Nominations for Hearthlight Vice President are officially closed. Official voting for this position will begin Feb 1 and last until Feb 29. We’ll also be voting on some updated rules, so check with your National Council Representative for those details.
If you would like to vote in this election, be sure to confirm your membership status ASAP and you will receive a ballot by email Feb 1.
Candidate for Vice President:
Mundane Name: Adam Leofsky
Mundane Pronouns: He/They
Game Name: Ryer of Barenheim
Game Pronouns: He/They
Home Realm: Barenheim
Bio
I'm Ryer of Barenheim, member of the Radiant Band. I came out to my first practice November 2018. I met a lot of great people and have had great times and I want to give back to the community that's helped me by serving as Vice President.
What makes you qualified for the position of Vice President of Hearthlight?
My drive to be Vice President comes from the suggestion of a close personal friend and member of the community. While not normally a role I would seek, I believe my involvement can help further the goals of Hearthlight, and serve a community that has become very important to me.
I joined Hearthlight in Barenheim in November 2018, and found a fantastic community that mentored me, befriended me, and accepted me. I will be the first to admit that my experience with medievalism and roleplay is shorter than many others. I’ve enjoyed the martial side of the community in large field battles at events like Siege of Imaldris, Founding of Eire, and Siege of the Azure Castle, as well as dueling at practice. The community has also helped me practice my creative side, with the arts and sciences. I have yet to sew a garment, but I’ve learned embroidery and taken up baking thanks to inspiration from other members. I’ve met many people I consider role models and have grown as a fighter, as a crafter, and as a person because of them.
Away from Hearthlight I have a construction project management and coordination background. In addition to career experience managing large projects, I've also worked with a national non-profit trade organization as part of a team that developed and implemented professional education for related trades on a national scale. I intend to use this experience to educate and spread information both within the community and to potential new members.
An important component of Hearthlight is our diversity and acceptance. No other community I have been a part of has made me feel more welcome or safe, and I trust Heathlight to be a safe place for my friends. In particular, I felt empowered and welcomed by the existence of LGBTQ+ meetups at events. I have spoken to others who felt similarly about the POC meetup. I want to continue the tradition of acceptance and safety that I felt, and make sure all members of the community and prospective newcomers can feel the same way.
I know some of the responsibilities of Vice President are judicial in nature, and I intend to ensure fair and impartial decisions are made. I understand that in a service role such as Vice President the first priority in all things is to ensure the continued safety of all members. I would also like to see Hearthlight grow, both in total membership and number of chapters. I also think it is important to show the many skills our community has, beyond combat. While there are always people willing to ‘swing stick’, I think we can invest more of our efforts into arts and sciences, without compromising the fighting.
My personal experiences with the Hearthlight community and my professional skills put me in a position where I have much to offer. Giving back to Hearthlight is important to me. While I can never repay the community for all it has done for me, I hope to have a chance to serve as well as the previous leaders have.