Courtesy and Captaincy
Baron Brendan O'Caiside
I am writing this article about a topic very near and dear to me personally, courtesy. Specifically I would like to address courtesy among Captains within the Corsairium. Now before anyone goes off on a rant here, I am not singling anyone out, nor am I speaking of specifics. I merely want to share some of the things I learned when I became a Captain myself. I had the advantage of having several experienced Captains that I could bounce ideas off of, and they guided me and offered advice on how to be a Captain your crew and your guild can be proud of. With that in mind I would now return the favor and pass on some of my experiences to new Captains, just as Capt Thorgrimr and Capt Nichola have done for me.
1. Remember that if you are going to call yourself a Captain of a ship within the guild you are seen by those outside the group as an example of a guild member. Your behavior, good or bad, reflects accordingly on your guild and the other Captains. Don’t make others be seen in a bad light by acting without thinking. Like it or hate it, with a Captaincy comes a certain bit of responsibility to maintaining a certain level of decorum. I’m not saying never get into an argument or "cut loose", but I am saying be aware of your surroundings and who elsemay be listening if you do.
2. Please show other Captains courtesy when recruiting a crew. Even if a crewman from another ship approaches you first, common courtesy requires that you talk to the Captain whose ship they currently serve on BEFORE having discussion with them. You would be upset if someone did this to you. I know that most Captains have no problem releasing someone who wishes to move on to a ship that may be a better fit for them. I know this seems self explanatory, but if you are joking around about “stealing someone’s crew”, see number 1 above. It’s not a matter of how you mean it, it’s how it is heard and perceived. And if someone comes into your camp looking for another Captain to speak with about joining their crew, that is NOT your cue to offer them a spot on your ship. The courteous thing would be to let them talk to the Captain in question themselves, then if you feel strongly about wanting the person as a crewman, speak Captain-to-Captain about it. I know if someone approaches me, I take my time to think about it and make sure they will be a good fit, and if another Captain approached me with an intelligent argument for why the person would fit well with another crew, I am totally open to that.
3. Crew size is not a competition. Every Captain in the guild, regardless of the size of their crew, is the equal of the other Captains. If you are recruiting a crew, be sure they fit with your little “family” aboard your ship. This goes a long way toward having a unified crew. I know I personally consult my crew when someone approaches me or if I am thinking of approaching someone.
These are just a few things I have learned that make life a bit smoother for all. There are many more that I didn’t have the space to address here. I you are in doubt, just ask yourself, “How would I feel if I were on the other side of this equation?”, and you probably can’t go wrong.