Strange noises are coming from the dungeons, a terrible rift splits the house into four groups, several shady figures join the staff, and a secret meeting is about to take place… Ok, perhaps the news around Gryffindor isn’t *that* dramatic this month, but there’s still quite a bit going on that you should know about. And what better way is there to find out about recent Gryff events than to read about them in the Gryffindor Owl Post?
Contents:
1. New Staff
2. Den Sorting
3. Words from the Den Leaders
4. September House Meeting
5. Inter-House Points Race
6. September Den Challenge
7. The Den Cup
8. Rubies
9. Paw Print is Hiring
10. Gryffindor Drama Club
11. Something Brewing in the SPD Dungeons
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1. New Staff Members
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The ever-changing Gryffindor staff is pleased to announce that several new members will be joining the staff for the new school year! Leading off the pack is Jessica Summers, who has been promoted from Junior Prefect to full Prefect. Also joining the ranks of Prefect are Angel Blackstone and Amanda Hensgen. Congratulations, and welcome to the staff! Shiny new weapons have recently been sharpened and handed out to these three ladies, so the OP advises you to be on your best behavior around them. Trust us, they know how to use them.
Filling in the ranks of Junior Prefect, we have five aspiring students to add to the staff. Please welcome Ben Ackerman, Ilona Littrell, Jenny Lupin, Johnathan Myrie, and Katie Potter! Unlike our new prefects, the JPs are not as well equipped or trained in terms of weaponry, so feel free to annoy them a bit and see how far you can go before they snap. *g*
The staff would also like to announce that it has added a new slew of Common Room moderators to watch over the CR. Please welcome Eve Shay, Molly Grabau, Pandora Alanis Black, and Zenix James! It should be noted that this talented group of moderators hates spam in any shape or form (be it fried, baked, or anything else) so please avoid using spam.
And finally, four wonderful professors have also joined the Gryffindor staff. Please welcome Prof. Aislynn Willow, Prof. Ebba Brighton, Prof. Pezzie Wolfe, and Prof. Siobhan McTavish! A good way to show your support for these new professors is to take their classes, so go do that!
Once again, welcome to all of our new staff members!
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2. Den Sorting
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The den sorting is almost complete! Den assignments are posted here: http://www.gryff.net/cr/index.php?showtopic=5757. This year, we are naming dens by candy type as well as animal type! Here are the den names and den leaders for the 2006/2007 year.
Caramel Cougars
Prefect: Moiraine Lee
Junior Prefect: Katie Potter
Licorice Lions
Prefect: Amanda Hensgen
Junior Prefect: Jenny Lupin
Peppermint Panthers
Prefect: Angel Blackstone
Junior Prefect: Ilona Littrell
Toffee Tigers
Prefect: Jessica Summers
Junior Prefect: Ben Ackerman
Your den prefects will be sending you your den password soon if they have not already done so. If you haven't been sorted, and aren't on newbie status, go here: http://www.gryff.net/cr/index.php?showtopic=5758. If you are still on newbie status and not in a den yet, you will be sorted when you have been confirmed as a first year. That may take up to a week.
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3. Words from the Den Leaders
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Our four spectacular den leaders and their eager assistant JPs would like to welcome you all to your dens! If you haven’t figured out which den you’re in yet, then look for your name on the master den list and figure it out already! If you know who’s leading you, then check out these welcoming words from your Prefect den leaders.
***
Caramel Cougars
Have you visited the Cougar den yet? Because if you haven't, you really should (no really, if you haven't you really should).
There you can meet your fearless leaders, the not-so-scary-but-prepared-to-be-scared-of-them-anyway duo of Moiraine Lee and Katie Potter, a fifth year nutcase of a BigHead Girl and a second year rubber ball of a newly minted Junior Prefect. This year is a year we hope (well, we know, but why sound selfish?) will be a fun-filled (read: ACTIVE) year with monthly den activities and other things as well. But in order to do that, we'll need you to participate in making this happen.
So, if you get this notice, and have not yet received notice about how to access your Den (ie. You have not received the August introduction Den email which contains the password) PLEASE PM Moiraine Lee or Katie Potter with your email, or else email us at caramel.cougars@gmail.com so that we can send it to you ASAP. We need to be able to contact you after all.
And to the other dens: We have bribes.
Rai and Kaye
***
Licorice Lions
Hi my lovely Licorice Lion Den minions members *g*
As you all already know my name is Amanda Hensgen and I'll be your den leader for the year. I just want to welcome you all to our den once again. I know this year is going to be a lot of fun! Jenny and myself are both extremely excited to get to know everyone and to start of the HOL term with all of you as den members. XD I am positive this year is going to be awesome and a lot of fun as a den. Especially because you're all going to be Oh So Amazingly Active, right. ;D And of course we're going to take first place on every monthly challenge as well. haha. But as I always say activity is key in order to have a successful den. So remember, be active!
Oh and also we're the... Licorice Lions: Sleep is over-rated; Insanity isn't
Your favorite den leader *g*,
Amanda
***
Peppermint Panthers
Howdy, I am Angel Blackstone, or Angle, for the mathematically obsessed or typo-ridden soul. Feel free to call me either name, I will respond promptly and answer all your queries to my best ability. My first prefect assignment would be co-leading the Peppermint Panthers Den along with my partner Ilona Littrell, and I will try my darnedest to make your den experience a memorable one. You mark my words!
As your den leader, I am the person, whom you can toss random questions at, take your (sometimes crazy) suggestions and offer a listening ear. A den would not be successful without the combined efforts of all its members. I look forward to seeing each and every Peppermint Panther showing great enthusiasm and zeal when it comes to den participation. Display that same amount of zest you have as you try to take over the world or when you pull off a mischievous stunt! In no time, the den cup shall have our name on it!
Until then, I hope everyone will have a pleasant start of term.
***
Toffee Tigers
Hey Toffee Tigers, or Ligers as the brilliant girls on IRC have come up with! This is Jessica Summers (Jess) and I, along with my awesome minion borrowed from Juli assistant Ben Ackerman, will be leading the Toffee Tiger den this year. We're going to have a lot of fun, as well as totally pwn in the den challenges, so make sure that you check out the den forum. *nods* If you haven't yet received your den email with all of the den information, send me a PM and I'll be sure to send it to you. So yeah...Ligers for the den cup, yo! XD
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4. September House Meeting
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At last, it's finally time for this year's first house meeting! You can catch the meeting in #gryffhousemeeting on IRC at 9 PM HOL (4 PM EST) on Sunday, September 10th. Come to hear the announcements, come to show off your house pride, come to hang out with your fellow Gryffs, or just come for the free butterbeer and cookies. Either way, make sure to come if you can!
The Rules of Conduct for house meetings can be found here. Please play careful attention to the rules regarding questions and comments. Remember, the people who follow the rules will be showered with cookies and butterbeer while the rules breakers will be shunned to a dark corner and given cod liver oil!
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5. Inter-House Points Race
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Now that the new school year has officially started, so has the Inter-House Points Race. Gryffindor is currently in third place with 1302 points! We’re just 271 points shy of first place, and you can help raise Gryffindor's point total by doing your homework each month. Every little bit helps, so make sure to do all of the assignments and extra credit that you're given. Most class assignments should only take you ten or fifteen minutes to do, and isn't an hour or so of your time each month worth it if it means that Gryffindor wins the points race? (The correct answer would be "YES!")
That's the spirit! And on top of completing your assignments and extra credit each month, you can also earn even more points by participating in the contests held by HOL throughout the year. By earning a good share of points, you'll be supporting Gryffindor and supporting the hard work of your fellow housemates! So does Gryffindor have what it takes to win the Inter-House Points Race this year? The answer is up to you...
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6. September Den Challenge
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The first Den Challenge of the year has started! Back to Hogwarts, a challenge based around going back to school, has five themes. You have to come up with as many ideas as possible for each theme. You don't have to finish all five themes, however. Your den can choose to only do one and come up with as many ideas as possible, or complete all five! A warning: once you have completed a theme, you cannot go back and work on it. This Challenge ends on September 30th, at 11:59 pm HOL time. Have your prefect or junior prefect PM Rachel Baudelaire when your den feels they have completed a theme. Make the subject line obvious... We at the OP have been hearing rumors of letter eating mice lurking around Rae's mailbox!
Another note before you start: don't share any information with other dens. This means how far along your den is on a theme, what theme you are on (as they may not have unlocked that theme yet) or anything else like that. The den with the most ideas wins!! Here is how scoring will work:
1st place - 25 rubies for den members that participate.
2nd place - 15 rubies for den members that participate.
3rd place - 10 rubies for den members that participate.
4th place - 5 rubies for den members that participate.
Good luck!
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7. The Den Cup
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It's important for all dens to try their best in the monthly den challenges because there's more at stake than mere bragging rights for the winners. At the end of the school year, the most successful den overall will be presented with the coveted Den Cup! This highly sought after trophy is only awarded to the den with the highest amount of points from challenges. The higher you place in a challenge, the more points you get, which brings you that much closer to the Cup. There’ll be a total of eight challenges run throughout the year, and every challenge counts. Work hard, do your best, participate like crazy, and then maybe your den can take home the prized Den Cup this year!
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8. Rubies
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"What's a ruby?" you ask? If you think that a ruby is a valuable red gem that can be used in jewelry, then you're wrong. Well actually, you're right, but not really. You see, "ruby" is also the term that Gryffindor uses for its own version of house points (a.k.a. internal house points). When you participate in various Gryffindor activities, such as den challenges or house contests, you'll be awarded with rubies. The more you participate, or the better your den does in den challenges, the more rubies you'll earn! And if you're one of the top ruby earners by the end of the school year, you'll be honored with an incredibly nifty award!
Keep in mind, however, that earning rubies is completely separate from earning points for the inter-house points race. Rubies are solely a Gryffindor thing. On top of that, they're entirely an individual thing too! The number of rubies you earn directly reflects the amount of work you do in Gryffindor, so do your best to increase your ruby totals and show everyone what kind of a Gryffindor you are.
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9. Paw Print is Hiring!
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Paw Print, Gryffindor's house newspaper, is hiring! Run by Prefect Missa Matz, this paper has been a part of Gryffindor for years. If you would like to be a part of this legacy (and earn up to 30 points a month!), go here: http://www.gryff.net/cr/index.php?showtopic=5745.
Applications are due on September 7th. Send applications to missabeechan@yahoo.com with the appropriate subject line. Paw Print can be time consuming, but it is worth it. The staff is hard-working, but the outcome is a hilarious and witty piece of Gryffindor pride.
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10. Gryffindor Drama Club
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Do you like Gryffindor? Do you like drama? Do you like clubs? If you said yes to all of these questions, then kill three birds with one stone by joining the Gryffindor Drama Club! Prof. Ben Quaddler, Ilona Littrell, and Katie Potter, the leaders of Gryffindor’s DC, would like to extend an invitation to everyone interested in joining the drama club. Please check Katie Potter’s post, found here, to learn more about the Gryffindor Drama Club and how to join it.
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11. Something Brewing in the SPD Dungeons
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If you've walked past the SPD dungeon lately, you've probably noticed that strange sounds (well, stranger than usual) have been coming out of that secretive area. Rumor has it that something big is definitely in the works, and it should be coming you way in, oh... about 27 days. If you were here last year, then perhaps you know what the SPD is planning in their dark dungeon. If not, then here's a hint of what's to come: it involves a certain month, a certain house, and a certain special beverage that we all know and love. Stay tuned, because the SPD should soon be leaping out of their dungeon and providing you with an incredible amount of fun and excitement!
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--Owl Post Staff