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The Modern Butlers’ Journal, July 2016, International Institute of Modern Butlers

Post author By Amer Vargas
Post date July 1, 2016
No Comments on The Modern Butlers’ Journal, July 2016, International Institute of Modern Butlers

The Modern Butlers’ Journal volume 12, issue 7

International Institute of Modern Butlers

Teaching Right Mindset, People Skills, & Superior-service Expertise

Message from the Chairman

The raw enthusiasm and eagerness for, and attentiveness to, life demonstrated by those passionately engaged in being of service to others, convinces me that the relative few in our profession are rightly regarded with admiration by the many.

Housekeeper’s Corner

Butlers in the Media

Grant Harrold has been generating much media in Australia as he tours the country providing lessons on etiquette. It is refreshing to see a butler who used to be in the service of the British royal family, who understands discretion and loyalty.

This article in the Washington Post lists seven smart phone applications that promise to be one’s “personal butler.” And one restaurant offers “butler service:” a pull-down menu for online ordering that allows diners to customize their dining experience with additional services and products.

Then we have a company that uses eco-friendly products and has decided to call itself The Green Butler.

In Texas, a position is now open for “Doorstep Valet Trash Butler,” whose duties are to pick up trash at an apartment and take it to the dumpster. Qualifications: Driver’s license and pick-up truck. It may be hard to top this when it comes to appropriating the butler monicker.

An article on medical concierges is advertised as “butler services” when it offers no such thing. Real butlers do exist in some hospitals who provide butler services, and these are distinct from the advisory concierge services being described in the article. Similarly confused is the airport butler web site , which talks about butler concierges who provide concierge type services.

Finally, a source that is fairly accurate when it comes to advising on butler salaries.

The digital butler in Rolls Royces has already been let go to join the lines of digital butlers on the dole (receiving unemployment benefits), according to the latest Royce concept car: he has been replaced by Eleanor, who serves not only as a personal assistant but also as the chauffeur.

Buckingham Palace is looking for a Trainee Butler, all training provided and a great start to a career, according to the posting.

Photo by Mostafa Al Saghir of the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities

If our Egyptian and Indian forebears are anything to go by, then it could also be a great start to one’s death: the burial tombs of four royal butlers who served 3,000-3,500 years ago have just been opened to the public in Egypt.

The Butler's Mausoleum in New Delhi, Photo (c) by Words & Images — The Butler’s Mausoleum in New Delhi, Photo (c) by Words & Images

Then there is the mausoleum built in what is now New Delhi by a Prince for his butler about 600 years ago.

Some bosses do show their appreciation!

Letters to the Editor

Thank you for the last Journal discussion on robot butlers. My opinion is that we should not be too concerned about all this supposed invasion of robot-like “butlers.” Apart from the misleading use of the word “butler,” which is indeed very annoying, no machine will ever be able to reproduce the work of “butlers” as well as the work of any other professional role in any other working organisation. That is because the main quality of butlers is organisational skills. Butlers, as well as all the other roles developing from the butler figure, from household manager to estate manager, manage the resources and the people of one or more properties. Saying that a machine can reproduce the butler’s job is like saying that a robot will reproduce the work of any other organisation manager, director, or executive. Obviously, it cannot. No one expects a company manager’s job to be replaced by robots, so why should anyone expect the contrary when it comes to butlers? The same rationale applies to all private service/ hospitality roles. Dealing with human nature is hard enough already for a human, let alone for a machine.

Even if we want to downsize the role of butlers to performing simple tasks, they are never quite that simple and always require the intervention of human judgment.

The industry is today threatened by other, more contemporary issues, such as the lack of appreciation for professional household management expertise and professionalism; the level of salaries (which lag) far behind the commitment and responsibility involved in a household management career; an over-supply of unskilled, unqualified and unexperienced staff spoiling the market that is reducing the level of salaries; and a number of unprofessional agents who care more about their commissions than the reputation of the industry. GL

Ed: Thank you for the feedback. I wish you were correct about Artificial Intelligence robots not taking over many jobs, including butlers and managers. The programming of dexterity, and even judgement and morals is becoming increasingly sophisticated, as this article shows, but the reality is still far short of the hype, as this article shows. It is a longer-term issue (15 years at least), and our best strategy is to reassert live communication and service as preferable to programmed service, in the eyes of the employers and guests. But if their sense of the value of humanity and live communication and service is eroded to the point where they just want efficient service and see no real benefit from human interaction with all the concomitant (naturally accompanying) foibles and expenses, then we lose the battle. If you think this is not a realistic concern, then I suggest you consider the many elements of human affairs today that defy logic and common sense, which are yet accepted as normal. I agree, there are more pressing concerns for the profession at the moment, but the approaching robot tsunami is of greater concern, even if it be just a ripple in the distance at the moment; we need to seek the high ground now if the profession is to be more than a historical footnote in some Robot Butler’s household manual fifty years from now.

Creative Corner

How to Carve an Apple, Part 2, The Use of the Stencil

by Kobi Gutman

Using a stencil makes carving easier, faster, and much more accurate. Although the procedure is quite simple, there are a few points worth mentioning.

The basic procedure

Place three or four copies of your design in a word document, each copy slightly larger than the one before it, and print.

Choose the size that best fits the apple. A design that is too small for the apple will lose its effect.
Cut out that design and tape it on the apple. However, there is a correct way to do this, otherwise the flat paper being taped onto the round apple will result in a distorted image. So when cutting, leave a large margin all around. Then position the paper on the apple and tape it on one side (doesn’t matter which one). Then stretch it from the opposite side and tape that side. The difficulty begins when trying to tape the remaining two sides. This is best solved by pressing the paper against the apple, flattening the image as much as possible, and then folding the margined areas before taping. As the photo shows, the folds and distortions are mainly in the margined areas. The letter ‘C’ is slightly distorted but will not affect the final result because it is easy to compensate for when carving.

As you begin to carve, another issue can present itself with the stencil: the paper becomes wet and so hard to cut through. Two situations can cause the paper to become wet:

a) the apple being stored in a refrigerator in a hot climate, and then being removed and “sweating” due to the difference in temperature. The solution is to remove the apple from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature until it is no longer sweating, before taping the stencil.

b) The juicy flesh of the apple being cut and wetting the stencil. The way to deal with this is to cut the more delicate and intricate parts of the design first, leaving the larger areas of the design until the end, as these can be easily cut even when wet. In this example, my sequence was to start with the eye and the nose areas, then the small white areas in the ear, neck, and back, then the cub’s left ear, then the cub’s outline, and finally, the outline of the ‘C’.

Result of stencil Once done with carving the design, remove the paper and tape, draw the frame, and finish the carving.

Here is the final result—the logo of the Chicago Cubs baseball team, the guest’s favorite team.

Kobi Gutman is the Head Butler at the Fort Harrison Retreat in Florida. He can be contacted via the Institute: enquiries @ modernbutlers.com

Using one’s artistic talents to create little touches for employers or guests is done by butlers around the world. This one from a butler at Per Aquum’s Niyama resort in the Maldives, painted on a bedroom mirror for guests on the last night of their fourth return visit, commemorating a sailing trip they had undertaken on a dhoni, the local craft.

turndownart

Recent Graduates

The Institute’s training continues in private estates and resorts around the world, with skills honed and confidence increased for all who attend.

Here are some of the graduates of training conducted this month at Atlantis—The Cove and Royal Towers—on Paradise Island, the Bahamas.

Group2 (1)

Group3 (1)

And the photo below shows some of the graduates (mainly butlers, but also other departments) at Niyama in the Maldives.

Let’s Talk about Mixology, Part 13

by Amer Vargas

Appletini or Apple Martini

We are skipping James Bond’s favorite cocktail, the Martini, to talk about a classic cocktail whose versatility pleases many drinkers. The apple martini or appletini is the choice of many who appreciate the tangy kick of apple combined with the warmth of the other ingredients in this fruity mix. It has appeared in many TV shows and movies: From JD Dorian in the sitcom Scrubs, to Alan Harper in Two and a Half Men, and even Ted Mosby at How I met your Mother.

Appletini, photo by Jon Sullivan — The Appletini, photo (c) by Jon Sullivan

Despite being very young as a cocktail—being invented in 1997—it already has many variations. The original recipe seems to have only two ingredients: vodka and apple schnapps, mixed in the shaker with ice, strained in a classic cocktail glass and garnished with an apple slice. But that recipe can be enhanced with different splashes that give an extra kick to it, like with a splash of dry vermouth, a bit of lime juice or even sour mix. Or if you want to give the cocktail an extra tanginess, you can also use a green vodka or change the apple schnapps for Calvados (a liquor made out of the distillation of apple cider).

Whatever your choice may be, enjoy!

Mr. Vargas is the Institute’s President and can be contacted via AmerVargas @ modernbutlers.com

1st Hotel Butler Convention Held in the Dominican Republic

Organized by Mr. Osvaldo Torres Cruz of Hotelería de la Experiencia, attendees from the major hotels with butler service in the Dominican Republic discussed the characteristics and duties of the butler, services offered by the hotel butler, and the relationship with other departments and management, as well as the training required and the qualifications for hiring.

We encourage other countries or regions to hold similar events and help establish and raise standards for the profession.

Of Butlers and Roses, Part 27 of 30

by GJ dePillis, Master Gardener

Miniature Floral Arrangements, Part 1 of 4

As the fog clung to the ground one early morning, I joined floral enthusiasts from across the region for a seminar in the California Botanical Gardens. We had come to learn from Joyce Dean, judge and winning contestant at more floral shows than one can shake a tulip at.

Ms. Dean is a member of the Garden and Floral Arrangers Guild and came armed with seasoned advice and tips on how to take flowers from the garden and arrange them into delightful miniature arrangements, encouraging creativity all the while. She also encouraged us to persuade our groundskeepers to plant varieties that would bloom early, mid-, and late-season so there would be ample supplies for floral arrangements in the house, without having to call upon florists.

We were guided through the techniques of making a three-inch miniature arrangements, as well as an eight-inch designs. Such tiny floral arrangements are perfect “pick me ups” for those convalescing in hospital. Butlers or staff can create them as bedside arrangements for overnight guests, farewell gifts for guests, or for use on each setting at the table, to be taken away by guests as a memento of the evening.

Tools required are very basic: small scissors, toothpick, tweezers, and a small piece of water-soaked floral foam or other system for supporting the flowers, such as straws or “needle pads.”

Any flowers from the garden will work. We used Iris straps (leaves), Horsetail grass (Equisetum), Aurelia and Philodendron leaves. As a standard filler, we had Baby’s breath, Misty white flowers, Ming fern, Electric blue sage, Geranium, Parsley, etc.

In the next articles, I will provide design tips, and mechanical tips.

Until next time; remember to stop and smell the flowers!

Ms. dePillis is a master gardener and freelance contributor to the Journal who is based on the West Coast of the United States. She can be reached via depillis @ gmail.com

Consulting the Silver Expert

by Jeffrey Herman

Q: Why is there a metallic taste when drinking coffee or tea?

A: This is usually caused by a tea or coffee pot with worn plating inside, exposing the base metal underneath. Discontinue using such pots until the interiors have been re-plated.

Mr. Herman continues to offer his services to our readers for any questions you may have about the care of silver. Either call him at (800) 339-0417 (USA) or email jeff AT hermansilver.com

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.

Tags Butler, Butler service, Butler training, butlers in the media, Carving, Carving Fruits, creativity, Excellent Service, fruit carving, Hotel Butler, Luxury Resort, mixology, Polishing Silver, robot butlers, roses, silver, superior service

Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, June 2016, International Institute of Modern Butlers

Post author By Amer Vargas
Post date May 31, 2016
No Comments on The Modern Butlers’ Journal, June 2016, International Institute of Modern Butlers

The Modern Butlers’ Journal volume 12, issue 6

International Institute of Modern Butlers

Teaching Right Mindset, People Skills, & Superior-service Expertise

Message from the Chairman

The main item of news in the butler world this month is another example of a butler not following the code of ethics of the profession. In defense of Donald Trump’s former butler, one could say he was retired and so no longer beholden to our standards. One could also say he was entitled to express his opinion in accordance with the Fourth Amendment to the US Constitution that protects the right to freedom of speech. One could even say he was right in his views, and applaud his passion and concern for the welfare of the country, which he feels is being betrayed—for not much raises the hackles higher and faster than a sense of being betrayed.

On the other hand, one would tend to look askance at any professional who did not live by the standards of the profession, one of which includes discretion and the ability to communicate succinctly in a way that skewers the truth without upsetting many around with gratuitous venting that is designed to stir others to irrational action versus a measured presentation of the facts that enables others to make up their own minds toward constructive action. One would also expect a professional to have some foresight when it comes to the consequences of his or her own words for others—his former employer in particular—who felt compelled to disavow his erstwhile butler because his statements were not in alignment with the image he was attempting to portray in his bid for the presidency of the United States. One could also point out that the butler profession was not enhanced by the way in which the former butler expressed his ideas; and that his former employer was not well served by having his butler ride on his coat tails (add weight to his own ideas by advertising his former connection with Donald Trump).

What would I have done?

As Facebook is a public venue, not a private and confidential line, I would have recognized that my ideas ultimately would be unearthed by trolls or others attempting to smear my former employer. I would simply have expressed my sentiments under a nom de plume so that there was no connection with, and blowback for, my former employer—and in a more constructive tenor, so that perhaps some forward progress would come of my communications.

Butlers in the Media

A similar story to that of Donald Trump’s butler that was revised this month is the expose of the ex-butler for Phosa, a politician in South Africa. If you can follow this convoluted web of claims, counter claims, and lies, you are a better man/woman than I. But one thing is clear: when a butler eavesdrops on the conversations of guests and employers, and worse, then takes sides/action based upon what he thinks he heard, he violates a fundamental principal of the profession and invites trouble for all concerned.

If you are familiar with manga (Japanese cartoons, comic books, and animated films, typically having a fantasy theme), you may wonder why we have never highlighted the butlers, and specifically the Black Butler that features in them. To be frank, it is because the genre and subject seemed so puerile (childishly trivial) that they were not worth mentioning. However, the Japanese cartoon butler has grown into a sub-culture that is here to stay —and one can expect to see no limits to the imagination when it comes to how these butlers are portrayed. At least they tend to be rooted in the classic qualities of the traditional butler.

Equally out in left field is a euphemism (using a mild word or phrase as a substitute for a crude term when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing) that seems to have come into being recently for those into the sexual deviancy that is becoming increasingly common in society these days: “Calling the butler” now means to use someone as a sex slave: to have someone who can be called upon at any time for personal gratification. The misconception of our profession is obvious, but one would not expect people who call upon the butler in such a manner, to appreciate such niceties.

Hotel butlers are working hard to find ways to impress their guests—some creative, some far fetched—but if the guests appreciate it, who are we to judge? In another article, however, claiming to be about over-the-top hotel butler services, we have a compendium of no less than 16 services offered that are called “____ Butler” and whose only connection to butlers is that they offer a superior service of some kind and simply retitle the provider as a “____ Butler”—several of these being new to us: Oyster Butler, Serenity Butler, Picnic Butler, BBQ Butler, Ski Butler, Sunglasses Butler, Dog Butler, Fragrance Butler, Energizer Butler, Broadway Butler, Amphibious Butler, Ambiance Butler, Tartan Butler, Hydrotherapy Butler, and even a Bonfire Butler.

Along the same line, we have the “Pet Butler,” a franchised service being offered: “Picking up where your dog left off, since 1988.” At least these are human butlers. “Leo the Baggage Butler,” on the other hand, is now being piloted at Geneva airport—he or she is actually an “it,” another in the long list of “robot butler sub-professions” that has been brought into service over the last few years. As a note, Geneva airport introduced a customer service robot three years ago; KLM introduced the Spencer robot at Schiphol Airport half a year ago to guide passengers to their departure gate. Paris airport is piloting biometric robots for immigration officers that scan passports and record passenger images.

Predictably, Travelzoo found 80% of 6,000 people surveyed expect robots to play a large part in our lives in the next few years, 75% believing they will improve our lives and 66% feel comfortable with the use of robots by the travel industry: 92% of the Chinese being very comfortable with the concept, while the French and Germans were the least welcoming to the trend. In the article from which we are quoting, it also states that “At least 24,000 [robot butlers] are used worldwide in professional services, at a cost of $3.8 billion, according to the International Federation of Robots. In the Travelzoo survey, 81 per cent said robots would be better at handling data and that their untiring energy would be an advantage.” While we have been beating the drum for the increase in personable and live interactions as opposed to the canned/programmed approach to service interactions, it’s clear that we are swimming against the tide. If the ubiquity of maddening/frustrating company/government answering-machine trees is not an adequate warning of what to expect when all service interactions become automated, then we deserve everything we will experience! Mass-production “service” is the complete antithesis of the solicitous service style of butlers, in which the individual being addressed is the most important person in the world. If you agree, then we need to work hard and fast together to re-assert humanity in service.

Zenbo, developed by a company called Asus, is the latest home robot entering the increasingly crowded market for robot butlers.

In an article entitled Robot Butler’s Creativity Surprises Its Own Makers “We never taught it that,” Carnegie Mellon’s HERB robot is making progress on being able to act intelligently in the random clutter of a home—a much harder environment for programming than a factory floor where a robot has one set pattern package of actions. The goal of the program is to create a robot for the home rather than the factory floor.

An article about Georgia Tech’s robot butler, Nimbus, is entitled Your Robot Butler Is Ready to Serve (and Learn), meaning it can learn from any human, not just its programmer.

Are you formulating an idea yet about this robot butler trend? Will you be let go for having all the undesirable human foibles and weaknesses, such as wanting to be paid and take sick leave and not working 24/7/365, and be expected, as the final insult, to turn over your butler manual and position to a robot within the next decade? Don’t count on it not being so!

In another article, a butler-presented picnic is offered for 35 GBP per person—one has to suspect the quality of the offering, given the pricing.

We found a “Coffee and Tea” butler, which is a tray designed by an individual for use for her own guests, to present tea or coffee. The convenience of the design to the guest being the qualifier for the “butler” moniker.

We recently saw an advertisement for “An extensive program on professional luxury butler service” that offered a 5-day training period resulting in “7-star” service. Come on, colleagues, let’s be real! I am sure your program is good, but let’s not fall into the hyperbole (exaggeration) that plagued the cereal manufacturers in the 1960s, when promoting how big their box was: it is hard to beat “ginormous” (a combination word from “gigantic” and enormous”), but they managed to find words in the English language that communicated even bigger than “ginormous.” Yet were the boxes really “ginormous?” In the end, did mothers in the shopping isles pay attention to the claims on the boxes?

A Guardian newspaper article highlighted an anomaly for us: why is there the almost universal tendency to headline as “digital butlers” the functions of a Personal Assistant? A headline invariably reads “Digital Butler” yet the text is all about PA-type functions being offered by some software or gizmo. The two functions are royally confused at the corporate and media levels, and thus no doubt in the public mind in general.

Letters to the Editor

“Dear Sir/Madam, I work for a wealthy and powerful family in Connecticut and am facing a quandary: I have “Felt The Bern” as the youngsters say, and very much would prefer Bernie Sanders to be president. However, my patron is a supporter of, and has met socially with, Donald Trump. My employer does not know of my political beliefs. Should I vote as I wish, or should I adhere to the wishes of the principal and help Donald Trump secure the presidency in the small way that I can with my one vote?”

Editor: You are your own person, and so should vote as you see fit. The days of being paid or “encouraged” to vote as desired by the Lord of the estate are holdovers from feudal times encroaching on democratic times. The whole purpose of a democracy is that everyone votes as they see fit based on information to hand; if democracy is operating as it should, that vote will be counted accurately and honored to result in a candidate desired by the majority (poignant, when you mention Mr. Sanders, given his experiences to date in various State primaries, as reported in the media). You have a duty to society and yourself, as well as your employer. The duty to the employer is to assist him in every way possible in his household and personal life. Any obligation does not extend to outside the household in matters such as politics. It should not need to be said that you would keep your choice to yourself, even if asked by the employer.

Creative Corner

How to Carve an Apple, Part 1

by Kobi Gutman

For the last few years I’ve been developing and practicing the art of apple carving (and related techniques, such as making soap) as part of my job as a Butler, in order to customize the fruit amenities given to guests on arrival and at turndown, or for special occasions. It is quite simple to do, unique, and being custom-made for the guest, it creates quite an effect. It doesn’t take much time at all and, to be honest, is quite fun for the Butler as well.

I intend, over the next few months, to share these various techniques so that other butlers around the world, whether in private service or hospitality, can offer their employers/guests the same solicitousness [showing interest or concern; eagerness to do something for another] and attention to detail.

The implements that you’ll need are as follows: Apple, knife (I use an X-Acto knife) and lemon (to prevent oxidation of the apple). For more complex designs, you might need a printer and some Scotch tape.

Definitions

I have made up my own terms, which while they may be fairly obvious, need to be defined to ensure no confusion:

Carving an apple

Draw – to make grooves with a knife of the desired figure or design;

Frame – the shape that surrounds the figure. In the image to the right, it is the oval that surrounds the frog;

Cut out – to remove pieces of the flesh of the apple. In the image, the area between the frog and the frame is cut out and therefore embossed (a design carved on a surface that stands out);

Peel – to remove the skin of the apple without cutting out the flesh beneath it. In this image, it is the design within the frog’s body.

Technique

Choose the right apple—I only use bright red apples, such as Red Delicious, not green nor yellow, because the contrast between the flesh and the skin is excellent in red. Visually inspect the apple for any bruised, rotten, or over-ripe spots, and lightly press any suspect spots to see if they may be soft to the touch. The apple should be firm and red all over. It is not fun to discover such a spot after you have already put in time carving. I also recommend paying attention to the shape of the apple to make sure it will fit the type of design you wish to carve. A horizontal design (such as text, for example), will look better on a wider apple;
Draw the figure or design that you wish. Note: For a more complicated design, or even for a simple one, it is easier, faster, and more accurate to print the desired image, cut it out with the knife, tape it onto the apple, and use this stencil to cut the pattern into the apple. I will explain the technique for this in Part 2;
Draw the frame;
Either cut out or peel the area between the frame and the design and any other areas that are needed, according to your design. When cutting out the flesh, do it in small pieces, one piece at a time;
Spray lemon juice as you go so the apple doesn’t go brown.

I suggest practicing with simple designs to acquire the feel of how the technique works: Draw a heart shape on an apple, for instance, draw a circle around it as the frame, and cut out the area in between. You can even draw a small bean shape toward the top of the heart and peel it in order to add a small highlight/reflection of light. Remember to “lemonize’ as you go.

In the next part, I will provide some tips and tricks, as well as explain the ‘print method’ in more detail.

Kobi Gutman is the Head Butler at the Fort Harrison Retreat in Florida. He can be contacted via the Institute: enquiries @ modernbutlers.com

Let’s Talk about Mixology, Part 12

by Amer Vargas

The Silk Stocking Cocktail

Today, we take the name of a 1950’s Broadway musical and film to talk about a seductive and smooth cocktail initially made for ladies, but nowadays, enjoyed by anyone who appreciates a delicious apéritif or after-dessert drink.

There is not much information regarding the origin of this cocktail, but it’s thought to have been created during the 1920’s, at a time when cocktails were named with innuendo and sensuality in mind. Its pink color catered to the kind of drinkers for which it was created.

As a trivia, in the “every cocktail has a day” calendar of barmen, the Silk Stockings cocktail day is October 24th, in homage to the day in 1939 when nylon stockings appeared for the first time at New York’s World Fair, thereby sending silk stockings into the history books.

This beautiful cocktail is as successful as it is easy to prepare, requiring just 1.5 oz/45 ml of Tequila blanco (white, not aged), 0.5 oz/15 ml of Crème de Cacao, 1 oz/30 ml of Cream, and a dash of Grenadine. Place ice into a classic cocktail glass to cool it, and more ice into a shaker, together with all the ingredients, and shake vigorously for 10 to 15 seconds. Discard the ice in the cocktail glass and strain the shaker into the glass. Finish with a flick of cinnamon powder. While the original recipe doesn’t ask for it, some bartenders like to add a raspberry or a maraschino cherry to add a color accent.

Sweet, soft, and with the kick that all tequila-based drinks have.

Enjoy!

Mr. Vargas is the Institute’s President and can be contacted via AmerVargas @ modernbutlers.com

Of Butlers and Roses, Part 26 of 30

by GJ dePillis

Planning the Rose Garden for Security and Beauty

In terms of planting, each rose variety has attributes that would determine its optimal location; in addition, it also has a growth pattern that best suits certain planting locations—whether large pots, hedges, over brick walls, on latticed arches, along walkways, etc. Roses with a strong fragrance, for instance, are best located near where people sit or pass, so they can appreciate the bouquets; thorny roses would best be placed where burglars need to be deterred discreetly. And this security aspect is the focus of this month’s article.

According to Allstate Insurance Blog, arranging a landscape to deter burglars is called CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design). The insurance company highlights four things that one should be aware of when working with the gardening staff to ensure the safety of one’s employer’s family and assets. Coldwell Banker Real Estate also advises home security through thorny landscaping.

See & Be Seen: Use thorny rose bushes under windows and keep them to about 3 ft in height so that the area is still visible to neighbors and staff and does not provide “cover” for any intruder;
Gertrude Jeckyll, rose and photo by David Austin

Natural Access: Control the flow of people by providing clear lighting and pathways. Deter curious visitors from wandering into areas that are off-limits by use of “roadblocks,” such as boarder hedges of fragrant roses that entice passers by to stop and smell the roses while deterring them from crossing over the floral “fence.” Opt for open decorative iron fences laced with climbing and thorny roses. Lay gravel rock on the paths that not only deters weeds, but also creates sound with each step, alerting guard dogs and residents of an approaching visitor. Additionally, consider motion-sensitive solar powered lights. Avoid obscuring your employer’s home from public view, leaving enough of the house visible to neighbors or staff so they can notice intruders and alert authorities;

Territorial Reinforcement: in those estates that are open to public tours, clearly mark with signs and reinforce with landscaping, which areas are private and which are open to the public. The same can be done for any property that is not open to the public;

Maintenance: The “broken window theory” claims that if something is left in a state of disrepair, it encourages others to vandalize it and dump trash/rubbish there. If not for reason of aesthetics and pride, then at least for notions of security, it becomes imperative, therefore, that the gardening staff ensure the grounds are always well maintained, so as to dissuade or discourage those tending to act on their mischievous instincts.

Ms. dePillis is a freelance contributor to the Journal who is based on the West Coast of the United States. She can be reached via depillis @ gmail.com

Consulting the Silver Expert

by Jeffrey Herman

Q: Will a crystal salt lamp tarnish silver in its vicinity?

A: Salt molecules in the air will corrode silver. I do not know whether heat from the bulb in the salt lamp accelerates the dispersal of the salt, but I would not place salt anywhere near silver. On a related note, to prevent corrosion, empty the salt from silver salt shakers after each meal, rinse thoroughly with warm, running water, and dry with a soft cotton towel.

Mr. Herman continues to offer his services to our readers for any questions you may have about the care of silver. Either call him at (800) 339-0417 (USA) or email jeff AT hermansilver.com

Tags Butler, Butler service, Butler training, butlers in the media, Carving, carving fruit, Carving Fruits, creativity, Excellent Service, Hotel Butler, Luxury Resort, mixology, Polishing Silver, robot butlers, roses, silver, superior service

Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, May 2016, International Institute of Modern Butlers

Post author By Amer Vargas
Post date April 30, 2016
No Comments on The Modern Butlers’ Journal, May 2016, International Institute of Modern Butlers

The Modern Butlers’ Journal volume 12, issue 5

International Institute of Modern Butlers

Teaching Right Mindset, People Skills, & Superior-service Expertise

Message from the Chairman

Keeping tabs on how butlers are perceived in society (see our column Butlers in the Media over the last several years) has been mainly an exercise in spotting ways that our title has been called upon to confer the profession’s key characteristic of superior—solicitous, etc.— service. This trend has been ongoing for quite a number of years—even centuries if we look at products such as “Butler Trays” and Butlers Thumbs”—and it represents a double-edged sword, in that we are a) recognized as the quintessential service provider that sets the standard, while b) each taking of our title in vain tends to denigrate or cheapen that title.

None of this really has had much impact on our profession or how it is perceived, until the ominous sound of “robot butlers” marching toward the future grew too loud to shut out in the present. Why is this trend more than a curiosity, and something to which we should pay attention?

Because unless we ferret out and remedy those elements that push our profession in the direction of being two-dimensional figurines with automated responses, we will have nothing to offer that would prompt an employer to keep us on, with all our human foibles, faults, and flaws, in favor of a real automaton, a robot butler.

Anything each one of us can do to reassert our humanity in society as a whole and in our profession in particular, to reinvigorate the life that is in us, to use the judgement and compassion that are the hallmark of civilization, as opposed to bowing to the materialistic view of life as a huge collection of amoral and pointless atoms and quarks, would be one more point of light to throw on the darkening clouds of materialistic progress.

Put simply, if we want to keep our jobs, then let’s put some attention on improving our offerings to potential employers by differentiating ourselves from what robot butlers have to offer—because they, not fellow butlers today or the struggling economies, etc., are the threat to the centuries of service our profession has made possible.

Butlers in the Media

In terms of robot butlers, this month has seen a few launched or discussed—most particularly BMW’s and Bentley’s holographic butlers covered in the last MBJ; then there is Big-i, a “home butler” shaped like a rubbish bin/trash can, that can find its way about the house, enjoys voice and facial recognition, can track motion, control devices and equipment, learn to adapt to different people’s preferences, and speak to them accordingly. Being Chinese, Big-i is programmed to recognize the hierarchy of whom to show obedience to, starting with the boss. It can help children with their homework, “remind them to wash their hands if it sees them with a piece of fruit, give directions….” One supposes the only limit to its skills are those of the programmers and their patience in programming every single possible human interaction and life-situation. Just how valuable such a response may be remains to be seen—if every time a child picks up a piece of fruit he or she is reminded to wash his hands can be discovered if one were to try this with one’s own children for, say, the next couple of months. As great a technical advance as Big-i and others like it represent, is this really where we want to be going as a human race?

Then there is SmartAll, an “AI Butler” that is simply a home-control system for up to 1,000 devices—one that learns your patterns and makes decisions after seven days: “If you boil the kettle at 8.30 am each morning or turn off the lights at 11 pm every day, it will do that task for you.” In practice, this could be as annoying as those auto-correct features that create completely new words in your wake as you type, which can result in embarrassing or nonsensical communications if one does not then go back and check the checker. Controlling kettles may seem like a good idea, but what happens if there is no water in the kettle? And how does it know if iRobot Roomba, the vacuum cleaner, can skip a room or needs to spend extra time in it because the dog just chewed through the boss’s favorite pair of slippers?

But fear not, for those having difficulties with their computerized home management systems, there is now Digital Butler, a downloadable app to sort it all out. Maybe.

MiButler is another of the new wave of services and delivery services offered to home owners at low price: this one not an app but a text-based service—send a text message, they deliver, and mostly food delivery, but also such as car washes and grocery runs. Jarvis, another such service, also wants to be “your personal butler, attending to your groceries, cleaning, gardening, laundry and chores from $33 per week.” This company is making an effort to provide low-cost service to those many who do not have time to run their homes, but at least says it is training their butlers and looking for those with the right mindset. And then there is one town where the downloadable Butler app enables locals to order food deliveries.

Then we have the Thai hotel offering their BBQ Butler, actually just a private chef; the Brownstone Butler cleaning service in Manhattan and The Butler Did It Cleaning Company in Pennsylvania; The Butler, a hotel wardrobe designed with the purpose of making it less likely that guests leave things when they check out; Botlr the robot is now also in service in Chicago, breaking out of the confines of the Silicon Valley hotels in which it has been in service to date as a bellhop delivering small items to guest rooms; Taxi Butlers are push button systems for summoning taxis—existing already in 35 countries; and lastly, a Lexus dealership offers its Butler Experience, which involves remembering the names of clients “and customizing service to their individual preferences whenever possible.” Judging by their sales, it seems to be working.

One advertisement for a butler on the West Coast at 175K+ and another on the East Coast at $150K show that there are still those who understand the value of human butlers in running households, and who appreciate the scope of work and duties they can undertake. Along the same lines is an interesting article on the butler at Blenheim Palace.

And to conclude, the sad loss of Prince, was not compensated for by a hotel butler when talking about his experience servicing the musician; the reporter wrote, “And of course, our chatty butler (who no longer works at the Rio, so it’s fine) has a couple shady Prince anecdotes to dig up.” Really?

Need a Vacation or Time off Work?

Whether planning a vacation or experiencing an emergency, your position needs to be covered by someone. Often, that person is one of your own staff and their duties are light when your absence is planned to occur when principals are not in residence.

However, for those occasions when someone competent is needed to cover for you, you can always contact the Institute to arrange for temporary coverage—we have connected employers and their household managers and butlers with our team of temporary butlers and household managers for over a decade.

This includes times when reinforcements are needed for larger projects or to cover when someone has departedly suddenly, for whatever reason, and a few weeks are needed to find and bring in the right replacement.

If you are already a butler or household manager and would like to join the on-call team, then feel free to contact us. There is no obligation to take on any project—you only turn up if you are available and interested.

Creative Corner

Whether a butler in private service or hospitality or elsewhere, the attention to detail in the execution of small, customized efforts that show caring, especially when that creativity was shown by the butler, counts for a lot with most employers and guests—whether or not they voice their appreciation, it is usually noted quietly. That is why we have been championing this somewhat quixotic goal of creating small gems to leave in the employer’s or guest’s bedroom or bathroom or anywhere, that go beyond the commercial, off-the-shelf, one-size-fits-all, it-takes-no-extra-care-and-attention-on-our-side efforts to “wow” the recipient.

The intrepid and creative head butler at The Fort Harrison hotel in Florida, Mr. Gutman, has been working whenever he has a spare moment, on perfecting techniques that enable butlers anywhere, with a small outlay of their time, to create custom-made soaps, fruits, and now chocolates, for each employer, family member, or guest.

A client’s business logo done with such precision, that a logo company with laser equipment could not get it right

Remember, this butler is not one trained or experienced in carving, but it is amazing what he has managed to do with an X-Acto knife and attention to detail. Maybe not everyone feels they, also, can develop this skill, which is one reason why Mr. Gutman continues to work on developing techniques and materials that will allow anyone to personalize such items in the pursuit of that treasured smile on the employer’s or guest’s face. Enter his latest breakthrough: making molds that allow multiple products to be produced, still targeted to specific groups of individuals.

“I make a figure out of a clay, pour liquid silicone over it that then hardens and becomes a mold. I then cut it open, remove the clay, and then pour in soap or chocolate, using the same mold. I only need to make the figure once and then it is only a matter of minutes to create another one
out of a soap, chocolate, ice, you name it. There are so many things that can be done with it—apart from giving to my own guests, I can see other departments in the hotel offering these custom-made pieces when they provide their service, such as for banquet guests.”

Mr. Kobi is not too far away from being able to produce a manual for anyone in private or hospitality service who may be interested in adding such little gems to their skill sets for wow’ing principals and guests alike.

Amer1x1inch The Modern Butlers’ Journal for Service Professionals Worldwide, July, 2012

Let’s Talk about Mixology, Part 11

by Amer Vargas

French 75

Today, we fly back in time again to the days when movies were black and white, and a classic movie that most retro lovers enjoy, Casablanca, featured a popular cocktail.

In honor of that most famous of lines in the movie, “We’ll always have Paris,” it’s only appropriate that this month’s Journal should have a French theme for its cocktail: French 75.

The French 75 first saw a glass in the 1920’s, with different versions being spawned since by changing one or more of the ingredients. The current, common recipe in fact changes substitutes cognac for the original gin, yet is still considered to be the same drink. The presentation of the cocktail may also differ, depending on the bar: whilst the original cocktail called for a highball glass (half-filled with ice), these days, it seems to be better presented in a champagne flute.

According to the International Bartenders Association, the ingredients of the cocktail are: 3 cl/1 oz of gin, 2 dashes of sugar syrup, 1.5/0.5 oz cl of lemon juice, and 6 cl/2 oz of champagne.

The preparation is simple: combine the ingredients, except for the champagne, in a shaker filled with ice, and shake vigorously. Then strain into the serving glass of your choice: highball with ice for the classic touch, or champagne flute for a more classy and elegant look. Top up with the champagne and stir gently. Neither garnish nor decoration are called for in the official recipe, but many bartenders like to add a twist of lemon to improve the presentation.

This sparkling cocktail is thought to have been created in order to enjoy champagne with a little bit more kick. So make sure that, unlike Sam, you don’t play it too many times, or you may not be allowed to board the plane at the end of the film.

Mr. Vargas is the Institute’s President and can be contacted via AmerVargas AT modernbutlers.com

Of Butlers and Roses, Part 25 of 30

by GJ dePillis

The Medicinal Rose

Our previous article may have started a conversation between you, butler, and the chef, who hopefully now is using roses in his or her gustatory treats for your family. Did you know that in ancient times, roses were hailed also for their medicinal uses, quite apart from their aesthetic value?

Ancient texts show roses to have been a staple in the apothecary, most especially red roses because it was thought their stronger fragrance created a more potent rose oil.

What ailments were cause for the butler, nanny, or whoever, to whip out the rose oil, rose hips, or rose petals?

Drinking rose water would stave off a queasy stomach or even prevent vomiting;
Rose hip tea, or rose honey, would ease coughing;
Topical applications would alleviate joint pains and rheumatism;
Rose-scented oils would revive swooning or fainting individuals (mostly ladies obliged by fashion to trim their figures by wearing highly constrictive-to-oxygen-flow corsets);
Relieve fevered patients;
Drinking rose tea, rose water, or rose wine would ease constipation or other digestion problems;
When mixed with mint leaves, heated and applied to the chest and stomach, it was thought to encourage restful sleep, ease breathing (congestion), to ease aching muscle, and soothe an agitated patient;
Sore throats were soothed when taking a spoonful of rose honey;
Rose oils mixed with lotions were treatments for skin sores;
Mixing rose oil with apple cider vinegar and spearmint leaves would ease cases of dandruff;
Spraying chilled rose water from a spray bottle would refresh on hot summer days;
Rose petals soaked in white wine for at least two days, then strained and drunk to the tune of one goblet, would diminish headaches (The old “hair of the dog that bit you” approach). As a side effect, if the patient also had sore or wounded gums, this rose wine would ease the aches;
After removing the hairy seeds from rose hips and mixing the rose hips with sugar, adding hot water, straining, then drinking, one could treat diarrhea;
It has been said that to sooth a colicky baby, dried and powdered rose hip pulp placed in the infants mouth would calm them.

Ms. dePillis is a freelance contributor to the Journal who is based on the West Coast of the United States. She can be reached via depillis AT gmail.com

Consulting the Silver Expert

by Jeffrey Herman

Q: How do I best remove tarnish from between fork tines?

A: Flatten some cotton swab heads with a hammer; dip them in Earth Friendly Silver Polish or Blitz Silver Shine Polish; wipe them between the tines; rinse under warm running water; dry immediately with a soft cotton towel.

Mr. Herman continues to offer his services to our readers for any questions you may have about the care of silver. Either call him at (800) 339-0417 (USA) or email jeff AT hermansilver.com

Tags Butler, Butler service, Butler training, butlers in the media, butlers in the news, Carving, Carving Fruits, creativity, Excellent Service, Hotel Butler, Luxury Resort, making candles, making chocolate, mixology, Polishing Silver, roses, silver, superior service, wowing guests

Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, March 2016, International Institute of Modern Butlers

Post author By Amer Vargas
Post date February 29, 2016
No Comments on The Modern Butlers’ Journal, March 2016, International Institute of Modern Butlers

The Modern Butlers’ Journal volume 12, issue 3

International Institute of Modern Butlers

Teaching Right Mindset, People Skills, & Superior-service Expertise

Message from the Chairman

As the story below, about the young butler being sued illustrates, one can sometimes run afoul of house rules for the managing of work-issued credit cards—where the lines are to be drawn. Another example of exactly this trap crossed my desk(top) yesterday, whereby a young lady, fresh on a household manager position and eagerly awaited by the employer to take control of the estate management, was fired for this exact same transgression within days of being hired. A lose-lose for all concerned.

There is no substitute for making sure that clear instructions are given and received on the subject of what purchases are permitted on a company credit card—and it is ultimately the butler’s responsibility to make sure that the rules are made known and clear to everyone in a staff manual: employer, family office, butler, and other employees.

While the employer will presumably find other employees after further search, we sincerely hope that the household managers/butlers who fell short will pick themselves up and learn from their mistakes.

Bevvy of Butlers, Ireland, 1904 — Reportedly, a bevy of butlers congregated in a castle in Ireland 112 years ago.

Letters to the Editor

I am serving afternoon tea to Lord and Lady […] this coming weekend. In the 20+ years I worked with [employer name], his mother and I had a pot of tea every afternoon when she was in residence. She always served, so I have never served tea myself! I have reviewed Chapter 9 in Butlers & Household Managers, 21st Century Professionals. I had planned on wearing a long coat with a black vest and long tie with a batwing shirt. What do you suggest? AS

Ed: It sounds like you will have fun creating a wonderful experience for Lord and Lady […]. There is not much to add to the English Afternoon Tea section of the 2008 edition of Butlers & Household Managers, 21^st Century Professionals.

I suggest dummy running (practicing) by serving tea to a friend following the procedure (and checklist) in the book, and so polishing your presentation while also making sure that all the proper items are in supply. If possible, do so in the exact spaces where you will be serving the guests, so that problem areas will make themselves apparent and you can pre-empt them in a timely fashion. Here’s to a flawless presentation and smiling guests (and host, no doubt).

How does my uniform sound? I decided not to wear white tie and vest (English translation: “waistcoat”) because that outfit appears to be too formal for 4:00 pm. Am I correct? AS

Ed: To be frank, the uniform is a bit over the top for afternoon tea. Probably what the Lord and Lady would expect of butlers in America, though! One would normally wear day dress for afternoon tea rather than evening wear: lose the tails and instead don a black waistcoat, normal-collared shirt, grey or black tie, black or grey/black-striped trousers, Oxfords.

People tend to think of butlers as wearing tails and white gloves all the time, but the fact is these are evening wear and for formal occasions. If you want to ham it up, go ahead and wear the black tails, etc., but I am pretty sure the guests would think you were trying to attract attention and had it wrong.

Thank you, Sir. My final question: should I wear white gloves? AS

Ed: No—real butlers never did and don’t. They are for formal occasions, or possibly for laying silver and crystal on a table so as to avoid smearing oils from the hand on them that would spoil their polished look.

Thank you so much. I never wore gloves when serving anything to [employer]. He didn’t trust the laundry to kill all the germs. When I worked for [earlier employer], I believe we wore them to set table as you suggested, to keep the oil from our hands off the flatware, which were made of gold and silver. Those were the days, but that is a story for another day. AS

Ed: Indeed!

As a follow-up, [the event] went very smoothly and I was magnificent! AS

Butlers in the Media

To the long list of goods and services including the word “butler” in their name, we can now add “Pocket Butler” (unclear what it is); a “Boot Butler” to organize one’s boots; a Battery Butler—a Sheraton employee who recharges various electronic devices for hotel guests; and lastly, a new twist on “Dog Butler” in that it is not someone who walks the dogs, but who merely cleans up after them—which says something about dog owners these days.

And as we drop down the scale of propriety, we have topless (male) “butlers” doing their thing, and finally, a “butler” who is currently being sued for using a co-worker’s credit card (for business-related expenses) for a meal for himself; when fired, he used the work credit cards assigned to four other staff to make further personal purchases in protest of his firing. The fired butler’s lawyer is claiming the butler had been “having trouble recently as he is bipolar and off his medication;” also that he comes from ‘a family of means’ who live in an ‘affluent suburb’ and are prepared to pay full restitution.

If these are all accurate statements of fact, then one can only shake one’s head at the lack of responsibility and low ethics level exhibited by this young man, who took it upon himself to join the profession with an obvious lack of understanding of how to execute his duties faithfully—if indeed he were ever trained in the duties in the first place—and having perhaps too much of a sense of entitlement and an idea of the need for status over substance. We hope he can can find guidance that will help disentangle him from this morass he has wandered into, and that he can start to make something of his life.

As for the bigger picture, since the young man was in the position only one month, hopefully employers reading this sad story will not feel compelled to tar all butlers and household managers with the same brush.

Let’s Talk about Mixology, Part 10

by Amer Vargas

Of Grasshoppers

Especially for those who like to laugh at the exploits of the geeks in Big Bang Theory, today we will discover the recipe that may have awoken the ability of shy-with-the-ladies Rajesh Koothrappali to talk to them.

Grasshopper by Cindy H Photography It starts when Raj attends a blind date set up by his parents with Penny, who is keen to practice her mixology skills so that she can perform more professionally during her barkeeper shifts. After preparing a Tequila Sunrise for Leonard, a mutual colleague, Penny asks Raj what he would like. Since he finds it uncomfortable to talk to her, he whispers in Leonard’s ear to tell her he would like whatever she suggests; to which she replies, “What about a grasshopper? I make a mean grasshopper.” And so ends the episode.

Let’s see how this soft and sweet cocktail is made. The Grasshopper has a distinctive green color (the reason for its name), as a consequence of having crème de menthe among its ingredients—the others being fresh cream and crème de cacao.

The preparation is really simple: the ingredients are poured in equal parts, generally 1 oz/3 cl each, into a shaker with ice. Once the mix is shaken and chilled, it is served strained in a classic cocktail glass and decorated with a two or three leaves of mint.

Enjoy responsibly and have fun with the drink (and the TV show, if it suits you).

Mr. Vargas is the Institute’s President and can be contacted via AmerVargas @ modernbutlers.com

Personalized Amenities

A new example from Mr. Gutman of that extra creative touch in personalizing an amenity for a guest.

Of Butlers and Roses, Part 23 of 25

by GJ dePillis

A Rose by Any Other Name can be Delicious

While the chef is focused on creating attractive, nutritious, and delectable dishes for the family and guests, it might be a good idea to augment the service with roses from the garden.

A large centerpiece with delightfully arranged roses, for instance, could be a talking point during the meal. Rose petals can be placed in finger bowls when guests need to use their fingers for a particular dish. Rose boutonnières can be provided for the gentlemen when the occasion calls for it. Or maybe for the ladies, a single long stem rose by which to remember the evening. Bowls of rose potpourri could be used to scent the air.

All of these are excellent uses of the rose, but how about eating one?

Rosa Gallica Officinalis, photo by David Austin Roses — Rosa Gallica Officinalis, photo (c) by David Austin Roses

Rose (Rosa Rugosa or Gallica Officinalis) petals have been described as having a mild sweet taste (once the bitter, white parts have been removed). The stronger the fragrance of the rose, the more intense the flavor. The rose bud (Cercis Canadensis) is also edible. Rose hips, or the little pill-sized red fruits left behind after the rose bloom has faded and fallen off, has medicinal properties and contains high amounts of vitamin C. The rose hip has been described as fruity yet spicy, like a cranberry. The Rosa Rugosa variety is considered one of the most flavorful.

To harvest rose hips, wait until the first frost and pick soon before the rose hips become overripe, as characterized by becoming soft and wrinkled. If the chef is not familiar with cooking rose hips, you may want to remind him to remove the hairy seeds inside and avoid using metal pans and utensils during preparation (other than stainless steel).

Next month, we will discuss some recipes using roses. Until then, happy rose-menu planning

Ms. dePillis is a freelance contributor to the Journal who is based on the West Coast of the United States. She can be reached via depillis @ gmail.com

Consulting the Silver Expert

by Jeffrey Herman

Q: Should I lacquer my silver?

A: Lacquering silver and silverplate is generally not recommended for a number of reasons:

The individual may not properly prepare the object’s surface to accept the lacquer.
It’s very difficult to obtain a uniform coating, even when applied by a professional.
If the coating is not applied well, it may have streaks and small holes, allowing tarnish to form.
Lacquer will eventually yellow and crack, allowing tarnish to form within the fissures and eventually under the protective coating. Strong solvents must then be used to remove the lacquer and the piece refinished. Take a look at these pieces that were once lacquered.

Because of the above issues, Renaissance wax – an archival micro-crystalline product – is recommended for those wanting to lacquer their silver.

Renaissance will not yellow or crack and will last for years if handled properly. Renaissance wax is not as durable as lacquer, so the object should be handled with heavyweight natural cotton jersey inspection gloves as acid from fingers may eventually remove it. Since dust can be acidic and eventually wear through the wax, placing your silver in a closed display will help insure that particulate matter will not fall on the object’s surface. Whether inside or outside a display case, every few months gently wipe the object with a Selvyt* cloth or soft cotton cloth. This will keep the wax or silver polish with tarnish protectant from breaking down prematurely.

Renaissance wax should not be used on flatware or other objects that will be used to eat from. When applying Renaissance, do so in small areas at a time (no larger than a 3″ square). Buff immediately with a soft cotton cloth, cotton ball, or make-up pad. Overlap each area to insure the entire surface is coated.

* [A trade name for a microfiber cloth available in England for £11 each. Terga cloths from Sweden were the originals and are about the same price. Cheaper Chinese knock-offs can be found in stores that have, so far, not been found to be as reliable in performance or as long lasting by the editor].

Mr. Herman continues to offer his services to our readers for any questions you may have about the care of silver. Either call him at (800) 339-0417 (USA) or email jeff @ hermansilver.com

Tags Butler, Butler service, Butler training, Butlers, butlers in the news, Carving, Carving Fruits, creativity, Excellent Service, fake butlers, Hotel Butler, Luxury Resort, mixology, Polishing Silver, roses, silver, superior service

Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, December 2015, International Institute of Modern Butlers

Post author By Amer Vargas
Post date December 1, 2015
No Comments on The Modern Butlers’ Journal, December 2015, International Institute of Modern Butlers

The Modern Butlers’ Journal volume 11, issue 12

International Institute of Modern Butlers

Message from the Chairman

I came across an article recently that we had missed three years ago: What the Butler Did, The super-rich are paying a fortune to re-create a model of domestic service that never really existed. The author references examples of butler indiscretions and ask, “Why would anyone employ a butler if he can’t be relied on not to commit indiscretion?” Good question!

He then goes on to talk about butlers murdering their employers (but is unaware of the example immediately below of Mr. Hall).

Next, he discusses how British butlers in reality were drawn from the lower classes, and not from the middle or upper classes, as is promoted by the character of Jeeves (a valet rather than a butler). This used to be true, but is not today, even if it mattered.

The author claims that butlers have never been the soul of discretion and today, are only so because they are paid so much.

Overall, quite a jaundiced and inaccurate view of the profession and motivations of butlers, other than the few exceptions from which the author draws his conclusions.

As with all professions, butlers have to respond to changing demographics, realities, tools, environments, and employer/market demands—including diversifying from serving just in private service, and serving employers from countries other than England or Europe.

At the same time, we have to retain what is central to the profession and resist the temptation to respond to demands by the uneducated to cut corners, lower standards, or redefine the profession for whatever reasons.

We are muddling our way through in a turbulent world, and overall, deserve a better report card than that afforded by this article!

We wish you a Happy Holiday Season, for those who celebrate it, and a successful month for those who do not.

Butlers in the Media

An extraordinary tale of skulduggery by a 20th century con man and petty thief in England, Archibald Thomson Hall, who pretended to be a butler and from that position, stole from his employers and ended up murdering five people, including two of his employers. Only one of his employers, a Lady Hudson, was sharp enough to spot him as a fraud, firing him. The rest could have used some understanding of not only butlers, but Man in general, because they fell for the smooth talking and failed to spot the real nature of Hall.

Just one example this month of a product or service riding on the coat tails of our profession: A “towel butler” — being a dumb valet for towels.

An article canvassing several cruise-line butlers on the services they offer, showing a step-up in services offered in the absence of butlers in the crew, and which could be improved even further.

Continuing our promotion last year of an internship opportunity at Blenheim Palace, this article featuring the head butler there, Mr. Stephen Duckett, will be good news for future internship candidates.

An interesting article on the use of information to customize and make convenient the lives of those we serve, which the author correctly identifies as a basic butler characteristic. She points out that the modern trend of collecting personal information and then bombarding the person with ads, or worse, is not a luxury characteristic nor a quality experience for the individual being served. “We should look for the future of luxury in its past. The world of old luxury involved an actual person delivering impeccable service, and modern luxury should take a cue. This means making the “last mile” as human as possible. The ultimate luxury of both the past and the future is human interaction and all the professional secrecy that goes with it.” Google take note.

Which leads us to the latest of the Chairman’s articles, Would You Like Your Service Today Live or Programmed, Madam? part 1 being published initially by Hotel Business Review magazine in November.

Another one of the Chairman’s articles was also published in November, Love and the New Age of Service, in the International Luxury Hotel Association’s magazine, Luxury Hoteliers.

This little fellow is another hand-made soap creation customized to the guest by Mr. Gutman, head butler at the Fort Harrison Retreat in Florida. Each advance in his technique and materiel brings him closer to sharing his knowledge and providing a simple way of bringing a smile to the guest’s or employer’s world.

Let’s Talk about Mixology, Part 7

by Amer Vargas

The Strange Story of the Orange Whip

“Who wants an Orange Whip? Orange Whip? Orange Whip? Three Orange Whips!”

Today, we pay tribute to the great (and big) John Candy for his part in the 1980 musical comedy film, The Blues Brothers, where he plays the role of Burton Mercer, a parole officer to Jake (one of the Blues brothers).

When Mercer raids a Blues Brothers concert to arrest Jake, he allows the brothers to complete the concert before making the arrest; so he sits with two state troopers and offers them, and then orders, an Orange Whip.

Where did this vignette come from? The father of the costume designer on the movie film set was the Director of Sales at the Orange Whip Corporation and requested that the director have the drink mentioned in the movie. The director told John Candy of this request, who improvised the whole scene in the movie. This scene made the Orange Whip a classic among both drinks & film aficionados, but not in the way planned by the Orange Whip Corporation.

The Orange Whip that we know today is actually a sweet cocktail that is very easy to make, as all ingredients are mixed in the blender to create a frothy texture and then poured into a Highball or Collins glass filled with ice (or similar). The ingredients and proportions are: 4 oz of orange juice, 2 oz of cream, 1 oz of vodka and 1 oz of rum.

However, Officer Mercer was not referring to this alcoholic beverage when he requested Orange Whip in the movie, but to the Orange Whip Corporation’s non-alcoholic, effervescent orange-flavored beverage that existed in the ’80s and which has since disappeared from the market. While the movie scene catapulted the alcoholic version into prominence, it did not achieve long-term success for the soda version, it seems.

December is here and with it, the time for good wishes for everyone. So, grab your cocktail (or Crush or Fanta, today’s closest versions of the original Orange Whip), play The Blues Brothers, and enjoy the music…

Happy holiday season!

Mr. Vargas is the Institute’s President and can be contacted via AmerVargas @ modernbutlers.com

Of Butlers and Roses, Part 20 of 25

by GJ dePillis

How to Make the Cut (continued)

Last month, we discussed the proper way to cut a stem or rose cane (stems). This article will provides more details on the proper way to prune.

Remember to hold the secateurs/clippers with the sharp, flat blade (guillotine) below the smaller blade when making a cut;
Cut a stem at a 45-degree angle, with the lower part (heel) of the cut toward the inside center of the plant and the top part (toe) toward the outside of the bush;
Do not trim too close to the bud: The heel of the cut should be at the same level as the bud, meaning the toe of the cut will be about ½” – ¼” above the bud;
With a thick tool and measurements in the 1/4”, one might wonder which blade is positioned where; it is simple: the curved blade should be positioned at the toe of the cut, ½” above the bud, on the outer side of the bush/stem;
Remove skinny and dead canes, as well as those that cross or rub against each other. Rubbing canes can suffer from “friction sores,” which run the risk of becoming infected and so invite insects to lay eggs, or a disease to enter the plant. For this reason, once you have removed a crossing branch that has already caused a sore, you may want to seal it with a drop of Elmer’s Glue—which can be done equally for any cut made on a stem—to discourage insects from boring inside the stem. Each cane should be strong enough to carry the weight of the bloom, or it will sag;
If the cut is not clean (bits of the bark pull off in your clippers, creating a ragged or jagged edge), then sharpen your tool—torn bark is a sign of a dull tool;
Trim a hybrid tea shrub bush to about 18-24” off the ground;
Dead head (remove the old bloom of) a rose on a stem and cut the stem back to an outward facing bud if that bud is part of a 5 to 7 leaf cluster;
If you see a sucker (a root emerging as a separate plant), cut it off under the soil, at the root that started the shoot. New strong canes can form above any graft line (where a cane has been grafted to a root);
Look for the graft line at the base of the rose bush and trim all canes starting to shoot from it. You don’t want the hardy root-stock to grow, or it will deplete the energy the plant needs for the top part (above the graft line) to bloom;
When cutting a “bud union joint” (where four or more branches come out of the same joint) cut flush (flat) against the joint. Sealing it with Elmer’s white glue will prevent it from growing back.
To grow a rose from a cutting, clip the cutting to an established “shoulder bud” and put that cutting in the ground. Ensure the stem you cut off is long enough to have at least three bud bumps above the ground.

Ms. dePillis is a freelance contributor to the Journal who is based on the West Coast of the United States. She can be reached via depillis at gmail.com

Consulting the Silver Expert

by Jeffrey Herman

Q: What is weighted sterling?

A: Weighted sterling simply means sterling that has had heavier, base materials added within its form. There are two types of weighted sterling: structurally-weighted (for structural stability throughout) and stability-weighted (so they won’t tip over). Some objects do not require structural or stability weighting, but may be weighted for other reasons, such as the removable leather-covered lead bottom of a cigarette box.

Structurally-weighted objects have been made since the late 19th century. They are generally marked “Weighted,” indicating they have pitch or plaster throughout hollow areas. This may include steel-reinforced candelabra arms that would sag if not supported. The rolled rims may be the only exception to any reinforcement. Weighted creamers and sugar bowls, for example, would be easily dented if not filled. Candlesticks weighing one pound may weigh less than one-tenth their weight in actual sterling content when empty. Structurally-weighted objects, sometimes made with sterling as thin as .003″ (thinner than 20-pound copy paper), has been used to save on the cost of the precious metal.

Stability-weighted objects are normally taller or broader pieces that require weighted bases so they won’t tip over. They are generally more valuable, since they are made of sterling thick enough to support themselves without any filler. The bases can be filled with pitch, plaster, or lead, and have been produced for centuries.

More on weighted sterling can be found here.

Mr. Herman continues to offer his services to our readers for any questions you may have about the care of silver. Either call him at (800) 339-0417 (USA) or email jeff at hermansilver.com

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

Tags Butler, Butler service, butler style, Butler training, butlers in the news, Carving, Carving Fruits, creativity, Excellent Service, Hotel Butler, hotel butlers, Luxury Resort, mixology, Polishing Silver, robot butlers, roses, silver, superior service

Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, November 2015, International Institute of Modern Butlers

Post author By Amer Vargas
Post date October 31, 2015
No Comments on The Modern Butlers’ Journal, November 2015, International Institute of Modern Butlers

The Modern Butlers’ Journal volume 11, issue 11

International Institute of Modern Butlers

Message from the Chairman

After months abroad on assignments, we finally managed to stay still long enough to do the photoshoot for the third edition of Butlers & Household Managers, 21st Century Professionals, which is being expanded into a two-volume work and will be published in 2016. Our thanks to Professor Ratliff, friends, and colleagues for their selfless assistance and splendid teamwork.

For anyone in the habit of using silver dip for a quick and easy solution to keeping the silver polished, please read the message at the end of the newsletter from the Institute’s consulting silversmith, Mr. Jeffrey Herman.

Butlers in the Media

For those who may remember the butler in South Africa at the center of a political struggle, it now appears that he accepted bribes to submit false information on his principal to the authorities. It is bad enough trespassing into the principal’s affairs, but to confuse these affairs by spreading disinformation harmful to the principal, at the behest of the principal’s enemies, shows that this “butler” has not the first idea of the difference between a fifth columnist and a butler. Who trained this man, if indeed he were trained at all? The principal accepting the butler back on the job will last only as long as the principal benefits from his presence in attacking his enemies. After that, what? There is a reason loyalty and trustworthiness are top of the list of requirements for a butler in service.

A butler at the Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Puerto Rico, where the Institute trained the butlers at launch three years ago, has been busy setting a good example through his good works in the local community

An enterprising but confused soul is advertising for an “executive butler” with the job description of a business secretary and offering $30,000 p.a.

Lastly, an interesting overview of butler training by various Western butler schools in China. Progress is being made, congratulations to all.

What is a Butler’s Tray—Sometimes Referred to as a Butler’s Table or Butler’s Tray Table?

It seems to be an item that is confused as to its identity—in part because of its dual function, but also, because of misunderstandings by manufacturers and consumers alike over the centuries.

Is a Butler’s Tray one that butlers used in days of yore (long ago), or just one that hangs onto the tails of the butler’s reputation for quality and service? A search online shows many plain, rectangular trays called “butler’s tray,” some with fixed short or long legs attached, separate, or collapsible (in the way that an ironing board is collapsible)—all of which turn the tray into a table of one stripe or another in the same way that room service brings food and beverages on a tray to one’s suite, and sometimes also carries a tray jack (legs) upon which to place the tray while setting up the meal on the preferred surface in one’s suite.

The room-service motif in fact, is in part close to the basic concept of the Butler’s Tray employed by butlers when carrying items to principals and guests located in areas where there were no tables—or when used as a convenient display for alcoholic drinks and their glasses.

Butler's Tray made of mohogany, 200 years old — Two-century-old Butler’s Tray made of mahogany

These trays were actually two-piece portable tables, developed in England 250 years ago, often with deep sides and hand-shaped apertures built into the sides for handles, and collapsible legs.

A century ago, Butler’s Trays were altered by fixing the legs, long or short, to the tray to form a small table—really losing the portability feature of the Butler’s Tray and turning it into a mini-table.

The Butler’s Tray can still be found today, however, perhaps the best versions (for their versatility) being with hinged sides that can be folded down to expand the rectangle into an oval surface, combined with separate, collapsible legs.

Let’s Talk about Mixology, Part 6

by Amer Vargas

The Big Easy and The Big Lebowski

For all the fans of slow life who like to “take it easy,” today we’ll enjoy the good karma of Jeffrey Lebowski, aka “the Dude,” star of the 1998 Coen brothers’ movie The Big Lebowski. This cult classic depicts a particular moment in the life of that idle man and the way he keeps himself busy, so don’t copy all his behavior. You can, however, enjoy a good time with friends by sharing his favorite cocktail: the White Russian.

The first written reference to the White Russian dates back to November 1965, when it appeared in a Californian newspaper, the Oakland Tribune, as an insert declaring it to be a cocktail prepared with equal parts of Southern (a brand of coffee liqueur), vodka, and cream. The followers of the Dude do not hesitate about the brands to be used as ingredients: the coffee liqueur brand Lebowski requests in the film is Kahlúa, and it is also clearly visible standing next to the Smirnoff vodka he keeps at home to prepare his own White Russians. One further annotation: the Dude doesn’t use cream for his cocktail, but something called “half & half,” also known as light cream (which stands for half cream, half milk).

White Russian and Caucasian, photo by Rezepty.ru

The recipe currently in fashion has changed the proportion of the ingredients and is a variant on the Black Russian cocktail dating back to 1949, which is prepared with 5 parts of vodka and 2 parts of coffee liqueur. Add 3 parts of cream and you have turned the Black Russian into a White Russian. One thing is certain: the “Russian” part of the name comes from the fact that the main ingredient is vodka.

The cocktail is traditionally prepared in a lowball glass filled with ice, adding the coffee liqueur and vodka to make a Black Russian, and then topping it off with cream for a White Russian, or stirring it gently into a pale cocktail, called the Caucasian.

Fancy something similar but not quite the White Russian or Caucasian itself? Change the vodka for rum and you have a White Cuban. Or you can change the coffee liqueur for chocolate liqueur and enjoy a White Belgian. Or maybe you want to drink a Blind Russian by changing the cream for Baileys Irish Cream (blind because of of the high amount of alcohol). Or perhaps you prefer an Anna Kournikova, in honor of her trim lines, because skim/low-fat milk is used instead of the more fattening cream.

Whatever your choice, take it easy, and Cheers!

Mr. Vargas is the Institute’s Vice President and can be contacted via AmerVargas @ modernbutlers.com

Of Butlers and Roses, Part 19 of 25

by GJ dePillis

How to Make the Cut

Cutting roses As a butler, you should know if your rose bushes have been pruned properly. This video explains the four easy steps for pruning. In addition, always prune after the first frost. Cut at a 45-degree angle to the outside bud and keep the inside of the bush clean of buds. Remove dead canes (stems) and any branches that are horizontal or cross each other. Your goal is to keep the bush in a “vase” shape with branches growing out and up.

When clipping roses in bloom, carry a bucket of water with you as you gather specimens for your bouquet, and place the cut roses into the water immediately. Once inside, re-trim the cut roses and immediately place them into the vase with water in it already. When cutting roses, the clipper crimps or seals the stem, pinching it slightly; by cutting the stem under water and then placing it in the water in the vase immediately, the stem opens again and the flower can drink the water.

Ms. dePillis is a freelance contributor to the Journal who is based on the West Coast of the United States. She can be reached via depillis at gmail.com

Consulting the Silver Expert

by Jeffrey Herman

Q: Is a silver dip a good way to clean silver?

A: I have been testing Tarn-X and other dips for decades while recording the effects they have on silver. I routinely receive objects for refinishing due to damage from these destructive products. Tarn-X is used by 95% of the collectors from whom I hear.

Chemical dips—in various degrees—quickly strip the shine from silver, leaving a dull, lifeless appearance.Chemical dips quickly remove factory-applied patinas (if left in the solution for more than a few seconds) or gradually (if dipped quickly each time the object requires cleaning). You’ll notice a soft white surface develop over a very short period of time.

Chemical dips damage every silver alloy including .800 (Germany), .900 (coin), .925, (sterling), .9584 (Britannia silver), and .999 (fine silver), as well as copper and gold. Chemical dips are made up of acidified thiourea (a known carcinogen). Acids are corrosive and will damage silver, niello, bronze, stainless-steel knife blades, and organic materials such as wood and ivory. TarnX

Chemical dips cause pitting of the object’s surface which then acts like a sponge, absorb tarnish-producing gases and moisture. The object will eventually require professional polishing and possibly repatination to restore the original finish.

Chemical dips, when used on objects that have sealed components, such as candlesticks and trophies with hollow feet, or teapots with hollow handles, may leak into the cavity through small holes or imperfections in the joints. At this point, it becomes virtually impossible to wash the chemical out. If you’re working on a baby cup with this type of rim, do you really want an infant drinking from it after using a dip?

Tell your friends about these dips and recommend they take them to the next household hazardous waste collection program in their local area.

Other dips containing acidified thiourea include: Connoisseurs Silver Jewelry Cleaner; Ellanar Dip Instant Silver Cleaner, Empire’s Instant Tarnish Remover, Goddard’s Silver Dip, Hagerty Silver Dip, Medallion Care Tarnish Treatment, Midas Silver Tarnish-Off, ShineBrite Silver Dip, Weiman Instant, Tarnish Remover, and Wright’s Instant Tarnish Remover.

One dip, SilverMate, while not containing acidified thiourea, produces the same unwanted results.

Mr. Herman continues to offer his services to our readers for any questions you may have about the care of silver. Either call him at (800) 339-0417 (USA) or email jeff at hermansilver.com

Tags Butler, Butler service, Butler training, butler's tray, butlers in the news, Carving, Carving Fruits, creativity, Excellent Service, Hotel Butler, Luxury Resort, mixology, Polishing Silver, roses, silver, superior service

Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, August 2015, International Institute of Modern Butlers

Post author By Amer Vargas
Post date July 31, 2015
2 Comments on The Modern Butlers’ Journal, August 2015, International Institute of Modern Butlers

The Modern Butlers’ Journal volume 11, issue 8

International Institute of Modern Butlers

Message from the Chairman

Concierges have provided service in hotels and properties for centuries. There is a certain kinship between concierges and butlers, not surprisingly, as the word comes ultimately from Latin meaning “fellow slave,” or “serving with.” However, the French phrase “compte des cierges, meaning “Guardian of fixtures,” is a more representative concept—the “Keeper of the keys” in castles and government buildings—hence the two crossed keys of Les Clefs D’Or. Their original duties 800+ years ago in France included managing all the service being delivered in the castles, and so were very close to the duties eventually taken on by butlers. But while butlers rose to managing large households in England and elsewhere, the concierges’ duties narrowed down during the 18th Century, with the advent of international business- and pleasure-travel, to those currently executed in high-end hotels around the world.

Butlers, originating in England, predate concierges, who originated in France, by a century or more. So it is particularly nonsensical that, despite being at it longer, butlers have had zero success in coming together as a profession; whereas concierges have come together since 1929, and more fully, since 1952, to forward their profession as a single, professional body. Perhaps it is a matter of hubris on our part, whereas the concierges have adopted a more professional approach that serves them well in terms of setting and maintaining standards for their 4,000 members in over 50 countries.

I recently asked to see the articles of association of Les Clefs D’Or, and similar literature, and was warmed to note that Les Clefs D’Or has service codes much like ours, and even has a fund to assist colleagues who have fallen on hard times because of serious physical conditions, such as cancer.

The day a Silver Tray (let’s assume that could be the name of a similar International Butler Association) exists to set and raise standards for butlers, and it offers such a fund, we could say that we had finally come of age as a profession, rather than a collection of multiple “Only Ones”—as in “We are the only valid butler organization.”

United we stand, divided we fall.

Butlers in the Media

Butlers are now working on river cruises in Europe (four of Uniworld’s vessels), offering a stripped down version of butler service.

An interesting article about the lengths butlers go to in hotels to service their guests—although the author has taken it upon herself to pronounce that “butlering is a dying art.”

Another White House “butler” engages in a tell-all—when will the White House establish some standards in this area?

Some entrepreneurs have created a company called “Hello Alfred” (referring to Batman’s butler) that offers “butler service” for $25 a week—the duties basically being running errands and managing small projects for which the clients do not have time. As the company already employs 100 butlers (stay-at-home mums and artists) so far in New York and Boston, they are obviously much in demand by busy executives and no doubt appreciated by those looking to boost their income.

If the above is a bit of a stretch, then how about Sandcastle Butlers, the latest hijacking of our profession to boost image? The picture (from the Hertfordshire Mercury) says it all.

Hot on the heels of the Japanese cafe culture with butlers and maids, we now find Glasgow, Scotland offering the same: a cafe with maids and butlers. Used to be a time when one went to a cafe to enjoy a simple coffee and scintillating chat.

Not sure if we have covered the “Stock Butler” before—software that analyzes and rates a person’s stock portfolio.

And no MBJ would be complete without another little look at the rapidly encroaching world of robots as butlers. The first hotel in the world has opened with service almost exclusively carried out by robots—done to save money on wages and downtime, such as days off, and to create “the most efficient hotel in the world.” Um…. Let’s see: “Hospitality,” basic definition being “friendly.” “Friend” comes from an Indo-European root word meaning “love.” Met any friendly robots recently, ones who express their heartfelt love for you? (Perhaps that should read “programmed love”?). Somewhere, someone, or a lot of someones, are missing the point.

As the Wall Street Journal reported, machines do not have ethics and have no understanding of morals. When asked by a human what was immoral, one AI (Artificial Intelligence) robot said, “The fact that you have a child.” To be sure, in an AI-dominated world, the perpetuation of the human species is neither logical nor necessary.

And while “scientists” are busy trying to make robots human, and humans unnecessary, they are also busy making humans into robots: witness the University of California, Berkeley breakthrough (also reported in the Wall Street Journal) in creating neural dust that is so small, it can be implanted into the cerebral cortex (front of the brain) without the knowledge of the individual and run forever, collecting information and controlling people’s thoughts and emotions (and presumably, ultimately, their actions).

For a sobering look at the future of man versus robot, check out this video: Humans Need not Apply. Life, to some it seems, is just a matter of matter, and humans do not, ultimately matter, in the rush to…what? Efficiency? Again, someone, or a lot of someones, are missing the point of life, it would seem.

The truth is that people either have life in them, or they do not. One will find that those pursuing the “robots are ideal, humans are superfluous” motif are themselves, severely lacking in life/aliveness, and so, naturally, have an affinity for robots.

What can we do about it? Keep beating the drum for humanity, for caring and creative personalized service, for the life that is central to, and vital for, life. One wouldn’t think one would have to say this to humans—not to pull the rug out from under their own feet—not to keep hitting themselves in the face; but the obvious can be completely missed when one has a fixed idea and blinders on, like a carthorse, to keep it moving without questioning.

* NOTE: Parts of this article also appeared in an online blog this month: http://blog.kwegroup.com/service/unusual-hotel-services/ and in the August 4 edition of HN360, the daily e-newsletter of Hospitality Net.

Letters to the Editor

I was hired recently as a Household Manager for a family who owns a yacht. I spent last week on the yacht with the family and learned some simple but valuable aspects of shipboard service. My household management training did not include yacht service. Can you direct me to any books, on-line courses, etc. that can teach me the ins and outs of serving on a yacht? RD

Ed: Ms. Josephine Ive of Australia— josephine@magnumsbutlers.com—(www.yachtstewardess.biz) may well be able to assist. She trains in various parts of the world. A Ms. Alene Keenan of Florida may be pursuing her yacht training plans of two years ago. Might be worth an email to see if she is operational: services@yachtstewsolutions.com

A good example of being too focused on equipment to make use of it—the means becoming an end. The same could happen to a butler who, perhaps following the lead of the employers, becomes lost in the trappings of wealth rather than keeping the focus on ensuring employer, family, and guest happiness.

Let’s Talk about Mixology, Part 3

by Amer Vargas

Long Island Iced Tea

Today we talk about a very popular concoction all over the world, but especially in the United States, where it was created. This delicious cocktail is favoured by many, including our beloved blue-haired and yellow-skinned Marge Simpson. Yes we are talking about the Long Island Iced Tea.

Interestingly enough, the name is not as descriptive as tea lovers would like. The Long Island Iced Tea has no tea in it at all, although it somehow resembles the taste and colour of a straight iced tea, but with an interesting level of alcohol content. We will see the reason for this below.

But before mixing drinks, a little bit of history: two versions exist for the origin of this particular mix. The first one dates back to the 1920s, when during the Prohibition in the US, a bartender known as “Old Man Bishop” created an alcoholic mix that looked like a non-alcoholic drink; then, Ransom Bishop, his son, perfected the recipe. That drink included whiskey and maple syrup, and different quantities of five liquors, rather than the equal portions of liquor the current cocktail involves.

The other version claims that in 1972, a bartender called Robert “Rosebud” Butt, who worked at the Oak Beach Inn on Long Island, NY, conceived the mix as a participant in a contest to create a mixed drink that included Triple Sec.

The preparation of the Long Island Iced Tea is very simple. It doesn’t require a shaker nor too much of a display to serve it.

It is served in a highball glass full of ice. Then add: 1.5 cl/0.5 oz each of Tequila, Vodka, White Rum, Gin and Triple Sec, 2.5 cl/0.85 oz of Lemon Juice, 3 cl/1 oz of Gomme Syrup and a dash of Cola. Stir gently to mix all the ingredients, then garnish the drink with a lemon spiral.

The thrill of the Long Island Iced Tea lies in its soft taste, but it requires being served really cold, thereby numbing part of its alcoholic content. The alcohol concentration is approximately 22%, pretty high compared with most other highball cocktails, which explains why it can open the door for even Marge Simpson to tell jokes after having a couple of them.

So, take it easy…and enjoy it!

Mr. Vargas is the Institute’s Vice President for Europe and can be contacted via AmerVargas at modernbutlers.com

Recent Training and Graduates

The Institute’s trainers were busy again during the month of July, and a number of students graduated successfully from the Hospitality Butler courses delivered on-site by the Institute.

One of these took place in Amanyara, a luxury resort and private residences located in the beautiful islands of Turks & Caicos (that’s in the Caribbean, for those of you who have not heard of this tiny country). Below are photos picturing the two groups of graduates with their trainer, Ms. Monica Ferry. Well done and congratulations to everyone!

Happy graduates and Managers at Amanyara Villas — Happy graduates and Managers at Amanyara Resort

Of Butlers and Roses, Part 16 of 25

by GJ dePillis

More on Tools

Last month, we evaluated two main brands of clippers, the better quality Felco being preferred over the less expensive Fiskar by most Rose Societies. Both are “bypass” clippers, meaning they have one thin blade and one thicker, flat, curved blade, which allows them to cross each other. Pruning requires one hold the clippers one way and when clipping flowers, one holds them differently.

What other tools does the gardener need besides pruning shears?

A Felco (#8-size shown here) is good for clipping up to a ½” stem.

Use loppers if the stem is over ½” thick.

The anvil pruner tends to crush the stem rather than slice it clean, so only use it when cutting hard rose wood or tree branches.

Use a small dry wall saw to cut in hard-to-reach places

A hat for sun protection and a bottle of water to keep oneself hydrated are not tools, but certainly are advised in hotter climates. Likewise, a long-sleeved denim shirt (available at the Temecula Rose Society website) will help avoid pricks and scratches on one’s arms. A foam knee pad will go a long way to decreasing discomfort while pruning low lying areas.

Photos Provided by GJ dePillis. Ms. dePillis is a freelance contributor to the Journal who is based on the West Coast of theUnited States. She can be reached via depillisATgmail.com

Consulting the Silver Expert

by Jeffrey Herman

Q: I have a set of 1847 Rogers Bros. flatware. Is it sterling?

A: Unfortunately, it isn’t. The “1847” does not indicate the date the company was founded or a design number. It refers to the date the electroplating process was perfected, after which an extensive line of plated holloware and flatware began to be produced.

Mr. Herman continues to offer his services to our readers for any questions you may have about the care of silver. Either call him at (800) 339-0417 (USA) or email jeff at hermansilver.com

Tags Butler, Butler service, Butler training, butlers in the media, butlers in the news, Carving, Carving Fruits, creativity, Excellent Service, hospitality butler training, Hotel Butler, Luxury Resort, mixology, Polishing Silver, robot butler, roses, silver, superior service

Butler training Mixology Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, July 2015, International Institute of Modern Butlers

Post author By Amer Vargas
Post date July 1, 2015
No Comments on The Modern Butlers’ Journal, July 2015, International Institute of Modern Butlers

The Modern Butlers’ Journal volume 11, issue 7

International Institute of Modern Butlers

Message from the Chairman

In the last Journal, I touched upon the subject of robots: “If I speak untruths, then roll on the great wave of “butler robots” that science is striving so hard to create for us—a mechanistic and ordered society where mankind is an impediment to be tolerated in part. For surely, these robots will win the day: their knowledge will be as firmly fixed as the software engineers who write their code; and they, indeed, unless we change our understandings and skill levels, will be superior to those annoying, fussy, and fickle hominid butlers who used to strut their stuff until the mid-21^st Century.”

That editorial was timely, in that five more articles on the same subject appeared in the last month; One predicting massive social unrest as the drive to increase efficiency and lower costs will see robots taking over “low-wage” jobs in multiple industries (presumably the next step after, and even better than, Chinese laborers); the claim is that only 10% of jobs that can be automated have been so far. An Australian study predicts 40% of jobs will be lost by humans and taken over by robots in the next 10-15 years. Robots are already taking the place of humans as waitresses and hoteliers in Asia.

Wilson, the volleyball companion for Tom Hanks in tThe Castaway — Wilson, the volleyball companion for Tom Hanks in The Castaway

Accountants and telemarketing roles are most at risk, while people who do more creative jobs are less likely to be put out of work by machines. An Oxford University study predicted that Personal Care Aides, for instance, have a 73.6 chance of being automated. But if your position requires you to come up with clever solutions, to help others personally, and to negotiate, then there is less likelihood that your position can or will be automated. All of which aligns with earlier MBJ editorials: certain aspects of butler jobs can be done by robots, but the position of a live butler handling real people is safe in human hands for the simple reason that most humans like to communicate and deal with real people—there is only so much a robot can do to interact with feeling, intelligence, and compassion. As much as one programs emotions and feelings into a robot, the fact is that they are faked and about as satisfactory to a human as the basketball was to Tom Hanks in the movie, The Castaway.

Tesla founder, Elon Musk, and Stephen Hawking are warning about the unintended consequences stemming from the blind pursuit of AI technology by corporate and military interests. While this may pose a danger to the human race, the article entitled, Doctor, Butler & Bodyguard: Meet the Futuristic Robot that Does It All throws down the gauntlet or writes plainly on the wall in the Butler’s Pantry. ThePartner (photo on right) mimics human movements. Says the creator, “We printed ThePartner on my home 3-D printer, using open-source code. We used recycled parts, like an old curtain rod and toy tractor wheels for the ‘legs.’ Next, we started controlling the robot’s movement using microcontrollers.” In other words, if some hobbyists can do that, then imagine what Google’s and others’ billions being invested in Artificial Intelligence are going to create in the decades ahead.

All of which is to say that any butler manager who is alive and focused on service, rather than being a symbol, will have no trouble keeping his or her job.

Butlers in the Media

Bin Butler

Butlers as a concept keep being used to elevate the banal into something special, such as the Beach Butler service in California that provides a “dedicated butler to setup a beach chair, table and umbrella at a designated time and location, deliver tanning products, chilled beverages and food so that clients will never have to leave their towel. When ready to leave, we do the clean up, so you don’t have to.”

Then we have the Bike Butler—a stand for a bicycle. And let’s not forget Reiner, the Bin Butler in Berlin, pictured on the right. And if you happen to want someone to deliver groceries in Australia, then you may want to contact The Grocery Butler.

Here is one that is a bit more on target—possibly even being a butler: the Marina Butler at a Kempinski hotel in Bodrum, Turkey, who welcomes visitors sailing into the marina with a bottle of champagne on arrival, or arranges lunch, watersports, spa treatments or private catering on the yacht if they were to call ahead.

There is now an Assistant service called Alfred (as in Batman’s butler) for time-crunched Boston and New York executives who need help with groceries, laundry pick-up, etc.

And how about The Black Butler—a musical related to Japanese manga and anime sub-culture that perplexes the editor, but some Japanese seem to enjoy the self-conscious, un-butlerish posing and posturing that seems to be a trademark of the genre.

Lastly, an article about whether a Russian butler assassinated the Indian Prime Minister in 1966.

Letters to the Editor

“I have been in the service industry for a little over nine years; I started as a busser with my company when I was sixteen years old and moved my way up to eventually becoming the Head Butler for the resort. When we first began the butler program back in February of 2014, Mr. Ferry came to our resort and taught me how to be a proper butler. During the course he showed me that there is a scale or gradation of emotions, which I had never seen before. I immediately became intrigued by it and saw the importance of learning and using this tool, how critical it is to the service industry, let alone the butler world.
“I began to use the scale on my family and team members. One example was a team member who clearly had a tone of anger; everyday he would come up to me to complain about something. One day, when he came up to me, I switched my tone to boredom towards his reason of complaining; he almost immediately came up the scale. Another example of using the scale was with a guest who is known to be angry and yell about any issue she encounters. During the orientation of her villa, she found an issue and went into a rage. Using the scale, I switched my tone to antagonism towards the issue, and she quickly became disinterested. The emotional scale is the one tool that I believe any member of the service industry should know and learn to use. Not a day goes by in my life that I don’t use it. It has helped me become the butler that I am.” JY.

Ed’s note: Mr. Yalda is a good example of the Modern Butler in the hotel environment: He lives his life to the full, and that means, when on the job (which is close to 24/7/365, because he loves it so) as Head Butler at Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa in Las Vegas, he focuses completely on taking ownership of his guest(s) and making their lives memorable and flow smoothly. As a result, they show their appreciation: which, when it involves comments, fuels his passion; and when it happens to involve tips, means he can afford and enjoy driving the fastest car on the road (one of his passions). What goes around, comes around, and what Mr. Yalda puts out is a creativity and support for all those he meets, to make their lives better.

More Little Butler Touches—Soap Carvings

From Mr. Kobi in Florida

Kobe soap

Placement

The exclusive Dorado Beach Ritz Carlton Reserve in Puerto Rico is looking for butlers (Embajadors). They will train anyone qualifying (must be a US-citizen or Green Card Holder), who has a minimum of one year experience as a Hotel, Cruise, or Condo Butler, or two years in the Hospitality industry (hotels/restaurants, or Cruise lines). For more information, please send request and your current CV/resume to the head butler Mr. Arora (Paawan.Arora at ritzcarlton.com)

Let’s Talk about Mixology, Part 2

by Amer Vargas

The Manhattan

Today we will look at one of the most famous cocktails worldwide, considered by the International Bartenders Association to be a classic that all barmen (and butlers) worth their salt, should know.

The Manhattan cocktail seems to have its origins some time in the mid-nineteenth century in the New York region, where it became a very fashionable drink and the trend spread across the US to Hollywood stars, who made it even more popular in movies as the choice drink for handsome main characters.

It is also known that people from the island of Föhr, in the north-west of Germany, immigrated during the nineteenth century to New York and learned about the drink; they developed a real liking for it and took it back home—which explains why today, the mix is commonly available in most cafe’s and restaurants on the island.

Manhattan cocktail, photo by Naotake Murayama

The preparation of the Manhattan cocktail is really simple: it involves rye whiskey (the most common variation available in nineteenth century New York), red vermouth, bitters and maraschino cherry.

Pour the following over a lot of ice (cubes) in a shaker: 5cl/1.7oz of American rye whisky (although these days, it is common to see it prepared with Bourbon or Canadian whisky), 2cl/0.65oz of red vermouth and one or two dashes of bitters. In the old days, it was said it should only be stirred, but nowadays it is also acceptable to shake it. Strain in a chilled cocktail glass and finish with a maraschino cherry (which must be dried first, so as not to over-sweeten the mix).

As is always the case, the quality of the ingredients determine the quality of the final drink. This will not only be detectable on the palate, but may also be obvious to the eye: if you use poor quality ingredients and shake the mix, a little foam or froth will form that will spoil the look of the drink. Whether shaken or stirred, in all cases, the final Manhattan should be transparent with a caramel color.

And that is the straight Manhattan. Variations exist to please everybody: the Dry Manhattan replaces the red vermouth with a dry vermouth; the Perfect Manhattan replaces the red vermouth with equal parts of dry vermouth and red vermouth (1cl/0,33oz of each); the Brandy Manhattan uses Brandy instead of whisky; the Cuban Manhattan is like a Perfect Manhattan—remember, with both red and dry vermouth—but uses a dark Cuban rum instead of whisky; and finally, the Tijuana Manhattan replaces the whisky with añejo (aged) Tequila.

Make your choice and sip along…Cheers!

Mr. Vargas is the Institute’s Vice President for Europe and can be contacted via AmerVargas at modernbutlers.com

Recent Training and Graduates

Cancun in Mexico has a fairly recent addition, Nizuc Resort and Spa, which has several world-class restaurants, one of the top Spas in the world, and a butler service that is serious about expanding into the full range of services. Mr. Ferry recently trained there and is pictured here with all the graduates.

Of Butlers and Roses, Part 15 of 20

by GJ dePillis

The Right Tool for the Job

Why do gardners need good clippers for roses when it is time to prune back branches or clip roses for a vase ? Can’t they just use anything that cuts? No. The reason is because a clean cut is needed. Any squashing or crimping of the stem damages it and shortens the life of the rose when it is placed in a vase.

When just starting out, you may want to use the cheaper, Chinese made Fiskar clippers. But then, again, you may not! Felco is the better quality, Swiss-made brand, costing $50-60 USD and promoted on most Rose Society pages — in part because it also acts as a wire cutter (there is a notch in the blade for this purpose). Felco invented the more ergonomic “rotating handle”that rolls in the hand when opening and closing the clippers, thereby easing tension in the hands when doing a lot of clipping.

The Felco offers a USA-made holster to keep the shears on a belt and comes with a key to take it apart, clean it, sharpen and reassemble it.

The pictures above show typical gardening tools, as seen at Sea World, San Diego. Remember that, unless you live in a very dry climate, blades do rust if left outside and should always be kept clean and stored in a shed.

Ms. dePillis is a freelance contributor to the Journal who is based on the West Coast of the United States. She can be reached via depillis at gmail.com

Consulting the Silver Expert

by Jeffrey Herman

Q: Does silica gel serve the same purpose as 3M Anti-Tarnish strips, or should I use both?

A: The strips absorb tarnish-producing pollutants; the gel controls the humidity that contributes to the acceleration of tarnish. I always advise using both.

Mr. Herman continues to offer his services to our readers for any questions you may have about the care of silver. Either call him at (800) 339-0417 (USA) or email jeff at hermansilver.com

Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, April 2015, International Institute of Modern Butlers

Post author By Amer Vargas
Post date March 31, 2015
1 Comment on The Modern Butlers’ Journal, April 2015, International Institute of Modern Butlers

The Modern Butlers’ Journal volume 11, issue 4

International Institute of Modern Butlers

Message from the Chairman

It seems no year is complete without a butler falling foul of unethical behavior in the employer’s home—such as cases reported in Miami and France over the last two years. This one is from South Africa.

“ANC veteran, Mathews Phosa, is locked in an ugly public wrangle with his former butler, who accuses him [Mr. Phosa] of using theft and fraud charges to ‘silence’ him because he has information that could damage the politician’s reputation.”

The butler, Mr. Venter, had resigned and refused to hand over personal information about the employer that he, the butler, had stored on his personal laptop. “It was not like I was going to sell stories to the media; it wouldn’t have been wise for me to speak badly about my former employer. Little did I know that this would be the start of a never-ending nightmare.”

According to the newspaper, “At the heart of the row are Venter’s claims, reported at the weekend, that he saw Phosa writing a document accusing Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza of being an apartheid-era spy.” Whereas, Mr. Phosa claimed he had received the report anonymously and had passed it on to authorities as such. So Premier Mabuza is suing Mr. Phosa, and the butler is caught in the middle.

The butler’s view is that “he was not involved in politics and merely wanted to do what was right.” He also reports that he was intimidated by the politician’s head of security, who told him to move to another city and the cases would go away; and apparently arranged for the butler’s car to be shot at—so the butler is now embroiled in two criminal cases against this head of security because “My life is in danger.” For his part, the head of security claims the butler “lives in his own little world where he makes up stuff.”

While employed for ten months by Mr. Phosa, the relationship was warm to start but soured after Mr. Venter asked for compassionate leave to travel to Pretoria to visit his dying father. According to Mr. Venter, Mr. Phosa refused, so the butler decided to resign.

Mr. Phosa reports, however, that “I approved his first request for leave. He came back a week later with another request, and I refused. He [Venter] then resigned and offered to serve out his notice, but then said he must leave immediately—so I fired him,” Phosa said.

High drama for a butler who no doubt signed on for what he imagined to be a discreet and genteel profession.

The solution is to disengage from unethical employers—which this butler did, but he did not appear to do so because of the reported unethical act of the employer, which presumably the butler was willing to live with until he suffered a personal upset with the employer. Only then did he beat the drum about the unethical act of the employer. But, if a correct statement of his position, his flexible level of ethics and apparent dishonesty weaken his position.

And in disengaging, he violated one important rule: either disconnect completely (such as returning the files requested by the former employer); or leave with enough information to guarantee that a) any harm coming to your good person would result in their publication/turning over to the former-employer’s enemies; and b) that you have no interest in using the information, for without it, there is no leverage. Alternatively, find a police authority (if possible) that is senior to and out of the influence of the former employer, and so likely to take action to remedy the unethical behavior (and gathering as much hard evidence as possible before leaving).

Armchair advice is easy to dispense, but the above is a viable game plan for anyone finding themselves in such a tricky situation. For the butler, seeing and hearing all, is bound to see or hear something he would rather he had not seen or heard. While he normally keeps his own counsel, there are times when a higher standard of ethics in the butler than the employer must override the generally correct mantra to stay mum. This is a decision we each make according to our own standards and codes, but the situation can be most harrowing, sometimes leading to rash action or inaction. Hence this blueprint for action may prove useful.

Dowager Countess of Grantham (Maggie Smith) of the popular series, Downton Abbey — Dowager* Countess of Grantham (Maggie Smith) of the popular TV series, *Downton Abbey*

*Dowager: a widow with a title (or property) derived from her late husband.

The acerbic (sharp and forthright) wit of this character, married to the subtle understanding of the workings of the English class system—within which our profession developed over the centuries—helps put in perspective the development of the traditional, conservative and mute butler persona. The Dowager Countess of Grantham mouths astute witticisms (zingers such as the one above), but also frequently provides comments that betray the dismissive view of others held by those who try hard to maintain the illusion of their own superiority in the absence of any actual production and contribution to others: the idle rich, yes, but also the criminal class, and others, no matter their station in life, who try to put down rather than build up. In actual fact, as Downton Abbey-philes know, the Dowager Countess of Grantham character does care about her own family, at least, and is portrayed as basically a kind person, despite being trapped into forwarding the expectations of her too-fast-disappearing milieu (a person’s social environment).

Butlers in the Media

What do overboots for children (boots to wear over regular shoes when in the snow), a restaurant in Australia, and a Carpet, Tile, & Grout Cleaning company in Florida all have in common? They are all called The Butler and represent the latest commercial adoption of our profession to advertise superior standards in their own line of work.

And where else are “Butlers” being employed these days for the same reason? At a dentist in Japan, a photo booth in Australia, the public beach in San Diego, the wilds of Scotland (a forest ranger turned “Picnic Butler”), and a “Personal Shopping and Styling Butler” in Hong Kong.

Along the same lines, what MBJ would be complete without some comment on butler robots? We have Sigourney Weaver to thank for wanting a robot butler after starring in new movie called Chappie alongside a police droid reprogrammed to feel and think like a human. Ms. Weaver is looking for a helpful and thoughtful robot at home. “I’m sure you could program a robot to do all kinds of useful things. I think they’re trying to create a butler robot for people, which would be useful. I’d like a cheerful robot, for company. ‘Would you like a cup of tea?’ That’s the kind of robot I would want…that’s my level; not very destructive but lovable.” Hmmm, anyone feel qualified to apply?

The Chairman was interviewed for an article in this in-flight magazine.

Letters to the Editor

We recently completed the first phase of butler training at the largest construction project in the Western Hemisphere—BahaMar Resort and Rosewood at BahaMar—an interesting (and a first) mix of several brands sharing the same property. Some of the letters received after we left show that we are achieving our mission, as laid out on the Institute’s home page:

“In this tradition, the Institute is now focused on a new phase that we see as the future need and direction of the industry: pioneering the nurturing of individuals who can bring about a greater zest for, and appreciation of, life, both in the people they serve and in themselves. This means our training includes the mechanical skills of butling—be they orchestrating a party for 200 or the acquiring, manning, and managing of a large estate. But more importantly, drawing on our backgrounds as counselors and teachers, the training brings about an understanding of people, whether employees, vendors, guests, or employers, and how to make them all work together in their different roles to the benefit of all. Life did not come with a manual: we seek to remedy that lack in the specific sphere of providing service to others.”

“The little training I received [he arrived half way through the training] was truly mind-boggling and life changing. I came in with the mindset of ‘I won’t need much training as I’ve been a butler,’ yet I have learned more in ten days than in two years in the field…. I will truly enjoy your return in October.” DB

“I thought I knew everything I needed to know with regard to Butler Service and was so wrong…. I am forever changed.” DW

“I want to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation for all the training and mentoring that I have received over the past three-to-four weeks, which has really transformed my life professionally and personally, sending my life and career path on the up and up.” LH

“The training is so real and true that we have practiced it in our lives and so made us better people, able to deal with different situations that were hard to deal with in the past, and which also will be so useful to apply to our guest for better results. For me personally, I needed this training at this stage of my career, I have waited for it so long and finally I have it, and it is worth it and exceeded my expectations as well as everyone else’s in the team.” MA

“I may have never said this before, but you both have made such a wonderful impact on my life and the opportunities I have embarked upon…I am a butler in all that I do because of you. Thank you!” GB

Soap and Fruit Carvings

We reported earlier on the fruit carvings of one enterprising butler in a boutique, private hotel in Florida, and wanted to share a couple of his fruit carvings:

Turndown fruit amenity for a wedding couple

A turndown amenity for a concert pianist

And here a couple of samples of his soap carvings.

Bird

Bear in mind, this butler, whose name is Kobi, did not go to sculpture school or have any outside assistance in making these sculptures, but simply recognized that creativity, driven by caring and directed toward personalization, lie at the heart of superior service. He saw an opportunity with these normally mundane offerings of soap and fruit, that generally are simply presented as nature made them, or cut into smaller pieces (or for soaps, usually in simple, geometric shapes) to create something valuable and noteworthy for the guests. I have seen the same in the Maldives, for instance, where the butlers carve elaborate dhonis (traditional sailing boats) out of coconut shells and fiber for their guests. In fact, we still have some on shelves in our houses in Florida and the Rockies, because the care that went into their creation carries great power.

Kobi offers these pointers for anyone wanting to go down the same road with soap:

“Quite a while ago I bought a large block of special soap that can be melted in the microwave, have color/scent added to it, and be molded back into a soap bar. The good thing about this is that it is soft and very convenient to work with; and secondly, it is perfect to practice carving, as you can simply re-melt it and use it again for a new carving, instead of wasting soap bars when your creation is not up to standards.

For this sculpture of an egret (the white bird), I did use a large chunk of soap, but the bird is not one whole piece: the wings, the beak, and the pedestal were made separately and attached to the body using quite a simple technique that I learned accidentally. Originally, I attempted to use a glue gun to glue the pieces together (as suggested in different references I had read) but the glue wouldn’t stick to the soap directly. What I noticed however, is that when the hot tip of the gun touched the soap, it melted. So I simply began to use the glue gun to melt together the different sections. Simple, effective, and much cleaner than using glue.

It has been quite an interesting journey, I must say. Thank you for your interest in it.”

Let’s Talk about Spirits, Part 14

by Amer Vargas

Kahlúa

“Ola amigos!”

After visiting Mexico a few months ago to enquire about Tequila, today we are back to know a little more about one of the most famous coffee liqueurs: Kahlúa.

First produced in 1936, it was named “Kahlúa,” meaning, “House of the Acolhua people” in the Veracruz Nahuatl language spoken before the Spanish Conquest.

It all starts in the Veracruz state (officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), where an excellent Arabica coffee is grown. To produce Kahlúa, only really ripe coffee cherries are used. Thus, coffee beans are hand-picked and chosen out of their original red husks to ensure full ripeness.

Then, a process of three rinses removes all undesirable debris from the unroasted coffee beans and then they are air-dried in the sun for about 70 hours. Once dry, a husking machine separates the papery white skin left on the coffee bean and sorts the beans by size, before letting them age for at least six months and then roasting the beans.

Unroasted, lightly roasted and roasted Coffee beans, photo by Falco

The roasting process takes between eight and fifteen minutes. Then, the roasted coffee is cooled in a spinning machine that aerates the beans to speed the cooling process. After quality control of the roasted coffee beans, they are taken into big holding tanks to await grinding. Once the right grind is achieved, the coffee is brewed for about an hour and passed through a large filter to ensure no impurities remain. The coffee is then mixed with a sugarcane spirit mix (96.2% alcohol that is diluted with mineral water and caramel and vanilla added). to give the liqueur its strength (20% alcohol) and final aromas.

Eight weeks of sitting allow micro-impurities to fall to the bottom of the liqueur, which are then filtered out and the Kahlúa bottled.

The final product has a deep brown color and offers bittersweet coffee beans and roasted chestnut aromas, together with black coffee and sweet butter flavors.

Espresso Martini, photo by Srinivasprapbhu933

Kahlúa is one of the main ingredients in many famous cocktails like the Mudslide and the Frozen Mudslide, the B52, the Mind Eraser, and a personal favorite, the White Russian.

Make your choice and… Cheers!

Mr. Vargas is the Institute’s Vice President for Europe and can be contacted via AmerVargas at modernbutlers.com

Of Butlers and Roses, Part 12 of 20

by GJ dePillis

Thorned Roses as Beautiful Security Guards

Roses with thorns are a beautiful way to strengthen perimeters: Curious hikers, amped-up thieves, and cheeky paparazzi will avoid crawling over a fence that also has thorny roses to supplement it, or even a bed of thorny roses without a fence.

In the case of estates with an electric fence, it is recommended that all rose bushes be kept sufficiently clear to avoid a nasty surprise for any gardener taking his metal pruning shears to the fence; he may either electrocute himself; or if the fence be off, damage the fence.

For these reasons, it is advised that you create a rambling rose hedge either just in front or just behind the electric barrier, but always keeping the barrier free from debris and leaving enough room to access both the fence and the rose beds.

Ms. dePillis is a freelance contributor to the Journal who is based on the West Coast of the United States. She can be reached via depillis at gmail.com

Consulting the Silver Expert

by Jeffrey Herman

Lacquering silver and silverplate is generally not recommended for a number of reasons:

1. The individual may not properly prepare the object’s surface to accept the lacquer.

2. It’s very difficult to obtain a uniform coating, even when applied by a professional.

3. If the coating is not applied well, it may have streaks and small holes, allowing tarnish to form.

4. Lacquer will eventually yellow and crack, allowing tarnish to form within the fissures and eventually under the protective coating.

Strong solvents must then be used to remove the lacquer and the piece refinished.

Because of the above issues, Renaissance wax—an archival micro-crystalline product—is recommended. Renaissance will not yellow or crack and will last for years if handled properly. Renaissance wax is not as durable as lacquer, so the object should be handled with heavyweight, natural cotton jersey inspection gloves, as acid from fingers may eventually remove it.

Since dust can be acidic and eventually wear through the wax, placing your silver in a closed display will help insure that particulate will not fall on the object’s surface. Whether inside or outside a display case, gently wipe the object with a Selvyt cloth or soft cotton cloth every few months. This will keep the wax or silver polish with tarnish protectant from breaking down prematurely.

This piece was polished to remove all tarnish and any micro-etching that resulted from the tarnish.

Renaissance wax should not be used on flatware or other objects that will be used to eat from. When applying Renaissance, do so in small areas at a time (no larger than a 3” square). Buff with a soft cotton cloth, cotton ball, or makeup pad immediately. Overlap each area to insure the entire surface is coated. For more information and photographs, click here.

Jeffrey Herman, ASAS, FIPG

Mr. Herman continues to offer his services to our readers for any questions you may have about the care of silver. Either call him at (800) 339-0417 (USA) or email jeff at hermansilver.com

Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, March 2015, International Institute of Modern Butlers

Post author By Amer Vargas
Post date February 28, 2015
No Comments on The Modern Butlers’ Journal, March 2015, International Institute of Modern Butlers

The Modern Butlers’ Journal volume 11, issue 3

International Institute of Modern Butlers

Message from the Chairman

In private service, we each have standards we have set and look for in those who are about to employ us, which we balance against various factors to decide in the end whether or not we want to work for that employer. Hopefully, we do not have our backs against the wall financially to the extent that we are obliged to accept any position offered, no matter that alarm bells may be ringing.

There is one employer characteristic that bears highlighting, however, because it is an alarm bell so strident that it might be wise to heed it, no matter how many bill collectors are at the door.

Nobility of old in Europe, and the “nouveau riche” merchants, such as the Rothschilds, were at pains to differentiate themselves from “commoners” — people they regarded as fundamentally inferior and even degraded. Perhaps surprisingly in our supposedly enlightened age, one still sees this impulse and mindset today in prospective employers of household staff, sometimes openly expressed, but usually well masked. Their own staff can sometimes be heard expressing the same opinions, having mentally fallen into the mindset of their employer.

One etiquette consultant for one of the most influential people in the world hosted just such a point of view—a scathing horror of anything that was not “above the salt” (from Mediaeval times, when the order of precedence at the lord’s table had those of inferior rank sitting below where the salt was placed). The result was an unprecedented exodus of staff (they were not sufficiently “pretty” or “handsome” to be acceptable to the client and guests, etc.) and a reputation at the property that made it hard to hire more—the alarm bell had been sounded for other potential employees in the area.

The problem with this judgmental approach to other people is that it invariably results in the demise of the haughty person him- or herself, as he or she is continuously causing harm to others. And funnily enough, that person himself or herself becomes more degraded than the people he or she vilifies for the simple reason that this is what happens to people who cause harm. The person digs his own grave, sneer by sneer, and whether it be a colleague or an employer, the end result is a far-from-optimum work environment.

As a note, the private-service world is a microcosm for the world at large, where the impulse to denigrate others has existed, and still does exist, in individuals and groups who work hard to raise their own idea of their own importance and value through the mechanism of sneering at others, and finding cause in those sneers to then target those others. Take the militarization of the police in the US, which has been accompanied by consultants and trainers advising the police that the real enemy is not the criminal, but the amorphous terrorist; police undergoing the training are told that a terrorist lurks in the bosom of every American. In other words, the police have been redirected from targeting criminals to the much more easily targeted, socially upright citizen. Just as you probably see this as a topsy-turvey/upside-down state of affairs, so, too, is the employer who insists on elevating his own importance by sneering at his employees, instead of considering them as fellow human beings who, just as the employer himself does, tend to perform better and rise to the occasion by encouragement.

Able individuals and employers manage their areas competently, without any effort to denigrate others, and those are the employers who receive good and cheerful service, because as the cliché goes, what goes around, comes around.

My advice is to be on the lookout for any supercilious (behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others, from Latin supercilious meaning haughty, itself from super cilium meaning eyebrow—as in that dreaded “raised eyebrow” signal) signs and attitudes during the interview process, and politely decline should you notice it—for it will mean a life of unappreciated servitude—that is, of course, unless that is the life you want.

Butlers in the Media

We’ve never given much airtime to Butlers-in-the-Buff, a particularly inappropriate use of the word “butler,” for to dignify them with any airtime at all would be to play into their motif of attracting attention to themselves with nothing more valuable than the titillation and licentiousness (promoting or engaging in temporary sex with many) that they offer, and using our profession, which stands for the opposite, to do so. A recent article recently excoriated (roundly criticized) B-in-the-B for teaming up with a bath company to offer single ladies baths on Valentine’s Day. As B-in-the-B have joined the ranks of the oldest profession, they will probably be with us for a while longer, but as they become increasingly desperate to stay relevant while offering so little, their demise as an apparent front group for our profession can be predicted with some degree of certainty.

This month’s cataloging of items drawing upon our profession during the marketing process includes a Chinese made, discounted “3-in-1 Mixer, Coffee Grinder & Food Processor” Butler; a Chinese mobile-laundry service called “Bear Butler,” complete with a photograph of a black bear wearing a black top hat; and the requisite Butler robots: Care-o-bot from Germany, retailing for $250,000 approximately, that will fetch drinks, answer the door, and take out the rubbish/trash.

Care-o-bot, the flirty robot butler from Germany

At such prices, maybe they do perform a service for the profession: making it clear to potential and current employers what a good deal their human butlers are. The other robot butler that made the news was a cut-rate model called Origibot, retailing for $900 approximately, with the owner’s iPAD/tablet being inserted for the head, and offering to bring things it can grasp in its one hand.

Letters to the Editor

I am eager to transition my career to domestic service. I hold a degree and several years experience in Culinary Arts and am seeking a position which will allow me to demonstrate those skills as well as provide further service as a House Manager or the like. Can you recommend a course of action? Do you know of any Butler apprenticeships to be found? GJ

Ed: Thanks for reaching out and sharing your goals. Before embarking on an apprenticeship as a butler, you really need to train as one first. You have two basic options: attend a school for a couple of months (usually in the 20K range) or do a correspondence course through the Institute (2.5K) that takes about 3 months of intense study, or can be done at a more leisurely pace while continuing to work. At the end of either path, you will have a certificate, a certain amount of knowledge, and the promise (not guarantee) to help in your search for a position. Many employers prefer someone with experience, but some are willing to take on those who have finished some schooling. You obviously have an advantage in that you have the culinary skills that would augment a butler position, or vice versa. Key is building the resume in whatever way you can as an estate manager/butler, and we would be quite optimistic about your success, given your intention/drive and past service experience.

Let’s Talk about Spirits, Part 13

by Amer Vargas

Arrack

Today we travel to Asia to learn about Arrack—not to be confused with Arak, which is a raki-, ouzo-, or pastis-like, grape-based, anise drink.

Although nowadays arrack is the name of the particular drink we are about to discuss, in the past the word referred to any distilled spirit, as recorded by an English explorer in the Indies, who wrote in the nineteenth century: “The natives call our gin, English arrack.”

It is understandable that the concept of Arrack has changed over time, as it is known to be one of the oldest distilled spirits in the world.

Anyway, back to the present, Arrack is a very well-known liquor produced in different countries of Asia, mostly in India, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Java (an island in Indonesia), each of these countries providing a special character to their spirit.

In general, we talk about two kinds of Arrack: Batavia Arrack and Ceylon Arrack.

Batavia Arrack is named after Batavia, the old name for Djakarta, the capital city of the island of Java. This Arrack is made from a mash consisting of molasses (the by-product of refining sugarcane) and water, to which are added dried cakes of red rice and other botanicals, and a measure of yeast and fungi spores that ferment the mixture. Once the mash is fermented, it undergoes distillation in traditional pot stills. The final drink is a transparent and clear spirit with a full-bodied, sharp and herbaceous, sour taste with a long, oily finish. As it is not too pleasant when taken straight, it is commonly used in mixers and cocktails. Its final presentation contains an average alcohol by volume of 50%.

Ceylon Arrack, on the other hand, derives its name from what British colonizers called the island of Sri Lanka at the beginning of the nineteenth century—the name being changed to Sri Lanka in 1972. The production of this Arrack is completely different to that of its Batavia counterpart, because the main ingredient is the sap from coconut palms. The sap is extracted by “toddy tappers” (‘toddy’ is the name given to the coconut palm-tree sap after fermentation; ‘tappers’ because these men make cuts in the flower stems at the top of the coconut palms and then tap them to induce the sap to flow. Tappers gather the sap in receptacles they attach to their waists.

Ceylon Arrack bottle, photo by AlMare — Ceylon Arrack, photo by AlMare

The sap collection is commonly conducted during the morning hours, in order to allow the heat of the day to turn on the fermentation process by the action of the yeasts present in the sap itself. In a matter of hours, the sap turns from a slightly sweet, milky water, into the (sort of) palm wine called toddy. After processing the toddy through column stills, the spirit is ready to be mixed with water to achieve 40% alcohol by volume and is then bottled.

The final drink is light amber and golden in color, with a refined, dry taste and a rich and long, buttery finish with sweet aromas that can be enjoyed in many different ways—on the rocks, with water, or with a mixer.

Your turn: Batavia or Ceylon? Enjoy!

Mr. Vargas is the Institute’s Vice President for Europe and can be contacted via AmerVargas at modernbutlers.com

When it Comes to Housekeeping

by Professor Richard Ratliff

The Secret to Housekeeping Success

The reputation of feather dusters has taken a beating in recent years. With one exception, the criticism may be well deserved. But the one exception is a big one—the ostrich feather duster. I am told that darker feathers are better than lighter ones. The feathers in my duster are black.

I have tried cotton, soft wool, and microfiber dusting rags. I have tried dusting mitts in natural and microfiber varieties. I have tried lamb and sheep wool dusters. I have tried feather dusters made of the feathers of various fowl. Rags from cut-up cotton T-shirts, very lightly dampened with water, followed by a quick swipe with a completely dry one, still are a good option. One problem I have found with rags and mitts is that you need something else to get into tight edges and crevices.

But I continue to prefer my old-fashioned ostrich feather duster, with a short wooden handle. It takes only a very light touch and one or two quick passes over a surface for it to be dust free. I use it for any dusting I may do, except for places that are very difficult to reach, which require a long wand.

I have joked that all I need do to dust is walk down the middle of a room and wave my ostrich feather duster in the air. That is not true of course, but it is true that the ostrich feathers seem to magically attract dust, even from the edges of louvered doors and books, venetian blinds, and the crevices of a sculpture and exquisitely carved frames of mirrors and fine art.

Ostrich feathers are easy to clean. Just shake the collected dust from the duster into a trash bin. Occasionally, the duster should be washed in a mild detergent. Shake the feathers around in the soapy water several times, squeeze the soapy water out (do not twist the feathers—just squeeze, or you will break the feathers), rinse two or three times in clear water, squeeze out the rinse water, and set the duster up to dry. Good as new! Once in a great while, I rub a little oil into the wooden handle.

No matter what duster you may prefer, remember that the best duster is the one that is used!

Of Butlers and Roses, Part 11 of 20

by GJ dePillis

Evaluating the Right Rose To Grow- More Thornless Roses

Recently, we discussed heirloom roses and how some of them have thorns and others are thornless, or nearly so.

Here are some tips and information on the planting and care of smooth-touch roses:

Use a moisture meter to determine the best positions for these plants. Stick it in the ground for a reading, and also look for cooler/shadier areas in the garden. Three sources for moisture meters include these models of meters, and the pricier model that the Forestry Service uses, reportedly;
Smooth-touch roses are hardy (able to survive outside during the winter) in Zones 5-11;
In Zones 7 and below, protect the roses over the winter by mulching 12” up the plant;
They prefer 6-7 hours of sun;
When planting, dig a hole approximately twice as wide as the pot and place the plant in the hole. Fill with soil as needed, add rose food, and water thoroughly;
These roses will grow to a height and width of 3-4 feet and form a nice, dense bush;
Prune the plant once a year by cutting back to 1/3 its size in the late spring.

To determine which zone you are in, click on the interactive USDA zone map. While each property has its own “micro climate” zone (a slope near a babbling brook will be cooler than a garden near black asphalt, which can make the surrounding areas about 10 degrees hotter), these zones are still good reference points.

For any questions about how to best grow thornless roses and anything related to them, you can contact Ms. Judie Evrard Brower at judie at sover.net.

A good selection of thornless roses follows:

Variety name	Color	Fragrance	Notes
Smooth Angel	Soft pink	Tea rose scent	Standard rose
Smooth Velvet	Dark pink to red	Light sweet scent.	Grows to six feet, good for pillar climbing
Smooth Prince	Dark cerise pink/red	Tea rose scent	Repeat blooming. Can grow in a pot
Smooth Ballerina	Dark pink with white stripes (Carmine red)	Tea rose scent	Single and cluster blooms
Smooth Buttercup	Yellow	Light sweet scent	Grows rose clusters
Smooth Queen	Dark Yellow	Tea rose scent	Ruffled edge on petals, cluster booms. Compact bush
Smooth Satin	Soft peach-pink	Light perfume	Blooms vary by climate. Single blooms. Some clusters
Smooth Lady	Soft salmon pink	Light Tea rose scent	Standard rose
Smooth Delight	White with hint of pink	Light Tea rose scent	Dark green leaves. Scented petals.
Smooth Moonlight	Soft white with touch of pink on edges	Faint scent	Open flower style with prominent center stamen. About twenty petals

Thornless roses are also available in the US at:

Some Lowe’s Home Improvement centers (not in Northern New England, the Gulf Coast, the Rocky Mountain States, Idaho, Wyoming, South Dakota and North Dakota);
Online at www.WillowCreekGardens.com or 760-721-7079.
Smooth Touch, which only sells (near) thornless roses; with 25 distributors, there likewise are some regions they do not service;
Contact Jon McGuffin at jon at easytogrowbulbs.com.

Ms. dePillis is a freelance contributor to the Journal who is based on the West Coast of the United States. She can be reached via depillis at gmail.com

Consulting the Silver Expert

by Jeffrey Herman

Q: What’s the difference between machine engraving and hand engraving?

A: Machine engraving isn’t true engraving in the sense that metal isn’t removed, it’s actually burnished (polished by rubbing). That’s why you’ll feel a slight ridge when you run your finger over it. It’s not unlike when you draw a picture in the sand. Hand engraving is the process of cutting shallow lines into metal with a sharp graver, reproducing artwork which has been drawn on a metal article. Unlike machine engraving, hand engraving removes metal when cutting. Bright cutting is another form of engraving which is very reflective because of its flat, angled cut.

Mr. Herman continues to offer his services to our readers for any questions you may have about the care of silver. Either call him at (800) 339-0417 (USA) or email jeff at hermansilver.com

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