Santa Tracker Herald Star – Page 32

The North Pole Schedule: Chat Recap

October 10, 2021/2 Comments/in Chat Recap, Christmas Newswire, Tracking News/by Elf Harold Star

The North Pole Schedule was the topic of a chat with Elf Ernest, Senior Vice President of Public Relations at the North Pole. The chat was held with Elf Ernest and Elf Max on Saturday, October 9 in Elf Chat.

The purpose of the chat was to answer some questions that had come in about planned events at the North Pole and to review the general information about the event themselves.

This is a very busy time of year at the North Pole. Not only are all preparations being made for Santa’s flight but production is ramped up in Santa’s workshop, the reindeer are in training, and elves everywhere are getting ready for Operation Merry Christmas.

Here is that discussion, rich with details about the North Pole Halloween Party especially:

Elf Max	Hi Ernest, thanks for being here today
Elf Max	Our chat will discuss the schedule at the North Pole in the coming weeks
Elf Max	Just so everyone knows, I will briefly discuss this with Elf Ernest
Elf Max	Then we will open the chat up for whatever questions folks might have
Elf Ernest	Thanks, Max
Elf Max	Ernest, we have a calendar, so why is this discussion happening today?
Elf Ernest	Well, we do publish what is coming up but I think they sometimes generate a lot of questions
Elf Max	So today we’re going to work on answers to those questions?
Elf Ernest	Yeah. It’s the little stuff you can’t put on the calendar. I think the North Pole Halloween Party and the Elf Parade are the ones generating most of the questions
Elf Max	Ah, I get it now.
Elf Max	So where do we begin?
Elf Ernest	Well, there are a number of chats – some already on the calendar, and several yet to be added
Elf Max	Yes, I think Elf Sandy Claus is the headliner at North Pole Chat this month
Elf Ernest	Yes, that’s right. That has been on the calendar for a long time. She will be chatting about elf jobs
Elf Max	Right – a lot of people have questions!
Elf Ernest	Yes, as we expected. Sandy is super busy so this will be a great time to catch her
Elf Max	Ok, so the chats are going to increase in frequency. Good to know. What else is coming up?
Elf Ernest	Well, the big Halloween Party is happening at the North Pole again.
Elf Max	Yes, that’s a big news item and popular event. Why would tracker elves want to know about it?
Elf Ernest	Well, it’s impossible for them to join the party, cause it’s at the North Pole, but you wouldn’t believe the questions we get
Elf Max	Oh, like what?
Elf Ernest	Just the fun stuff, you know, like the costumes certain elves are making or wearing
Elf Max	Maybe we should do a chat with some of those elves to talk about it?
Elf Ernest	We might. We also are kicking around the idea of maybe a special Halloween episode of the North Pole Podcast
Elf Max	Ok. What else besides costumes do they want to know about?
Elf Ernest	Well, the party itself. They know about the annual food fight but they want more details about other stuff
Elf Max	Like what?
Elf Ernest	The games and the activities
Elf Max	Ok…can you give me an example of one of those?
Elf Ernest	Well, we bob for snowballs.
Elf Max	You…wait, WHAT?
Elf Ernest	Yeah, it’s different but it’s a scream
Elf Max	It sounds cold. How does it work?
Elf Ernest	Well it starts with a big tub of hot chocolate…
Elf Max	Huh?
Elf Ernest	Yeah, we put snowballs in it and elves have to fish them out before they melt. You get an elf on either side and the one who fishes out the most snowballs wins.
Elf Max	But…sticking their faces in HOT chocolate? Won’t that burn?
Elf Ernest	It’s not that hot….it’s merely warm. And a little sticky
Elf Max	Ok, now that’s a very different Halloween game. I like it!
Elf Ernest	It’s very popular. Almost as popular as the limbo contest
Elf Max	I have heard about that.
Elf Ernest	The limbo contest is very traditional. It’s how low you can go and elves just love to compete in it
Elf Max	The Halloween Party at the North Pole is always big. But Halloween this year is on a Sunday, I think
Elf Ernest	Yes, good point. The party is on Saturday. And the elves working Santa’s sleigh will take a break and come home for that weekend.
Elf Max	Ok, we look forward to the news coverage of the Halloween party. What happens next?
Elf Ernest	Well, that period between Halloween and Thanksgiving is really the big time for decorating homes at the North Pole
Elf Max	Oh yeah, I forgot about that
Elf Ernest	Yeah, it’s a quiet time, a little bit, because elves are in their homes, stringing lights and putting up trees but trying to hide what they are doing from everyone else
Elf Max	Why are they hiding?
Elf Ernest	Well, on Thanksgiving evening there’s a contest
Elf Ernest	Santa goes on walkabout and the entire village goes with him to see all the homes and the lights
Elf Ernest	There’s a prize for the best decorated
Elf Max	Oh I see
Elf Ernest	Yeah, if there’s a competition elves are all over it.
Elf Max	Yeah. I’d be the same way
Elf Ernest	But that’s really the end of a very long and fun day at the North Pole
Elf Max	Yes, I’m learning that people want to know more
Elf Ernest	Thanksgiving Day begins with the Elf Parade. Which is a HUGE deal
Elf Max	Yes, lots of questions about that, Ernest. Many elves around the world want to participate
Elf Ernest	They will get their chance. We are going to hold a little contest for elves out there who want to dress up, decorate their trikes or bikes, and upload their pictures or videos to SantaUpdate.com
Elf Max	Oh, that sounds fun!
Elf Ernest	Yes, we’d love to see how creative our remote elves can be with this
Elf Ernest	You know, Santa started this parade many, many years ago as a way for the elves to have some fun during a pretty stressful time
Elf Ernest	And they do that, it’s very much an event with a lot of creativity, lots of smiles and good laughs
Elf Max	It sounds like a ton of fun. Will there be radio coverage from the parade this year?
Elf Ernest	Yes, and we’re looking at ways to make it more detailed – maybe a radio show instead of just a news report this year
Elf Max	Oh wow, that would be cool
Elf Ernest	Yeah, we’re talking to the news guys about it. Nothing official to announce yet but maybe we’ll have something soon
Elf Max	Very exciting!
Elf Max	What happens between the Elf Parade and the walkabout with Santa?
Elf Ernest	Well, there’s the big North Pole Thanksgiving luncheon, you know, turkey with all the trimmings.
Elf Max	Of course! Duh….
Elf Max	What about the next day?
Elf Ernest	The next day is what is sometimes referred to as the launch of Operation Merry Christmas
Elf Ernest	Early, early in the morning in Santa’s workshop there’s a little ceremony
Elf Ernest	High at the top of the ceiling in the atrium is a giant clock
Elf Ernest	On day #1 of Operation Merry Christmas, the day after Thanksgiving, that clock begins a long descent…dropping a little each day until Santa launches
Elf Ernest	By the time launch day arrives the clock is just about at eye level for most workshop workers
Elf Max	Why in the workshop? Why doesn’t this happen, say, out in the village?
Elf Ernest	Well, this is a very very old tradition at the workshop. Back in the day the workshop is where EVERYTHING happened. The mailroom was in there, the wrapping was done in there, and the sleigh was built in there
Elf Max	Oh wow. I had no idea
Elf Ernest	Yeah, so when it was all together the clock kind of was the center of focus for everyone
Elf Ernest	But of course each of these departments have grown and have moved out of the workshop as the population of the world has changed things for us
Elf Max	Do other departments have clocks too? Even if they are separate?
Elf Ernest	Actually, in a nod to modern technology, they have web cams
Elf Max	Seriously?
Elf Ernest	Yes, the clock is continually shown on big screens in every department. Even North Pole Flight Command works from that little web cam image
Elf Max	That’s really amazing
Elf Ernest	Again, just one of those little details
Elf Max	After that weekend…is that pretty much it for events at the North Pole?
Elf Ernest	Well, no – there are lots of little events that happen in the run up to Christmas. Traditional stuff like concerts
Elf Ernest	There is a production of A Christmas Carol that runs on the Village Stage
Elf Max	What’s the Village Stage?
Elf Ernest	It’s our local theater
Elf Max	Oh
Elf Ernest	There is a devotional at the North Pole Chapel on the Sunday before Christmas which is also really traditional
Elf Ernest	But honestly, once that clock starts dropping we’re all focused on one thing and that’s getting Santa’s sleigh off the ground
Elf Max	Ok…Ernest, thank you for all this great detail today.
Elf Ernest	My pleasure. We will try to share as much as we can as we go along with the Santa updates
Elf Max	We all watch for them religiously!
Elf Ernest	Thank you, I appreciate it

Secrets of Santa Explored in New Santa Tracker Podcast

October 5, 2021/1 Comment/in Christmas Newswire, Tracking News/by Elf Max

Elf Frank Myrrh has just posted a new episode of the Santa Trackers Podcast addressing the secrets of Santa’s flight. This interesting episode expands on the controversial recent episode of the North Pole Podcast over at SantaUpdate.com, titled Around the World in One Night.

Here is the new tracker episode:

While there is a lot of talk about non-believers in this episode I like to focus instead on the meatier topics related to Santa’s flight plan and all that goes into making that historic sleigh ride every Christmas.

I hope Frank and Crash continue to answer track elf questions in this fashion. It’s very interesting.

SantaTrackers.net Flooded with Applications

October 2, 2021/2 Comments/in Santa Tracker Herald Star, Tracking News/by Elf Harold Star

SantaTrackers.net is seeing an unprecedented number of new tracker elf registrations. Emergency meetings held late Friday, October 1st, saw elves added to SantaTracker.net support from other departments.

“Elf Max and his team at SantaTrackers.net have done an exemplary job in building that website and supporting the new elf community there,” Elf Ernest, Senior Vice President of Public Relations said. “But with Santa’s call for 200 million tracker elves by the time he launches is resulting in a dynamic never seen in the history of that site. We had to get them some help.”

SantaTrackers.net is in its 5th year of operation. Elf Ernest said the greatest burden is with the Department of Elf Resources, which is slammed with new elf applications, elf job requests, as well as questions from new elves all over the world.

Elf Ernest indicates that elves from administrative teams at the North Pole Post Office, the Wrapping Department, Public Relations and Reindeer Operations have all been shifted in duties to help with the needs at SantaTrackers.net.

Elf Roger Star, International Director of Santa Trackers, says the needs will only continue to grow in the weeks ahead.

“It is important to realize these are administrative needs – evaluating elf talent, interviewing elves, pushing paperwork and consulting with Santa and Elf Supervisors – all stuff that does not require tracker elf knowledge per se,” Elf Roger said. “We just need to get elves in place, get them trained, and answer their concerns before Santa flies. Right now, there’s a log jam in just getting the registered and counted. We’ll be working on this for the next several weeks and all this elf power shifted to the Department of Elf Resources and the work they do for SantaTrackers.net will be really helpful.”

Elf Max will continue to spearhead elf communications and site management. He will be supported in scheduled chats by trained elves and, of course, by the news teams.

We hope the elves frequenting SantaTrackers.net will bear with us as we go through these growing pains over the next several weeks.

How Tracking Santa for Santa Works

September 28, 2021/4 Comments/in Christmas Newswire, Tracking News/by Elf Harold Star

How Tracking Santa for Santa Works was the title of a special elf chat between Elf Max and Elf Roger Star, International Director of Santa Trackers at the North Pole. Here is their conversation:

Elf Max	Hello, Elves. Our chat with Elf Roger Star will begin at the top of the hour.
Elf Max	Today’s chat is an informational event, meaning Elf Roger and I will hold a discussion that will be archived. It is designed to be reviewed later by those who cannot attend.
Elf Max	If you have questions you want to ask, please wait until Roger and I have completed our discussion.
Elf Roger Star	Hello, Max. Let’s go.
Elf Max	Joining us today is Elf Roger Star, International Director of Santa Trackers at the North Pole
Elf Max	Roger is here to provide information about How Tracking Santa for Santa Works. Roger, what’s the first thing people need to know about tracking Santa?
Elf Roger Star	I think it is important that people understand that the way we track Santa is not the way most people track Santa
Elf Max	What do you mean?
Elf Roger Star	In the age of the Internet there are a lot of websites out there who put up a map and just say “There’s Santa”. That is how they track him. We can’t do that.
Elf Max	Why not?
Elf Roger Star	Our job, as elves, is to help Santa get around the world.
Elf Roger Star	So our tracking of Santa comes with some responsibility TO Santa.
Elf Roger Star	We, as tracker elves, feed information about our local area to North Pole Flight Command
Elf Roger Star	Flight Command then organizes that information and feeds it to Santa
Elf Roger Star	That requires tracker elves to know where Santa is at all times and to know what Flight Command needs in order to help Santa
Elf Max	Roger, why has the North Pole set it up this way?
Elf Roger Star	Well, the world is a big place. When we first started, Flight Command was set up as a means to just communicate with Santa
Elf Roger Star	He took off into the world and he had to deal with whatever he ran into
Elf Roger Star	Flight Command, after a few years, started sending out scouts to different parts of the world ahead of Santa
Elf Roger Star	Just so that he could know before he got somewhere if he would run into any problems
Elf Roger Star	But we found we just didn’t have enough elves to do that. The answer was to get more elves
Elf Roger Star	So since that time we have slowly working to find people who could be an elf, who wanted to help Santa, and who could give timely information about stuff going on where they live that could be passed along to Santa
Elf Max	Okay, so how does tracking Santa for Santa then work?
Elf Roger Star	Most wait until Christmas Eve to look at their maps to see where Santa is. Many in some parts of the world are surprised to learn that Santa has already taken off
Elf Roger Star	In tracking Santa we do not believe in surprises, Max
Elf Roger Star	We believe in planning. Elves should know ahead of time when Santa is taking off, where he is headed and what information he requires.
Elf Max	So you’re saying someone tracking Santa here cannot wait until December 24th to get started.
Elf Roger Star	Correct
Elf Roger Star	It is vital that weeks and months ahead of time they are on the North Pole websites.
Elf Roger Star	They should be reading the North Pole News
Elf Roger Star	They should know what’s happening with the development and test flights of Santa’s sleigh
Elf Roger Star	They should be up on the condition and readiness of the reindeer
Elf Roger Star	And they should be training to understand how to fill out reports for the North Pole for when it really counts
Elf Max	Well, how do they know when it counts?
Elf Roger Star	Well, obviously not much is going to count until December
Elf Roger Star	But honestly, it is set up in such a way that an Elf Supervisor can say to all the elves in their sector “Hey, Santa wants a roof report”, and then they would send in that report for their area right away
Elf Max	Will there be a lot of calls for that in December?
Elf Roger Star	It depends, but, yeah, there could be. Santa is a planner and to plan he needs information. He might want to know the specific weather report for certain areas, or maybe if there are construction delays in some places. It just depends.
Elf Roger Star	We really don’t know what he will want to know or when he will want to know it.
Elf Roger Star	As a general rule, I’d say elves tracking Santa for Santa need to be ready to supply information up to a whole week before Santa takes off.
Elf Max	Wow…that IS tracking Santa different. Roger, what goes in to tracking Santa from the North Pole perspective?
Elf Roger Star	Well we have a lot more to worry about than just know how Santa flies.
Elf Roger Star	Flight Command is following not just Santa’s sleigh, but thousands of sleighs.
Elf Roger Star	Long before Santa takes flight we launch something we call Operation Airlift
Elf Roger Star	It uses thousands of sleighs who do different things in support of Santa
Elf Roger Star	We still send out scout sleighs
Elf Roger Star	We send out weather trackers, sleighs that stay in the skies constantly to report on severe weather issues all over the world
Elf Roger Star	And of course, we coordinate the moving of a lot of freight
Elf Roger Star	Santa’s sleigh can only hold so much stuff and his sack only holds less than that
Elf Roger Star	We support Santa by keeping him continually stocked with the stuff that he delivers
Elf Roger Star	That effort alone takes better than 40,000 sleighs and hundreds of thousands of elves
Elf Roger Star	Sleighs are taking off and coming in to the sleigh port long before Santa takes off and long after he returns
Elf Roger Star	There are a lot of things in motion
Elf Max	Does Flight Command have one map that shows all those flights?
Elf Roger Star	No, it’s too confusing to do that. And it is information, a lot of it, that people don’t need.
Elf Roger Star	What we try to stay focused on is Santa. That’s the most important sleigh. The rest of it is managed by responsible elves who also have to know where Santa is all the time
Elf Max	Are their any conflicts in the air with so many sleighs flying around?
Elf Roger Star	We have never had an accidents. We stagger the sleighs at different altitudes. Outbound flights will fly at one altittude and inbound in another – and Santa can go wherever he needs to go. We keep the other sleighs out of his way
Elf Max	Roger, what are the odds that people out there in the world can see a flying sleigh on December 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th?
Elf Roger Star	Actually, the odds are pretty good. It is hard to keep that many sleighs hidden.
Elf Max	Do you want them to be hidden?
Elf Roger Star	We want them to be safe. The less people can see them the lower the chances of something bad happening.
Elf Max	Let’s talk about what happens in the skies BEFORE Santa takes off. What is that process?
Elf Roger Star	Our first flights of Operation Merry Christmas usually launch around December 22nd. Those flights are dedicated to tracking weather events around the world. They are the sleighs and the reindeer who stay up the longest
Elf Max	Do trackers track those flights?
Elf Roger Star	No, these are very technical sleighs we send. They are wired to the teeth. We manage them mostly online, using special technology
Elf Max	Ok, then what happens?
Elf Roger Star	Well, all that time we are gathering information from our Regional tracking centers. The is a tracking center for each sector. We use that information to make lists of follow-up information we might need.
Elf Max	You lost me, what does that mean?
Elf Roger Star	Each Regional Tracking Center, from the day they open, sends in a daily report. Even now at the end of September we get that information.
Elf Roger Star	From those reports we match up what is known about believers in that sector. Using Santa’s lists and combining what we know, we develop new lists of stuff we’re concerned about.
Elf Roger Star	Let me give you an example from Sector 1, where there are a lot of islands.
Elf Roger Star	There’s a little island not far off the coast of New Zealand. A believer there by the name of Mela is someone Santa has special information about.
Elf Roger Star	But this is an isolated, small island where high winds are frequently a problem. Landing a sleigh there is tough
Elf Roger Star	So, we are studying weather patterns and wind tendencies on that island. Santa has a mission to deliver for Mela and he does not want to fail.
Elf Roger Star	Our job, between now and Christmas, is to make it safe for Santa to get in and out of there.
Elf Roger Star	Fortunately, we have a tracker elf on that island, an elf we know as Elf Pringle. Pringle is feeding us instrument readings.
Elf Roger Star	Now, granted, that’s an unusual request for a tracker elf. But he’s willing to do it and he’s doing good work.
Elf Roger Star	We are confident that between now and Christmas we will have all we need to direct Santa so that he and the reindeer can go there safely and deliver
Elf Roger Star	We have millions of such situations. Some require more information that others. But all of them require a lot of work.
Elf Max	Wow, I had no idea. That’s really detailed. How can North Pole Flight Command keep all this straight?
Elf Roger Star	Well, we’re not perfect but we work hard to help Santa as much as we can.
Elf Max	Roger, thank you for taking the time to explain this. Will you be available for follow-up questions?
Elf Roger Star	Of course. We can schedule more chats, handle questions by message or email. We will do whatever we can to train the millions of elves Santa is asking for.
Elf Max	Great, thanks for the chat today, Roger.
Elf Roger Star	Thank you and Merry Christmas.

Santa Decides on Just One Tracker Elf Conference

August 10, 2021/3 Comments/in Christmas Newswire, Tracking News/by Elf Max

Another Tracker Elf Conference has been scheduled before Santa’s flight. It will be held here on SantaTrackers.net on Saturday, December 18, 2021 from 10am EST until Noon EST. The conference agenda and assigned speakers will be announced at a later date.

With the high number of new elf recruits expected this year it was debated if more than one conference was necessary. After hearing from a number of lead elves from various departments Santa decided to hold just one conference on the date mentioned above.

“It was a difficult decision,” Elf Roger Star, International Director of Santa Trackers said. “We know there will be millions of elves who will sign up between December 18th and December 23rd, and they will miss the conference. But a goodly number of the elves we will have on board for Christmas will be ready and we feel December 18th is a good time to hold the meetings.”

Details of the Tracker Elf Conference are pending. You do have time right now to help shape the agenda of the conference by providing your suggestions for topics to be covered and personalities from the North Pole you want to hear from. Visit this link to provide your input.

As more details become available for this Tracker Elf Conference we will, of course, update you right here.

Recruiting Elves is Going Well

August 2, 2021/3 Comments/in Elf Tips, Tracking News/by Elf Roger Star

My Fellow Trackers of Santa: the recruiting of elves is going very well. Many of you do not seem to think so. Some of you feel the goal set by Santa is too high. I’m writing today to teach you a little bit about keeping up with the numbers.

Below is a chart that shows how many elves we recruited last year. The only thing to see in this chart is that the numbers for last year are different. In the end, the trend you see in the chart will be very similar to this:

You will note that our growth curve last year was pretty steady until the end of November – then it exploded in the month of December.

Let’s talk a little about that. The numbers recently released has some of you concerned. Some of you are feeling a little discouraged by both the recent results and the big goal that Santa has set.

That is the wrong reaction, elves. You should be happy. In fact, you should be giddy and gleeful and over-the-moon insanely nuts about what has happened so far.

Why?

Well, you cannot look at the percentages and say “Gee, we could do better”. If we worked on percentages alone, a 4% increase from June to July does not look great. But look closer and what do you see? You see that Sector 1 added almost 400,000 elves from June to July.

Last year, in Sector 1, from June to July, only 74,514 elves were added.

Can you see the difference? On a percentage basis the growth is not that great. But on a real head count basis it’s off the charts – a record breaker!

This is good news. Any growth is good news. But I tell you this is more than just “any growth”. It is insane growth.

Santa was a genius to come up with this goal. Without it, we would not be doing as well as we are doing.

Now, over the course of the next several days your elf supervisor in every sector will be sharing the numbers – just as Elf Randi and Elf Tubby have already shared. I am meeting with each one. I will continue to meet with each one.

I am telling them – and I am telling you – don’t worry too much about the numbers. Do the best you can. That is all Santa asks.

As the chart above shows, we are never going to meet the goal with big months before December. It has never happened and it will not happen this year.

I will tell you this: I wouldn’t trade a SINGLE elf we recruit in December for those we get in the months before. Focus on finding believers who want to be elves. Do not waste your time with non-believers, mockers, bullies and those who scorn. Our best elves are recruited between now and Thanksgiving.

Why is that?

Human nature, I suppose. A lot of people will scoff at talking about Christmas in August. Let them scoff. Those same people will be back the week before Christmas begging to become elves.

They won’t be great elves, like you are. They won’t fully understand how to track Santa for Santa, like you do. You are here now. You are learning the way. You will be ready in ways they never can be from coming on board just a few days before Christmas.

Keep your head screwed on straight. We are doing very well. Most sectors are reporting similar numbers. They are nothing to scream about on a percentage basis. But on a real head count basis they are impressive and happy numbers.

If things are not going well, I will send that message personally.

But I am here today to tell you things are going GREAT. I do not anticipate that to change. Trust Santa. Trust the numbers. Trust yourself.

Thank you.

Elf Trixie’s Elf Journey

July 22, 2021/3 Comments/in Elves in the News/by Elf Harold Star

Elf Trixie’s Elf Journey is not an easy story. She never intended to become an elf.

Many do want to become elves. But many are not fully aware of what it takes to learn to become an elf.

As part of the Tracker Elf Conference held during Christmas in July Santa wanted Elf Trixie’s story told.

Why? Well, Trixie is a college student. She is young for an elf. And she is not from the North Pole.

Santa felt that a lot of new tracker elves out there could identify with Trixie’s story.

She had a hard time becoming an elf until she really learned what the Elf Code is all about.

The Elf Code is made up of the letters of the word “Christmas”. Each letter means something. What Trixie learned is that “Christmas” is at the heart of being an elf. A lot of people assume they know what that means.

But Trixie only learned what Christmas really means by actually becoming an elf and doing elf stuff.

We hope by reading what Trixie has to say you might learn a thing or two as well.

Chat Transcript

Elf Crash Murphy	Hello everyone and welcome to Elf Chat today.
Elf Crash Murphy	My name is Elf Crash Murphy and today we will discuss “Learning to Be an Elf” with Elf Trixie. Trixie, thank you for doing this today.
Elf Trixie	Crash? Really? I get to do this with YOU?
Elf Crash Murphy	Sure!
Elf Trixie	I’m a little shocked. I love talking with you!
Elf Crash Murphy	Why thank you! I love talking with you too.
Elf Trixie	I thought Ernest or maybe Max was going to do this. No offense, but why you?
Elf Crash Murphy	I think you let it be known pretty well that you were not ambitious to chat today.
Elf Trixie	True. This is kind of a personal topic.
Elf Crash Murphy	Right. I get you. I know exactly how you feel.
Elf Trixie	Huh? You’re a big famous dude, Crash.
Elf Crash Murphy	I mean our experience in becoming elves just may be similar.
Elf Trixie	Really?
Elf Crash Murphy	Yeah, you know, I never planned to become an elf. It wasn’t on my radar. It just kind of happened.
Elf Trixie	Same. I’m kind of glad to hear that. Gol.
Elf Crash Murphy	Learning to Become an Elf is our topic today and it is one Santa wanted on the agenda for this weekend’s Tracker Elf Conference. But you had your hands so full yesterday waiting til today was okay.
Elf Trixie	I’m part of the Tracker Elf Conference?
Elf Crash Murphy	Well yeah. You’re an important elf, Trixie. Since you started writing those countdown posts on SantaUpdate.com a lot of folks have come to know you. They like you. And the elves here at SantaTrackers.net want to know more.
Elf Trixie	I don’t like that, Crash.
Elf Crash Murphy	I know. You’re a newsperson. It makes sense you don’t like it.
Elf Trixie	Thank you. A lot of elves don’t get that.
Elf Crash Murphy	Well, I do. But I’d like you to think about something here. You’re not talking about yourself today exactly.
Elf Trixie	What do you mean?
Elf Crash Murphy	You’re talking about your experience — what you have gone through in becoming an elf. That’s what we are trying to accomplish here today.
Elf Trixie	Hmmm-kay.
Elf Crash Murphy	I talked to Ernest and to Max and even to Santa about this a little bit.
Elf Trixie	You did? (gulp)
Elf Crash Murphy	Yeah.
Elf Trixie	I feel like I’m on the spot now.
Elf Crash Murphy	No, no. Please don’t feel that way, girl.
Elf Trixie	Crash….
Elf Crash Murphy	Look, do you know there are a lot of new elves out there who feel like they’re not really elves? They don’t know what to do. What to say. What to feel. They feel a little out of place.
Elf Trixie	Well I can relate.
Elf Crash Murphy	Well, there you go! That’s why Santa wants you to share — if those elves out there who feel that way can hear your story then maybe you can help them.
Elf Trixie	Gol. Really?
Elf Crash Murphy	Yes! Relax. Tell us what first comes to mind. How did you end up at the North Pole?
Elf Trixie	I got a scholarship. Well, I was put in a program.
Elf Crash Murphy	Where did you think you would be going to school?
Elf Trixie	I applied at several colleges and I was thinking I’d end up maybe at Texas Tech or somewhere like that. I was also considering the University of Oklahoma and a counselor there called me up one day and said she had been contacted by a program manager who was interested in having me apply.
Elf Crash Murphy	Apply for a program — is that like a class?
Elf Trixie	It was a summer intern position. As a journalism major they try to place you in jobs that give you experience.
Elf Crash Murphy	Ok, so this program was in Oklahoma?
Elf Trixie	No, it was here. At the North Pole
Elf Crash Murphy	Really? At the university here?
Elf Trixie	Yeah. I had no idea the North Pole had a university. But I thought it was cool.
Elf Crash Murphy	You did?
Elf Trixie	Yeah, I thought I would be up here hanging out with scientists and biologists and people like that.
Elf Crash Murphy	Not elves?
Elf Trixie	I never considered elves. Or the North Pole, as in Santa and stuff. I was thinking like summer camp with seals and penguins and such.
Elf Crash Murphy	Oh I see. We have those exploration groups and stuff here. I could see why you thought that.
Elf Trixie	Yeah, so when I got here and they started in with all the Elf Code stuff I was like huh?
Elf Crash Murphy	When did you realize you were dealing with something different?
Elf Trixie	I met with the counselor here, an elf named Harriet Star.
Elf Crash Murphy	I don’t think I know her.
Elf Trixie	She’s wife to my boss, Elf Herald Star.
Elf Crash Murphy	Ah, I see.
Elf Trixie	Harriet explained to me that even to be an intern I had to become an elf.
Elf Crash Murphy	Ok, got it. I guess that makes sense.
Elf Trixie	It didn’t make any sense to me. I was an intern — a temporary, unpaid employee. I was only supposed to be here for about six weeks.
Elf Crash Murphy	So you had to think this whole thing was crazy.
Elf Trixie	Looney tunes, Crash.
Elf Crash Murphy	You didn’t believe in Santa?
Elf Trixie	Of course I believed in Santa. I just didn’t think I’d end up working for the guy.
Elf Crash Murphy	You sound like you were not happy about all this.
Elf Trixie	I wasn’t mad. Just confused. Why didn’t someone tell me before I got here?
Elf Crash Murphy	Oh, I see. So you felt like you were not informed?
Elf Trixie	Yeah, I mean the point was to learn to be a reporter. That’s what was in it for me.
Elf Crash Murphy	But aren’t you, in fact, doing that?
Elf Trixie	Yeah, but I had no idea it would be as an elf.
Elf Crash Murphy	Ok. So did you want to leave?
Elf Trixie	Yeah, I tried to leave.
Elf Crash Murphy	Wow.
Elf Trixie	Harriet stopped me. She was very patient and I decided to stay and give it a try. I’m very glad I did.
Elf Crash Murphy	That was all about two years ago. And you’re still here. What happened to school?
Elf Trixie	I’m still in school. I just transferred to SNPU.
Elf Crash Murphy	Oh. How did that happen?
Elf Trixie	Well, I like being an elf. I asked to transfer. They had never done that before and didn’t know what to say.
Elf Crash Murphy	So you had to talk to someone special?
Elf Trixie	Yeah. Santa.
Elf Crash Murphy	Oh boy.
Elf Trixie	Yeah.
Elf Crash Murphy	Ok, so that’s college. Let’s go back to you becoming an elf. What was that like?
Elf Trixie	Horrible.
Elf Crash Murphy	Really? It wasn’t fun?
Elf Trixie	Yes, it was fun. But it was not in my plan. I’m a planner, Crash.
Elf Crash Murphy	What’s that mean?
Elf Trixie	It means I make lists. I do things on purpose. I make a plan and I attack it. That’s how I got through high school, my summer jobs and everything.
Elf Crash Murphy	Gosh, that sounds like a really good elf to me.
Elf Trixie	That’s what Santa said.
Elf Crash Murphy	No kidding?
Elf Trixie	For reals
Elf Crash Murphy	Well, how did you get past all that? Were the requirements to become an elf really that hard for you?
Elf Trixie	No. I look back on it now and it’s silly how stupid I was being.
Elf Crash Murphy	How so?
Elf Trixie	Well, being an elf is all about thinking of others. You don’t get taught that in college. In fact, quite the opposite.
Elf Crash Murphy	Oh – that’s really interesting. What made you realize that?
Elf Trixie	One of my first elf assignments was to visit an orphanage. Elf Harold Star accompanied me because I was both suppose to write a story and participate in the event.
Elf Crash Murphy	Ok, makes sense. Duty as an elf and duty as a reporter.
Elf Trixie	I know, right?
Elf Crash Murphy	Which did you do first?
Elf Trixie	I read books to the kids. That’s elf work. And I found that I really loved it.
Elf Crash Murphy	Did it change the way you wrote your story?
Elf Trixie	YES! Writing that story helped me see that I really liked elf work.
Elf Crash Murphy	Ah, I get that. You had an epiphany.
Elf Trixie	I sure did.
Elf Crash Murphy	You know, that happens I think to all of us.
Elf Trixie	It does?
Elf Crash Murphy	Oh yeah. Someone gets a chance to become an elf and they think, “Cool, I get to be an Elf!” and all they can think about is working in the workshop or riding in Santa’s sleigh
Elf Trixie	Oh gol, me too! Totally that was me, Crash
Elf Crash Murphy	People don’t realize that being an elf means thinking of other people first.
Elf Trixie	Right — or how to help others. It never occurs to a new elf.
Elf Crash Murphy	How do you get them to understand that?
Elf Trixie	I don’t know, Crash. For me it was a process.
Elf Crash Murphy	You mean you were educated by your elf experiences?
Elf Trixie	Totes. The more they had me do elf stuff the more I wanted to be an elf.
Elf Crash Murphy	Ok, now we’re getting to the nitty gritty.
Elf Trixie	We are? LOL
Elf Crash Murphy	Well yeah. You actually had it easy.
Elf Trixie	I did? I thought it was hard.
Elf Crash Murphy	Well I mean easy in that you came to the North Pole and got to learn to be an elf by doing elf stuff with real elves. Most people don’t get that chance.
Elf Trixie	Dang. I never thought of it that way.
Elf Crash Murphy	So imagine you’re a new tracker elf out there. Alone. In your own home. By yourself. Maybe even living with older siblings or other family members who don’t believe in Santa.
Elf Trixie	That would be hard.
Elf Crash Murphy	Sure it is. Some even get bullied for believing in Santa or admitting they are elves.
Elf Trixie	I know. I have heard stories. I’m not sure I could handle that.
Elf Crash Murphy	I thought you were going through some of that.
Elf Trixie	Yeah — a little bit.
Elf Crash Murphy	You wanna talk about that?
Elf Trixie	Well, it was my Mom.
Elf Crash Murphy	That’s tough. She didn’t think you were an elf?
Elf Trixie	Well I was writing letters and sending pictures. Me with Harriet. Me visiting the reindeer. Me on a sleigh. Me visiting the workshop. All fun Christmasy elf stuff.
Elf Crash Murphy	Most elves don’t get to do stuff like that.
Elf Trixie	Yes, that’s why I was taking pictures and sending them to Mom.
Elf Crash Murphy	She didn’t like them?
Elf Trixie	She liked them fine. But at one point she sent me a letter telling me to stop the elf stuff and focus on my school work. She said that she and Dad were not paying good money for my education just to see me mess around.
Elf Crash Murphy	Oh boy. She didn’t realize this was all part of your schooling?
Elf Trixie	Nope.
Elf Crash Murphy	So..what happened?
Elf Trixie	I went home and tried to explain it all.
Elf Crash Murphy	And?
Elf Trixie	It was a disaster. They didn’t understand.
Elf Crash Murphy	That all sounds normal to me.
Elf Trixie	Yes, I understand that now. But I didn’t at the time.
Elf Crash Murphy	So what did you do about it?
Elf Trixie	What could I do about it? I didn’t do anything. I came back and started a new semester and kept working as an elf.
Elf Crash Murphy	But by this point you like elf work?
Elf Trixie	I love it, Crash.
Elf Crash Murphy	Ok, so what changed?
Elf Trixie	I just did the work. I just focused on others. Now I see everything I do as helping others. It’s a good feeling.
Elf Crash Murphy	Trixie, I think you just made the point today that Santa and Ernest wanted you to make.
Elf Trixie	I did? What did I say?
Elf Crash Murphy	You just said that working for the good of others is what you did. That’s the answer.
Elf Trixie	I have answers?
Elf Crash Murphy	Of course you do. Thanks for sharing your story. Let’s open up for questions now.
Elf Trixie	Okay.
Elf Max	Trixie…Max here.
Elf Max	You moved up kind of fast
Elf Max	I mean, I’ve never been to the North Pole yet
Elf Trixie	Yeah, I know. My whole story is weird
Elf Max	Do you think it would be hard for me to get into the University?
Elf Trixie	Gol. No.
Elf Max	What do I need to do?
Elf Trixie	Do you need to go? I thought you already finished school
Elf Max	I did. But I really want to go to the North Pole.
Elf Trixie	Hmmm. Who’s your boss?
Elf Max	Ernest
Elf Trixie	I’d talk to him
Elf Crash Murphy	Good advice.
Elf Max	Good chat today. Trixie. I think you’re great!
Elf Trixie	Awwwww
Elf Max	No. Seriously. You should do more chats
Elf Crash Murphy	I agree
Elf Trixie	Thanks you guys.

Tracker Elf Conference Review

July 18, 2021/0 Comments/in Santa Tracker Herald Star, Tracking News/by Elf Max

Tracker Elf Conference recaps are now online and include the complete chat transcripts from the event. The Tracker Elf Conference for Christmas in July 2021 was held Saturday, July 17th, and was well attended. Several elf presenters talked about topics of interest to Santa Trackers everywhere.

Here are some highlights:

Tracking Santa for Santa is different from how the world tracks Santa
Santa goes through front doors when a house does not have a chimney
Riding in a sleigh is difficult and requires training and certification
Nobody ever gets on the sleigh with Santa
Yes, Santa surfs
Santa often delivers gifts of relief supplies to countries, cities, towns, villages and families in need
Tracker elf reports definitely impact Santa’s flight plan
The 200 million tracker elf recruitment goal breaks down to just one recruit per elf per month
Santa is a scientist. That is why he uses numbers
Santa wants to have a special meeting later this year with Santa Tracker Elves

It should be noted that these were live events that allowed those in attendance to ask questions. Some of the best information came as a result of tracker elf questions. We encourage all to read the transcripts from each session.

This was just the first Tracker Elf Conference for this year. Another will be scheduled at a future date and we will keep you informed when that will be. It should be noted, according to Elf Roger Star, that Santa will be addressing Santa Tracker elves sometime shortly before he takes flight in December.

This was a great event and a lot of fun. Next time we hope more of you can attend.

Elf Resources Announces the Latest in Elf Promotions

July 1, 2021/0 Comments/in Elves in the News, Tracking News/by Elf Sandy Claus

We are pleased to announce the following promotions and assignments for elves effective this week:

Elf Barney Q – State Representative of North Dakota
Elf Louise – State Representative of New Hampshire
Elf Liv – Province Representative of Saskatchewan
Elf Brandi – State Representative of Arkansas

Elf Maria R. – Country Ambassador, Mexico
Elf Izzy – Country Ambassador, Romania
Elf Mel – Country Ambassador, Denmark

Elf Deidre – City Captain, Milan, Italy
Elf Fabio – City Captain, Manchester, England
Elf Queenie – City Captain, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Elf Thor the Magnificent – City Captain, London, Ontario, Canada
Elf Georgie – City Captain, Hoover, Alabama
Elf Gingeria – City Captain, Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico
Elf David E – City Captain, Limon, Costa Rica
Elf Sandy Coco – City Captain, Ashburton, New Zealand
Elf Randy P – City Captain, Dunedin, New Zealand

These individuals have been added to the Elf Map.

Please note that this marks the first assignments for State/Province Representatives and the first Country Ambassadors as well.

On the map, State and Province Representatives are marked with this icon:

The Country Ambassador is marked with this icon:

We encourage all elves to continue to apply for open positions.

Introducing the Santa Tracker Podcast

June 25, 2021/0 Comments/in Santa Tracker Herald Star, Tracking News/by Elf Max

Friends,

A big day just got bigger. Mark Leon Day 2021 as the day that the Santa Trackers Podcast officially launched. Just posted by Elf Frank Myrrh is the first episode which features both Elf Lil Cream and Elf Crash Murphy.

I can tell you that behind the scenes a lot of work has gone into this project. It is only going to get bigger over time, too.

The intent of this podcast is to showcase our Santa Tracker elves. The introductory episode does a nice job giving you just a taste of that with Elf Lil Cream’s featurette. She is, as you know, the host of A Creamy Christmas Podcast. But this episode explains a little bit about the inspiration for the whole Santa Tracker elf program that Santa launched five years ago.

We hope this adds a little joy to your Leon Day and that you plan to tune in going forward as we share more and more about Santa Tracker elves.

Leon Day Offers a Chat for Elves

June 25, 2021/0 Comments/in Santa Tracker Herald Star, Tracking News/by Elf Ivy Holley

Hi elves!

Elf Ivy Holley here. I just wanted to remind you guys that today is Leon Day. It is the halfway mark to Christmas and it is something of a big deal at the North Pole. I’m sure you’ve already read all about it over at SantaUpdate.com.

Well there’s something else going on today — it’s a chat with Elf Crash Murphy! You know Crash. Or at least I hope you know Crash. He’s a big guy in the Santa Tracker movement and you need to get to know him. For Leon Day Crash agreed to come do a chat and I think you should let all your friends and family know about it. Especially those who are NOT elves yet. It is a good way to slowly introduce them to the idea of becoming an elf.

Elf Crash is a straight talker. He’s kinda funny but always honest about Santa, tracking Santa and the North Pole. He’s got a cool story. And his chats are always entertaining. So you should come and invite as many others as you can.

Now, we know it’s Friday night. We know it is summer time for some of you, winter for others. And that means different stuff. But it will be held over in the North Pole Chat Room at SantaUpdate.com at 7:30pm EST. This chat was added to the calendar only a week or so ago.

If you do one thing to celebrate Leon Day come chat with Elf Crash!

Tracking Santa on the Radio

June 24, 2021/0 Comments/in Santa Tracker Herald Star, Tracking News/by Elf Max

It has come to the attention of the Public Relations Department at the North Pole that some elves are not familiar with North Pole Radio News and the work they do in tracking Santa around the world.

Well, watch this first:

We present this information in advance of sharing the first episode of the Santa Trackers Podcast – which is coming out at any moment.

You will also soon hear of a Christmas-in-July opportunity to hear the North Pole radio news broadcast from last Christmas – if you weren’t around the hear it on Christmas Eve. It’s very exciting.

We will be glad to answer any questions you might have.