From this day forward, Citizen of the Month shall henceforth be called "Wintreath's Finest," as there are many from Wintreath that have done quite a lot to deserve the honor, and not all may be considered "citizens,"
One prime example is our Monarch himself,
@Wintermoot. He is someone that continuously puts 110% into everything that he does on here, going above and beyond the duties of an administrator to make the region and forums both look inviting, but also feel it. From his constant updates on the structure and technical errors, his unstoppable recruiting force, his dedication to Wintreath's laws and that of the Riksrad, participating in military missions, being ambassador to quite a few regions (and continuously attempting to develop relations with more) and doing everything he does with a smile on top of juggling all of this and more that he does around here along with his work and offline social life, he is essentially the pillar that holds everything together. Even with the summer lull, he has shown very few signs of slowing down, and many times I wonder how he's able to accomplish what he does.
He's someone that I've been honored to call a friend and have been equally honored to be able to work with closely. He is the person who greatly embodies everything that Wintreath stands for, and 'm very proud to give him the honor of being named as Wintreath's Finest for August.
Interview with the Monarch
Pengu: Today, I'm here with Wintermoot in IRC to conduct his special interview for Wintreath's Finest. How are you today Wintermoot?
Wintermoot: I am doing great! Thanks for asking, and for selecting me for this wonderful honour.
Pengu: You're most certainly welcome, it's very well deserved!
Pengu: So tell me, how does it feel being Wintreath's Finest for August?
Wintermoot: It feels great that people feel I'm doing a well enough job to be deserving.
Pengu: Well you definitely do quite a bit around the forums, from the normal Administrator duties, to powerhousing recruitment, taking part in military affairs, ambassadoring, writing the Orendis before the revival of the Ministry of Information...how do you find the energy?
Wintermoot: They're just things that have to be done. I take the region very seriously...it's something I've put a lot of myself into, and I try to dedicate the time and effort to keep it going and to improve it, with the help of our regional Cabinet and Citizens that have also put in time and effort. I can't take all the credit for everything that gets done.
Pengu: You're very modest, and this is why you've been such a great monarch. You do all of this, still find the time to be one of our most vocal on issues, and deal with situations that are quite stressful. Have you ever gotten close to burning out?
Wintermoot: Definitely, especially with getting burned out with recruitment or after some stressful event has happened. I can't bring myself to actually take time off, but sometimes I try to be a little less active in a way that doesn't get noticed by many people...maybe delaying some projects and just hanging out sometimes, for example. I love what I do, but sometimes I just have to relax for awhile.
Pengu: Well, we're very lucky to have you. I imagine most people wouldn't have the strength to handle everything you do, and still do it with a smile on their face and a good attitude. So for those who may not know the full history, let's turn the clock back a bit. How long have you been a part of Nationstates?
Wintermoot: Two and a half years...I joined NS in January 2013.
Pengu: Very nice, and how was it that you stumbled upon it?
Wintermoot: I had been going through an illness for a few months, and I wanted to find something to take my mind off things...I happened to be in the mood for a political sim, and when I typed it into Google NS was one of the first links, so I checked it out. When I was playing around I got three recruitment telegrams (only three, can you imagine now?!?), one happened to be a region that looked awesome, and so I stuck around.
Pengu: I see. And before you created Wintreath, you were a part of Spiritus for a while. What was that like?
Wintermoot: Haha, I could write an essay there...but for the vast majority of my time there, it was awesome. When I joined it was small and barely active, but the community that was there was awesome...then over time I got the opportunity to become involved in the government just as it was getting off the ground, first in the RA and then as President at a point where Spiritus became a powerhouse region culturally. It was a wild ride, even if the some shitty things happened at the end.
Pengu: And that's what made you decide to go out and create your own region?
Wintermoot: Not quite...toward the end the community and region changed. There was a lot more infighting, politics, attacks...finally I became the target of it after I pointed out that one of the delegate's subordinates was doing a better job than he was, and after a week of trying to come to a reasonable solution that wasn't wanted I decided I wasn't having fun anymore and left. Then while I was deciding where to go from there Charax suggested I tried my hand at creating a region myself, and after we agreed on the basic makeup of it I went for it. That's how Wintreath was born.
Pengu: Understandable, nobody likes being in a region when the fun has gone away, and look at what the result was! So speaking of Wintreath, what did you envision it to be like when you first created it?
Wintermoot: Someplace friendly, fun, community and cooperative-based that would put friendship first and leave politics out. About a month after we founded the region I wrote a document called "A Community Vision" that outlined what I hoped the region would be, and I think so far Wintreath has been everything I hoped it would be.
Pengu: I'm glad to hear that it's been going the way you've hoped. Is there anything that, looking back, you would have done different?
Wintermoot: A few things...over time I've come to realize that restraint is a virtue in NationStates, and there have been times when I've failed to do that, especially in the weeks after I left Spiritus. I was still very upset and bitter about what happened, and it led to some poor decisions.
Pengu: Well, we're all prone to make poor decisions from time to time, but it sounds like you've still done your best to turn those around.
Wintermoot: You try to learn from your experiences and move on. The last thing a region needs is a leader that's stuck in the past.
Pengu: Speaking of that, that actually segways into my final question: What are your future goals and plans for Wintreath that you'd hope to see come into fruition?
Wintermoot: To add to my last response first, I will say that I wouldn't change anything I've done directly related to Wintreath. There have been times when I regretted the outcome of things, but those were cases that I thought about a lot and concluded that I couldn't have done anything differently.
Pengu: Understandable, sometimes things just happen that you can't control.
Wintermoot: That's very true. And sometimes it just sucks
Wintermoot: As for the future...I hope we will become a more cultural region. We're already a place that people from all over come to chill and relax, but I think we could build on that to become the gaming and cultural hub of NationStates. I would like to see more games, more competitions, more festivals...I want us to become a place where something fun is always happening, and I think we can do it.
Pengu: I think that'd be exciting to see us turn into the cultural hub of nationstates. It's certainly starting to lean that way.
Pengu: Well, slowly, but it is. 
Wintermoot: It will definitely be a challenge, especially starting out during the summer, but eventually I even imagine us establishing a presence in games other than NS, branching out to other sorts of games.
Pengu: That's definitely a goal worth reaching for.
Wintermoot: Very long-term goal.
Pengu: Haha, well thank you for your time your majesty, and you never know, that long-term goal could come quicker than you think.
Pengu: And that's the end of the interview.
Wintermoot: Thank you for selecting me for such an honour, and for interviewing me. 
Pengu: It has truly been my pleasure to interview you.
July 2015: Laurentus
June 2015: Point Breeze and Anneliese
May 2015: None
April 2015: Sapphiron
March 2015: Pengu
February 2015: Amalya
