Guild Leader changeovers

Well, our current guild leader is retiring after serving above and beyond the call of duty and/or insanity since the beta, and a new guild leader is stepping up to take his place.

Does anyone have any suggestions on making that day special? Any tips for new guild leaders on making the transition easier for the entire guild? Any other words of advice in general on guild leader changeovers?

It depends on the size of your guild. If it's small (20 or so) then everyone will be aware of the reasons, but if it's larger, you might have problems with resentment.

Your officers should spread the word to the groups they work with within the guild that this is a friendly change due to RL issues. Otherwise you could lose large blocks of members who are upset about the change due to lack of information.

If you guys can't just reply to the question, then don't post.

Thank you for the thread pruning, Commander Ryker.

Thanks for the advice on that--it's good.
Fortunately everyone knows it's RL issues, and the group voted on the new GL so everyone who wanted to had a say, and so we don't have to worry about that issue. The new GL is coming in on good terms and that's going to help. Now it's just a matter of doing something special to recognize the outgoing leader, because he worked his butt off a long time, and making the transition as smooth as possible for the new one, since that person has some big shoes to fill.

For those who had said 'it's just a game'--Guild Wars may be 'just a game', but it's an important game to some. There are real people behind those toons, and the ones in my guild are very special, wonderful people indeed--the guild has been in existence this long for good reason. Making this changeover pleasant and even fun will help with some of the sadness I know some of my fellow guildies feel about our current guild leader retiring.

I farmed a lot of grog last weekend (243 ), and still have a couple crates of fireworks left, so that should contribute to a good time. I like the party idea someone had mentioned, and we have Vent so we can at least party by voice as well is in the guild hall. Any other ideas would be most welcome, too. If anyone knows things (and could post that here)that make the transition easier and pitfalls to avoid, that would be terrific.

Parties are good

Just make sure the Ingame Guild Message mentions the installment of the new Guild Leader. In that way, even the people who have been off for a month are informed as soon as they enter the game.

I've taken over a guild that some of my personal friends and my founded after about a 1 - 1.5 years after its creation.

We made sure that the information about this change was well know, like with the ingame announcement thingy, but also on our forum.

But the difference in my guild was that ok there has to be one guildleader, we handle the guildrunning by all officers and for important matter we even poll our guildies. So in that fact you could consider all officers and the gl as the real power of leadership. And since the 3.5 year we exist now it has been good like this.

A party would nice as a form off transition and saying goodbye and a thanks to the leaving Guildleader. Its a hard job to do, here I was lucky to have found great officers to help in the guild and having a great alliance too.

Goodluck to you and have an awesome party
Maybe run some ingame events too, like hide and seek, running the gauntlet competions, these are some things we try to organize with every guild anniversary in my guild (With prizes). On top of the weekly PvE and PvP events.

It might also be an idea for the old gl to stick around for another week or so before he leaves entirely.

This is so that if anyone doesn't know or wants to ask him him why etc, he can still let them know directly.

It also helps the new gl to settle in a bit better as the old gl will be able to help with any awkwardness or questions etc.

It's been a while since I became GL when the previous GL stepped down.

Most important is that (most) players are aware of the change, which in your situation seems to be the case.
Next, the members should trust the new GL to be able to move forward.
When my GL became less active he appointed a second in command (me) so players were already asking me things when he was not online.
Since your new GL is already known just make sure all players know how to find him.

And on the final transition.
I know my previous GL slowly faded away before I actually became GL.
So we had no big celebration for all his work, just switched positions.
If you can throw a huge party it's fun and will enforce the bonds in the guild.
If not, I think your new GL will also be good. And don't forget as GL that you are not alone (even I make that mistake once in a while).

Depending on the size and make up of your guild, you could always start the party in the GH and thencontinue the party in several outposts (one at a time - say LA, Marketplace and Suns pear Great Hall) in the farm of a guild invasion.
I remember than not only being fun when we said bye to an officer going to Iraq, but it also got the guild noticed having fun and the guild gained a few members from it.

the 1st time i was made a GL i had a bunch of greens to give away and other goodies, and we just chilled in the gh and i got to know some of the guildies better and such. Top it off with a fun FOW clear and theyll love ya.

or something like that, we had fun, lol.

I'd say - arrange a convenient time when as many people as possible can be on. Don't go overboard trying too hard to please everyone time-wise - it is just a game You can edit the Announcements in the Guild window to pass on info. Get everyone together in the guild hall, have lots of booze and party favors and crates of fireworks (paid for by the Leaders, if necessary). Hopefully you use Ventrilo or TS, but if not, you'll have to type in the official "passing of the torch" while the fireworks go off.
Then maybe, The Deep or Urgoz's (for max party size) or something like Secret Lair of the Snowmen, for grins.

Our Guild was never a really structured Guild, so we had no issues to deal with when leaders changed. Before GW I was clan leader for a TFC clan - I don't quite understand why some people have to play politics in a stupid game clan, but some do. If you have those types in your Guild, my only advice to you is to come right out to them (privately) and tell them frankly what you think. At some point (unfortunately) you might get some toes stepped on, but if it's that sort of Guild, someones toes are gonna hurt - you may as well step on the toes of the ones that give you grief. (And be very careful about who you make an officer.)