Leader's Guide

[Shells]

LEADER'S GUIDE
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Begin all Clan meetings with:

• "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join together for a Clan meeting."
  
  OR
  
  
• "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the [highrock, highbranch, treestump, etc] for a Clan meeting."
  

Apprentice Ceremony:

Leader: (Kit), you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as (new name, ending with "paw"). Your mentor will be (name of warrior or medicine cat). I hope (name of warrior or medicine cat) will pass down all he/she knows to you.

The leader calls up the warrior he/she has chosen as a mentor.

Leader: (Warrior), you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from (former mentor), and you have shown yourself to be (quality) and (quality). You will be the mentor of (apprentice), and I expect you to pass on all you know to (apprentice).

Warrior Ceremony:

Leader: I, (Leader), leader of (Clan), call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. (He/she) has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend (him/her) to you as a warrior in (his/her) turn.
Leader: (Apprentice), do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?
Apprentice: I do.
Leader: Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. (Apprentice), from this moment you will be known as (new warrior name). StarClan honors your (virtues), and we welcome you as a full warrior of (Clan).

Warrior Name Change Ceremony:

Leader: "Spirits of StarClan, you know every cat by name. I ask you now to take away the name from the cat you see before you, for it no longer stands for what he/she is. By my authority as Clan leader, and with the approval of our warrior ancestors, I give this cat a new name. From this moment on he/she will be known as (new name), for (description of the reason)."

Deputy Ceremony:

Leader: I say these words before StarClan, that the spirits of our warrior ancestors (or former deputy name) may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of (Clan) is (warrior's name).

Elder Ceremony:

Leader: (Warrior), is it your wish to give up the name of a warrior and go to join the elders?
Warrior: It is.
Leader: Your Clan honors you and all the service you have given to us. I call upon StarClan to give you many moons of rest.

Medicine Cat Ceremony:

Medicine Cat: I, (name), medicine cat of (Clan), call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. (He/she) has trained hard to understand the ways of a medicine cat, and with your help (he/she) will serve (his/her) Clan for many moons.
Medicine Cat: (Apprentice), do you promise to uphold the ways of a medicine cat, to stand apart from rivalry between Clan and Clan and to protect all cats equally, even at the cost of your life?
Apprentice: I do.
Medicine Cat: Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your true name as a medicine cat. (Apprentice), from this moment you will be known as (new name). StarClan honors your (virtues), and we welcome you as a full medicine cat of (Clan).

Dying Apprentice Ceremony:

Leader: I ask my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. (He/She) has learned the warrior code and given up (his/her) life in the service of (his/her) Clan. Let StarClan receive (him/her) as a warrior. (He/She) will be known as (new name).

[/justify]