Based on a lot of the confusion I've been seeing on how to properly do and report patrols, especially with so many patrols not being reported in at all, this is meant to be a guide. Said guide applies for WindClan patrols specifically.
Getting mentioned for a patrol
Your character will be mentioned in the WindClan patrol place, along with a few other cats that go along with them. The first cat mentioned is the patrol leader; the others just make up the rest of the patrol group. Your patrol will be given a prompt and a location where they must go if it's a border patrol. If it's a hunting patrol, they can choose any one of the
borders, as long as it's a border shared with WindClan.
Tip: If you're on a computer, hover your computer mouse above the colored circles. It'll tell you which border belongs to who. If you can't get that to work, then take a look at the colors. Purple is ShadowClan | Yellow is ThunderClan | Blue is RiverClan | Gray is WindClan.
Patrol leaders
If your character is selected as a patrol leader, then it means that you have a job: to make sure that the members of your patrol actually do said patrol. If none of them are responding, then it's your duty to report in the patrol yourself either before or on the deadline.
Requirements
Every character MUST have a minimum of two posts on their patrol, NOT counting the ones made in the Patrol Place, where they gather up the members. These two posts have to be them doing the actual patrol.
The deadline must be met. It can range from a week to about a week and a half. A report has to be made either before or on said deadline.
Reporting
Anyone can report in a patrol, but if nobody else is doing it, the patrol leader must take it into their own hands to do it themselves. Make sure that you report in the PATROL PLACE and not the clearing, or else your patrol report won't be seen, and your character will be punished.
When you report, act like the deputy doesn't know anything about what went down. It can be simple, but say what happened. For example: "The patrol went well, but it was really wet! Rosepaw got stuck in the mud, but we got her out just fine. The ShadowClan border is secure."
Punishments
If a patrol doesn't report in on time or they don't meet the minimum amount of posts, the cats within it are subject to punishment.
For patrols that don't meet the deadline, the patrol leader will be exiled for seven days. Your character must have at least two posts in the Outskirts - it can be anywhere - and then must do a rejoining roleplay with the Clan leader. If they mess up again, then they'll be exiled for fourteen days. If they're late a third time, they'll be permanently tossed out of the Clan.
For cats who don't meet the minimum post count, they will be forced to do a punishment chosen by the deputy. This punishment can be a variety of things, but it mainly includes apprentice duties, such as changing out moss or having to get mouse bile for ticks.
Exceptions
Real life is busy, so if you think that your character shouldn't be punished, VM the deputy with a reason explaining why you couldn't get the posts or report in the patrol properly.
Do not make up false excuses. Your message will be considered on whether or not it is a valid reason, and if it is considered so, your character will get a pass. However, these will not be common.
Overall
Patrols are important to the Clan; without them, they'd all starve and their borders would go unmarked. A character not reporting in their patrol counts as them not doing it at all. Keep all this in mind when your character gets called for a patrol.
WindClan Patrol Reporting
