First Child

First Children are appointed by House Mothers and Fathers of the House of Crystal. On paper, they are akin to an assistant or deputy, but in practice it is more comparable to an apprenticeship. Strictly speaking, the position is not even called "First Child" at all; the official title is Lead Auxiliary, but the former term has long since fallen out of common use. It's said that the position began being called First Child as a joke by one of the early House Mothers; supposedly, one of them said that just having to manage her own assistants was the closest she ever wanted to be to having children of her own, and the joke snowballed from there.
There are no written rules regarding when or how many First Children a Mother or Father may have, but it has always been tradition to only have one at a time, and they are typically appointed about a decade into a Mother or Father's reign.

Requirements

There are no strict requirements for First Children; desired qualities and areas of experience often vary somewhat between House Mothers and Fathers, but First Children do often share certain commonalities. Leadership experience and involvement in their communities are so common they're the closest to being requirements, followed by a higher education, a charismatic personality, and public speaking experience.

Responsibilities

A First Child's responsibilities will vary over their tenure. Their early years are spent most like a personal secretary, managing appointments, organizing documents, and filing forms, but as the years go by, they will progressively take on higher levels of responsibility; sitting in on important meetings, taking care of private missives, and eventually being able to attend certain meetings in the House Mother or Father's stead.

Cultural Significance

The First Child position is well known in the House of Crystal and regional political circles as the essential stepping stone to becoming House Mother or Father. While the latter position is an elected one, House Mothers and Fathers have always endorsed their First Children upon their own retirement, and as of AE 721, the House of Crystal has never not trusted their Mother's and Father's backing.

Type

Civic, Professional

Reports directly to

House Father & Mother

Related Organizations

• House of Crystal