Elders: roles of the Clans
BY THE EDITOR
As we’ve discussed previously, the Clans run on strict hierarchies, where every cat has specific duties to carry out based on their rank within the Clan. But what are these ranks, what are their associated duties, and how does a cat achieve any given rank? If you want a broader overview of the ranks and how a cat can go from one to another, you can find that in our visual Clan rank flowchart, but here we’ll be taking a more in-depth look at the specific Clan rank of elder.
Elders are cats who have retired from the active duties of a warrior, medicine cat, leader, or deputy. Oftentimes this is due to old age, but any cat who is unable to perform the duties of any of the other ranks can become an elder. There is no particular assessment for whether a cat is ready to become an elder, rather it is left to the discretion of the leader and the potential elder in question whether their time has come to retire from active duty in their former rank. The ceremony for becoming an elder requires the leader to ask “[Cat’s name], is it your wish to give up the name of warrior and go to join the elders?” When the cat answers “It is”, the leader responds “Your Clan honors you and all the service you have given us. I call upon StarClan to give you many seasons of rest.” The leader rests their tail on the new elder’s shoulder, and the elder’s name is cheered by the rest of the Clan.
Elders are exempt from the duties of hunting or fighting for the Clan, though elders may be drawn into battles that take place within the camp, or called upon to fight in truly dire circumstances. They instead spend their time resting in camp, or walking in the forest and hunting for leisure. Apprentices are tasked with bringing them prey, changing out their bedding, and removing their ticks and fleas. The only true duty expected of an elder is in the case of a death within the Clan – after a final vigil is held for the deceased Clanmate, it is the elders’ job to carry their body out of camp and lay them to rest in their place of burial. The more informal, but most well-known and treasured, duty of the elders is to tell stories to the young cats of the Clan and pass down their moons of wisdom and experience to the next generation. Elders are highly respected for their moons of service, and their well-being is of the highest priority of the Clan next to that of the kits and those vulnerable due to injury and illness.
