Since the ending has not yet been written, what do YOU want it to say?

I am a bit tired, a bit drugged (ok, a whole lot drugged) and still dealing with last night's migraine, but this is as good a time as any to raise some important questions to the community -- and you ARE a community -- one of the best I have ever seen and I couldn't be more proud of having a hand in bringing all of you together. The Cavern will soon reopen and we will scramble to get our names back -- everyone remembers that there will be no name-nicking? -- after which we will reform the bevin . . . and I put it to the forum here assembled as to how the bevin will be remade.

Historically (just for those who do not know) Inanna created Myss Terrie for the sole purpose of creating a bevin by that name, although initially it was going to be called Myss Terrie's Explorers. This left me with an avatar with a clunky name, so we went into business at Myss Terrie's Bevin. Founded in mid-March 2007 the bevin gained a great deal of fame -- and some notoriety. There were the inevitable personality disputes and I do not deny that I have a personality that may not suit everyone, no matter how good my intentions may be. The simple core mission -- to help others help themselves and go on to help others -- seems to have been successful. The bevin remained neutral across the widely diverse Cavern, a peaceful haven for the old-hands who did not wish to be embroiled in politics and a good first home for newcomers, some of whom stayed, others left.

That is our past, and now is the time -- if there is anything you want to change -- to speak up,

Here are the questions that I wish you to ponder. After I have seen the posts in response (and you need to respond because I am taking a big leap here) I will post a poll to get the final consensus.

(1) Do we wish to remain as Myss Terrie's bevin or would you prefer to change the name?
The name at present is well-known and in the new MOUL (or MORE ) should be like a beacon to those lifeboats adrift in the foggy sea.
OTOH, the name may have bad associations for some, including some of the more paranoid over at Guild of Greeters.

(2) If we decide to keep the name, do we also need to keep the avatar?
I created Myss Terrie and played her, but as long as a bevin has at least one member there is no need for the bevin's core avatar to remain. I could create Myss Terrie, create the bevin, bring in several members and then delete the Myss Terrie avatar, thus relieving me if the stress and the accusations of deceit I got when folks "suddenly realized" that I had two avatars. If you feel that we need to have Myss Terrie as an avatar who can appear in the bevin, hold hands with the folks and lead us all in a round of Kumbayah I am happy to do so -- or not, if that is also your wish.

(3) If we keep the name and keep the avatar, would someone else like to be the "grande dame" of the bevin?
We all wear masks in URU, so anyone in the group can be Myss Terrie. However as was said in Highlander "in the end there can be just one." I have had great joy in leading this group and been honoured by the trust you placed in me. I have no desire to step aside, but neither do I wish to intrude my self upon the bevin if there are others who feel similarly qualified and able to lead.

(4) If we return just as we left, there is still the matter of the bevin council.
I have to confess we had mixed results with "power sharing." Some folks are just natural leaders and were excellent council members. Others, be it because of RL intrusions or personal issues, were less effective. My own suggestion would be a smaller council -- the bevin leader, plus two of the same gender and three of the opposite gender for a total of six. I would expect the council to be drawn from those members who are the most active, both in the Cavern and here on the forum. We could maintain the original system of the bevin leader appointing the council or we could go for the total surface political package nomination, a campaign season followed by a secret ballot vote on the forum.

Anyway, my beloveds, now is the time to speak up and tell me what you want do. I await your wise thoughts.

Well, now that that has all been said, I, for one, see no reason to change anything that has grown into a great relationship. I vote for keeping the name as first thought out and therefore maintaining our home as it has been...Even during the shutdown....

I always thought that the idea of rotating the Bevin council, as we have in the past, was a great idea....just because it gives others a chance to exercise their role in the community.

I vote for Myss Terries and keeping everything as it was.

I agree, I don't see a reason to change what worked well for us. Myss Terrie's Bevin is here to stay.

We should keep the rotating council, it gives everyone a chance to have a say in the Bevin.

I second Gandhar's vote for Myss Terries.

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I am a bit tired, a bit drugged (ok, a whole lot drugged)

Quit holdin' out maaaaaaaan.

I say we keep the Myss Terrie's Bevin name.. but if you don't feel comfortable with two avatars, then just have the one you're most comfortable with. I, for one, had no clue that Myss Terrie and Innana were one and the same.

There is no real problem for me running two -- or more -- avatars. It is only that it caused some problems for me, and by extension the bevin, in the past.

As for my comment about being "a bit tired, a bit drugged" that was just to let folks know where my head was. Many of the bevin's old-timers are aware that I suffer from severe debilitating migraines. There have been times when I posted without clear thought, because clear thought is a long way off. Of course I am not very good at recognizing some of those moments and depend on you to let me know if I am getting "out of line." There are several bevin members who have shared details of personal health issues if they affect our behavior in the Cavern. We have those who can not hear well, those who can not see well, some with chronic illness, and so on.

I appreciate your confidence in me and personally see no reason to change a thing. However, I have always tried to keep the bevin connected with all our workings public and shared. Since a return to the cavern means there is an opportunity for change I thought I should make the offer. I have always tried to take the bevin's feelings into consideration, starting with the change in April 2008 when I stopped saying "my bevin" and started saying "our bevin."

Myss Terrie wrote:

Many of the bevin's old-timers are aware that I suffer from severe debilitating migraines.

My mom gets like that. She gets migraines so bad that it makes her sick and she needs to sleep in a pitch black room to recover. I inherited it but don't get them as bad.

Well, I never thought of this as 'My bevin'.....So you can sleep well on that...I do know of the debilitating issues you personally have to deal with...

If it impairs you to the point that you need help here......


Please feel free to contact me: mdcostr 'at' hotmail.com ...I will try to help the best I can.

I see no reason why Myss Terrie's bevin should not return. Since Myss Terrie herself has gained some fame as a URU live character (see Wiki if you don't believe me ) and I'm sure Sharper is looking forward to a few verbal exchanges with her whenever he returns to the cavern Myss T should return as well. As for the bevin council returning we may want to wait and see on that one, who knows there may not even be need for one.

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Please feel free to contact me: mdcostr 'at' hotmail.com ...I will try to help the best I can.

to funnly Gandhar

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As for the bevin council returning we may want to wait and see on that one, who knows there may not even be need for one.

I agree with you Azaia, we might not need it. We have no idea how many will be coming back to MORE. Not too many have posted since MOUL shutdown, I think most are just unaware of the recent news of MORE. We'll have to see what happens when a firm date is announced for the reopening of the caver

In time to come we will be back in the Cavern. I will recreate Inanna first and then Myss Terrie, followed by the bevin. After that I will take in the first members who show up and let them take in others -- and they bring in two friends and they bring in two friends and they bring in two friends, etc.

In the new MOUL/MORE I would like to see us shed our rep as snobby and exclusive -- not that we ever really were -- but there was this idea going around and I want to see some changes there. I think we should start by getting our current members back into the bevin first, then adding more as we go along. If you meet those already known to you through association in MOUL I think all of our members can be trusted to make good choices, but if any proposed member strikes you as "odd" or a bit off in any way, then pause and ask others. That's ok -- what the homie line is for.

As for the council, Azaia is right. We can wait to see if such is needed. A lot has changed. The forum has become much more organized and vital to the bevin -- on and offline. During MOUL, the council's purpose was to take pressure off of me. I went from an ordinary explorer with a couple of lady friends in a bevin to having one of my "save the world" missions. And mind-bending migraines and drugged up to lala land all too often. Early on there were too many times when something came up and folks waited for me to come online to fix it or speak to it. The council just meant some folks knew that they could do or say whatever was right for the bevin and no explanations to me would be expected or necessary.

Then Bellarose stood up to that jerk kid and read him the riot act for misbehavior in the bevin -- that was great. And she was not on the council, just very impassioned. If everyone can do that, then no council is needed. I know that the new folks will look to the old folks for guidance, but right now we are going to be nothing much but old folks. It is just a matter of how the bevin gels. As long as it does not depend too much on me -- as Myss Terrie -- to do things -- that the bevin remains a cooperative venture with everyone on board with everything -- from the management of the forum to the decisions about the bevin.

I trust you all. You have been doing a great job with the forum switch over.

I suspect the core group here will be the main members for awhile anyway. At least until the word gets around about MORE opening, and working. Some may wait until they are sure it's working right.

In the meantime, we'll be busy with helping any new explorers figure out where to go and what to do.