To Secretary-General Sheppard
Let me first on behalf of my brother Tim convey congratulations on attaining this position. I know it is tradition for the outgoing Secretary-General to leave some words of wisdom for their successor however in the abscence of my brother I thought it important we try and at least hold part of the tradition together.
My brother has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which manifested itself through a deep psychosis. With the life Tim has lead this is not surprising, to have dedicated a life to campaigning for good causes across Mundus, technically dying twice during the regency crisis, then escaping execution during the Cult of Helus Genocide while having to do something which for Tim was possibly the worst thing he could do, take another human life, there has to be a breaking point and sadly it came at a time he was doing a job he was most proud of. He saw the Secretary-General's position as one which could do great things, could bring the world together and create great solutions to our problems.
Tim believed that anyone working for the CTO needed three things and it is these that I would urge you to embrace.
1. Determination. He often spoke of how at times the CTO was an organisation that could frustrate, it needs strong hands on the rudder to drive it towards its goals. That needs someone determined to get things done in a timely manner, "Every second saves a life" Tim believed the CTO could spend too long talking unless determined to act. You must make it determined.
2. An acceptance you don't know everything. Tim often said "You only know what you know and I know nothing" but he considered that a strength. Realise that a time will come when you need to surround yourself with wise advice, and make picking those your priority. Tim did so with Dr.Merriman, a man he trusted to be his wisdom when he had none.
3. Humanity. Tim believed this had gone. While many in the CTO may now see his attempt at moving the CTO HQ to Uppsala as one connected to his condition I believe that is far from the case. He believed the CTO has lost its humanity. The fact the organisation talks but does not act. The fact many state the organisation does vital work, which they then don't support. Two nations have stood time and time again when asked. If the CTO is to survive it needs a human face, it needs to be approachable and it needs to show it stands with the normal people of Mundus not above them. Imagine the feeling the people of the world would have had seeing people such as yourself sorting the challenges of Mundus from one of its poorest areas, not its richest? Yes it may have seemed insane, but was it really? You must reconnect the CTO with people outside of politics.
These words of advice may mean nothing. They come from a young man who has never held political office, whose sole concern is whether the stresses on my construction projects are calculated correctly. Yet they are from someone who idolises his big brother, who knows that despite what the historians may end up writing about him that he has laid a foundation for yourself to build upon. It is my hope that you can use what he has left to rebuild the CTO into the glorious organisation the idealist Tim Carpenter will look at and smile once he has recovered. When that recovery comes the CTO can rest assured that Tim will be back in CTO action, be it some political role, or as an aid worker, or at worst leading the CTO Fan-Club. I myself will be leaving in the coming days to work as a volunteer in Uppsala, it is my hope that soon I will be joined by people from across many CTO nations.
I wish you the best. May The Gods Watch Over You and Your Secretaryship Know Success.
Greg Carpenter