Well folks. What can I say, the guild seems no further ahead than when I took my break. In fact it seems quite listless and well pointless.

***Hard Look***

We have no focus. And when we -have- set goals we did not have the dedication of the members to follow through with it.  We have/had the population and classes to fill 25 mans easily. Yet we had to constantly pug (and usually in sub standard gear) to fill out our raids. 

We've always looked at gear as the hallmark of a raider, I can tell you from experience (horde side) that laid back guilds (not enforcing spec even) are progressing quite handily.

We are lacking:

1. Leadership: 
     Without a can-do voice leading and setting up runs we flounder.  The person who wishes to leader needs to actually lead. Tenath Did a wonderful job back before he burned out (dealing with prima donna's constantly bitching and acting like 2 year olds wanting their ball back does this fast to GL's, and we had a ton of them).

2. Environment:
       We are not a guild setup to raid properly.  We're too concerned with our own leet dps/healing/zomg you nub comments to progress.

A: YOU CAN PROGRESS WITH -ANY- spec.  learn to stop being elite snobs.  If you don't believe this? you need to learn how to play the game. Horde side have embraced ret paladins as decent dps with utility and have filled a long needed slot to keep raid wide mana/healing up.   Progressive alliance sides see the utility of having an EH shaman in their melee groups. etc etc.

B: EVERYONE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RAIDS WIPE.  End of story, one healer doesn't screw up everything, one missed block isn't the sole reason etc etc.  (and I'm not talking some twit that walks into the wrong room here :P)

C: 90% of progression is based on the mentality of the guild. 

3. Gear check:
             kara has to be run, and it needs to be run by groups capable of doing it in 4-5 hours cleared. This means once you are geared? you're not done, so either help or get the hell out. We don't need you if you're "So beyond Kara".  Solid core groups taking 3-4 new members through kara gears them 2x faster than new groups + gives "active raiders" training in leading kara runs. + badges now increase the speed at which your members gain access to 25 man content.

5. Guild structure.  

        A. Ranks:
             I. Guild leader is responsible for overall progression. This means this person needs to focus on getting leaders running kara, even if that means he has to as well.  Keeping an eye on classes we need and those we have too many of etc etc.
           II. Officers, you need as many officers as you intend to get kara's running. These people are here to lead and grow the guild. Officers are NOT the best geared in the guild. They are the best at mentally being adults and able to lead and help.
         III. Raiders:  This is a group of people who are the core raider for the guild. They MUST have 25 man ready dps/healing and the attitude/dedication to HELP take us there.  A raider may only become a raider by being voted upon by the general raider public (seperate forum accessable only by raider ranked people, as critism will be needed to help train/understand players/chrs). This is an honest and open system NOT to be used to bash the guy you do not like.  
        IV. Guard: (or whatever you wish here)
                         These are people who have shown that they have solid team attitude are willing to learn and accept help + grow their gear without looking for handouts. Willing to help others in quests/instances/progress. Again voted upon by the raiders.

       V. Cohorts/alts (Only 1 actve alt per player that can gain from 25 man raiding must be active and growing or will be booted)
      VI. recruit:  name says it all. Raw material. We have to mould it or break it.

      B: Recruiting Must go through ONE officer who must be willing to keep an eye on class balence/need (having 40 tanks is usless if only 1 shows etc etc)

Raids:  Each Kara raid will have a designated leader. The rest of the raid is filled out by signups. If the members have run in the same raid the previous week there are rolls done (by someone not the leader and in the same party) for each untill the 10 man is filled (class balence 1st then rolls)

*** This keeps us learning from each other and allows raiders to see the growth/skill of newer members.

25 mans: Priority goes to Raider status people -period-.  Everyone may sign up for the raid. So if the raiders do not fill it the raid leader will base Guard/recruits running it based on skill and rolls (if needed) between them.  Also the raid leader may bring in recruits/Guards to 25 mans to see their progress.  (I'll be setting up EWS (web stats) which is a powerful tool for seeing raid skill/dps/etc)

IF we end up with enough raiders, then raiders get to go based on rolls/class balence.  if you ran it twice in a week already but.. hey he's the only tank online then /duh he goes. But if 2 hunters have been in 4 of them but saturday joe bob shows up. joe bob gets to go. remaining raider spots rolled for.

And EPGP should be used for raiding. it's really the most fair system I've found.
 
Just my 2 cents folks. read it, flame it, whatever. But if the guild wants to grow, I believe this formula will work.

Myrid
Aka Neil