In the Scope
-QuinoaAOC
In The Scope: Jedi
-QuinoaAOC
This month, In The Scope takes a look at the TAW corporate structure, in particular, its Board of Directors. To some, "corporation" is a dirty word. However at its core a corporation is nothing more than a legal construct that protects the members from liability for the actions of the organization and it protects the organization from the actions of its members. Simply put, a TAW member doesn't have to fear the IRS if TAW fails to manage its money and TAW as a whole doesn't have to fear a member claiming that they own the name, the servers, or the funds of TAW.
One member in a particularly unique position to discuss this is Gen Jedi [TAW] . Not only did he serve as TAW's treasurer for years, he was also the member on the hook if TAW ran afoul of the IRS. No current member has been in TAW as long nor personally risked as much for TAW as Jedi. Here's what he had to tell us:
What positions did you hold in TAW before being asked to join the Board of Directors?
I started in TAW in Battlefield 1942 as a squad member, followed by Squad Leader, Battlefield Commander and then Division Officer. I moved into Task Force Operations to become the War College Commandant (similar to a Division Commander of the TAW Education Center [EDU] ), then Senior Commander of Administration (what is now Operations Commander), and lastly Treasury Support Commander.
When you joined TAW, did you ever think you would find yourself as a corporate board member with so much responsibility over the contributions of the members?
Back in 2003, when I joined TAW, incorporation of TAW was not on anyone’s mind and I joined to play Battlefield 1942 with others who had a passion for video game teamwork. I was perfectly happy playing but TAW needed help in administration duties and I accepted becoming the main “bean counter”. I reluctantly left that position to move onto the board.
Why did TAW incorporate instead of continuing to exist as a “normal” gaming community?
It can be boiled down to death & taxes. Prior to incorporation TAW’s taxes rested on a single member (me) who reported all the income personally as self-income. As TAW grew so did the level of donations that came in as well as the expenses. The fear from Task Force Operations was if we ever got sued, for whatever reason, legally it would fall on the person filing taxes to defend TAW. That was too much of a burden for any one person. In addition while I was bestowed the trust of keeping TAW, in the eyes of the law, legal (ie. reporting income) TAW was not mine so to speak. If I would have died TAW’s money would have been stuck in my estate while stuff got sorted out. So to ensure TAW’s assets were safe, incorporation was the vehicle chosen. Now no one can claim TAW’s assets.
As a member of the board, what do you see as your primary responsibility to the members and the organization?
Coming from TAW’s Treasury, my focus is mainly on finances. Are we doing enough to protect TAW’s assets, what outside forces (new laws, financial unrest) do we need to be aware of, are there new sources of income we should look at.
How does being a corporation benefit the members of TAW?
From the financial point of view (which is my background) it ensures TAW’s assets (your donations) are safe. No one member can steal funds or take a server and run off with it claiming it is his/hers. The early days of a Division Commander taking all the divisional funds and part of the division to start a new clan are over.
The bigger picture is that while TAW members focus on playing and divisional staff focus on ensuring members have fun the board’s duties are on long term growth and stability.
Where does the Board of Directors fall in the Chain of Command?
The board is outside the scope of the Chain of Command. Board members are not allowed to hold leadership positions within TAW to ensure there is no conflict of interest. The board does not deal with the daily operations of TAW but can provide guidance and support to the TAW leadership.
Where do you see TAW going in the future? Do you think incorporating will slow us down or accelerate our growth as a community?
The future of TAW depends on its leadership and their goals, not the board. We are merely here to ensure that the leaders stay true to the Code of Ethics of TAW. TAW’s future is in continuing to provide a place where honor, friendship, loyalty, and fair play exist and flourish. Those 4 pillars are what set TAW apart from the rest of the world and why TAW has lasted so long.
How long have you been a member of TAW and how has TAW changed over the years? What changes stick out the most to you?
I joined TAW on July 18, 2013. At this time, I am the longest serving member in TAW with 13 and a half years in TAW as of 02/10/2017. Back when I joined, TAW was so much smaller with only a handful of games (about 10) and an ugly military green website that was more text based then graphical. The biggest change is the development of leadership within TAW. We went from a small group of members playing together to an organization that actual trains and produces leaders from its membership. The skills our leadership staff is learning can indeed translate into the real world either to jobs or other social organizations. In shorts while we play video games we are also a leadership school so to speak.
In The Scope: Icarus
-QuinoaAOC
This month, In The Scope takes a look at the TAW corporate structure, in particular, its Board of Directors. To some, "corporation" is a dirty word. However at its core a corporation is nothing more than a legal construct that protects the members from liability for the actions of the organization and it protects the organization from the actions of its members. Simply put, a TAW member doesn't have to fear the IRS if TAW fails to manage its money and TAW as a whole doesn't have to fear a member claiming that they own the name, the servers, or the funds of TAW.
Serving on the board is Gen5 Icarus [BF 1]. In addition to a term as Commander-in-Chief, Icarus has served in just about every leadership role in TAW. He was also an integral part of the formation of TAW as a corporation as he was the outgoing CiC when TAW incorporated. Here is what the man had to tell us:
What positions did you hold in TAW before being asked to join the Board of Directors?
I have held most positions in TAW starting at DI, SL, XO, DO (this was before there was a DC position), CC, SC, and CIC. [Drill Instructor, Squad Leader, Executive Officer, Division Officer, Central Command, Support Command, and Commander-in-Chief] I am sure that I missed a bunch and I used the current position names as many at the CC level [positions] have changed over the years.
When you joined TAW, did you ever think you would find yourself as a corporate board member with so much responsibility over the contributions of the members?
Absolutely not! I joined TAW in 2011 (I think) and I just loved my game and was excited to find a great group to play with. I joined TAW playing Far Cry and I loved the squad play and teamwork. TAW only had about a couple hundred members when I joined, so incorporation wasn’t really needed.
Why did TAW incorporate instead of continuing to exist as a “normal” gaming community?
The largest driver was one of liability. TAW receives tens of thousands of dollars a year in donations and rents dozens of servers. When you get this large your exposure to risk increases such that if we were ever sued (for whatever reason) and we were not a corporation, the personal assets of the leadership could be at risk. Obviously the TAW leadership always kept personal and TAW assets separate, but this is another step to prevent anyone “piercing the veil” (It sounds bad but it basically means chasing personal assets through legal action against a corporation). The other major issue was taxes. It was no longer fair to ask a TAW member to accept the tax risk of the organization when it is this large.
As a member of the board, what do you see as your primary responsibility to the members and the organization?
I don’t think that I can say it better than it is outlined in our Articles of Incorporation:
5.02 Purpose of the Board of Directors
The purpose of the Board of Directors is to support the success of The Art of Warfare, Inc through:
- Determining mission and purpose
- Supporting and evaluating senior leadership
- Ensuring effective planning
- Monitoring and strengthening programs and services
- Ensuring adequate financial resources
- Protecting assets and providing financial oversight
- Ensuring legal and ethical integrity
- Enhancing the organization's public standing
How does being a corporation benefit the members of TAW?
The main benefit as a member is knowing that there is a core team that is always trying to look “big picture” about TAW’s future. We are looking out to try to avoid the major problems that could hurt the organization like financial or legal issues, or the commercialization of TAW. More though we want to try to help make TAW more successful by supporting key initiatives in technology and leadership.
Where does the Board of Directors fall in the Chain of Command?
It doesn’t in the classic sense of TAW. According to our Articles, TAW Board members cannot hold Administrative Leadership positions in TAW. This means that we can influence and support the CIC and CC leadership of the organization, but we do not get involved in basic TAW operations. The Board can intervene during a crisis with senior leadership, but that is only there to ensure continuity in the organization and is unlikely to ever be needed.
Where do you see TAW going in the future? Do you think incorporating will slow us down or accelerate our growth as a community?
I think that TAW is going to continue to define what it means to the premiere online gaming community in the world. I think that we will define success through our ability to develop our leaders. Everything else flows from that. Growth is a funny metric because it comes in surges. I think that once we can support more leaders with better technology TAW can grow again. We are also limited by the games that come down the pipe!
How long have you been a member of TAW and how has TAW changed over the years? What changes stick out the most to you?
I joined TAW in July of 2004. TAW has changed in a huge number of ways. Back when I joined the TS was completely private and we had a separate one for doing bootcamps! But the biggest change has been in the quality and quantity of incredible leadership. We had some bumpy times to get through as an organization to get to where we are today. The greatest thing to come out of that is the caliber of leadership being identified and developed in TAW every day. Thank you all for all that you do to make TAW such an amazing community!
Back Ground Courtesy of Sniper Elite III