformation” started. We figured out that if we could execute our tactics fast enough, we could beat other armies even if they outnumbered us slightly. So in a way, going through that dark time actually had some benefit for us. Overall, 2014 was a big learning year, and I certainly can’t wait to see how you guys fare moving into 2015.
This year alone, we’ve nearly hit rock-bottom twice, but to be honest, I’ve never once questioned whether or not we’d be to rise above all the adversity, and you guys have never given me a good enough reason to stop thinking that way. Each time we fell, we always managed to find a way to dust ourselves off, and stand right back up; we have certainly proven ourselves to be one of the most resilient armies out there, that’s for sure. Throughout my leadership, I’ve experienced just about every situation there is to experience: the mediocre rise, the dreadful fall, the spectacular rise, the even more dreadful fall, and back again. Obviously it’s a nice luxury to always be on the “spectacular rise,” but I think going through all four of them made for a more fulfilling experience, since it made me realize just how to difficult it can be to keep an army afloat.
In my time here, I’ve met so many great people and made a bunch of new friends, and I’ll never forget any of them or the impacts they’ve had on me.
Nachos:
Shiver: You’ve been here throughout my entire leadership and beyond, and I knew I could always count on you to stand by my side, even in times when others wouldn’t. Your original ideas were the first to open my mind and spark my fascination with just how far good tactics could really take an army, and I hope you’ve been able to see just how much your influence has affected me. I think the best quality you have is that you have an answer for everything; I don’t think I can really recall the last time you’ve said “I don’t know,” or something along those lines, and in my eyes, that’s a tell-tale-sign of a great leader. Thanks for everything, Shiv, and I know you’ll shine as my replacement.
Danny9632: When I first made you an owner back in January, I knew immediately that you were going to be great for us. I just wish I did more to keep you here longer, and I apologize for not putting enough effort in to make that happen. You’re one of the greatest and quite possibly one of the most underrated leaders in all of this community. Thank you for being such a good friend to me, and thank you for giving the Nachos something to rally around in March after a month and a half of despair.
Buck: Thanks for being my friend while you were still around.
Puckley: You are absolutely legendary. You’re the single-best role model there is in this community, and I’m very grateful for being able to have one of the best leaders of all time guide me through our darkest hours. You alone have probably had the biggest impact on my maturity throughout my time here, and I’m glad to have been able to serve with you.
Shadow2446: Though Shiv introduced me to the fast-paced tactical style, you were definitely the one that really helped me become the CP leader that I am now. You’re one of the wisest and most intelligent people I’ve talked to on Xat, and wherever you might be now, I wish you the best of luck in your life.
Chrisi Blule: You’re a hilarious guy, and above all else, a great listener. I’ve come to you countless times for advice in both leading and real-life problems, and I really have enjoyed talking to you. Thank you for being such a good friend, and thank you for all you’ve done for our site and the UK division.
Camperjohn64/Vonchiefer: You two know exactly what to do to make this army rise. You’re both experienced enough and are more than capable of leading this army back to golden heights; you just need to continue to stay organized and put in the effort. It was a pleasure to lead with both of you.
Emily: You’ve put in so much effort for the sake of our army, and have gone above and beyond multiple times; I can’t thank you enough. You’re one of the few people who I can tell really cares about the Nachos, and though we were able to lead together for only a few months, I had a great time serving with you.
Zing: You have been one of the most loyal troops from the day you joined, and despite being kicked out multiple times, you’ve always found your way back here. Though we’ve had somewhat of a bumpy friendship throughout 2014, I’m definitely going to miss talking to you. I hope that you’ll continue to stay with the Nachos and lead your UK division back up to the top, there’s no reason why you can’t.
Guitar48300: You’re one of the best owners a leader could ask for, and your loyalty is unmatched. I know that you would stay with the Nachos, even if the bitter end was in sight. Thanks for everything, Guitar.
Ads354: You’re a great leader, and I’m glad that we had a chance to lead together; you’re also a good friend. Thanks for everything, and good luck with your life.
Time689: You were a huge help to getting us out of our slump over the past month, and you’re already very capable of leading the Nachos. Whether or not you get that promotion sooner or later, I hope that you’ll continue to keep working hard and making sure this army stays on the right track.
Tanman626: There’s no doubt that you’re one of the greatest Nacho leaders ever. Thanks for all the advice you’ve given me over the past year, and thank you for being a good friend. Good luck this season.
Dj Dan: You do so much work behind the scenes for this army, and unfortunately, you don’t get nearly enough credit for it. You were a key component to our rise in 2013, and undoubtedly a component for our deep Legends Cup run this year, and I hope that you’ll continue to help the army,
50 Cent 254: You’re an incredibly intelligent person, and a great leader. Thank you for sticking with us in a time when there seemed to be no escape from the dark age.
Green Dai/Baseball1043: You guys are both great owners, and I hope that you’ll keep working to fine-tune the divisions that you are respectively a part of. They will be able to thrive under your guidance.
Darkman5: Great guy talk to, and thank you for everything for did us this past summer and beyond. Your posts are always hilarious, and I see a lot of potential in you to be a great leader if you plan to stick around much longer.
Wolfie: You’re a great leader, and I’m sorry for not being as a good of a friend as I should have been back in April of this year and November of last. Thank you for staying loyal, and good luck with your life.
Oggy889: You’re incredibly loyal and intelligent, and it’s been awesome to have gotten the chance to watch you mature throughout pretty much all of 2014. Keep working hard, but don’t forget that being an owner isn’t just about having the orange pawn. I wish you the best of luck, my friend.
6789Cool: We’ve definitely had a rocky relationship over the past year or so, but I really admire your dedication and loyalty to the Nachos, and I’m glad that we finally got the chance to lead together.
Thex: You’re hilarious and full of charismatic qualities, and you were a huge contributor to our performance over the summer. Thanks for being an awesome friend, and good luck.
Derek: You’ve been a great friend to me, thank you for helping us over the summer and for sticking with us through the slow fall.
Rein: You’re one of the funniest guys I’ve met here, even if you do stretch the boundaries sometimes. I really have enjoyed our conversations, and thank you for being my friend and staying loyal.
Topaz: You were one of the few troops who stayed with us when we just couldn’t seem to get out of our slumps, and I’m incredibly grateful for that. Good luck rising through the ranks of this army, and good luck in your life.
Weazelkid: You’re a smart guy to talk to, and I enjoyed coming up with battle plans and strategies with you. I’m glad that we were able to lead together; thanks for everything, Weazel.
Becca: Thank you for being a great friend to me over the summer; I enjoyed our PCs commentating the drama that seemed to affect our chat weekly, and I wish you the best of luck in your collegiate career.
Laoise: I’ve led with so many people in my career, and I can safely say that I wouldn’t have wanted to lead with anybody else over the summer but you. You led the charge in times when I fell behind, and we barely ever argued, and when we did, it was usually over something awfully stupid. You made a huge impact on me as both a leader, and as a person, and I cannot thank you enough for everything you’ve done for the Nachos. You’re incredibly strong, and I know that you will one day lead the Nachos again to bigger heights.
I wish I had enough time to say something to each of you; your individual impacts and contributions for this army have not gone unnoticed. Your enthusiasm and dedication are the only things that have carried this army through its darkest hours, and I hope that you will continue to work towards making this army rise higher than ever before.
Other:
Daniel: I’m glad to have been able to call you a friend over the summer. You’re hilarious and extremely intelligent, and I wish you the best of luck with your future.
Zakster: We’ve been able to become pretty good friends over the past two years, and it’s always a pleasure to speak with you. Good luck with CPAC.
Burr: Though we haven’t spoken often, you and I definitely have a similar way of thinking, and thank you for being a continuous ally to the Nachos.
Even though 2014 was in no way our best year ever, we’ve certainly been able to share many great times together. It has been an unbelievable journey for me from start to finish, and I can’t thank all of you enough for guiding me through every step, every bump, every scandal, every major incident, and most importantly, every successful performance. My time here has been an amazing experience, and I sincerely hope that you will enjoy the rest of yours; time certainly does fly by, so always seize the moment.
Again, I cannot thank you all enough,
~Beeky
Filed under: The Nacho Army | 23 Comments »
Nacho Army of Club Penguin 