Elf Roger Star Gets a Promotion

In a surprise announcement today Mrs. Claus said that Elf Roger Star will take up duties as the new director of North Pole Flight Command, effective April 1st.

Elf Roger has been serving as the International Director of Santa Trackers where he led the elf community at Santa Trackers.net.

Mrs. Claus explained in her written announcement that the promotion for Elf Roger is the first of several restructuring changes at the North Pole that will be rolled out over the next few weeks and months.

That means the job Elf Roger has had for six years as International Director of Santa Trackers will be held by someone else soon.

Elf Sandy Claus is taking applications and screening candidates now. It is expected that Mrs. Claus and Elf Roger Star will name a replacement in the coming weeks.

Interested elves should contact Elf Sandy as soon as possible.

Mrs. Claus Stands in for Santa

Mrs. Claus has taken charge in the absence of Santa Claus while he goes on walkabout. News of Santa’s travels broke at SantaUpdate.com yesterday.

As noted at North Pole Flight Command this morning, Mrs. Claus has set up office at Santa’s Workshop and chosen Elf Trixie to be her Chief of Staff while Santa is gone.

For the Elf Community at SantaTrackers.net, Elf Trixie says that Mrs. Claus will be meeting with Elf Roger Star this next week for an update on the various projects already in progress for the tracker elf community.

As for Elf Trixie, I am her boss in her regular duties, and while serving Mrs. Claus as Chief of Staff I have been told that Trixie will continue in her regular reporting duties for North Pole News and here at SantaTrackers.net.

We have all been told that even though Santa will be absent for a while we can expect things to carry on normally.

North Pole Chat Scheduled

A North Pole Chat will be held on Saturday, April 15th at 1pm EST on SantaUpdate.com.

We do not know who the scheduled guest will be but Elf Ernest tells me it will be likely the most important chat of the year.

We expect to know who the guest will be in about a week, so stand by for another announcement soon.

It has been about two months since our last chat so it is expected that a lot of news about the progress of Operation Merry Christmas 2023 will be discussed.

We hope you can join us.

300 Days Until Santa’s Launch

300 days remain until Santa’s launch from the North Pole for Christmas 2023. It is a Sunday and the countdown clocks everywhere here at the North Pole mark the snowy milestone.

300 Days

Here is where we stand on Operation Merry Christmas so far:

– The Sleigh Committee is meeting daily in Flight Command to explore new designs and to approve a development schedule for this year’s sleigh. Santa will not be participating in this process this year.

– Elves from the Locations Committee are at work traveling in each sector to develop a list of finalists for Regional Tracking center locations to be used this year.

– Santa has met with all department heads, and all department heads and supervisors are meeting individually with elves to discuss goals for the new year.

– Santa’s Workshop has preliminary production data for toys to be made this year. Elves are hard at work at this time making “classics” – which are toys that have passed the test of time and are made each year – while other elves are still working on obtaining supplies and materials for new projects anticipated for later in the year.

Other elements of the season, such as eggnog, candy canes, stockings, tree stars and Santa tracker maps are all in the planning and development stages.

Also, Elf Training is in full swing at this time.

With 300 days to go, it appears all is on track for Operation Merry Christmas.

Applications Open for Santa’s Council

Hello, Elves! Even though the work of the website remodel/upgrade by Elf Max is underway, I have been authorized to proceed with this year’s hiring.

We will be doing these in stages, starting with the Executive Group.

The positions in this group that will likely be of most interest to you are for Santa’s Council or the Senior Elf group.

Santa’s council is a special group of elves who discuss items of concern to the Elf Community with executive elves and even Santa himself. This council gives Santa insight into the concerns of elves and helps make decisions.

You can apply to become a member of Santa’s Council at this link.

The Senior Elf Group is made of up of elves only who are leaders in the community.

You can apply to become a member of the Senior Elf Group at this link.

Applications for both groups will remain open until June 1st. It is not yet known what the hiring or interviewing process will be but you can bet Santa will be directly involved in interviewing for Santa’s Council.

Elf Jobs Update

As a follow up to our elf job restructuring announcement of last week here are some new details for those sending in questions about how elf jobs will now work.

Elf Sandy of the Elf Resources Department will soon be posting for elf positions.

The first positions to be filled will be at the executive level: for example, my job as International Director of Santa Trackers, will be posted.

Executive level jobs include:
– Elf Supervisors
– News Director
– Santa’s Council
– Senior Elves
– Sector Leads

These positions will be posted and filled between February 1st and March 1st.

Beginning in March, other jobs will be posted. They will be the same or slightly adjusted versions of the jobs now posted at the Elf Jobs page.

ALL jobs will be filled by September 30th.

Any new elves recruited to and joining the Elf Community after September 30th will just be tracker elves for the upcoming season and ineligible for any other job until they open again on December 26th for the next year.

Here are some answers to common questions now coming in to me and to Elf Resources:

Q: Will my job badges change?
A: Not yet, and when or if they do, they will reflect the elf jobs you have had in the past. So your profile page that shows all your badges will reflect all of your experience as an elf – a kind of visual elf resume.

Q: Can I get the same elf job I had previously.
A: Yes, that’s going to be possible.

Q: Will I be able to have more than 1 elf job.
A: Yes, in some, but not all, circumstances.

Q: Will qualifications be changing for all elf jobs?
A: Maybe, but only just a little.

Q: Is it possible a new elf job would mean a transfer to the North Pole?
A: That’s always possible.

Q: Is it possible that I can’t get an elf job because of my record as an elf?
A: Yes, longevity as an elf matters. But what you DO as an elf matters more.

Q: Is it bad that I don’t get an elf job? Can I just stay a tracker elf?
A: No, it’s not bad at all. Take your time.

Q: Will Santa or someone else ASK me to apply for a certain elf job?
A: Yes, that might happen.

Q: Will Santa interview me?
A: It depends on the job, but yes, that’s possible.

Q: Will I have an elf supervisor?
A: Yes and no. Yes, as a tracker elf. Your sector will have a director who will remain your supervisor over tracking duties. Other elf jobs may or may not have a supervisor.

Q: If you, Elf Roger, have to re-apply to be International Director, does that mean you are NOT the International Director now?
A: Until we apply and get a new elf job we remain in our old roles.

If you have additional questions please feel free to ask them in the comments below.

Site Upgrades Scheduled

Our website will soon experience a light remodeling and site upgrades.

This is scheduled to happen between January 29th and February 2nd. It is possible the site may need to be closed for brief periods of time while this work is completed.

Last year was a major project in rebuilding. This year the work will be less extensive.

Right now we’re working on a list of improvements and upgrades that need to be done, including several overdue site fixes.

We welcome your input. Please share your ideas and site feature requests in the comment area below.

We do not yet know the extent of cosmetic site upgrades. That is still being discussed. However, we welcome your input on possible changes there.

As we get closer to the 29th, and as I understand better what needs to happen, we may make additional announcements regarding changes to site features.

Elf Evaluations Begin

The annual elf evaluation process has started.

My part in this process begins today by purging our membership ranks of inactive elves. Those elves without a recorded log in during the past 90 days will be “retired”.

Other elves will be retired for other reasons, most associated with behavior unbecoming an elf. There are very few of those and most have already been retired.

Elf Supervisors are in the middle of evaluations for active elves. Their reviews will be posted soon for individual elf review.

If you have any questions or want to appeal any review or evaluation decisions being made please use the support link below.

The Job Comes First

Hi. Joel here. At the Pole, as ever.

Elf Joel

Lots of confused elves running around here. Elf Roger’s announcement yesterday has thrown everyone into a tizzy.

Some elves here didn’t come in to work.

They aren’t mad. They just don’t know if they still do what they were doing before. So they stayed home, waiting to see if they need to apply for a job.

Elf supervisors in departments all over the North Pole are busy calling elves in to work.

It was bound to happen.

It didn’t happen to me. I’m here, outside Santa’s office. Doing my usual thing with Santa’s calendar.

There was no way I wasn’t coming to work.

Can you imagine the chaos?

You see, nobody else knows how to do my job. I’ve done it for so long. And I have never trained another elf to do it. If I get sick and can’t come in to work, Santa’s calendar world stops.

Nobody else can manage Santa’s calendar, not even Santa.

We did talk about this last year during my review. I asked Santa, “What if I get hit by a bus?” Santa just laughed. Then he admitted that maybe we should organize a little succession plan for the Santa Calendar Department, as he put it.

He told me to put that on his calendar.

Haha. Santa is such a jokester sometimes.

Anyways, every time there are changes at the North Pole – and there are constant changes – elves tend to freak.

There is a lot of freaking out going on right now at the North Pole.

Every January something like this happens.

I remember the year when Mrs. Claus said the elf hats worn in the North Pole kitchen might not be white any more. She was thinking red would be a lovely change. Well, that freaked out the kitchen elves like nothing else. There were elves seriously shopping for new shoes that very day just because of the possibility of red hats.

That’s why these days important individuals like Mrs. Claus or Elf Roger are really, really careful about what they say in January.

As elves we take our jobs very seriously. Our elf job is part of our elf identity. I like that sometimes but most of the time, it bothers me a little. As Santa’s calendar elf I’m known everywhere here for that.

But I’m not anyone important. I don’t make decisions. I write things down in pencil and erase things a great deal. That doesn’t make me important in any way.

Santa is important.

Not me. Just because I work for the Big Guy doesn’t mean I’m someone.

I often wonder what it feels like to be just a regular guy who is not an elf. Like a bus driver, or something.

In the real world, do people see you and recognize you by your job?

I don’t think so.

If I were just Joel from Toledo, or somewhere, and I drove a bus would they call me Bus Driver Joel? I kind of doubt it.

But here, at the North Pole, I’m Elf Joel – the elf with the office just outside of Santa’s office. Most don’t even know my name. I’m that Santa calendar guy.

That’s so uncool. I don’t like it at all.

But that’s the way it is and I accept it. Heck, I embrace it.

I even called my Mom the other day. “Who is this?” she asked. I said, “It’s me, Mom. Your son, Joel?”

She said, “Who?

I said, “You know, Santa’s calendar elf?”

“Oh, oh, oh…” she said.

She was just teasing.

She knows I’m sensitive about this. But I took her serious. I always fall for that.

But I took her serious because that’s my job. I’m an elf. I’m Santa’s calendar elf. That’s who I am. That is what I respond to. The job is everything to an elf.

And that, I suppose, is why so many elves are freaking out today.

I get it. I understand it.

But I tell you: relax.

Being an elf is good enough. Or, at least it should be. Being a particular kind of elf doesn’t matter at the end of the day.

You’re an elf. Think about that.

That makes you special.

Elf Job Restructuring Announced

As we enter a new year in tracking Santa for Santa we once again announce refinements to the tracker elf program that will help improve our efforts.

This is our constant process as elves. Each Christmas we are evaluated in our performance. The purpose is not to get a grade or undue praise. The purpose is to continually improve.

Last year, Santa set out changes to the tracker elf program to better focus on the quality of our work. Those many changes took months to implement. They were evident in the way our website worked, in the training we each received, and in the things we did day to day once we started tracking Santa for Santa.

The results last year showed vast improvement over previous years. Santa enjoyed his most trouble-free flight in history and finished his world tour in record time.

The plans for this year will include more refinement and change. Perhaps the most important is the one we announce here now:

All elf jobs related to tracking Santa for Santa will be re-structured.

This will affect elves working in North Pole Flight Command, at Research and Development in the Sleigh Design Department, all elves working the North Pole Weather Tracking Department, and all elves known as Tracker Elves worldwide.

What does this mean?

It means, effective immediately, all elf jobs, titles, and responsibilities beyond tracking Santa for Santa, have been suspended.

Going forward, a new yearly routine for applying for, training for, and performing in function will be established. All new elf responsibilities will need to be applied for as a new job.

That new job will only be temporary in nature – valid only through next December 26th.

For example, if an elf wants to apply to become a North Pole News Reporter, they can apply for that job during a set application period. If they get the job they will work that job only until December, 26th – at which point they will be relieved of those duties and can apply for other elf positions.

In discussing this strategy with Santa he feels this will help elves to develop strong skills in a number of disciplines. It will make for stronger elves.

Santa remains challenged by elves who start strong but finish weak – those who want jobs, but then don’t do them. He is also frustrated by elves who assume some sort of authority over other elves just because they have a different job.

By making jobs more temporary in nature Santa feels it will better developer stronger elves and nicer elves.

So, as of right now, all of us – me included – are relieved of all elf duties except that as a tracker elf.

In the coming days the new process for securing elf jobs will be announced and the Department of Elf Resources will begin placement for the 2023 tracking season.

Please pay attention to new job postings. There will be more than ever. But they will have new application requirements.

That is all at this time.

First Chat of the New Year Scheduled

The first North Pole Chat of the new year has been scheduled for January 28th at 7pm EST at SantaUpdate.com.

North Pole Chat

Elf Crash Murphy, Santa’s eye-in-the-sky reporter who trails Santa’s sleigh every Christmas Eve, will present stories of Santa’s flight last month.

Santa had a dramatic launch in a 50-year old sleigh that experts said would never make it. He set a new all-time speed record in that sleigh and enjoyed a flawless flight.

That does not mean that things did not happen. Elf Crash will fill in the gaps and tell some stories not heard on SantaUpdate.com or other Official North Pole Websites.

If you cannot make the scheduled chat, please post your comments or questions for Elf Crash in the box below.

We hope to see you there!

Santa Says to Expect Changes

SantaTrackers.net will be remodeled in the new year. I had my first meeting with Santa today in his office and this was an item at the top of the list.

The changes will be made with what Santa calls “organizational adjustments” to the Tracker Elf effort. Santa said he expects the look and feel of the website will not dramatically change, only a new few features will be added or fixed.

The likely biggest changes will occur to elf jobs, elf certification, elf training and to elf groups. These will be announced one by one as Santa gets a chance to explore his ideas with the Executive Committee.

Santa’s Council will also be changing in the new year. Santa did not elaborate on that topic today, but told me we would discuss it in our next meeting.

In the meantime, I’ll be meeting with Elves Max and Moe to begin the process. After Max has some time to do some research, I’m sure there will be further announcements.

Also, just a reminder, your Elf Supervisors are busily engaged in elf reviews. Their ranking and reports are anticipated in a few weeks. We will make an announcement at that the time they are ready.