Little is known about the saint who is celebrated on Valentine's Day, though legends abound. The Catholic Church currently recognizes three martyred saints named Valentine or some variation thereof. Who was the real man, and what circumstances led to his death and subsequent martyrdom?
Claudius II, Roman Emperor for a mere two years, commanded the Roman army against the Goths in the year 268 A.D. They defeated the Goths, earning Claudius the name of Claudius Gothicus – Defeater of the Goths. It is said that the emperor, born in a barbarian society and the first soldier-emperor to rule Rome, thought that young men would better serve Rome as soldiers rather than husbands. Allegedly, Claudius made it illegal for young men to marry – thus making their only option a life in the military.
Whether or not this is true is questionable, and scholars debate both sides. According to this part of one of the legends regarding Saint Valentine, the priest married young people in secret, believing that love and the sanctity of marriage were more important than expanding Rome's territory. This legend states that Claudius caught wind of these illegal marriages and had Valentine executed.
Along with this theory, others speculate that Valentine was killed merely for his effort in aiding Christians from Roman persecution. It might less romantic version of the story but it is along the same line of thinking.
Another legend is far more romantic, but a little less pious. The legend states that Valentine, although he was a priest, fell link love with his jailor's daughter. Though it provides continuity that Valentine was likely in prison for helping Christians, this story is very hard to verify. Hard to verify, but very compelling. According to the legend, Valentine wrote a love poem for the lovely jailor's daughter. He signed the poem "from your Valentine."
Since three like-named saints are recognized by the Catholic Church does that mean that all three legends are true for three different Valentines, that all are true for the same Valentine, or that none of it is true? We may never know, though scholars and researchers have been trying to find an answer for a great number of years. Remains exhumed in 1836 were identified as St. Valentine's and placed in Dublin, Ireland at the Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church. Valentine's Day Mass includes a casket that is carried to the high alter – where a prayer is said for people in love.
Other relics of these St. Valentine can be found in France, Austria, Scotland, and England. England's Birmingham Oratory holds a gold reliquary on an alter that holds the words meaning that it holds the body of St. Valentine, Martyr. It is said that the rest of St. Valentine's body lies beneath that alter.
Today we celebrate Valentine's Day with gifts of candy and trinkets, as well as more valuable gifts of gold and silver jewelry, diamonds, pearls, and other precious gems. It is intriguing to not know the origins of this celebratory day, yet it is delightful to celebrate it anyway.
About the Author:
Piper Smith is the VP of Marketing for Museum Way Pearls, a leading provider of pearl jewelry such as pearl necklaces, Tahitian pearls, and pearl bracelets. Museum Way Pearls can be found online at: http://www.museumwaypearls.com .
Keyword tags: peach pearls,freshwater mollusks,peach pearls found,freshwater pearls,freshwater pearls
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
The Valentine in America – a History
While Valentine's Day had been celebrated in some form since the third century, A.D., it did not catch on with any momentum in the United States until the 1840s. A holiday with a variety of possible beginnings, Valentine's Day evolved into a holiday used to celebrate love and affection. People would give trinkets and cards, and in the 1840s a woman named Ester Howland started the first wave of mass-produced valentine greetings in the U.S.
Born in 1828, Howland graduated from college in 1847 and shortly after received a beautiful and intricate Valentine's greeting from a business contact of her father's. This man was English – the tradition of exchanging cards and gifts to celebrate Valentine's Day was a mainstream practice in England and the rest of Great Britain by the mid-eighteenth century – and his card to Howland gave her a grand idea.
Esther Howland ordered fancy paper, lace, and flowery decorations from England and started making valentines. She spread the word about the practice, and started taking orders for custom and stock-style valentines. The response was tremendous, and she was not able to produce the goods for all the orders she had. She asked friends to help her assemble the cards, and put out her first ad in The Daily Spy, a Worcester paper, in 1850.
Again, the response was tremendous. She set up an assembly line in her house to assemble this first year's worth of valentines, and she eventually set up shop for a business that would bring in $100,000 every year.
Though Howland used a lot of traditional English designs in her cards, she did come up with a few things on her own. The lace paper that she ordered from England was par for the course in Great Britain. Howland wanted to add some punch to the look of the card, so she started putting bright red or pink paper behind the lace to show the intricacy of the lace paper (which was copied from handmade tatted lace).
Another style that became popular in the latter part of Howland's career was the shadow-box style. These cards had a built-up section with a 3-D design. Shortly after these successful cards, Howland sold her business to George C. Whitney, who went on to manufacture the necessary materials for valentines in the United States, rather than continuing to order them from England. Whitney stayed true to Howland's designs, and modern-day historians are hard-pressed to distinguish between the two, naught for Whitney's distinguishing trademark of a red "W."
Prior to Howland's business, people in the United States who wanted to send Valentine cards to their loved ones either had to order them from England or make them personally. Certain people who showed a talent for this craft would then be commissioned to make cards for others, but it was Howland who first mass-produced the valentines for American customers.
Today over one billion valentine cards are purchased annually. Along with cards, people buy gifts for their loved ones on Valentine's Day. These gifts range from small tokens of affection to large items, like diamond engagement rings or expensive quality jewelry.
About the Author:
By Jill Renee, president of http://DanforthDiamond.com, a leading authority on loose diamonds, engagement rings and fine jewelry. Danforth Diamond provides wisdom and advice to help you choose the right ring at the right price. Visit http://www.DanforthDiamond.com or call 877.404.RING
Keyword tags: diamonds, valentines, Esther Howland, valentine history, Whitfield
Born in 1828, Howland graduated from college in 1847 and shortly after received a beautiful and intricate Valentine's greeting from a business contact of her father's. This man was English – the tradition of exchanging cards and gifts to celebrate Valentine's Day was a mainstream practice in England and the rest of Great Britain by the mid-eighteenth century – and his card to Howland gave her a grand idea.
Esther Howland ordered fancy paper, lace, and flowery decorations from England and started making valentines. She spread the word about the practice, and started taking orders for custom and stock-style valentines. The response was tremendous, and she was not able to produce the goods for all the orders she had. She asked friends to help her assemble the cards, and put out her first ad in The Daily Spy, a Worcester paper, in 1850.
Again, the response was tremendous. She set up an assembly line in her house to assemble this first year's worth of valentines, and she eventually set up shop for a business that would bring in $100,000 every year.
Though Howland used a lot of traditional English designs in her cards, she did come up with a few things on her own. The lace paper that she ordered from England was par for the course in Great Britain. Howland wanted to add some punch to the look of the card, so she started putting bright red or pink paper behind the lace to show the intricacy of the lace paper (which was copied from handmade tatted lace).
Another style that became popular in the latter part of Howland's career was the shadow-box style. These cards had a built-up section with a 3-D design. Shortly after these successful cards, Howland sold her business to George C. Whitney, who went on to manufacture the necessary materials for valentines in the United States, rather than continuing to order them from England. Whitney stayed true to Howland's designs, and modern-day historians are hard-pressed to distinguish between the two, naught for Whitney's distinguishing trademark of a red "W."
Prior to Howland's business, people in the United States who wanted to send Valentine cards to their loved ones either had to order them from England or make them personally. Certain people who showed a talent for this craft would then be commissioned to make cards for others, but it was Howland who first mass-produced the valentines for American customers.
Today over one billion valentine cards are purchased annually. Along with cards, people buy gifts for their loved ones on Valentine's Day. These gifts range from small tokens of affection to large items, like diamond engagement rings or expensive quality jewelry.
About the Author:
By Jill Renee, president of http://DanforthDiamond.com, a leading authority on loose diamonds, engagement rings and fine jewelry. Danforth Diamond provides wisdom and advice to help you choose the right ring at the right price. Visit http://www.DanforthDiamond.com or call 877.404.RING
Keyword tags: diamonds, valentines, Esther Howland, valentine history, Whitfield
Monday, February 8, 2010
John Lydgate – Valentine Poet For Hire
Legend says that Henry V commissioned a talented poet named John Lydgate to write a valentine for Catherine of Valois, who was Henry V's intended. This sounds like a simple tale – a loving husband or fiancé giving his sweetheart a gift on Valentine's Day – but the story is much more complicated.
Henry V was instrumental in England's triumph over France at the Battle of Agincourt, a battle that caused the death and imprisonment of many of Catherine of Valois' contemporaries. Although Henry's father (Henry IV) had planned to marry his son to the daughter of King Charles VI of France, but he died before the subject could be broached with France.
The plans for Henry V's marriage to Catherine of Valois continued despite the Battle of Agincourt, though Henry did not take an active role in the planning until he caught a glimpse of Catherine, who was very beautiful. A peace treaty was forged between France and England in 1420 and Henry and Catherine were married under the terms of Henry's dowry requirements, which included that Henry would have the right to France's throne.
It was in this tumultuous time of 1420 that Henry commissioned the famous and talented poet and monk John Lydgate to write a Valentine poem for the beautiful Catherine. Lydgate became a monk at 15 years old, but showed literary promise and a great deal of literary interest. He was friends with Thomas Chaucer, and a great admirer of his friend's father (Geoffrey Chaucer's) work.
Many important people of the time patronized Lydgate to get him to write poems for them. He also wrote fables, allegories, and even romances – though he was a monk and therefore likely celibate. He also wrote longer works like Troy Book, which was actually commissioned by Henry V. Additionally, Lydgate is credited with being the first person to use the word "talent" to describe someone who had an exceptional amount of ability in a certain area.
Lydgate would have been well-deserved of that description himself. His versatility was vast in that he could write love poems, spiritually-moving works, and funny and satirical plays and poems. His love poem on behalf of Henry V to Catherine of Valois is just one of the many commissioned pieces he wrote.
Alas, a beautiful poem cannot sustain all love. A mere two years after the wedding between the couple, Henry V contracted dysentery and suffered for three long weeks before he died. He was only 34 years old. His body was interred at Westminster Abbey, and he left to his baby son, Henry of Windsor, England, France, and a wealth of riches including gold and precious jewels.
Catherine found love again with a man named Owen ap Maredudd – a Tudor of Wales. It is not known whether they actually married, though they produced four children. It also is not known if Owen ever sent Catherine beautiful Valentine poetry. She died at age 36 of an unspecified illness, and was interred also at Westminster Abbey.
About the Author:
The best online resource to sell your old gold and jewerly http://refinity.com/
Keyword tags: john lydgate,talented poet,valentine poet,henry v commissioned, valentine, valentine\'s day
Henry V was instrumental in England's triumph over France at the Battle of Agincourt, a battle that caused the death and imprisonment of many of Catherine of Valois' contemporaries. Although Henry's father (Henry IV) had planned to marry his son to the daughter of King Charles VI of France, but he died before the subject could be broached with France.
The plans for Henry V's marriage to Catherine of Valois continued despite the Battle of Agincourt, though Henry did not take an active role in the planning until he caught a glimpse of Catherine, who was very beautiful. A peace treaty was forged between France and England in 1420 and Henry and Catherine were married under the terms of Henry's dowry requirements, which included that Henry would have the right to France's throne.
It was in this tumultuous time of 1420 that Henry commissioned the famous and talented poet and monk John Lydgate to write a Valentine poem for the beautiful Catherine. Lydgate became a monk at 15 years old, but showed literary promise and a great deal of literary interest. He was friends with Thomas Chaucer, and a great admirer of his friend's father (Geoffrey Chaucer's) work.
Many important people of the time patronized Lydgate to get him to write poems for them. He also wrote fables, allegories, and even romances – though he was a monk and therefore likely celibate. He also wrote longer works like Troy Book, which was actually commissioned by Henry V. Additionally, Lydgate is credited with being the first person to use the word "talent" to describe someone who had an exceptional amount of ability in a certain area.
Lydgate would have been well-deserved of that description himself. His versatility was vast in that he could write love poems, spiritually-moving works, and funny and satirical plays and poems. His love poem on behalf of Henry V to Catherine of Valois is just one of the many commissioned pieces he wrote.
Alas, a beautiful poem cannot sustain all love. A mere two years after the wedding between the couple, Henry V contracted dysentery and suffered for three long weeks before he died. He was only 34 years old. His body was interred at Westminster Abbey, and he left to his baby son, Henry of Windsor, England, France, and a wealth of riches including gold and precious jewels.
Catherine found love again with a man named Owen ap Maredudd – a Tudor of Wales. It is not known whether they actually married, though they produced four children. It also is not known if Owen ever sent Catherine beautiful Valentine poetry. She died at age 36 of an unspecified illness, and was interred also at Westminster Abbey.
About the Author:
The best online resource to sell your old gold and jewerly http://refinity.com/
Keyword tags: john lydgate,talented poet,valentine poet,henry v commissioned, valentine, valentine\'s day
Lupercalia – the Origins of Valentine’s Day?
While Valentine's Day is certainly a holiday that commemorates St. Valentine, it is possible that the date of celebrations has roots in a far earlier tradition. Just as scholars speculate that the placement of the Christmas and Easter holidays coincide with pagan holidays so that the Christian reformers could "un-paganize" those pagan holidays, so do they wonder whether or not the date Valentine's Day is celebrated was chosen to undercut the pagan festival of Lupercalia.
In Plutarch's Life of Caesar, he describes Lupercalia as an ancient festival. If it was ancient in Plutarch's time, it is indeed very, very old. While little is known about the pre-Roman practices associated with the festival, we do have a firm understanding of the Roman celebration, and the mythology behind it. Lupercus is likely a Roman god associated with Pan – the god of shepherds. This is in line with the fuzzy pre-Roman history, as Plutarch tells us that the "ancient" festival was held by shepherds.
So Lupercus is one factor in the festival of Lupercalia, but the name has roots in other mythology. The cave in which Romulus and Remus were cared for by the she-wolf (traditionally called Lupa), was called the Lupercal. This cave was the spot where Lupercalia was celebrated on the ides of February (February 15th). There are records of the festival taking place in 44 B.C. after the Lupercal cave had been rebuilt by Augustus, thus solidifying the theory that this festival had been going on for many years.
The purpose of the festival was to bring in the spring by purging impurities and preparing for the fertile months. Before the festival, people would clean their houses thoroughly (hence, "spring cleaning") and would sprinkle salt and spelt throughout to purify and protect their home. When it came time for the festival, many of the townspeople would wait in town for the kickoff.
High-up members of the Roman religious society were called the "brothers of the wolf" start the festival at the mouth of the Lupercal by dressing in goatskins and sacrificing two goats and a dog. They would then anoint young successors to the order. Then the sacrificial feast would begin, and it would be a town-wide celebration. After the sacrificial feast, the brothers of the wolf would take strips of the sacrificed animals and run around the city slapping people with them.
Rather than shy away from getting smacked with a strip of sacrificed goat, females would welcome it, as it was meant to promote fertility and to guarantee easy childbirth in the coming year. The crops would also receive a smack of the strips, to ensure that the agriculture would thrive in the coming months. After this ritual, all the unmarried women would put their names in a big urn and the unmarried men would choose one. Often times, these choices would result in marriage. This practice continued until 498 A.D., when Pope Gelasius decided that the practice was "un-Christian." This was the same year he named February 14th Valentine's Day rather than Lupercalia.
Today Valentine's Day is celebrated in the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, France, and Mexico, and people send cards to their sweethearts. Additionally, Valentine's Day is a big day for wedding proposals, as well as an occasion to give expensive gifts of precious jewelry like gold, pearls, and diamonds.
About the Author:
The best online resource to sell your old gold and jewerly http://refinity.com/
Keyword tags: lulupercalia, festivals, pagan religions, religions, easter, feasts, origin of valentine\'s day
In Plutarch's Life of Caesar, he describes Lupercalia as an ancient festival. If it was ancient in Plutarch's time, it is indeed very, very old. While little is known about the pre-Roman practices associated with the festival, we do have a firm understanding of the Roman celebration, and the mythology behind it. Lupercus is likely a Roman god associated with Pan – the god of shepherds. This is in line with the fuzzy pre-Roman history, as Plutarch tells us that the "ancient" festival was held by shepherds.
So Lupercus is one factor in the festival of Lupercalia, but the name has roots in other mythology. The cave in which Romulus and Remus were cared for by the she-wolf (traditionally called Lupa), was called the Lupercal. This cave was the spot where Lupercalia was celebrated on the ides of February (February 15th). There are records of the festival taking place in 44 B.C. after the Lupercal cave had been rebuilt by Augustus, thus solidifying the theory that this festival had been going on for many years.
The purpose of the festival was to bring in the spring by purging impurities and preparing for the fertile months. Before the festival, people would clean their houses thoroughly (hence, "spring cleaning") and would sprinkle salt and spelt throughout to purify and protect their home. When it came time for the festival, many of the townspeople would wait in town for the kickoff.
High-up members of the Roman religious society were called the "brothers of the wolf" start the festival at the mouth of the Lupercal by dressing in goatskins and sacrificing two goats and a dog. They would then anoint young successors to the order. Then the sacrificial feast would begin, and it would be a town-wide celebration. After the sacrificial feast, the brothers of the wolf would take strips of the sacrificed animals and run around the city slapping people with them.
Rather than shy away from getting smacked with a strip of sacrificed goat, females would welcome it, as it was meant to promote fertility and to guarantee easy childbirth in the coming year. The crops would also receive a smack of the strips, to ensure that the agriculture would thrive in the coming months. After this ritual, all the unmarried women would put their names in a big urn and the unmarried men would choose one. Often times, these choices would result in marriage. This practice continued until 498 A.D., when Pope Gelasius decided that the practice was "un-Christian." This was the same year he named February 14th Valentine's Day rather than Lupercalia.
Today Valentine's Day is celebrated in the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, France, and Mexico, and people send cards to their sweethearts. Additionally, Valentine's Day is a big day for wedding proposals, as well as an occasion to give expensive gifts of precious jewelry like gold, pearls, and diamonds.
About the Author:
The best online resource to sell your old gold and jewerly http://refinity.com/
Keyword tags: lulupercalia, festivals, pagan religions, religions, easter, feasts, origin of valentine\'s day
The Oldest Valentine in History
Born in 1394, French nobleman Charles of Valois is credited in penning the first Valentine's Day sentiment. Charles became Duke of Orleans in 1407 after his father was murdered on behalf of John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy. Charles was a fairly prolific poet, which is where the Valentine's Day letter comes from, though Charles' poetry was born out of a very interesting situation.
October 25, 1415 saw England triumph over France in the Battle of Agincourt – an important battle during the Hundred Year's War. For this historic battle, Charles co-led the first front against the English, who were armed with longbows and archers, but had inferior armor. Ironically, it was this superior army that may have cost the French the battle. The battleground was recently plowed and very muddy, and as it had rained heavily that month, the ground was muddy and sticky. The French, who were well-armored with heavy armor, had trouble moving quickly in these conditions, making them arrow-fodder for the English longbowmen.
Even when the French got close enough to the English for hand-to-hand combat, this superior armor caused even further problems. The English were unburdened by heavy metal armor, and were more nimble than the French knights. Additionally, the helmets provided little ventilation, and the French knights were hindered by a lack of oxygen as well as their heavy suits.
The English overtook the French, and the surviving French knights were taken as prisoners. The Duke of Orleans was among these captured and wounded soldiers. Lesser ranked prisoners were killed almost immediately.
Charles was a prisoner for the next 24 years. He spent time at The Tower of London, which is where he wrote his famous valentine to his wife, which exists today as part of the manuscript collection at London's British Library. The poem starts with the line, "On St. Valentine's day, the lovely sun, carrying along its lighted candle, made its way that fine dawn, not long ago, into my locked chamber, all in secret." The manuscript was eventually illuminated.
Eventually, Charles was ransomed by Philip the Good of Burgundy. This in itself is ironic, since it was the house of Burgundy that was responsible for Charles's father's death, and Charles had sworn an oath of vengeance for this trespass on his mother's deathbed.
Charles' imprisonment was not solely at The Tower of London. He spent time at Wallingford Castle, a castle that may have been founded by Miles Crispin himself. The terms of his imprisonment were not so bad – he was able to live like a nobleman despite his lack of freedom.
The wife to whom Charles wrote his famous love poems, Bonne d'Armagnac, died before Charles was freed. They had only been married five years before Charles was captured. Upon Charles' release, he met Maria of Cleves, who was the daughter of a German Duke and a French Duchess – who was also of the house of Burgundy and was the older sister of Philip the Good, who arranged for Charles' release.
Upon first sight of the 14-year old princess, it is said that he told her, "M'Lady, I make myself your prisoner." Maria went on to bear Charles his only son, Louis the XII of France. Maria would outlive Charles by many years, and would become a poet herself, though whether she wrote Valentine poems we do not know.
Love poems are written today in honor of Valentine's day, and many people borrow verses from Charles in their sentiments. Others, not so poetically inclined, give gifts of silver, gold, and pearls to substitute original poetry and prose. Modern women tend to like that just fine.
About the Author:
The best online resource to sell your old gold and jewerly http://refinity.com/
Keyword tags: valentine\'s day, the oldest valentine, Charles of Valois, Duke of Orleans, Battle of Agincourt
October 25, 1415 saw England triumph over France in the Battle of Agincourt – an important battle during the Hundred Year's War. For this historic battle, Charles co-led the first front against the English, who were armed with longbows and archers, but had inferior armor. Ironically, it was this superior army that may have cost the French the battle. The battleground was recently plowed and very muddy, and as it had rained heavily that month, the ground was muddy and sticky. The French, who were well-armored with heavy armor, had trouble moving quickly in these conditions, making them arrow-fodder for the English longbowmen.
Even when the French got close enough to the English for hand-to-hand combat, this superior armor caused even further problems. The English were unburdened by heavy metal armor, and were more nimble than the French knights. Additionally, the helmets provided little ventilation, and the French knights were hindered by a lack of oxygen as well as their heavy suits.
The English overtook the French, and the surviving French knights were taken as prisoners. The Duke of Orleans was among these captured and wounded soldiers. Lesser ranked prisoners were killed almost immediately.
Charles was a prisoner for the next 24 years. He spent time at The Tower of London, which is where he wrote his famous valentine to his wife, which exists today as part of the manuscript collection at London's British Library. The poem starts with the line, "On St. Valentine's day, the lovely sun, carrying along its lighted candle, made its way that fine dawn, not long ago, into my locked chamber, all in secret." The manuscript was eventually illuminated.
Eventually, Charles was ransomed by Philip the Good of Burgundy. This in itself is ironic, since it was the house of Burgundy that was responsible for Charles's father's death, and Charles had sworn an oath of vengeance for this trespass on his mother's deathbed.
Charles' imprisonment was not solely at The Tower of London. He spent time at Wallingford Castle, a castle that may have been founded by Miles Crispin himself. The terms of his imprisonment were not so bad – he was able to live like a nobleman despite his lack of freedom.
The wife to whom Charles wrote his famous love poems, Bonne d'Armagnac, died before Charles was freed. They had only been married five years before Charles was captured. Upon Charles' release, he met Maria of Cleves, who was the daughter of a German Duke and a French Duchess – who was also of the house of Burgundy and was the older sister of Philip the Good, who arranged for Charles' release.
Upon first sight of the 14-year old princess, it is said that he told her, "M'Lady, I make myself your prisoner." Maria went on to bear Charles his only son, Louis the XII of France. Maria would outlive Charles by many years, and would become a poet herself, though whether she wrote Valentine poems we do not know.
Love poems are written today in honor of Valentine's day, and many people borrow verses from Charles in their sentiments. Others, not so poetically inclined, give gifts of silver, gold, and pearls to substitute original poetry and prose. Modern women tend to like that just fine.
About the Author:
The best online resource to sell your old gold and jewerly http://refinity.com/
Keyword tags: valentine\'s day, the oldest valentine, Charles of Valois, Duke of Orleans, Battle of Agincourt
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Management Courses Can Help Your Company Succeed
Companies have a bigger need to train their work force. Over-training is a problem not because of the amount of training but for the time and money drained on the badly presented courses that do not offer nice results. The quality is more important than quantity of training offered.
People immediately suppose, whenever the matter of training originates, that it is something for the employees lower down in the chain. However, with the right training in the management levels of an organization, there are advantages to be had which will trickle down. Receiving the decent management training is obligatory if you want to make a successful company. What happens at the highest level of the organization will inevitably have an bear on those lower down, and the importance of taking it right first time is clear.
The argument against over-training develops because companies end up sinking so much resources on training courses which end up not providing them what they needed, expecting them to re-train as soon as workable. Before you select a management courses provider, you should discover the certifications of the organization and take your time in learning about them, so you will be sure that you took the accurate trainer and not have to spend time in checking another provider. Thus you will conserve precious time and money.
It is not good to switch training providers oftentimes. This is a trap into which many organizations fall because they made a careless decision on management courses in the first place and have been trying to correct that mistake ever since. Making relationships with a talented person is going to help you in the longer run. Thus you can deal all problems and requirements of the organization at that level if you have set up a working relationship with an individual.
Look Up a trusted person in the business if you are unsure about how to manage the issue of training. It is also worth making online research to find out which companies are dependable and which are severely regarded.
There are many benefits of management training courses. Your employees will be better trained to do well in the modern business scenario. Your company will become more productive. Eventually your lower level employees will not have to face the consequences of bad decision taken by the management.
Also, you will be able to prove to your employees that you have a uniform training policy for all your manpower. If you choose a management training provider that generates good results for you, you can stick to him and not have to look for another trainer later. That will save you additional costs and time resulting in more business productivity and a more capable management.
To look for a good trainer, you can get advice from your corporate friends and look for feedback about a person before hiring him or her. If you take the time to choose a training provider, you will save the time and cost overruns associated with switching providers sometime in future.
About the Author:
Checkout our Chartered Management Institute Courses at http://www.proseminar.co.uk/
Keyword tags: management courses,chartered management institute,management training
People immediately suppose, whenever the matter of training originates, that it is something for the employees lower down in the chain. However, with the right training in the management levels of an organization, there are advantages to be had which will trickle down. Receiving the decent management training is obligatory if you want to make a successful company. What happens at the highest level of the organization will inevitably have an bear on those lower down, and the importance of taking it right first time is clear.
The argument against over-training develops because companies end up sinking so much resources on training courses which end up not providing them what they needed, expecting them to re-train as soon as workable. Before you select a management courses provider, you should discover the certifications of the organization and take your time in learning about them, so you will be sure that you took the accurate trainer and not have to spend time in checking another provider. Thus you will conserve precious time and money.
It is not good to switch training providers oftentimes. This is a trap into which many organizations fall because they made a careless decision on management courses in the first place and have been trying to correct that mistake ever since. Making relationships with a talented person is going to help you in the longer run. Thus you can deal all problems and requirements of the organization at that level if you have set up a working relationship with an individual.
Look Up a trusted person in the business if you are unsure about how to manage the issue of training. It is also worth making online research to find out which companies are dependable and which are severely regarded.
There are many benefits of management training courses. Your employees will be better trained to do well in the modern business scenario. Your company will become more productive. Eventually your lower level employees will not have to face the consequences of bad decision taken by the management.
Also, you will be able to prove to your employees that you have a uniform training policy for all your manpower. If you choose a management training provider that generates good results for you, you can stick to him and not have to look for another trainer later. That will save you additional costs and time resulting in more business productivity and a more capable management.
To look for a good trainer, you can get advice from your corporate friends and look for feedback about a person before hiring him or her. If you take the time to choose a training provider, you will save the time and cost overruns associated with switching providers sometime in future.
About the Author:
Checkout our Chartered Management Institute Courses at http://www.proseminar.co.uk/
Keyword tags: management courses,chartered management institute,management training
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Financial Literacy - Who is Giving Your Kids a Financial Education?
The current financial crisis has sharpened the focus on the need for better financial education across all segments of the population. Just as information and guidance on healthy eating and exercise can prevent a lifetime of obesity, effective financial education, when started at an early age, can prevent chronic financial health problems later in life.
Where this education should take place is a matter of debate. Whether education and guidance of this sort would be more effectively shared by parents and families or taught formally as part of the school curriculum. Here we discuss some of the issues on both sides.
Schools
Financial literacy is an important element of preparing young people for adult life, which in turn is one of the main purposes of the education system. Lessons in money and financial matters can be integrated into many other existing subjects, such as mathematics, citizenship, PSHE and with some imagination into art, design and manufacturing based subjects.
Teachers have the skills of explanation, motivation and effective delivery. They also have access to resources, books and technology. Banks and other financial providers have programmes available to support teachers and schools.
Teaching financial literacy in schools guarantees a uniform, minimum of knowledge. Admittedly the quality and effectiveness may vary from school to school, region to region, yet a basic level of delivery can be assured.
Children are in a learning environment at school and therefore may be more receptive. Some parents may lack the necessary time, expertise or interest to teach their children about money. This may perpetuate a downward spiral, where a lack of awareness is passed from generation to generation.
Parents
At present few teachers have the necessary experience or knowledge to competently teach financial education. Consequently they may possibly pass on their own beliefs or bad habits concerning their own finances. The training and resourcing required to up skill teachers will take time and money.
School curricula are already crowded with mandatory content. New criteria can only be added at the expense of something else.
Regardless of where you are reading this, is the state in the best position to impose a financial education curriculum? Is the example of huge debt and continually spending more than your income a great example to follow? So too, many of the banks whose financial attitudes have heightened the current economic problems.
The financial world exists outside of the classroom and many would argue that so too lie the better opportunities for learning. Examples include taking children shopping, encouraging them to save and take part time jobs. Showing by example how to budget, pay bills and make financial decisions are far more real when experienced in context.
We should also consider the differing religious and moral beliefs of parents and communities. For some, the principle of tithing or giving 10% to church or charity is fundamental and may conflict with a school curriculum. Other families and traditions have very strong views on debt or use cooperative systems for providing within communities.
These are some of the main arguments in the financial education debate. A definite solution is not immediately clear, however what is evident is the need for some kind of change. Parents and in fact young people themselves can access a range of financial information from a whole host of providers. They need not wait for others to take the lead. Schools on the other hand should be encouraged to provide at least a minimum explanation of key information as a safety net for those unable to access the information for themselves.
About the Author:
Whichever side of the debate you are on, most agree that children learn better when approached in a fun and entertaining manner. The Financial Fairy Tales are a series of books and resources which teach children about money through inspirational stories http://www.thefinancialfairytales.com
Keyword tags: financial education, financial literacy, financial literacy for kids, kids and money
Where this education should take place is a matter of debate. Whether education and guidance of this sort would be more effectively shared by parents and families or taught formally as part of the school curriculum. Here we discuss some of the issues on both sides.
Schools
Financial literacy is an important element of preparing young people for adult life, which in turn is one of the main purposes of the education system. Lessons in money and financial matters can be integrated into many other existing subjects, such as mathematics, citizenship, PSHE and with some imagination into art, design and manufacturing based subjects.
Teachers have the skills of explanation, motivation and effective delivery. They also have access to resources, books and technology. Banks and other financial providers have programmes available to support teachers and schools.
Teaching financial literacy in schools guarantees a uniform, minimum of knowledge. Admittedly the quality and effectiveness may vary from school to school, region to region, yet a basic level of delivery can be assured.
Children are in a learning environment at school and therefore may be more receptive. Some parents may lack the necessary time, expertise or interest to teach their children about money. This may perpetuate a downward spiral, where a lack of awareness is passed from generation to generation.
Parents
At present few teachers have the necessary experience or knowledge to competently teach financial education. Consequently they may possibly pass on their own beliefs or bad habits concerning their own finances. The training and resourcing required to up skill teachers will take time and money.
School curricula are already crowded with mandatory content. New criteria can only be added at the expense of something else.
Regardless of where you are reading this, is the state in the best position to impose a financial education curriculum? Is the example of huge debt and continually spending more than your income a great example to follow? So too, many of the banks whose financial attitudes have heightened the current economic problems.
The financial world exists outside of the classroom and many would argue that so too lie the better opportunities for learning. Examples include taking children shopping, encouraging them to save and take part time jobs. Showing by example how to budget, pay bills and make financial decisions are far more real when experienced in context.
We should also consider the differing religious and moral beliefs of parents and communities. For some, the principle of tithing or giving 10% to church or charity is fundamental and may conflict with a school curriculum. Other families and traditions have very strong views on debt or use cooperative systems for providing within communities.
These are some of the main arguments in the financial education debate. A definite solution is not immediately clear, however what is evident is the need for some kind of change. Parents and in fact young people themselves can access a range of financial information from a whole host of providers. They need not wait for others to take the lead. Schools on the other hand should be encouraged to provide at least a minimum explanation of key information as a safety net for those unable to access the information for themselves.
About the Author:
Whichever side of the debate you are on, most agree that children learn better when approached in a fun and entertaining manner. The Financial Fairy Tales are a series of books and resources which teach children about money through inspirational stories http://www.thefinancialfairytales.com
Keyword tags: financial education, financial literacy, financial literacy for kids, kids and money
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