I very much agree with the fact that as coven leaders you should be there to help your members, it is your duty and responsibility to check posts for accuracy and plagerism and generaly support your members learning needs
Another thing i suggest is if you are not happy within your coven and not recieving the help and support you need, look around at other covens.
There are many wonderful coven's on this site with leaders whom are dedicated to their members.
Many Covens have been established over the course of time. Most have had good intentions upon their creation, meaning when they started out they were striving to provide a place for those of common interest, teachings, and activity. Sometimes Priest/Priestesses do step out for days at a time to gauge the Coven activity in their absence. Is this a good practice? No not at all, to step out due to unforeseen issues in their personal lives is one thing, but to do it for the heck of it is absolutely retarded. Some Covens have very popular themes about them, such as Vampires, Dragons, Black Magick, etc. And these themes will draw the public's eye every time, though the down side is that now you will gain a lot of rift raft in the mix.
The best way to cut down on inactivity is to make a small list of what your Coven would deem acceptable, such as a requirement to post every so often, or log on every so often, etc. Set this list, then enforce it. Somme would say that this would seem like a control issue. But fact remains no one wants to put all their free time into teaching, and gathering resources for any set of individuals who stick around for 2 weeks then disappear for months. This is highly discouraging for teachers, and thus why some of us have an extremely hard time keeping good teachers on this site. Much less those who do remain having the desire to teach.
For those extremely large Covens sooner or later will grow tired of mass members but little to no activity. Just as you would weed out your forums, you must weed out your inactive members from time to time. No one is in any Coven because they have to be, they are there because they desire to be. Along with that desire should be the willingness to remain active. If they are not willing, then remove them. If you set the ground rules and enforce them no matter what, then before you know it you yourself will not be able to keep up with the threads.
Another way to keep up activity is to appoint a strong Council. Meaning members that are knowledgeable in the areas that your Coven stands for, also make sure they are helpful by answering questions and giving guidance. Never put someone in a Council position just because he/she is cool or your friend. This will under mind not only your position but the entire Coven system. Council should as the moderators of this site, they keep the peace and the ball rolling.
Keep in mind a Coven should not base their worth on the amount of members, but not its teachings & knowledge. "A Coven of 300+ is no stronger than a Coven of 13 if its walls are blank and leaders are inexperienced. " ~DH
Definitely agreed to Both Draggy and Gingsen.The Priest/Priestess of any coven HAS the duty to be there,and to help the coven members...Being a Priest is like a Huge Responsibility,so whoever can't take it...do not bother even to be a Priest/Priestess...
And as about the covens on this site from which The HP/HPs have ages to show up,I firmly believe its leniently UNACCEPTABLE
I agree with all that has been said. I hope that after a certain amount of time the HP/HP will be replaced if they disappear. It doesn't seem like a good idea to keep a coven up with no one to moderate or run it.
It is crucial that leaders are there with their members every step of the way. Councilors can only do so much sometimes to keep things up, active, and peaceful.
I very much agree Lady_snow it is crucial that the leaders are there for their members every step of the way.
Im immensely proud of our coven council and our members it's a peacful, stable,Environment, where all the coven pulls together and works as a team participating and sharing their knowledge as a family:)
However i really wish there was an automatic reject button having to have rejected 7-8 applicants for not following the apply to join rules this past week.
As a coven high priest of my own coven which is not on this site I know that it is irritating when the leader is not there to convey the activities of the members. I have currently been away from my coven located in the Central United States of America. I have left a younger yet just as wise member to take my part in the coven until my return. I left in order to better myself not just on the physical plane in my life such as schooling for my career, I have been on a spiritual journey of my own to find answers to my own questions that those of my coven could not answer. Sometimes it is beneficial to both the coven and the leader to distance themselves to better understand the connection that they have with each other as well the connection we have within the spiritual realm.
I have come across a couple of covens like that but the coven I am in now is excellent, the Priest and Priestess are so dedicated to the coven and its members and we are very active and valued.
i agree laufia our coven though mixed beliefs is very stable and helpful,i think ginseng and darkmaster have done well and are their for us when we need them most,a coven without a priest or priestess is like a child without their mother or father to guide them
