Category: Letters to the Editor

Categories
Letters to the Editor Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, January 2021, Letters to the Editor

PostBoxLetters to the Editor

“Thank you for always advocating for the highest quality of education when it comes to being a butler. It has been a pleasure reading your informative and quality newsletter since 2011. The literature has always been useful to me in private domestic service, utilizing every tidbit to the best of my abilities. I was saddened and shocked after reading this article [about SABA]—you are a man of great integrity, thank you for being conscientious in this matter. Truthfully, my standard of service accelerated once I began to intertwine all of the helpful advice that your experts and you so unselfishly included in the newsletter.” DS

Ed: Thank you for the kind words; we do the little we do precisely for people like you who are earnest and serious about the profession and being of service.

“While reading your piece on SABA, and quite rightly [written], it’s a disgrace and does nothing for the profession that you and I have worked so hard for. Hopefully, it will be sorted out with them closing down. It is a shame for all those who have spent time and money and for the many who have been treated so badly.” RF

Ed: Yes, the current SABA is a blot on the profession—it did not used to be under former ownership and management—and let us hope that the interested parties come to their senses and look at the effects they are creating and their responsibilities to the profession and their students instead of their pocketbooks and preening in the mirror of social media the whole time.

“Thank you for all the work you do to promote integrity, honour, and reliability in the profession. These actions are deplorable, but not unexpected. It is a shame that your efforts to clean up the profession have made you a target. I am confident that the IIMB community is full of succesful, happy alumni that will support you and speak in defense of your efforts and your programs. The truth will out—we can’t all be wrong! In a newspaper article published over a decade ago, I advised prospective students of any butler school to contact past pupils and clients to hear their feedback before investing in a course. This remains sound advice.” FM

Ed: Agreed on students doing their due diligence. On the other matter, I am not inclined to defend myself or the Institute, as our being targeted is just an example of a classic misdirector—the issue is between SABA and its unhappy students; it makes as much sense to target us as for the Australian army to launch an attack against Iceland because New Zealand objected to something about Australia. It takes a special kind of desperation and moral compass to make that kind of “logic” work.

“Thankfully, there are true and dedicated professionals in this wonderful industry, who, like me, are passionate about upholding the standards in both butler service and butler education. Professionals who have actually worked as a butler for many years, and then chosen to offer their training without false claims to celebrity status or background. Professionals who uphold the very principles of being a butler: honest, decent, ethical, moral, attentive. There are many very good butler training schools in the world, but none as shameful as SABA. Over the years, I have tried to disregard any stories or gossip about SABA, but now I am angry at the damage it is doing to our industry. I shudder at the many times I have both heard and read about this joint action case, it seems more reminiscent of times in history where tyranny was rampant, rather than having happened in the 21st Century. It is both shocking and unacceptable! Not forgetting or discounting the many other students who were hoodwinked and conned into parting with their hard-earned money in the pursuit of their dream, Lin Yang and the others behind this joint action case, brave enough to take a stand against this sort of behaviour and treatment, need all the support they can get so that we may be rid of this blemish on the butler profession. I look forward to us all being able to congratulate them on the successful outcome of this case.” JI

Ed: Wonderful sentiments, thank you. As the old adage goes, the truth will win in the end. It is always encouraging to know that the vast majority follow an ethical path and add positive elements to the mutual, forward drive. I also applaud the brave individuals, led particularly by Ms. Yang Lin, who at great personal sacrifice, have said “Here and no further!” Here’s to a 2021 filled with good news for the profession.

“May I please be subscribed to the wonderful and informative newsletter, always lovely to share and learn from fellow butlers and experiences of the trade. Thank you for all the years and a better more prosperous 2021” AJS

“I have seen a video about the Biltmore Estate, the former Vanderbilt family’s manor house, in North Carolina—which, by the way, was the location of the movie Being There—in which the Chief Curator says that at the time the house was running, the end of 19th century, the Head Housekeeper, rather than the Butler, was the head of the house. Are you aware of that? It might be the case that in those early days of properly staffed luxury houses in America, the owners did not know yet the correct hierarchy of formal households although they had visited England and its stately homes for sure.”  GL

Ed: I understand your concern. Co-incidentally, I was at the Biltmore estate two weeks ago and sat through several videos, none of which seemed to mention a butler. They had about two-dozen private household staff and many, many more working the farms, gardens, and factories created to build the Estate. The Mr. died early on and the lady of the house ran the estate, so may have just had an old-fashioned, limited-duties butler for alcohol and food service, answering the door, etc. Upper class Americans at the time were not yet so conversant with butlers, who only became de rigeur in NYC a few years later. Up to that time, they probably did have housekeepers managing the estate interiors and domestic staff, as well as many footmen in livery for the sake of show. Check E.S. Turner’s What the Butler Saw which does include a chapter (19) on butlers in America and which even quotes from the lives of the Vanderbilt’s on Long Island and from New York society, where the imported British butlers were slowly beginning to educate the newly wealthy in America at the very time that the Biltmore estate was being built and opened in North Carolina. As impressive as the buildings and grounds are, the Biltmore Estate is more of note not as a model for domestic service but as a center for modern agricultural practices, equipment, and techniques that helped boost agricultural production in time to meet the needs of the populace in the 20th century. The family still owns and runs the estate, but no word on if they have a modern butler to help manage their personal lives.

The Institute is dedicated to raising service standards by broadly disseminating the mindset and superior service expertise of that time-honored, quintessential service provider, the British Butler, updated with modern people skills, and adapted to the needs of modern employers and guests in staffed homes, luxury hotels, resorts, spas, retirement communities, jets, yachts & cruise ships around the world.


Categories
Letters to the Editor Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, December 2020, Letters to the Editor

PostBoxLetters to the Editor

“Thank you for another entertaining and informative newsletter and website. I enjoy many aspects of the site and Creative Corner [in the newsletter] is especially a treat!” CRS

“Thank you for taking the time to let us know. Your message was very kind and uplifting and is appreciated.” KG, author of Creative Corner

The Institute is dedicated to raising service standards by broadly disseminating the mindset and superior service expertise of that time-honored, quintessential service provider, the British Butler, updated with modern people skills, and adapted to the needs of modern employers and guests in staffed homes, luxury hotels, resorts, spas, retirement communities, jets, yachts & cruise ships around the world.


Categories
Letters to the Editor Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, November 2020, Letters to the Editor

PostBoxLetters to the Editor

“I recently purchased your superbly detailed book, Butlers and Household Managers – 21st Century Professionals as I am due to start a new position as house manager next week and finding it most invaluable. One point I would like to make is about the trial period. As I understand via the agent, my prospective employer has spent quite a sum of money on agent commissions in the past to try and find a suitable house manager. Understandably, he is somewhat reticent about hiring someone if it doesn`t work out, so has proposed a trial period for both parties. I have been offered a trial period via the agent but as yet nothing has been put in writing (start date, salary pro rata, and length of trial). The agent said it would be down to personal chemistry and that is why the last house manager left, so the trial period could be short. I know the employer is a busy individual but with my proposed start date of next Wednesday, I would expect more than a few WhatsApp messages. I understand the employer is being careful, since he has had his fingers burned with previous agent commissions, hence I’ll be on a day rate until my trial is finished. I’ve also been trying to find the points you raised about detailing how I will be judged during the trial period and ask for these points to be listed. Any help from your vast experience would be most appreciated. AW

Ed: Thanks for the enquiry, I am glad you have found the book to be of use. We always recommend a trial period because it is the only way to determine if there be chemistry or not, and before any commitments are made by both sides.

I would not be concerned about the criteria against which you will be judged. The employer needs to see you as you are to know whether the chemistry is in place (and basic required skills, too), rather than you trying to give him what he wants to see.

Just settle on a per diem and the trial should last as long as is needed to determine compatibility. If he be hiring you on a per diem that reflects the pro-rated annual salary, then it really does not matter how long the trial goes on for, within reason. If the employer will not settle on a maximum range (we usually recommend a week maximum as sufficient to tell the tale), then I suggest at some point, when you feel the trial should be over, you broach the subject—unless you are happy to continue to be employed temporarily and do not have anything better in the offing. 

Remember, this does work both ways—you may find him to be a horror and be well shot of him. And hopefully, you may confirm that he is the kind of employer that every butler would like to work for and work extra hard to secure the position.

So what to do now? Accept employment on a daily basis for as long as the employer wants but do insist on the per diem being stated upfront, as well as considerations for room, board, and transport. The employer’s demands are reasonable, other than the lack of communication about the terms. Wishing you well.

“Thank you for your prompt reply, which is most helpful. If I need any further details, may I get in touch? It is most reassuring you are there.” AW

# # #

“What Mr. Ferry has done so far is an incredible and honorable achievement for all butlers in the world. I have studied at TIBA and at Starkey International and I have to say that his books are extremely useful.” VM

# # #

“Loose leaf tea is always the best solution for the single cup and is easily accomplished by using infusers—Japanese tea providers such as Lupicier in Melbourne, Australia, offer beautifully crafted single- and multi-cup infusers in stainless steel. There are also silicon versions offered online. “Personally, as a singularly appreciative tea drinker and 30-year advocate of a particular fragrant tea – “Apricot with flowers” based on a Ceylon tea blend embodying a subtle flavour profile (best served black no sugar), I make it a firm and unwavering policy to consume only tea brewed in a tea pot and served in a fine porcelain cup (with saucer) and NEVER in a mug/beaker. The comparison could be made to drinking French Champagne out of a heavy based water glass. And, for the sake of convenience I have three different serving-size tea pots and two infusers always at hand, always on the go on a tray ready at a moment’s notice. Lastly, when you have a favourite loose-leaf tea, consider making a volume purchase (I prefer by the kilo, presented in individual vacuum-sealed 100g sachets). AK

# # #

“I’m sure I’m the oldest of you all, considering I was serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner in 1953 as a young Naval Steward and working in private households in the same year for admirals and their families and staff. I worked with butlers from the 20’s and 30 ‘s and so much that one hears about the profession these days is what people think and two thirds is not true. Why doesn’t someone bother to ask someone in the business who was actually doing the work? I watched Mr. x and the ____ man giving the worst webinar and so-called house managers were asking such stupid questions and Mr. X was replying with ridiculous answers. I think it’s about time that all these people started to do the job properly. I’m not trying to slag off anyone but I become really annoyed reading and listening to such rubbish. I know you understand, but I feel today people are just doing what they think is right.” RF

Ed: Yes, you are certainly the senior amongst us all—the year you started as a stu I was wrapped in swaddling clothes. And yes, you are quite right, we have people passing on incorrect information because they were never trained and apprenticed bottom up and know no better. You will have seen the last of the articles on what it is like working as a butler or estates manager in the 21st Century. We are also continuing to run the Butler’s Remembrancer from the early 19th Century. How about you fill in the 20th Century and what it was really like in the trenches, so that the information is not lost forever? The closest we have is Agar’s Way, but there is so much it does not cover.

# # #

“I always enjoy your journal and am so impressed with how you continue to generate content during these odd times. I was told by my current employer that I might transfer to a location in or near Zurich, Switzerland for a year or two. May I ask your opinion regarding what you think is a good location to live and if you have any tips regarding the best way to obtain housing in Switzerland?  GJ

Ed: The prospect of living in Switzerland is intriguing and quite an opportunity! Why not go into the Swiss countryside? It has the advantage of not being as pricey as city dwelling with great beauty and outdoor treasures to explore. As for how to find lodging, I would suggest renting an apartment for a longer period such as this, and starting the search with the usual culprits—online portals! The US Embassy may have some recommended sources.

The Institute is dedicated to raising service standards by broadly disseminating the mindset and superior service expertise of that time-honored, quintessential service provider, the British Butler, updated with modern people skills, and adapted to the needs of modern employers and guests in staffed homes, luxury hotels, resorts, spas, retirement communities, jets, yachts & cruise ships around the world.


Categories
Letters to the Editor Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, September 2020, Letters to the Editor

PostBoxLetters to the Editor

“Excellent response to the “conspiracy theory” commentator. The three articles were interesting and valuable reads for sure. I always enjoy your newsletter, BTW.” RP

“Thank you for this article, all very well stated. The prospect of actually catching the virus is less stressful than navigating through all the agendas every day. Hopefully, this works itself out soon, with sensible solutions that allow adults the option for gathering and conducting business as we choose.” JG

“Very timely and informative article, and true in my estimation!” PS

“I very much agree with all you have written. It will be very interesting to hear & read from all—including Governments & Pharmaceutical/Tech companies—concerning what hopefully has been learned with hindsight from this sorry state of affairs. I would be most grateful for a copy of the full report.” RS

“If you would be so kind, I would appreciate the complete article on COVID-19. I did encounter separately a medical paper from early 2019 written by Chinese physicians predicting an outbreak in the Wuhan area based on earlier experiences and other Covid related viruses.” PH

“I wonder if the service skills that I have acquired and kept while in health care, could be applied to becoming a butler?” EMH

ED: Thanks for your question—not the first time this has been asked and with good reason. A good health-care professional has a key quality that is of great value in private household service—solicitousness or caring for the welfare of another. However, in a health-care setting, by my observation, while the patient is the ultimate “client,” the health-care worker’s point of view is that he or she is the boss and does what he or she considers to be best for the patient. This particular perspective would need to be shifted to caring to give the principals what they consider they need and want, even if one may disagree, in order to transpose successfully the care factor to the private household. There are many other elements that go into running a household, as detailed in my various books, so these skills would need to be acquired, but I would suggest that, all things being equal, a health-care worker is on firm ground for learning the profession and being a success at it.

“Recruiters don’t want to see why people work for a short time for royal families, whether in Great Britain or Luxembourg, and then change jobs—it’s only to build their CV and more easily find a position later that is better paid. When people comment that they don’t want to work for the kind of salary being offered at Buckingham Palace, they don’t have service in their heart. Every family wants a specific style of service but given the choice between a professional with a heart for service and a person who only wants to be hired to make it easier to find a better-paid job, I would always choose the person with the service heart.” CK

Ed: Thanks for sharing your experiences and perspective. I agree with you, those who cycle through royal palaces to build their resumes (such jobs are indeed an excellent resume, perspective, and skill builder) yet lack the solicitous approach to service, tend to show their true colours through their commercial efforts and failure to continue to follow the code of a butler or other service professional thereafter (in terms of loyalty and discretion, for instance).

The Institute is dedicated to raising service standards by broadly disseminating the mindset and superior service expertise of that time-honored, quintessential service provider, the British Butler, updated with modern people skills, and adapted to the needs of modern employers and guests in staffed homes, luxury hotels, resorts, spas, retirement communities, jets, yachts & cruise ships around the world.

Categories
Letters to the Editor Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, August 2020, Letters to the Editor

PostBoxLetters to the Editor

Very, very interesting read. Can you pls suggest guidelines or a possible Covid 19 Manual for the daily housekeeping / F&B within a private residence? Ms. J.

Ed: Thanks for reaching out. One obviously has to follow the laws of the land and region, but the whole point about this virus is that it is not appreciably different from any other virus or germ, and is susceptible to normal hygiene and cleaning procedures followed by disinfecting with a hydrogen peroxide spray (or bleach, but that smells). There is no need to believe the heavy social and mainstream media fear being generated non-stop because it is not supported by the science and facts. Anyone who is ill should isolate, otherwise maintain good hygiene and cleanliness, and even spray disinfectant, but otherwise, follow the laws of the land until you can change them to align with science where they may have strayed.

The Institute is dedicated to raising service standards by broadly disseminating the mindset and superior service expertise of that time-honored, quintessential service provider, the British Butler, updated with modern people skills, and adapted to the needs of modern employers and guests in staffed homes, luxury hotels, resorts, spas, retirement communities, jets, yachts & cruise ships around the world.

Categories
Letters to the Editor Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, July 2020, Letters to the Editor

PostBoxLetters to the Editor

Congratulations on the newsletter, very well worded intro letter and the new format looks great. Good to see you keeping at the forefront. PS

#   #   #

“The Butler is a profession to be respected, but, the Butler should respect another profession…that of the lawyer who should review the employment contract prior to accepting the position. As an attorney for 39 years, I can attest that the best time to discover your boss is [less-than-desirable], is before you start working for him.” WM

Ed: Thank you for the benefit of your experience, Mr. M. I agree for new-to-the-game butlers; more-experienced ones generally know what to look for in a contract but can surely benefit from legal advice, too.

#   #   #

Concluding the correspondence with Alex Parker for his article on Batman’s Batman:

Alex: Did you know that a “batman” is a 19th-century word for a military officer’s valet? So the phrase “Batman’s Batman” is a double entendre that I didn’t even catch.

Ed: Yes, I did—sorry, I did not realize this was an unknown element. In the 19th and 20th centuries, army batmen provided a feeder-line for private-service valets and even butlers.

The Institute is dedicated to raising service standards by broadly disseminating the mindset and superior service expertise of that time-honored, quintessential service provider, the British Butler, updated with modern people skills, and adapted to the needs of modern employers and guests in staffed homes, luxury hotels, resorts, spas, retirement communities, jets, yachts & cruise ships around the world.

Categories
Letters to the Editor Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, June 2020, Letters to the Editor

PostBoxLetters to the Editor

 

Regarding the editorial in the May MBJ on the pandemic

“I very much agree with all you have written. It will be very interesting to hear & read from all—including governments, pharmaceutical, & tech companies, what will be said & hopefully learned with hindsight from this sorry state of affairs.” RS

Ed: Agreed—we definitely need to learn the right lessons from this experience.

#   #   #

“A very timely and informative article and true in my estimation!” PS

#   #   #

“Regarding your editorial in the Modern Butler’s Journal dated May 1, I thought you were 100% correct.  A mentor once told me to be doubly aware of the difference between the words ‘reason’ and ‘excuse.’. Bypass the ‘excuse’ and find the ‘reason.’  I thought you nailed it quite nicely.  I am also greatly aware of the difference between the words “conspiracy” and “agenda.”

“Name calling has now become a substitute for debate because it is easier for someone who has been caught with their hand in the cookie jar to just call you a ‘conspiracy theorist’ rather than to explain their actual ‘agenda.’

“We now have couple of compliant generations disastrously groomed for compliance in government schools:”Don’t question, simply obey,” so they do not question the numbers or when ‘trusted’ government officials, such as Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, declares the death of a toddler to be “coronavirus related,” even though the baby drowned  (we know he lied because the child’s parents were quite upset about this misrepresentation).

“Why would the governor lie about something so serious? Could it be that in his state, like so many others, when leadership operates in a world without accountability or consequences (such as creating fiscal time bombs by misappropriation of public pension monies), that telling a little fib to garner a greater share of that “stimulus” money becomes acceptable?

“CBS News was caught red-handed staging news at the Cherry Health Care Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan, by having the medical facility temporarily pull working employees from their duties to form ‘long testing lines’ in their cars in order to give the impression of the hospital being swamped when there were was actually no demand. Again, the reason we know is because some of those employees objected. ‘Let no crisis go to waste, even if you have to create a crisis.’ Thank you, Rahm Emanuel. So thank you, I very much appreciate your words.” AM

Ed: I am glad you agree with the article and love your points re: agenda, name calling, and the falsification of statistics—spot on. In the end, it is not about us individually, but everyone doing well and as you say, there is an awful lot of criminality and dishonesty going on at the moment that cuts across real solutions.

#   #   #

“I have been sceptical but cautious over the Covid 19 outbreak. Our hospitals are not full but so many operations and medical procedures have been put on hold. It makes you wonder, whether other sacrifices are being made to worry about this virus, when there are thousands of viruses out there and few treatments for other ailments available, causing unnecessary deaths and suffering which can also be blamed on Covid 19. Are we at a time in our history where we are being played?  Is this virus an experiment to determine a future where we are all fodder for manipulation?

“The online Media appear to be part of a government propaganda scheme to control and manipulate thought process, to prevent sceptics from being aired and to block or ban any negative connotations that we maybe are being duped and that unless the government continues to curb our activities, we will question what it was all about because it was not as severe as it was first prescribed. The question is, are the death rates being exaggerated to puff up the seriousness of the pandemic? Are normal deaths being put down as Covid-19 and why have death rates been rising so quickly lately, when curves were meant to be falling? The rate of infection only shows that more testing is taking place, whereas, I had a cough for 6 weeks and no test was available, only critical workers could be tested, so it makes sense that anyone around sick people if unprotected would be more vulnerable.

“It is not completely clear if there is a global scam taking place: there is certainly a virus but we have no clarity on how severe it is. No one that we know has died from it, a great number of hospital wards are almost empty, hospital car parks are virtually empty, no visitors allowed, no one allowed to go in and visit their family members… something does not quite add up. What I find to be a problem is the complete lack of questioning and investigation into what this virus is, where it has come from, what the history of it is, whether it is man-made, or whether market practices that have existed for thousands of years have suddenly mutated a virus and this has spread globally. 

“Our whole way of life has been compromised as the governments scurry around either finding out the truth or covering up the truth but keeping most of whatever they find away from public scrutiny.  If you have ever knowingly felt lied to, you will know that you have smelt a rat. If you can feel or sense a global cover up, you realise the governments are working together and sensationalising this pandemic as an opportunity to take tighter controls on populations, or use it for political gain to prop up controls and position themselves so they come out of this as a government who have appeared capable and caring, but have in fact been made stronger by taking a total grip on control mechanisms despite the plight of its people.

“There are ‘conspiracy theories everywhere, but one person I have enjoyed listening to is a former BBC reporter called David Icke, who has now been banned and all his media removed from YouTube and Facebook; he is being erased but has raised the questions and it is strange to see which government bodies have been influencing the ban on people like him. 

“Another person you would enjoy listening to is Delores Cahill, who is a genetic scientist of virus mutations and she has a wealth of experience and advise which has been ignored. She basically asks the same questions as David Icke but also provides the answers through her own work, see https://youtu.be/Avc6_ftzk3w [Ed note: The link demonstrates the censorship by YouTube that the writer is complaining about]

“Is there is a global cover-up and are the lockdowns completely unnecessary? We may well all have had the virus and are now just being controlled and manipulated. We must stand together and we must ask the questions, otherwise future generations will think we are just muppets while our friends and families have been scared and intimated and made financially dependent upon the government and in debt for many years to come. No one has won but the massive financial institutes who are behind our governments. Kind regards and massively sceptical.” WF

Ed: Thanks very much for having the courage to look at this pandemic subject and share your own research and views. You are quite right to be skeptical and have spotted the areas which do not add up. This whole travesty is actually part of an agenda and not a valid medical emergency, no more than the flu or a car accident are, and certainly it does not make sense to collapse the entire world economy and civil and human rights over it. Where something does not make sense, it bears closer inspection.

On a personal level, it is better to boost the immune systems with vitamin C, zinc, vitamin D, A, etc.—natural versions, not the petrochemical versions from pharmaceutical companies—so you do not catch the virus in the first place. And even if you did, the likelihood is almost zero that anyone below retirement age will experience more than mild symptoms at the most—probably none—unless they have an underlying condition, such as a lung or heart condition and are taking statins.

Update: Although anyone questioning the official narrative has been disappeared from YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and the Google search engine and also villified to put other people off them, they are available on other platforms that are starting to spring up. My upcoming paper on the subject will be published in a week or two and will provide many links to other voices and a wealth of fascinating information so readers can have access and make up their own mind.

#   #   #

Continuing the correspondence with Alex Parker for his article on Batman’s Batman:

Alex: Here’s my piece–thanks a lot, again, for your help. https://ordinary-times.com/2019/08/03/all-in-for-alfred/

Ed: Excellent writing, Alex, well-constructed and delivered. You have taught me as much about Batman’s provenance and raison d’etre as I may have opened the doors into the world of butling for you. One question: What does “schamus” mean? I could not find it anywhere. A pleasure working with you, and thanks for the quotes and link. Wishing you continued success as a writer.

Alex: Not surprising that you couldn’t find “schamus,” because it’s supposed to be shamus. Glad you pointed that out, I’ll change it. It means a detective, not sure where it comes from originally, I think of it as a term from old detective novels. Thanks so much for your praise, I really appreciate it. Was fun putting this together, it’s an idea I’ve had for a long time, but I learned some surprising things.

Ed: Thanks, Alex. Now that you mention it, the word rings a very, very distant bell that I cannot locate precisely, but I have heard it somewhere before. Its etymology is quite telling for Pennyworth:

“Police officer, detective,” 1920, apparently first in The Shamus, a detective story published that year by Harry J. Loose (1880-1943), a Chicago police detective and crime writer; the book was marketed as “a true tale of thiefdom and an expose of the real system in crime.” The word is said to be probably from Yiddish shames, literally “sexton of a synagogue” (“a potent personage only next in influence to the President”,  Israel Zangwill), from Hebrew shamash, “servant;” influenced by the Celtic Seamus, James, as a typical name for an Irish policeman.”

Alex: Huh, that’s funny. It does sound like it’s a word that could either be Yiddish or Irish, that’s probably why I thought it had “sch” in it.

Ed: Well spotted! So, another mystery bites the dust, my dear Watson….er Jeeves….er Pennyworth.

Alex: “Indeed, Sir!”

The Institute is dedicated to raising service standards by broadly disseminating the mindset and superior service expertise of that time-honored, quintessential service provider, the British Butler, updated with modern people skills, and adapted to the needs of modern employers and guests in staffed homes, luxury hotels, resorts, spas, retirement communities, jets, yachts & cruise ships around the world.

Categories
Letters to the Editor Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, May 2020, Letters to the Editor

PostBox

“I am surprised to find two things that need correcting in the latest edition of your always excellent newsletter: Ivor Spencer was made an MBE by the Queen, not knighted. Had he he been knighted, he would be known as Sir Ivor, not Sir Spencer as you wrote. I do hope you are keeping active, fit and well during these ‘horror movie’ times. Warmest regards,” RE

Ed: Thanks for pointing out these errors. I see we have a common misconception in the profession that Mr. Spencer was knighted as an MBE and therefore entitled to the appellation: “Sir Ivor Spencer.” In fact, it takes being knighted to earn that appellation, and CBEs, OBEs, and MBEs are awards, not knighthoods. I trust you, too, are doing well in your slice of paradise.

Continuing the correspondence with Alex Parker for his article on Batman’s Batman:

“It reminds me of something my therapist told me about the ‘third place’: You have work, and family as two places that bring with them a lot of complications and baggage, so humans seek a third group for support that is non-judgmental and somewhat disconnected, like church or support groups. Butlers are a mix of work and family but maybe also help perform that third-place role.

“As for Alfred, it really depends on the writer, but he’s often portrayed as a wise, sage advisor, kind of a Watson, who’s also melancholy, having seen the Wayne parents murdered and watching their son risk his life in his Batman quest. If you’re interested, I’d definitely recommend the Dark Knight trilogy of movies by Christopher Nolan. Michael Caine is often heartbreaking in the role, playing this mix of loyalty to Bruce Wayne (Batman’s alter ego) and worry about his self-destructive behavior.” Thanks again! I’ll let you know when I publish.

Ed: I can see you are deep into the whys and wherefores—nice work.

The Institute is dedicated to raising service standards by broadly disseminating the mindset and superior service expertise of that time-honored, quintessential service provider, the British Butler, updated with modern people skills, and adapted to the needs of modern employers and guests in staffed homes, luxury hotels, resorts, spas, retirement communities, jets, yachts & cruise ships around the world.

Categories
Letters to the Editor Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, April 2020, Letters to the Editor

PostBox

“Another great newsletter and I enjoyed the answer on ‘Continuing the correspondence with Alex’ with some great insights/history on the profession.

“I wish I had sent you this Bar Butler photo earlier as it would have paired well with the BBQ Butler you mentioned. I saw the Bar Butler in our local supermarket in Mosselbay, South Africa.” RM

Ed: Glad you liked the interchange with the author about Batman’s butler—it was a fun conversation, and at the end of the series, we’ll link to his article. Bar Butler is another first, so thanks for that—he will be appearing in the next MBJ—thanks for your contribution. 

Continuing the correspondence with Alex Parker for his article on Batman’s Batman:

Thanks again for your help. And don’t worry about stealing my thunder with the newsletter—we’ve covered a lot of interesting ground and unfortunately there’s a lot that probably won’t fit into my piece. But I’m glad to have learned a lot anyways. I’m hoping to post my piece tomorrow. One thing that occurs to me while writing is that with a butler, in some sense what you’re getting is a family member, without some of the complications that come with family. As you say, with a butler you want someone who knows you completely, but I assume also isn’t going to judge you or try to influence your behavior. This is relevant, since Alfred doesn’t always approve of his employer dressing up like a crazed bat and putting his life in danger. I’m wondering if this is part of the thousand-year-old ethic that you describe—let me know if you have thoughts.

Ed: Thanks, Alex, you have nailed it nicely. In fact, this quotation from Somerset Maugham might be of interest: 

“American women expect to find in their husbands a perfection that English women only hope to find in their butlers.” 

In a way, in the best of circumstances, a butler is like man’s best friend: Always loving, always eager to see you, neither judgmental nor argumentative, ready to leap to your defense, and loyal to the end. Not being a Batman afficionado, I can only surmise that Mr. Pennyworth fits this descriptor.

The Institute is dedicated to raising service standards by broadly disseminating the mindset and superior service expertise of that time-honored, quintessential service provider, the British Butler, updated with modern people skills, and adapted to the needs of modern employers and guests in staffed homes, luxury hotels, resorts, spas, retirement communities, jets, yachts & cruise ships around the world.

Categories
Letters to the Editor Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, March 2020, Letters to the Editor

PostBox

“I can relate to your wise message and I am grateful for the insight. Thank you. This definitely should be the tone for 2020. I believe it is only fair that people be given a chance: When I started as a Guest Relations Officer here, the news was not well received by some. But I proved myself to be more-than-capable in the following months. When I was then given the opportunity to become the first butler, the idea was sadly almost dismissed. Now, after throwing myself into self-development, I can say with pride that I have progressed much further.” MY

Ed: You are most welcome. Congratulations on your persistence and for pushing through despite the naysayers to show that anything is possible for anyone who sets their mind to it! May you continue to grow!

Continuing the correspondence with Alex Parker for his article on Batman’s Batman:

“Another random question: Do you know why butlers are so associated with England? Maybe it’s just because of the U.S./U.K. connection, but it’s not like there aren’t servants in other cultures.”

Ed: Another good question and one that requires more than a couple of sentences to explore. 

Modern butling traces its history back to the English peasants who were brought into the castles to provide personal service to their Lords and Ladies 1,100 years ago. The line of service has continued and developed unbroken since. 

The French might have been contenders, but the French Revolution put paid to the idea of servants. The Germans were not a nation, and so their household managers/butlers did not develop into a recognized body of professionals. The Russians and Chinese of old have had estates managers, but they also had communist revolutions that cut across that sort of position and relationship. 

The Americans have only just started as a culture (relatively speaking), and household service after the revolution I believe was mostly by indentured service or slaves—hardly something to aspire to for an individual. 

The Ancient Greeks and Romans did not have butlers per se, but slaves with limited functions that did not relate to managing properties, only to the alcoholic-serving aspect of the butler job description. Any real household managers probably disappeared with the Roman Empire.

The Indians did have butlers (a very large mausoleum was built outside New Delhi by a prince for his butler, in the 1500s I believe) but they, again, were not considered a professional body, just lowly servants, and they subsequently fell under the shadow of the British butler during the British Empire days in India. 

So why British butlers? In part, because the British ruled America, and even though the British were eventually persuaded to leave, they were still considered by the wealthy in the US to be the points of reference for all things wealthy. British butlers were highly sought after as a necessary part of demonstrating one’s wealth by the NY elite 150 years ago. Part of this would be down to the existence of the British Royal family and nobility—again, perhaps the only unbroken line in the world with considerable and continued influence around the world.

I am sure an Italian maggiordomo or Spanish majordomo might consider themselves to be contenders for the original butlers, especially those who served the Venetian bankers, etc., but the fact is that their numbers and reputation have never been as great as that of the British butler. And while their royal lineages may or may not be broken, their countries have long since lost their global influence.

If you look at literature, it is usually English literature that has spoken of butlers, whether such as ES Turner or PJ Wodehouse, or Kazuo Ishiguro (Remains of the Day), or court cases that occasionally include butlers (the ones that come to mind are a murdering 19th Century butler, and one from the 18th Century, I believe, where the outcome of a divorce case involving nobility depended on what the butler had seen through the keyhole). And of course, there is Downton Abbey and every movie and TV series ever made in the USA, that always harkens back to the butler as an English artifact!

All roads point to Great Britain when it comes to butlers, it seems.

One last point: You speak of servants: The British butler was considered merely a servant until modern times, but the culture he built was based upon dignity and self-worth, maybe the result of the Magna Carter, signed in the early days of the butler’s existence (1215). Employers did not want to lose a good butler, so as the centuries advanced and the butlers became increasingly indispensable, employers treated their butlers well — generally, thereby reinforcing the dignity, position, and reputation of the butler. 

Other cultures have perhaps not been so appreciative or respectful of those who managed their homes, and so contributed to those professions not being desirable ones, according them little value. Painting with a broad brush, but we are looking at thousands of years of cultures on planet Earth, so there will be exceptions, but I believe my ideas may have some merit overall.

Of course, being a great fan of the Merchant and Ivory movie, Remains of the Day, I paraphrase Mr. Stevens, the butler, who says that he does not believe the “Continentals” have the necessary reserve to be great butlers. “Continentals” being those excitable Europeans. He is obviously painting with a very broad brush, and it is not true that culture straightjackets a man (or these days, woman), but this does give an idea of the British butler considering himself to be at the top of the pecking order when it comes to the butler world. When you run an Empire the size of the British Empire—the largest the world has ever known—you can afford to be “sneery” and look down your nose at other butlers and even cultures; but these days, of course, good butlers exist in all nationalities, cultures, and in both genders (I believe it is politically correct but scientifically dubious to say “all genders”). Good butlers are considered so based on merit, their understanding of the mindset and goals of the butler, and their ability and drive to live up to the standards of a butler.

However, as we continue to make known the history of the profession, it was the British Butler who developed and promulgated by an unbroken apprenticeship line, the better values and attitudes of the butler. It is these we take, at the Institute, and meld with the requirements of the modern butler around the world. The goal being not just to serve the wealthy, but to imbue all service industries with the same solicitousness: The IRS, for instance, the police, immigration officials, etc. No reason they should not provide caring service, too. But however widespread the butler service style may become, across industries and countries, the genus will always be the British Butler.

And so, in the end, it will not be the mighty British Navy but the lowly British Butler that continues that great slogan, “Rule Britannia, Britannia Rules the Waves!” (Joke)

This is my off-at-hand answer to your question.

The Institute is dedicated to raising service standards by broadly disseminating the mindset and superior service expertise of that time-honored, quintessential service provider, the British Butler, updated with modern people skills, and adapted to the needs of modern employers and guests in staffed homes, luxury hotels, resorts, spas, retirement communities, jets, yachts & cruise ships around the world.