Hello and Welcome!
We are pleased this month to have John Robertson contributing to the newsletter with a fantastic article on Flag Protocol. Not only is John a dear personal friend, I am also proud to say that he teaches at the Academy and will be arriving in Toronto this weekend to teach Etiquette and Protocol, Butler Skills, Valet Skills as well as Table Setting and Service.
This month we also have an article on job interview etiquette as well as a piece on social network pitfalls.
The fall season is underway and I can feel the air temperature already cooling. This is a season I always enjoy! I hope
you will enjoy this month's newsletter and I thank-you all for your continued
support.
Charles
MacPherson President |
Flag Protocol
John
G. Robertson
Protocol
and Etiquette Consultant
Flags: we raise them in pride and
celebration, lower them in sadness and to commemorate death, burn or destroy
them in anger and protest. There is great emotion associated with this
one symbol as very aptly noted by Ms. Barbara Sullivan, Chief Protocol Officer
for Toronto, Canada.
The
display of national flags is a very sensitive issue. Done correctly, you do
honour to your own flag and country and to your international visitors. Done incorrectly and you may create
ill-will and animosity and perhaps even an international incident as happened
on 18 October 1992 when a US Marine Corps colour guard displayed the Canadian
flag upside down at a World Series game in the USA. The fault wasn't intentional nor was it through ignorance,
it was a mere technical glitch and the Marine had no choice but to carry on
with the ceremony. Nevertheless,
it required the intervention of the President of the United States to
apologise. He requested the opportunity to make amends by sending another Marine
Corps colour guard to Canada to carry the Canadian flag in the following World
Series game and in an unprecedented move, requested that a Royal Canadian
Mounted Police colour guard carry the American flag. All was forgiven.
Read More
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The Solar Queen
 Recently I had lunch at a very good friends
apartment in New York City. As the
afternoon came to a close I remarked on what appeared to be a statue of Her
Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Well
in fact it was, and it turns out to be the latest craze in Monarchy
memorabilia! I was so excited,
being the huge monarchist that I am, my gracious host insisted I leave with
this as a gift. I now
have this in my Toronto office and love it and wanted to share it with all of you.
The YouTube video is only 53 seconds long,
but I promise it's a must see! I
trust you will enjoy this and a warm thank you to my friend Robert! This is one of the best gifts EVER!!
YouTube Link
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Job Interview Etiquette
 When interviewing for a job,
there are a lot of things that are outside our control. For example, one's work history is what
it is; there is no fudging the facts of a resume. Good job interview etiquette on the other hand is well
within one's control and because of that it would be a shame to lose a job just
because of a breach of etiquette.
Now that summer is over and the
employment market has picked up, more of us will be preparing for job
interviews. Brushing up on
interview etiquette should be included in our preparations. Here are some pointers that can make -
not break - an interview.
First and foremost, be
punctual. Good etiquette demonstrates
respect. It's a pretty basic concept,
but few things demonstrate greater disrespect than being late for a meeting.
Secondly, dress
appropriately. Always dress a step
above the standard for the organization's environment. An interview should highlight your
abilities and qualifications and not your sartorial taste.
While waiting for your interview
make sure that you're friendly with the receptionist. You never know what sort of influence they have.
The handshake should be
enthusiastic and friendly and not tentative and indifferent. Make sure to maintain eye contact and
smile warmly. When greeting the interviewer, err on the side of formality and never sit
down until you are invited to do so.
Research the organization. Being knowledgeable about the company
demonstrates respect. While on the
subject of respect, never "diss" a previous employer. It won't be received well by a prospective employer.
Remember at the end of the
interview to thank the interviewer for their time and the opportunity. The thank-you doesn't stop here
however; always follow up the interview with a thank-you note, either written
or typed.
Keep
in mind that good etiquette is more than good manners; it's also good strategy
that can help you interview your way into that dream job.
CMA Job Board
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Champagne's Carbon Footprint
 REIMS,
France - Deep below a lush landscape of ripening Champagne grapes, Thierry
Gasco, the master vintner for Pommery, ran his finger over the shoulders of a
dark green bottle that looked just like the thousands of others reposing in his
chilly subterranean cellars. But
to the practiced hand and eye, there is a subtle, if potentially significant,
difference. "This
is how we're remaking the future of Champagne," he said, pointing to the area
just below the neck. "We're slimming the shoulders to make the bottle lighter,
so our carbon footprint will be reduced to help keep Champagne here for future
generations." New York Times Article |
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Haunted by your Social Network?
 A robust social network is a
critical resource in any job
search. Leveraged wisely, it can
help identify opportunities, open doors, provide ways around vigilant
gatekeepers and supply useful grist for an interview once the door is
open. Social network sites like
LinkedIn and Facebook are useful tools; used carelessly, however, they can
undermine the chances of scoring that perfect job faster than you can tweet
"geez, did I ever get drunk last night"! Too many of us take too many
risks with the information we choose to share on these sites. Our own memories may be short, but the
Internet does not forget. We live
in an age of infinite digital reproduction; as soon as we innocently post a
piece of information, we lose control of that content. What seems like a harmless comment or
photo to post in confidence, can come back to haunt us in unexpected ways. For example, I remember interviewing
a young gentleman for a chauffeur's position. He was perfect for the job in so many ways. As part of his reference check,
however, I searched his name on the web and checked out his online presence on
Facebook. When I found his
Facebook profile I was disappointed to discover photo after photo of my
"perfect" chauffeur with a beer in each hand whooping it up with his equally
sauced friends. While I'm sure he
thought he was only sharing fun moments with good friends, he inadvertently conveyed
an aspect of himself to me that ruled him out of the running for what would
have been a wonderful opportunity with a fine family. Recently I was reading in the New York Times about a young woman in teacher's college who posted a photo of herself on her
Myspace page that showed her having fun at a party dressed as a pirate with a
caption underneath that read "drunken pirate". The dean of the teacher's college this young lady was
attending took issue with the photo and said she was promoting drinking in
"virtual view" of her under-age students. When it came time to graduate, the university denied her the degree that
she had been working towards. Fairly or unfairly, this young lady's "virtual life" came crashing down
on her "real life" with disastrous consequences for her career. The moral of these stories is that
privacy is increasingly becoming a fiction and because of this we all need to
think very carefully before posting information online about ourselves and our
activities. If the material is
something you wouldn't want to share with mom and dad, it probably isn't
suitable for Facebook either. |
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Miele are proud sponsors of the Charles MacPherson Academy for Butlers and Household Managers.
Miele.ca
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The Butler Speaks
 Come visit us at our blog "The Butler Speaks" for the latest in Butler News.
In the upcoming weeks, we'll be posting some fun travelogue videos of my recent trip to India.
Remember, we love lots of questions and always do our best to answer them all.
The Butler Speaks
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Join us on Twitter
 Now you can follow what is happening at butler school and elsewhere by joining us on Twitter. We hope to see you and look forward to following your tweets too!
You can find us easily with this Twitter Blog Link or follow us @butlerschool if you already have an account.
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Charles MacPherson Associates
Charles MacPherson Associates Inc. has over twelve years
experience in the luxury residential market and the luxury hospitality
market. We have four complementary lines of business:
* Advisory & Consulting
* Training
* Placement
* Academy
Today we would like to highlight The Charles MacPherson Academy for Butlers and Household Managers, which is a certified Private Career College located in Toronto, Canada. We teach those individuals seeking to enter the world of service,
individuals seeking to upgrade their skills, and employers who wish to
enrol their staff for specific skills development.
info@charlesmacpherson.com
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Contact Information
Toronto:507 King Street East Suite 100 Toronto, Ontario, M5A 1M3 CANADA (416) 369-1146 office (416) 369-1743 facsimile New York:134 West 82 Street Suite 3B New York, New York 10024 United States (212) 877-6962 office (917) 441-0064 facsimile
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Clothing &
Valet Care 101
Clothing & Valet Care 101 (2 days) This course will include
fashion, colours, understanding designers, how men's and ladies clothes are
made, understanding the difference between ready to wear, made to measure and
couture, learning how to correctly build a gentleman's and lady's closet. - Suitcase
Packing
- Suitcase
Unpacking
- Packing
for Employers
- Caring
for Furs
- Leather
/ Suede Shoe Care
Course Schedule |
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Housekeeping 101
& 201
Housekeeping 101 (2 days)One of the most important classes begins with a lecture on understanding the
importance of light, temperature and humidity and how it affects the household
and furnishings. Additionally the class covers dealing with spills, safe
cleaning techniques, tools, reviewing different surfaces, furniture pieces and
how to correctly clean a room, bed making and including turn down service. Housekeeping 201 (3 days) Hands on classes learning to correctly clean bathrooms, bedrooms, how to
appoint guest rooms, guest bathrooms and then all of the different methods of
suitcase packing and unpacking from clothing, make-up, shoes and dealing with
dirty items and finally long term clothing storage. Course Schedule |
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Table Setting
& Service 101
Table Setting & Service (3 days) A hands-on class includes learning different utensils, china, glassware for
service and dining. We proceed on to table setting table space calculation and
the different methods of table setting from around the world, as well as
understanding the types of table service, napkin folding and the order of
service chart. This course is at least 50% hands on.
Course Schedule |
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Laundry 101
Laundry 101 (3 Days) Understanding the laundry symbols chart, how to correctly use a washer and dryer, preparing clothes for the wash, dealing with stains, ironing, folding of laundry and linens, using a mangle machine correctly, steaming ball gowns, mending buttons dealing with dry cleaning and dying dark clothes. All of this and more is done in our Miele Sponsored Laundry facility at our Academy, the only one of its kind in the world! Course Schedule |
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Butlering Skills
101
Butler Skills 101 (1 Day) A professional butler teaches butler traits, code of ethics and then
traditional items such as ironing a newspaper, answering the door, making
coffee, making tea, dealing with different kinds of coffee such as espresso,
cappuccino, latté etc. and finally setting the perfect fireplace. Butler Skills 201 (1 Day) This class goes to the next level of service including tray service how butlers
manage household and difficult situations within the household and dealing with
employer demands. Course Schedule |
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Household Management 101 & 201
Household Management 101 (2 days) This class delves into
the business aspects of household management beginning with abbreviations of
the industry, managing household inventories, procedures, manuals, petty cash,
and general best practices for a successful over-all household management
structure. Know your target audience. Who are your most important clients or
prospects, and why? Household Management 201 (2 Days) This advanced level covers household
management issues at the highest level. Attention will be paid to managing
large-scale estates and families with multiple properties, large numbers of
staff and guests and family members with high profiles. Common problems and
issues one typically encounters will be addressed. Course Schedule |
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Household Mechanicals 101
Mechanicals 101 (1 Day)An expert from the service industry assist students to understand complexities
of a modern household's operating systems and the need for engaging the right
professionals to ensure that the systems run properly. Course Schedule |
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