The Tulsa Race Riot and Floridas Rosewood Massacre

The Tulsa Race Riot and Florida’s Rosewoood Massacre In about the 75 years following the Tulsa Race Riot, there has been investigation on what has happened in Tulsa on the date May 31 and June 1, 1921. The Tulsa Race Riot was a devastating event in history where many had lost their lives, around 300 with recent investigations, and the Greenwood District of Tulsa was destroyed. The riot started over a racial dispute, involving a group of black men trying to prevent a lynching of another black man after he was arrested, that escalated in the worst way leaving over a thousand homeless.Afterwards this horrific event was hid from the public for many years and is just being brought to attention within the past 10 years. The community that was destroyed from fire and destruction from the riot has since been rebuilt and is a completely changed area. But it is known there are still harsh feelings about what happened those many years ago and what little has been done to make up for it. No reparations have been made so far those who have suffered through the riot and survived and for the ones who didn’t and their descendents.No one was convicted for his or her participation in the riot and no compensation has been given for the many destroyed homes leaving many people homeless. The survivors of the riot are telling their stories and it is understood that they are trying to get the knowledge of this disaster to spread to other places outside of Tulsa to hopefully get something positive out of it weather it be knowledge for others or something to cope with the grief.This event is not in history books and has not even been really talked about within and outside the community until recently. Nothing effective has been done to make up for what wrong has been done to the victims. Which should immediately be changed, especially for the survivors of the incident who are still alive to their tragic story and share the truth that has been under wraps for so many years . Schools around Tulsa are now starting to talk about what happened but still no where in history books or anywhere else is it being taught.Florida’s Rosewood Massacre of 1923 was an event that occurred because of a rumor of a white woman being sexually assaulted by a black man, resulting in at least 10 men killed and most of the African American community of Rosewood devastatingly being burned down except for 2 buildings. In earlier years it was sufficient if there wasn’t much questioning of the woman or the others that were around during the attack. Instead they just took the woman’s word for it and ignored any other allegations of what happened.The evidence of what happened spread around the area of Rosewood setting off a group of white man searching for an escaped convict they assumed was to blame, resulting in the massacre. After many years of this massacre occurring and not being exposed, 50 thousand dollars has been put to the investigation to find out an y more information by looking through areas that which it has occurred. This, just like the Tulsa Race Riot, was a horrible act of racial violence that responsibility needs to be taken by the state it occurred in.But unlike Tulsa something has been done; 7 million dollars has been assigned to the remaining living victims and the families of those who are no longer alive to try and make right for what has happened. This Compensation was effective enough but the one of the only ways to completely make up for what happened is if it was brought to light much sooner, and something was done about what happened many years ago when most of the people were still alive instead of waiting until now when everyone is dying off.Its understood that people believe waiting until most of the survivors have passed away and then tell the events of what has happened is going to be to late. The very few survivors that are left from this event are telling their story because if they don’t know one would have known the truth as to what happened during that duration of time the massacre occurred. So far both reconciliations have not been effective enough especially for the Tulsa Race Riot. That is why everything is going to be done to bring justice to those who have suffered through these events in history.To make up for what wrong has happened to the people that suffered through the Tulsa race Riot an amount of 8 million dollars is going to go to the victims and their families. This is more money than the Rosewood victims received only because the Tulsa Riot involved a great deal more of people. This amount is going to be given because of the grief they had to experience from death of the people around them, being homeless, the amount of time it took to get this event any recognition, and having to start their lives over from scratch since their property was destroyed and burned down. thousand dollars will be given to any further research that needs to be conducted for the Tul sa Race Riot so that all information is gathered. Both events will be written about by professional historians to put in to textbooks of all over the country when all investigations are complete over time starting where it occurred and then spreading to different states due to the costs of new textbooks. What is being done is to restore the social peace between the state and the victims of these gruesome of events that were not accounted for many years so there is no hatred or anything negative between the two. MLA Citation

A Piece of Art

I am choosing this piece of art because it reminds me of the original one, the Napoleon Crossing the Alps, by the French Neoclassical painter Jacques-Louis David, and also because that I am quite like this Mario game very much. This artist had turned my childhood hero into a very good piece of art, that to me, can capture every aspect of him and his loyal pet, although Yoshi does not look that fiercely. The original work of Jacques-Louis is about a mighty general, who is bravely charges in the front of the army toward the enemy. Napoleon proportion show that he is the real commander, not just any soldier or any captain, but the great Napoleon Bonaparte himself. Calmly sitting on his fiery horse, finger points toward the Alps, Napoleon leading his people to victories. To sum up, this painting express Napoleon as the hero of the peoples of France, the one who freed them from the hands of Louis the sixteenth. The Mario Crossing the Mushroom Kingdom shows a quite similar meaning. Instead of crossing the dangerous Alps, Mario just crossing the Mushroom Kingdom. Now, what we all know what Mario do in the Mushroom Kingdom: fighting evils, rescue the princess, and freed the kingdom from the tyrant's hands, so that makes Mario a hero too, right? Yes! Yes, it is! Mario is the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom. Although Mario just a plumber, he has fought for the Kingdom with all he has, his running skill as you can see in the games, and he freed them from the tyrant.The painting is very accurate in some ways, the costume, Mario's beer belly, his clothes, and all, Mario did not really wear gloves until recently, but that can be pretermit. What is different from the original painting is that, instead of pointing his finger toward the Kingdom, Mario holds a mushroom. Funny, I would say, because in the game, Mario power up by eating special mushrooms from the mystery boxes scattered around the kingdom, they can make him bigger, and stronger depends on what mushroom he eats, and that is very interesting to see the mushroom in the painting. The Mario Crossing the Mushroom Kingdom resembles most detail from the original one: Mario's proportion, Yoshi front legs, and back legs positions, the harness, and the cape. There is one interesting thing is that Yoshi left eye is glancing backward just like Napoleon's horse eye position, glancing backward. His attention to the small details like that amuse me a lot, it makes me to look for other version of Napoleon Crossing the Alps, just to look at their eyes, although I don't see the name carved in the rock anywhere in the picture, but that is not important. There is something about Naburanja version of the dinosaur Yoshi that keeps me wonder. You see, normally, Yoshi's appearance is a cute little green dinosaur, with a frog like tongue that can swallow enemies. But here, all I see is probably the grow up version of Yoshi. He is bigger, looks more muscular, his green skin looks fade a bit, perhaps to shows old age. Yoshi normally is seen wearing brown boots, but now the boots were completely torn by his claws, like Yoshi had grown up suddenly, so suddenly that he could not take off his boots, so he had to let them be torn. Naburanja usage of colors to describe the gloomy, sad atmosphere of the scenario, where the Kingdom is invaded, and overran by monster, the princess being kidnapped with no hope to rescue her, and so on, is incredible. Naburanja use the dark, gray color to describe it. What more, is that when Mario and Yoshi showed up, light breaks through the darkness, to shine upon our heroes, where ever they go. The colors where Mario stands, are bright colors, red, blue, light dirt yellow, green, and white. It shows that Mario is going to be the savior of the Mushroom KingdomOverall, the painting is magnificent to me, its capture the picture of the hero of my childhood quite correctly, using the Napoleon Crossing the Alps style of drawing. Naburanja colors usage is wonderful, it described the scenario of Mushroom Kingdom correctly, and he depicted Mario like a saint, light shine bright where ever he goes. This painting of Naburanja has many interesting aspect that I love very much, and this is the way I mostly see it, also it makes me chuckle every times I come across it.

The Case of Online Learning

Students go to schools to learn. Through their reading on their textbooks, the inputs from the teacher, and their interactions with other kids, learning is facilitated, even enabled in traditional schools. The public school system is also built upon the notion that there is direct interaction between and among the teacher and the students for the impartation and facilitation of learning. With the growth of the Internet, several applications have been developed to cater to the needs of people who want to study on their own pace from the comforts of their home or wherever they want to study.As such, there are now a lot of online learning programs designed to facilitate the learning in online environments. As a testimony to the growth of online learning, there are now more than 3. 5 million students who are participating in various online learning platforms (National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, 2000). Some of these platforms serve to reinforce the interactions of teachers and stude nts in addition to classroom interactions. There are also companies that offer complete online degrees, thus deviating from the usual method of classroom learning.Institutions of higher learning in the United States, Europe and elsewhere in the world, are now offering online classes. According to a study of several academic leaders, it appears that students are satisfied with the results of online learning as much as with the traditional learning contexts. As it stands now, most of the institutions offering online learning are those that are for-profit. This is perhaps due to the high costs associated with maintaining the systems and personnel needed for the online learning classes. Perhaps when the costs of the system decrease, more institutions may offer online classes.It cannot be denied though that online learning programs are on the rise. Post-graduate degrees, particularly, are utilizing online learning programs (Nagy, 2005, p. 80). This paper seeks to look into the online lea rning phenomenon, the different issues arising from it and the way in online learning differs from traditional schools. Given the differences in approach, it would be necessary to analyze online learning and look at the areas where it works best and at the areas where it is not very effective. In comparison with traditional schools, there are marked differences in online learning settings.In the first place, students and teachers are no longer â€Å"physically present† to conduct the learning sessions and discuss about issues and concerns regarding different topics at hand. The level of discussion has been transferred from physical presence to virtual presence. Moreover, students and teachers alike can no longer see each other. Hence, they can no longer rely on visual and body clues whether they understood each other or not. The interaction tends to be limited to online interactions, which are largely driven by text and written communication.The Basics of Online Learning Onli ne learning is a high technology variation of distance learning through correspondence, which have been used by schools and educational institutions prior to the Internet’s widespread use and popularity. With online learning, there is a number of technology being used to facilitate the learning process. There are multi-media applications and presentation available through a CD-ROM or through a secure website, emails, blogs, wiki, chat, as well as podcasts and discussion boards among others being used for this purpose.Most of the time, these tools and equipment are used together to help maximize the learning process for the student. The usual approach in online learning is the establishment of a Virtual Learning Environment, which has a particular kind of user interface so that the student can navigate through the system more easily. A number of universities are now offering online college degrees in addition to the degrees being offered through the traditional programs that t hey have. Online certificate programs are also widely available.In addition to traditional schools and online classes, a lot of universities are also using the Internet to provide advice to students, counsel them, and make books and resources available to students wherever they may be (Salmon, 2000, p. 27). There is a trend towards blended learning, in which traditional classroom instruction and online learning are blended together. Through this approach, students are able to maximize their time during the class sessions and they also make use of multimedia to address different topics in their online classes.Usually, online learning boosts the student’s learning capabilities or help them do something specific. The multimedia content may have information only or in some cases, the multimedia applications also require the student to perform some activities or tasks related to the lessons being studied (Salmon, 2000, p. 31). Pedagogical Approaches used in Online Learning Online learning is similar to traditional schools in that it still has to use the pedagogical approaches although there are differences in the way that these approaches are applied to online learning.In the first place, the instructional design for online learning is also developed by an educator based on the curriculum being followed by the online course. The social constructivist pedagogy is also applied to online learning. Through the different technological tools available, the students and the teachers can collaborate together in different online activities. Through the use of forums, and other interactive tools such as blogs, the students and the teacher alike are able to create content for themselves and for the benefit of the whole class (Lambropoulos & Zaphiris, 2007, p.106). There is also a conversational model described by Salmon (2000, p. 24), which works best in online discussion forums occurring online. Through the online conversations and collaborations, online students can also develop the cognitive aspect of learning since the senses and the brain coordinates well in doing the online learning. Their learning process though is slightly modified because of the different situation in online learning. Yet, the emotions of students are also engaged in the process of learning online (Areskog, 1995, p. 37).The difficulty, however, is that detecting these emotions are not automatic and the teacher and students may have to rely on word clues as to the emotional state of a student. After all, nobody can see a person be affected emotionally through the texts being written in chat boxes. Truly, the realm of the physical is no longer present in online learning environments. The behavior of students in online learning environments is also a little more difficult to measure and gauge as they are not able to make a presentation in front of the whole class or catch the stare of the teacher.If a student is bored during an online class, the teacher has no clue whatsoev er except perhaps the lack of paragraphs and sentences being communicated by the student. Perhaps, the teacher or facilitator may be able to detect a bored and sleepy student if he makes an irrelevant remark. The context of online learning is also very different from traditional schools. At least, in traditional schools, students may be able to enjoy the full environment of the academe—the library, the laboratories, as well as interactions with different teachers and students.This is lacking in the online learning environment. True, the student may have additional learning opportunities online but the experience of being in an academe is still different. Although this is the case, online learning should enable a student to still interact with other people and help them embark on a joint pursuit of learning and discovery of knowledge. Likewise, the pressure emanating from other students is also important in the learning process.

Enterprise Group Policy for Security Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Enterprise Group Policy for Security - Lab Report Example d access to local administrative includes the following: Modification of any registry setting, modification permissions on any file or folder, modification of any settings of the system, including setting stored in files in the system folder and many others. Allowing users to run as administrators can lead to potential security attacks and breaches (Dean 97). From control panel right click on local groups and users and from the menu, click on new-local group and from the dialogue box that appears, into the group text box type administrators, then select â€Å"remove the current user† check box. Then select apply (Dean 107). It is essential to reset the administrator password since the user had the privileges of an administrative before restricting them from the local administrators group. If the password is reset simultaneously with the extraction of user account the user may never have a chance alter or know the new local administrator password (Thilagam 79). From the control panel right click on groups and local users. On the menu select new-local user and from the dialogue box that appears into the user name text box type in administrator then into password text box type in new password and confirm in password confirm text box. Then select apply (Thilagam 99). User account control (UAC) offers a chance to facilitate security of the computer when an administrator and a user are logged in. It enhances protection against any virus or application that tries to write to protected/restricted areas of the computer (Rocha 123). Computer security is in a local network is very essential since it prevents both the computers and the user or administrator. The GPOs are in the frontline to ensure that the computers are fully protected against viruses and alteration of system files and folders by the

GALLERY REPORT Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

GALLERY REPORT - Research Paper Example A tapestry uses essential filaments intertwined into braids (Dissanayake 128). The intensity of the hues utilized portrays the intensity of the conquests of King Alfonso of Portugal. Though it was woven five centuries earlier by Flemish weavers, the distinctness represented by the value of the hues are still apparent in the featured soldiers’ details. Secondly, the Sculpture Garden showcases quite an ambience with its impressive design and horticulture splendor. The harmony of the lines in its physical structure complement the natural variety of the plants. It’s open lawns, central pool with a spouting fountain, and highlighted sculptures makes it ideal for families to enjoy visual elements of design. With the interaction of different media in an open-air atmosphere, unity is enigmatically observed. Clearly, this is an example of good art since it is unforgettable, grows in stature, and continually matures (Hoving 12). Regarding sculptures, Claude Michel’s Poetry and Music marble sculpture captures balance and content depicted by a cupid riveted by his book and another cherub enraptured by his lute’s music. Harmony between lyrics and melody is shaped in a light-hearted and delicate technique(The Collection). Generally, this tourist spot is where people of all walks of life can appreciate art in its varied impressions like love, numbers, language, and enlightenment (Raczka,

Paper on policy, how america is criminializing poverty Essay

Paper on policy, how america is criminializing poverty - Essay Example The perceived threat and the connotations that are then imposed upon the homeless and the impoverished, lead to uncompassionate social responses to the issue. Within the United States there is a disturbing trend to criminalize poverty leaving those who have lost their financial stability, the mentally ill, and those addicted to chemical substances, vulnerable to criminal liabilities merely for seeking shelter, food, and hygienic health. In February of 2007 a debate began over groups who were feeding the homeless in Lake Eola Park in Orlando Florida. The larger crowds of homeless that resulted began a movement by legislators to find a solution. The fear and some of the realities of having a large group of people in desperate circumstances meant that violence and theft increased, thus creating a public problem that needed to be resolved, or so officials have claimed. Signs were already in existance in the park denying anyone from laying down on a bench or from bathing or doing laundry in the public restrooms. The park had become a place where it was illegal to exhibit signs of homelessness by trying to fulfill basic human needs.

Persuasive Paper Against Teenage Pregnancy Assignment

Persuasive Paper Against Teenage Pregnancy - Assignment Example For this reason, it is likely for teenagers who got themselves pregnant at a young age to face economic problems after giving birth. Aside from the socio-economic impact on mother, teenage pregnancy could also affect the health of the mother since unprotected sexual activity increases their risk of becoming infected with sexually transmitted diseases like HIV, Gonorrhea and Chlamydia (Manlove, Terry-Humen and Papillo). Almost all teenage women who become pregnant at an early age are not mentally, physically, psychologically, and financially prepared for this kind of responsibility. Because of mental and emotional stress associated with teenage pregnancy, the overall well-being of the child becomes affected. Other than having a higher tendency for premature and low birth weight (Martin, Hamilton and Sutton), children born out of wedlock are most likely to suffer from physical and emotional abuse as they grow older (Hoffman). Having a teen pregnancy at home can influence younger children. Since the family members had no other choice but to accept the situation as it is, incidence of teenage pregnancy would gradually become an accepted behavior and family pattern (East and Jacobson, The younger siblings of teenage mothers: a follow-up of their pregnancy risk; East). In line with this, the negative socio-economic and health consequences associated with teenage pregnancy become a long-term cycle. Since teenage pregnancy could negatively affect young women’s future socio-economic status, work opportunities, the mother’s health, the well-being of the child, and the psychological and emotional condition of the family members, teenage pregnancy should be prevented by providing the students with early sex education. By doing so, young women can protect themselves not only from getting infected with sexually transmitted diseases but also the health and socio-economic consequences of becoming

Managing Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Managing Strategy - Essay Example Introduction PESTEL is a model that considers the Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental as well as legal aspect (Thomson & Strickland, 1998). It is considered as one of the models that can be successfully used particular for groups that are considered to be more private focused. Such groups may be victims of being oblivious to the effect of the external forces since their focus is laid on the internal forces. In studying the European Tour operation, PESTEL had been exhaustively practiced to arrive at the current status of the industry. Discussion According to the study, Political factors such as Government policies and trading policies were central to the growth. A case in point is the outcome of the competition authority clearance which witnessed the merger between Thomas Cook and the British Competitor MyTravel, an integrated international group. The economic situations and trends were also awakened the industry, where players like TUI responded to the actions o f Thomas Cook by the acquisition and merger with First Choice. These home economic situations and trends tighten the competition in the European Tour and Operation Industry. The economic situation was also concerned with the Industry specific factors where the Thomas Cook adopted flights that gave the customers choices of chartering plans rather than DO It-Yourself and thus assured security and good value for the vacationers. Economic factors such as interest rates also influenced the operations of players like TUI. This was witnessed where an anticipation of a sustained weakness of the pound against the Euro and the expected increase in unemployment made TUI to cut summer capacity by 27% to the British travelers in 2009. These economic factors also saw Thomas Cook undergo reorganization after experiencing continuing decrease in revenue. On consideration of the social factors, TUI got involved in low cost airline which was expected to get to the average families as well. TUI also go t itself different brands all over Europe and world at large to present different images in different environment, which they successfully did through travel agents as well as having there different brands of Tour operator selling not only fully packaged tours but also individual travels components. Competing Technological Development also shaped the tours operations in Europe. The observation that call centers and online bookings combined, in 2005 accounted for 25% of the sale gave an indication that technology had given the business of Tour operation a new face all together. This is also observed when online Travel Agencies are noted to have been moving quicker than the traditional Tour Operators who were seen to be going down the hill. The Literature also elaborates that tours operators no longer competes exclusively amongst themselves but face competition from online channels. The maturity of technology seemed to have played a very significant role in the development of tour ope ration in Europe. When it comes to environmental factors, clearly, Consumer buying patterns played a role in the determination of the progress of the industry the fact that a number of structural changes between US and UK. This was grounded on the understanding of the differences between the US markets and the European markets. The study notes that the Europeans take more vacations than Americans and that US travelers tend to be more independent and

The Story of Emily Rose Still Popular in 21st century Research Paper

The Story of Emily Rose Still Popular in 21st century - Research Paper Example One such phenomenon, which thinkers and scientists, world across have tried to solve, is what happens to a person after death. Theories such as rebirth, heaven, hell, etc. hold attraction even today. Today as we see, we are usually torn between science as we want everything to be scientifically tested and proven and we also want to believe that there exists life after death even if it is not proven on the merits of science. Hypothesis We are going to study this theory with the help of following hypothesis: The phenomenon of demonic possession and exorcism as seen in the movie "The Exorcism of Emily Rose", surprisingly still popular in the 21st century" History Demonic possession is when a ghost controls emotions, thoughts and intellect or decision making ability of a person. It merges with the person’s consciousness and controls person’s actions. In this definition of â€Å"being possessed† it is clearly stated that some other force has a complete control over a person’s actions and behaviour. However psychology has a different say on the matter. Study of psychology is relatively new in the field of science. After a considerable advancement in physical science or medicine, the attention turned to mind. It was largely observed that although body responds automatically to medicine it is the mind that has a powerful control over healing process in totality. It was then when the scientists started taking note of mental processes and studying functions of brain. However if a particular pattern of behaviour of a person could not be explained it was still termed as super natural or out of the purview of science. Slowly and steadily as the mysteries of brain started unfolding, it was believed that every mental disease had its cure as well. Now the population got divided into two sections, one who wanted scientific proof of everything and the other although believed in science felt there is still a force beyond science to explain certain mysteries. Precisely the reason why people still believe in the concept of being possessed or bein g taken over by either good or bad spirits or demons. Church and science have always stood against each other. Religion or faith has always believed God as a phenomenon which cannot be explained but rather understood and felt and believed in. Science as it goes by the way of proof will ask proof of even God’s existence. In this case there could be one instance or one phenomenon looked at from both perspectives, one that of science and the other that of faith. â€Å"Being possessed† is one such instance viewed suspiciously by both the fraternities. Exorcism is viewed differently in different religions. In Catholicism like other religions it is viewed as demanding the evil spirits to leave immediately the body of possessed by the authority of God vested in the person performing the exorcism.2 The principle objective is to ward the evil off and heal the tormented soul from the suffering. Science however can attribute this to disturbed mental health which can be cured by m edicine and heal the person. In both the cases although the roads are different both mean well and want the patient to heal and live a healthy, happy and normal life. The approaches may differ but the outcome desired is the same. It is possible that a person believing in science also believes in the existence of God and his powers but may not believe in the idea of some other force taking over and controlling human mind and actions. It is precisely at this point both the branches fall apart. Psychologists or Scientists call â€Å"being possessed† as an instance that can happen to anybody. Everyone is susceptible to this.

300 Word Essay about Emerson Essay Example for Free

300 Word Essay about Emerson Essay Emerson’s assertion â€Å" every young man [ or women ] is born with some determination in his [ or her ] nature, and is a potential genius† is very powerful and I agree. At a young age most children fantasies about what they wish to become. For example I wanted to be a surgeon when I was younger. Over time the interest in becoming a surgeon faded away because I started to know more about the many things you can study and do for the rest of your life. Having a huge goal when I was little influenced and made me think twice as I grew. Did I really want to become a surgeon and possible save lives, or study material remains of past human life and activities? The point is having a goal since I was little makes me push myself more because I know I want to be more than a high school graduate. See more: The stages of consumer buying decision process essay I have my own determination because I know I’m the one that needs to work for myself to become as successful as I wish and I want to be good and passionate about something. My parents are fond of me and they really support my decisions, they really want me to be better than them and they give me the best they can to achieve what I want. My parents are my support. For that same reason I agree with Emerson. We all want to do something for someone to either prove them wrong or make them proud. This could be yourself. What we are passionate about is different but we all have something to look forward to. It all really depends when we find what we are passionate and determined about. Our determination about things become intensified and much clearer as we grow up and they may change.

Analysis of the Law of Will

Analysis of the Law of Will When a person dies leaving their property, the question will definitely arise as to how his or her property or estate will be dealt by those who survived them. Intestacy rules[1] applies when a person dies without leaving will but makes no provision for cohabitants and their children and friends. The law of wills are more favourable which allows a person to write a will that authorize their estate to be distributed according to their own wishes. Besides being able to specify own funeral arrangement and notify guardianship of the next kin, a will can also help to reduce the amount of Inheritance Tax that may be payable on the value of the property one leave behind. A will must be valid and can only run after the death of the testator or testatrix. A testator must be over the age of 18 and have a necessary capacity[2], with capacityÂÂ   being defined as being of sound mind, memory and understand the extent of the property of which he is disposing[3] to write a will. Thus a blind person cannot be a witness.[4] Surprisingly in Wilson v Beddard,[5] a 14 years old boy was given the importance of witnesses in the will-making process. It could be argued that no particular maturity of years is required to witness a signature but that undervalue the function of the witness.[6] Borkowski in his opinion thinks that the requirement that witnesses to wills should be of adult age. It is also important for testator to comply with the requirements under section 9 of the Wills Act 1837[7] in order to make a valid will. One advantage of this is formality of writing can prevents fraud. Over the time, courts have adopted a very broad approach towards this requirement. Wills written in bad Ukrainian have been accepted by the courts in Re Slavinskyjs Estate[8] case, will written on an eggshell[9] or even in the code used by jeweller in the course of his business were accepted by the courts.[10] The courts approach appears to accept anything that is a written manifestation of the testators intentions concerning the disposition of his or her estate on the death may be regarded as a will.[11] Second requirement being a will must be signed with an intention to give effect to the will. The courts have accepted any mark or marks intended to represent a signature in Re Savory (1851)[12] case. In Re Stalman[13] the will was written on a single piece of paper and the testatrix signed at the top of the paper. The Court of Appeal held that the signature was ineffective and the will invalid. The leading case, In the Goods of Chalcraft [1948][14] where the testatrix was extremely in pain and frail, she was given the will she drafted to sign, but could only able to complete E. Chal rather than E. Chalcraft before lapsing into unconsciousness and died. Willmer J. thought that Lord Campbells words should be given a broad interpretation and that, in the circumstances, the will was validly signed because what she wrote was intended by her to be the best that she could for by way of writing her name. Contrast with a more uprightly flexible interpretation by Lord Campbell LC in Hindmarsh v Charlton (1861)[15] stated that there must either be the name or some mark which is intended to represent the name. Although this was an understandable decision on the facts, the test applied by Willmer J. was not supported by other authority and is, in any case, open to the objection that it is too vague and imprecise.[16] The judge attached essence to the fact that the testator complete his signature after the nurse left the room. His reasoning appears to have been that writing part of a name cannot amount to a signature where the testator goes on to complete the signature. The problem with this approach is that it imposes an unduly narrow meaning on signature by equating it with completed signature. These difficulties can be prevented by taking a wider approach of the meaning of a mark while focusing on the intention of the testator. The requirement of presence is an important one as in section 9, which signature must wither be made or acknowledged in the presence of two witnesses and the witness must attest and sign or acknowledge his or her signature in the presence of the testator. The case of Brown v Skirrow [1902][17] demonstrates that the element of presence means both mental and physical presence. As regards mental presence, the testator and the witnesses must be aware and mindful of the act done. Nevertheless, the cases on physical presence has raised the odd rule that it is sufficient if there was a line of sight at the relevant moment. For instance, it is sufficient for testator to see the witnesses signing, even if the testator did not look at what they were doing at that moment. There is obvious potential for fraud and undue influence in such a case although these possibilities may seem to contradict by the insistence on the testators direction, they cannot be depreciated. The line of sight test cannot be critically defended. In Langbein seminal article, Substantial Compliance with the Wills Act,[18] he argued that formalities had four main functions in will-making in which requiring the presence of the participants to the making of a will arguably serves all these purposes, especially the cautionary and the protective functions: it attracts attention to the importance of the matter and supply vital checks that the statutory requirements are being achieved. Section 9(1)[19] allows some other person to sign on behalf of the testator providing this is done in the presence and by the direction of the testator. The main reason for this provision was to provide for the case of the illiterate testator, but the leading aim now must be to help the testator who cannot sign because of illness or disability although he must be at least capable of giving direction. As it is, there would appear to be nothing to invalidate a will signed by some other person on behalf of a perfectly fit testator. Borkowski[20] suggested to amend the relevant part of section 9(1) to read or by some other person in his presence and by his direction where the testator is unable to sign the will because of illness or disability. Borkowski also argues that the number of witnesses should be increased. Two witnesses could easily be so intimately connected as to be able to collude in their evidence as may be the situation with the friendly couple next door.[21] The failure to date a will will not make a will invalid as there is no statutory requirement for a will to be dated. Waite LJ stated in Corbett v Newey[22]: Lack of a date or the inclusion of the wrong date cannot invalidate a will.[23] However, dating a will convenience judges to decide issues concerning the testators capacity to produce a will. Besides, interpretation of a will such as references to persons and property can depend on the date of execution.[24] Moreover, testator might leave more than one will thus the date of the will will be used to determine the order of execution. On 22 January 2014, the Supreme Court handed down its decision in the case of Marley v Rawlings.[25] One of the issue arise is rectifying a will under section 20 of the Administration of Justice Act 1982[26] which was introduced on the recommendations of the Law Reform Committee.[27] Under this provision, a will is rectifiable but in Marley case, the respondents argues that the physical mix-up of the documents meant that Mr Rawling had not signed a will for the purpose of section 20. Since section 9 of the Wills Act[28] require a will to be signed in order to be valid, it was argued that this will had not being signed by the testator and therefore no intention to give effect to the said provisions. As Lord Neuberger PSC said, it is logical to deal with the validity and rectification issues together, at least in a case such as this, where the two issues are so closely related.[29] In conclusion, the law of will should be reformed to make a clearer and distinct rules as they are used by majority and for vital task such as wealth distribution upon death. Good news is that the Law Commission announced on 23 July 2014 that it expects to start its project on the reform of the law of wills in early 2015 with a view to publishing a report with final recommendations and a draft Bill in early 2018.[30] Borkowskis recommendations for section 9 of the 1837 act would probably results in more failure in will, prima facie, but would also save some application of a dispensing power. However, it is obvious that the Parliament is putting efforts in improving the law of will. [1] Administration of Estates Act 1925, s 46 [2] Wills Act 1837, s 7 [3] Sir Alexander Cockburn CJ in Banks v Goodfellow (1870) LR 5 QB 549 at p.564 [4] Re Gibson [1949] P. 434 [5] Wilson v Beddard (1841) 12 Sim. 28, 59 E.R. 1041 [6] Andrew Borkowski, Reforming section 9 of the Wills Act (Conveyancer and Property Lawyer 2000) [7] Wills Act 1837, s 9 [8] Re Slavinskyjs Estate [1989] 53 SASR 221 [9] Hodson v Barnes (1926) 43 TLR 71 [10] Kell v Charmer (1856) 23 BEAV. 196 [11] Catrin Fflur Huws, Text, Cases and Materials on Equity and Trusts (1st edn Pearson 2015) p.369 [12] Re Savory (1851) 15 Jur 1042 [13] Re Stalman (1931) 145 LT 339 [14] In the Goods of Chalcraft [1948] 1 All ER 703 [15] (1861) 8 HL Cas. 160, 167 [16] Andrew Borkowski, Reforming section 9 of the Wills Act (Conveyancer and Property Lawyer 2000) [17] [1902] P 3 [18] John Harriss Langbein, Substantial Compliance with the Wills Act (88 Harvard Law Review 489, 1975) [19] Wills Act 1837, s 9(1) [20] Andrew Borkowski, Reforming section 9 of the Wills Act (Conveyancer and Property Lawyer 2000) [21] ibid [22] Corbett v Newey [1996] 2 All E.R. 914 [23] Waite LJ in Corbett v Newey [1996] 2 All E.R. 914 at p.920 [24] Re Whorwood (1887) 34 Ch D 446 [25] [2014] UKSC 2 [26] Administration of Justice Act 1982, s 20 [27] Law Reform Committee, Interpretation of Wills 19th Report (HMSO, 1973). Cmnd.5301 [28] Wills Act 1837, s 9 [29] Marley v Rawlings [2014] UKSC 2; [2014] 2 W.L.R. 213 at p63 [30] Law Commission, Wills: Current Project Status http://www.lawcom.gov.uk/project/wills/> accessed on 5 March 2017

Tourism Today And Importance Of Front Office Tourism Essay

Tourism Today And Importance Of Front Office Tourism Essay Today tourism is one of the largest and most dynamic sectors, of the economy. It is growing at a fast pace, leading to infrastructure development, considerable, volume of foreign currency inflows, and good job opportunities. So it affects various sectors of the economy, contributing to the social and economic development of the country as a whole. According to recent statistics, tourism provides about 10 per cent of the worlds income and employs almost one tenth of the worlds workforce. All considered, tourisms actual and potential economic impact is astounding. The hospitality industry came into existence in order to accommodate tourists. When guests stay in a hotel and use the various services and facilities provided by the hotel, they seldom think about the complexity of hotel operations. The smallest of their demands, like for a cup of tea, requires coordination among a series of people. The hotel industry is a people-oriented industry. It is the effectiveness, efficiency, and courteous behaviour of the hotel employees that make a lasting impression on the guests total experience. The front office department of a hotel is the hub of guest activities. This department looks after the guests needs-right from the booking of rooms to receiving and registering guests, to assigning rooms, to handling guests mails and messages, to presenting bills and settling guests accounts at the time of check-out. It is important for the front office staff to provide excellent and flawless services to guests, as it goes a long way in creating an indelible image of the hotel. FRONT OFFICE GM AT WORK AND OTHER ACTIVITIES Most general managers depend on the performance of an outstanding front office to help them meet their guest service and profitability goals. The front office and its manager(s) are responsible for, a variety of important hotel functions. Because the rooms sold by a hotel are extremely perishable (an unsold room on a certain day is an eternal and unchangeable circumstance), it is very important that hotels do the best job possible in matching guest room availability with guest room demand. Also, since it is not possible to change the number of rooms available to sell up or down on a daily basis due to the constructed fixed number of rooms, an important responsibility of the front office is the sale of rooms at a rate that management feels will maximize revenue per available room. A well-managed and talented front office will do this well. The making of guest reservations is often the first thing that comes to mind when considering the major functions of a front office, and this is indeed an important and often complex aspect of the front office`s role. In addition to reservations, however, it falls upon the front office to actually assign arriving guests to specific guest rooms and respond to their special needs during their stay. These needs can include anything from transportation and information to medical assistance. In all of these situations and more, the unwavering role of the front office is to make the guests stay as comfortable and as welcoming as possible. An essential aspect of the front office is its responsibility for collecting the revenue charged to guests for their rooms, restaurant meals, telephone calls, and a host of other hotel services. This means that the front office manager, working with the G.M. and controller, must devise and administer revenue management systems that ensure guests are properly charged for the services they use and that the hotel fully collects all monies it has earned. When forecasting room demand, accommodating guests, and collecting monies for services rendered, the front office generates a large quantity of data, much of which are critical for management decision making. It is the role of the front office to collect, sort, and present these data in a way that assists in management decision making. As a G.M. my daily tasks can be made much easier by the support of an effective front office. OVERVIEW OF THE FRONT OFFICE The front office sometimes referred to as the front desk, the front office usually controls much more than the activities occurring at the front desk. In a small, limited service hotel, the front office may consist, physically of only that area reserved for guest registration. In a larger property the front office may include several staff members, each responsible for a portion of the office`s management or operation. Regardless of its size, the front office must be organized to manage its key tasks and areas of responsibility. TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY GROWTH + economicaly Tourism and hospitality, which are inextricably linked to each other, are among the major revenue-earning enterprises in the world. They happen to be among the top employers too. There has been an up market trend in tourism over the last few decades as travel has become quite common. People travel for business, vacation, pleasure, adventure, or even medical treatment. The present-day tourist, who has higher levels of disposable income, international exposure, and refined tastes, wants specialized versions of products and services, such as quieter resorts, family-oriented holidays, or commercial hotels. This has led to a demand for better quality products and services, mainly regarding accommodation and travelling, thus feeding the growth of the hospitality industry as a whole. The developments in technology and transport infrastructure, such as jumbo jets, low-cost airlines, and more accessible airports have made tourism affordable and convenient. There have also been changes in lifestyle-for example, now retiree-age people sustain tourism round the year. The sales of tourism products on the Internet, besides the aggressive marketing of tour operators and travel agencies, have also contributed to the growth of tourism. With several business-related activities associated with tourism, the industry has a tremendous potential of generating employment as well as earning foreign exchange. There are many countries in the world, such as Mauritius, Malaysia, Singapore, Fiji, and Caribbean, whose economies are primarily driven by tourism. Tourism can contribute to the economic growth of a country in the following ways: Employment generation: It creates a large number of jobs among direct service providers (such as, hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, tour operators, guide and tour escorts, etc.) and among indirect service providers (such as, suppliers to hotels and restaurants, supplementary accommodation, etc.). Infrastructure development: Tourism spurs infrastructure development. In order to become an important commercial or pleasure destination, any location would require all the necessary infrastructure, like good connectivity via rail, road, and air transport, adequate accommodation, restaurants, a well-developed telecommunication network, and medical facilities, among others. Foreign exchange: The people who travel to other countries spend a large amount of money on accommodation, transportation, sightseeing, shopping, etc. Thus, an inbound tourist is an important source of foreign exchange for any country. HOTELS DEFINITION AND CORE AREAS The term hotel was used for the first time by the fifth Duke of Devonshire to name a lodging property in London sometime in AD 1760. The word hotel is derived from the French hÃÆ' ´tel, which refers to a French version of townhouse. Historically in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and several other countries, a townhouse was the residence of a peer or an aristocrat in the capital or major cities. A hotel or an inn is defined by the British Law as a place where a bonafide traveller can receive food and shelter, provided he is in a position to pay for it and is in a fit condition to be received. Hence, a hotel must provide food (and beverage) and lodging to a traveller on payment, but the hotel has the right to refuse if the traveller is not presentable (either drunk, or disorderly, or unkempt) or is not in a position to pay for the services. Alternatively, a hotel may be defined as an establishment whose primary business is to provide lodging facilities to a genuine traveller along with food, beverage, and sometimes recreational facilities too on chargeable basis. Though there are other establishments such as hospitals, college hostels, prisons, and sanatoriums, which offer accommodation, they do not qualify as hotels since they do not cater to the specific needs of a traveller. A hotel is thus an establishment that provides paid accommodation, generally for a short duration of stay. Hotels often provide a number of additional guest services, such as restaurants, bar, swimming pool, healthcare, retail shops; business facilities like conference halls, banquet halls, board rooms; and space for private parties like birthdays, marriages, kitty parties, etc. Most of the modem hotels nowadays provide the basic facilities in a room-a bed, a cupboard, a small table, weather control (air conditioner or heater), and bathroom-along with other features like a telephone with STD/ISD facility, a television set with cable channel, and broadband/Wi-Fi Internet connectivity. There might also be a mini-bar containing snacks and drinks (the consumption of the same is added to the guests bill), and tea and coffee making unit having an electric kettle, cups, spoons, and sachets containing instant coffee, tea bags, sugar, and creamer. Areas of a Hotel: An Overview The organization of a hotel today is very complex and comprises various departments. The number of departments varies from one establishment to another. All departments may have their own managers, reporting to the general manager and the assistant general manager. The front office is where my principal research were held during this task: This department is headed by the front office manager, the front office department is the operational department that is responsible for welcoming and registering guests, allocating rooms, and helping guests check out. Uniformed services like concierge and bell desk, and EPBAX operators are part of the front office department. -Hotels are commercial establishment that provide accommodation, meals and other guest services. In general, to be called a hotel, an establishment must have a minimum of six guestsà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ rooms, at least three of which must have attached private bathroom facilities. Although hotels are classified into `star` categories, there is no standard method of assigning these ratings, and compliance with customary requirements is voluntary. An American hotel with certain rating, for example, may look very different from a European or Asian hotel with the same rating, and would provide a different level of amenities, range of facilities, and quality of service. Although hotel chains assure uniform standards throughout, non-chain hotels (even within the same country) may not agree on the same standards. In the travel and tourism industry, the hotel industry plays a very significant role, as all tourists need a place to stay at their destinations, and require many more services and facilities to suit their specific needs and tastes. FUNCTIONS (FRONT OFFICE) Front office is the first department of the hotel with which guests come in contact at the time of their arrival and also the last department they interact with when they depart from the hotel. This department performs various functions like reservation, reception, registration, room assignment, and settlement of bills of a resident guest. This chapter is aimed at providing an understanding of the organization of the front office department. Here, we will study the various sections of the front office and their functions, the organization of the front office staff, and the qualities, attributes, duties and responsibilities of front office personnel. FUNCTION AREAS The front office personnel are mostly in direct contact with guests throughout their stay. Guests contact the front desk to book a room; check-in; inquire about hotel services, facilities, and about the city or surrounding areas; and finally, to settle bills and check out from the hotel. Apart from these services, the front desk also provides services like handling guest mails and messages, maintaining guest accounts, paging guests (locating guests within the hotel), arranging travel services, and various other services as per the guests requirement. The front office is the contact point between the guest, management, and other departments. It handles guests complaints, dispatches housekeeping and engineering requests, prints and files reports, receives and answers phone calls, and sends and receives faxes. Thus, the front office personnel perform the following functions: Sell hotel rooms to guests, which may be standard or deluxe rooms, executive or presidential suites, etc. Accept advance booking of hotel rooms through telephone, fax, e-mail, websites, etc. Receive and register guests when they arrive at the hotel and assign them rooms according to their preferences-smoking/non-smoking, pool view/ garden view/sea view, high floor/low floor, near the elevator/far from the elevator, etc. Maintain accurate room status information. Maintain guest accounts and monitor credit. Handle guests demands and complaints. Prepare account statements of guests. Settle bills at the time of check-out. Coordinate guest services like handling of guest mails and messages, locating guests within the hotel premises, connecting guest telephone calls, keeping guests valuables in safety deposit lockers, handling of room keys, making sundry payments on behalf of guests, and so on. Provide information about the hotels facilities and services, the city, important events, festivals and shows, and places of tourist interest. FRONT OFFICE LAYOUT -For the efficient and smooth functioning of a department, it is important to divide it in sections and delegate tasks accordingly. -The front office department is divided in sections: *Reservation / Reception / Information desk / Cash and bills / travel desk / Communication / Uniformed services (which include bell desk and concierge) -A well designed layout should involve proper space utilization, aimed at improving the efficiency and control of the staff. The front desk should be located at a prominent place in the lobby for example. -the hotel lobby is an area furnished with seating arrangements just inside the hotel, where hotel guests and their visitors can meet and wait. -located just beyond the entrance to the hotel, the lobby is the first and last point of guest contact with the hotel. -A well-appointed lobby creates an impression about the overall standard of the hotel in the eyes of the guests. RESERVATION While planning business or pleasure trips, people like to ensure that they will have a safe and comfortable accommodation at their respective destinations. This can be achieved by booking a room of their choice in advance. . The reservation section of the front office department of a hotel is responsible for receiving and processing reservation queries. Depending upon the level of automation, volume of business, and house customs, the procedure of processing reservation queries may differ from hotel to hotel in terms of reservations handling, maintenance of reservation records, confirmation, amendment, and cancellation of reservations. This section is headed by a reservation manager, who is assisted by a reservation supervisor and a team of reservation clerks or assistants. Layout of the Reservation Section The location of the reservation section depends upon the size of hotel and the volume of business of the hotel. In a very small hotel, the function of reservations can be performed by the front desk. In a large hotel, a separate section is needed, which should preferably be located behind the reception counter and should have a communication door between the reception and reservation sections. Functions of the Reservation Section The following functions are performed by the reservation section: -Receiving reservation requests through various means like telephone, fax, e-mail, websites, sales representatives, or central reservations department. -Processing reservation requests received from all means on the hotel property management system (PMS). -Depending upon the availability of desired room type and projected sales during and around the requested stay dates, the reservation, waitlisted, or denied. -Updating the room availability status after each reservation transaction, i.e., after each confirmation, amendment and cancellation. -Maintaining and updating reservation records to reflect accurate information about room status. -Preparing reservation reports for the management. RECEPTION This section of the front office receives and welcomes guests on their arrival in the hotel. It is headed by a supervisor and comprises a team of receptionists and front desk assistants. The personnel of this section procure all the necessary information about the guest to complete the registration process. After finishing the registration formalities, a room is assigned to the guest, and a bell boy carries the luggage and escorts the guest to her room. The entire process is carried out professionally in a warm and friendly atmosphere. Layout of the Reception Section The reception section is located in close proximity to the entrance of the hotel. The layout of the section depends upon the size of the hotel and the volume of business generated by it. The front desk assistant carries out many tasks like receiving guests, registration, etc.; hence, the reception area should be designed in such a way to assist the staff in performing their tasks efficiently and effectively. The front desk may be circular, L-shaped, curved, or straight depending upon the requirement. Functions of Reception The following functions are performed by the reception section of hotel: -Receiving and welcoming guests. -Completing the registration formalities. -Assigning the room. -Sending arrival notification slips to the concerned departments. INFORMATION DESK As the name suggests, the information desk provides information to guests. It is manned by an information assistant. In a small hotel, the same function may be performed by the receptionist. The need of a separate information desk is felt in large hotels where the traffic of guests is higher. The information desk may be located next to the reception. Functions of Information Desk Some of the functions of the information desk are as under: -Maintaining resident guest rack. -Handling guest room keys. -Coordinating guest mails, telegrams, faxes, couriers, parcels, etc. -Providing information to guests regarding hotel facilities and services, city information, etc. -Handling guests messages. -Paging guests. CASH AND BILLS The cash and bills section records all the monetary transactions of guests. It maintains guest folios and prepares the guest bills to be settled by the guest at the time of departure. This section is headed by a cashier. Functions of the Cash and Bills Section This section performs the following tasks: -Opening and maintaining of guest folios. -Posting room charges in guest folios. -Recording all credit charges in guest folios. -Maintaining a record of the cash received from guests. -Preparing bills at the time of check-out. -Receiving cash/travellers cheques/demand draft for account settlement. -Handling credit! debit! charge cards for the settlement of a guest account. -Organizing foreign currency exchange for the settlement of a guest account. Travel Desk The travel desk takes care of travel arrangements of guests, like air-ticketing, railway reservations, sightseeing tours, airport or railway station pick up or drop, etc. The hotel may operate the travel desk or it may be outsourced to an external travel agency. Functions of Travel desk The travel desk performs the following tasks: -Arranging pick-up and drop services for guests at the time of their arrival and departure. -Providing vehicles on request to guests at pre-determined rates (charged kilometre/hour wise and depend on the kind and size of vehicle used- premium cars, semi-luxury cars, coaches, mini vans, etc.) -Making travel arrangements like railway reservations/ cancellations/ amendments, or purchasing air-tickets for guests. -Organizing half-day or full-day sightseeing tours in and around the city. -Arranging for guides who can communicate in the guests language. COMMUNICATION SECTION The communication section maintains the communication network of the hotel, which is generally quite complex. The hotel may have its own private branch exchange (PBX), along with post and telegraph lines. Earlier all outgoing calls were routed through the telephone operator. This was done to ensure proper accounting of outgoing calls. Switchboard operators were required to place wake- up calls, monitor automated systems, and coordinate emergency communications. Recent technological advancement in telecommunications has revolutionized the way hotels operations are run. Now guests are able to make outgoing calls without routing them through the operator. There is a computerized call accounting system that charges the outgoing calls to the guests account. Wake-up calls may also be registered on the system, which dials the guests extension at the pre-registered time and plays a pre-recorded message when answered. So hotels can now manage with lesser number of telephone operators per shift. The telephone operators, who answer incoming calls, protect the guests privacy and contribute to the hotels security programme by not revealing guest room numbers to any unauthorized person. Many hotels also provide guest paging services over the public address system. These systems generally operate through the communications section. Functions of Communication Desk The duties of the telephone operator include: -Answering incoming calls. -Directing calls to guest rooms through the switchboard/PABX system. -Providing information on guest services. -Processing guest wake-up calls. -Answering inquiries about hotel facilities and events. -Protecting guests privacy. -Coordinating emergency communication. . UNIFORMED SERVICES The uniformed services in the hotel include the bell desk team and the concierge. Bell Desk The bell desk is located very close to the main entrance of the hotel. This section is headed by a bell captain, who leads a team of bell boys (also called bellhops) and page boys. They handle the guest luggage from the guest vehicle to the lobby and to guest rooms at the time of arrival and from their rooms to the guest vehicle at the time of departure. They escort guests to their rooms and familiarize them with hotel facilities, safety features, as well as in-room facilities. The bell desk person is the last front desk employee who comes in contact with guests at the time of their departure. Functions of bell desk The bell desk is responsible for the following tasks: -Handling guest luggage at the time of arrival and departure -Escorting guests to their rooms on arrival. -Familiarizing guests about safety features and in-room facilities. -Providing information to guests about hotel facilities and services when asked. -Locating a guest in a specified area of the hotel. -Posting guest mails. -Making sundry purchases like postage stamps, medicine etc. for the guest. -Keeping guest luggage in the left luggage room if requested by the guest. à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ -Checking if in-room amenities are in their original condition at the time of departure of guests. CONCIERGE A concierge is a hotel employee who provides information and personalized services to guests like dinner reservations, tour and travel arrangements, and obtaining tickets for special events in the city, etc. A concierge is often expected to achieve the impossible, dealing with any request a guest may have, relying on an extensive list of personal contacts with various local merchants and service providers. The concept of concierges came from the days of European royalty; the concierge was the castle doorkeeper in those times. His duty was to ensure that all castle occupants were safe in their rooms at night. When the royal families travelled, they often took their concierges with them for security and for making food and lodging arrangements. As the hotel industry grew, concierges became a part of the hotel staff to provide personalized services to hotel guests. Functions of concierge The concierge provides the following services to guests: -Making reservations for dining in famous restaurants. -Obtaining tickets for theatres, musicals, sporting events, etc. -Arranging for transportation by limousine, car, coaches, buses, airplanes, or trains. -Providing information on cultural and social events like photo exhibitions, art shows, and local places of tourist interest. ++++++++++++++++++++++ GUEST CYCLE The guests of a hotel have four main stages interaction with the hotel à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ at pre-arrival / arrival / stay / departure. All guests go through the same procedure as they proceed from reservation to arrival and allotment of rooms, to their stay in the hotel, to the settlement of their bills and departure from the hotel, these various stages of activities constitute the guest cycle. PRE-ARRIVAL The interaction between a guest and a hotel before the guest arrives at the hotel forms the pre-arrival phase of the guest cycle. Reservation is the most important pre-arrival activity. During this phase, the guest first selects a hotel for stay. The guests choice about a particular hotel is affected by factors. Like advertisements, recommendations from family and friends, previous experience with the hotel, reputation, location, contractual agreement with the hotel, etc. Once a hotel has been chosen, the guest or a person designated by him (who could be his secretary or spouse or a travel agent) contacts the selected hotel through telephone, e- mail, or fax for reserving a room for the period of his proposed stay. The reservation request is received by the reservation staff, whose efficiency and competence in handling the request creates a good first impression of the hotel in the mind of the guest. Before confirming a reservation, the hotel may ask for a credit card guarantee or an advance deposit from the guest. In case of high occupancy periods, guests are requested to pay retention charges. This is to ensure minimum loss to the hotel in case of any last moment cancellations or no shows. Once the retention charges have been paid, the room is reserved or blocked for the guest for the required stay dates. The hotel also makes note of any special arrangements to be made, like a wheelchair and a barrier free room; airport or railway station transfers; an extra bed or crib in the room; etc. Thus the functions of the front office in the pre-arrival phase include: Processing the reservation request of the guest. Creation of guest folio (in case the hotel has received any advance payment). Blocking the room for the guest. Making special arrangements for the guest (if required). The data collected during the process of reservation can be utilized in future front office and sales activities. A well-managed reservation system can maximize the room sales and revenue by constantly monitoring the room status and forecasting the room revenue. ARRIVAL Guests have their first face-to-face interaction with the hotel staff on their arrival at the hotel. This is a very critical stage as guests form an opinion about the standards and services that the hotel can provide to them. During this phase, guests are greeted by the front desk staff and the registration process begins. The guests are asked to verify the details printed in the registration card these details are generated from the information received in the pre-arrival stage. The registration activity is an agreement between the hotel and the guest, whereby the hotel offers the accommodation product and services to the guest, and the guest agrees to pay for the services received. A hotel might pre-register guests (i.e., register guests before their arrival) like VIPs, groups, airline crews, and frequent guests. Once the guests have been registered with the hotel, they are assigned a room at the negotiated room rate. The guest is then shown to their room and their luggage is brought to the room by the bell desk. If any mails or messages have arrived at the hotel before the arrival of the guest, they are given to her. Thus the functions of the front office on the arrival of a guest include: -Reception and welcome of the guest -Registration of the guest -Room rate and room assignment to the guest. -Handing over the room key to the guest. -Luggage handling of the guest by bell desk. -Delivering the mails and messages that the hotel has received on behalf of the guest. The front office staff maintains lists of expected arrivals and departures on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. They keep updating these lists, along with the arrival and departure details, and keep the other departments informed of any changes in the schedule of guests. This is very essential to provide a flawless service to guests and to avoid embarrassing situations like not arranging for the pick-up of a guest, or not having the room ready in time and making the guest wait for it. STAY During this stage the guest gets a first-hand experience of the facilities and services offered by the hotel. These services and facilities are the most important part of a guests overall experience at a hotel. An excellent level of services would lead to the satisfaction of the guest, which would make him, come back to the hotel and give positive feedback to other potential customers. The front office is the interface between the guest and the other departments of the hotel, so it must coordinate well

Platos Argument For A Just Life :: essays research papers

Plato's Argument For A Just Life Plato's argument for the benefits of a just life is intrinsically linked to his definition of good and its relation to people's desires. He begins by showing that when the objective of a desire is simple (e.g. quenching a thirst), the desire must be correspondingly simple. Since thirst is a simple desire, the man's objective must also be simplistic and should we assign an adjective to his objective, we would falsely complicate it. In addition, Plato believes that we would be seriously erring if we assign a value of good to an desire. In common use, the adjective good would denote something that is good in relation to others of its kind. We consider a drink good if it contains characteristics that we look for in a drink (e.g. pleasantness or taste). Plato takes this a step further and states that something that is good must not only be good in relation to others but it must be wholly good. Thus a drink cannot be truly good if evil results from it. This poses an interesting question for Plato's readers namely, since no one wants bad things to happen to them, why do people engage in self-destructive activities? The answer lies in the fact that the only reason that we desire to drink is that we anticipate the result of our thirst being quenched. Our appetites see no further consequences than the immediate fulfillment of our desires; they do not contemplate the results of the actions we take to fulfill our desires. For this reason, Plato believes that we must separate the soul based on how it reacts to desires. There must be a part of the soul, Plato reasons, that contemplates the end result of our actions and makes decisions based on a higher reasoning than desire. So we see two distinct parts of the soul. The first is said to be appetite (which desires without reason) and reason (which considers the consequences). Reason may thus work against anything that is not for the total good of the man. Plato holds that if the desire were truly for a good drink, reason would never oppose it. Our usage of the word good, however, has come to denote an expectation of usefulness to our purpose; although this may be relative to the end result that we experience from the object. For example, we call a knife good because it is sharp and cuts well but if the end result is that we cut ourselves, we would say that the knife would have been better if it

Ordinary Feelings in Judith Guests Ordinary People :: Judith Guest Ordinary People Essays

Ordinary Feelings in Ordinary People    Ordinary People is a book that examines the life of a typical American family that seems to have it all together. It exposes the major conflicts among them; pain, misunderstanding, hurt, forgiveness, and ultimately if possible healing. Conrad - with the story told mostly through his perspective, he being the one furthering the resulting course of events and at the same time the protagonist and antagonist ? is the main character of the story. While boating on a lake with his older brother, a fierce gale picks up capsizing their boat and eventually leading to the death of his brother when he drowns. A failed suicide attempt by Conrad reveals how much he blames himself for the tragic turn of events and the lack of communication between him and his parents. The process of healing is painfully slow till the end. Conrad visits a psychiatrist, the conflict with his mother continues to grow and he somewhat patches up the relationship with his father. In the very end, Conrad learn s he cannot replace his dead brother and can only be himself; he is prepared for whatever might come.    There are many important themes and subjects addressed in the book. Most importantly is how Conrad deals with his emotions and comes to accept and forgive what has happened to him. And the author shows us that this can only be done by love, support, and trust. Conrad thinks by not expressing his emotions he is less vulnerable but instead he drifts farther apart from his family. The ordeal of attempted suicide and treatment has left him feeling insecure and vulnerable and he instinctively puts up shields. Trying to appear calm and determined on the outside, he is still very confused, angry and is afraid he slip away again only to kill himself. He still feels responsible for his brother's death due to the fact his mom doesn't want to forgive him and the only way to punish himself is to deny, suppress, and control his feelings lest they give him away. It is not until the very end when Conrad?s father, Calvin finally stops skirting around the subject but tells him that he lov es him and that they finally develop a sense of trust and security in one another: -

Freedom Writers Essay

The ‘Freedom writers’ is a movie which embodies the story of an English class in an urban long beach high school. Directed by Richard LaGravenese and produced by, Danny DeVito , Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher, the ‘Freedom writers’ is based on the struggle of a new teacher, Mrs. Gruwell, to maintain an ambitious environment in her class room. Her tolerance, trust and respect is not taken for granted as she climbs success alongside her students in the hopes of taking them out of their misery and showing them a life to live and look forward to. As part of Mrs. Gruwell’s struggle, she is faced with a group of students whose lives revolve around war, gangs, violence and protecting their own. Her racially opposing students most often choose to be a part of the epidemic which now governs the school. Yet, Mrs. Gruwell takes on the challange to defeat the odds. She realizes that these kids are looked down on because of their race and as a result they rebel and create borders among themselves. These ‘mini territories’ are created to bring a sense of equality among those of the same race. Overcoming adversity, family relationships, inequality in education, success and goal setting is what Mrs. Gruwell aims to have instilled in those around her. A theme which surfaces in the movie is that of Mrs. Gruwell’s courage. How would one react if they were placed in such a troubled school setting away from the safe environment that they are used to? Mrs. Gruwell had the courage to take on the task of helping those to pursue their goals. Her never ending attempts to teach the ‘unteachables’ and her desire to help her students succeed are inspiring. Her attempts to relate with so many of her different economic, cultural and racial students took a lot of courage. Another difficult challenge for Mrs. Gruwell was to teach students who were at war with each other.

Plan on Sexual Selection Essay

In evolutionary terms natural selection is the process by which certain characteristics and behaviours get passed on in the gene pool because they give the individual a better chance of surviving and reproducing. Sexual selection is the process within natural selection where by any characteristic or behaviour that increases the reproductive success of an individual are selected and these characteristics may get exaggerated over evolutionary time. Because of the differences in parental investment between males and females, evolutionary psychologists suggest this has created gender specific reproductive behaviour – that is in terms of mating preferences and strategies, and in terms of mating systems (to remain monogamous or is promiscuity best? ) Because females have to invest a lot of time in having and bringing up offspring, and because the number of offspring they can have in a life time is limited, Darwin suggests this has lead to females being choosy about who they â€Å"mate† and settle down with. Females will be looking for good genetic qualities in a male and qualities that indicate that he could provide for her and their offspring. This in turn has created competition between males. They have to convince females they would be the best to mate with. Males will also be concerned with looking for females with qualities that suggest fertility (youth and good health – synonymous with physical attractiveness. Sexual selection may also lead to differences in mating systems. A female may be best in a monogamous relationship which will ensure the male stays and provides for the family. However for a male a polygamy may be better where he mates with as many females as possible thus ensuring quantity in offspring increasing the likelihood of some of them surviving. Cross cultural studies provide good evidence for evolutionary theory because if we see the same behaviour across culture we can deduce that this behaviour may be a result of genes (evolution) rather than socialisation. Buss, 1989 studied 37 cultures and found that females valued qualities that suggested the financial potential of males – for example ambition and industriousness. On the other hand men valued physical attractiveness and women who were younger than them more than women did. This suggests that they were looking for qualities associated with fertility in line with evolutionary predictions. This was a large scale study with over 10,000 participants which gives it credibility, however it is possible that participants gave the socially desirable answer in terms of what they were looking for in a partner. Other studies have supported Buss. For example Waynforth and Dunbar (1995) analysed the content of lonely hearts columns and found that 43% of males sought a youthful mate compared to 25% of females (the younger the female the more fertile). They also found that 44% of males sought a physically attractive partner compared to 22% of females. Finally they found that women â€Å"advertise† their physical attractiveness and men advertise their resources. The advantage of this study is that the people writing the adverts would not have been influenced by any investigator effects, however this is a biased sample as only a small proportion of the populations would seek to find partners in this way. There is much evidence to suggest that males are more likely to engage in casual sex and engage in polygamous relationships (thus spreading their genes around). For example Clark and Hatfield (1989 and 1990) found that when propositioned by a total stranger 50% of both men and women agreed to go out on a date with the stranger, however none of the females agreed to have sex with a stranger whereas a staggering 75% of males agreed. The study was carried out on a university campus and the participants were students so are hardly representative of the general population. The ethics of this study were also questionable as it involved deception and lack of informed consent and could also have affected the psychological well being of the participants in terms of later guilty feelings. Comparative studies of testicle size in primates by Baker and Bellis, 1995, also suggest that humans may have evolved under a polygamous mating system. Males have medium sized testicles relative to body size compared to chimpanzees. Chimps live in a promiscuous mating system thus females mate with many males so the male chimp has to have large testes to produce lots of sperm in order to compete. Gorillas are monogamous and have relatively small testes. The medium sized human testes suggest that the norm for our human ancestors was to be mildly competitive so females may have had multiple partners. It could be argued that a woman’s best strategy may be to be mildly promiscuous and mate with the man with the best genes but remain with the man who can care and provide. This is supported by Baker and Bellis, 1995, who suggested the world wide rate for misattributed fatherhood was 9%. Although the studies above lend support to evolutionary theory we must be careful in assuming that human mate choice is just a product of our evolutionary past. Our choices will also be affected by our upbringing , religion and our culture and these may change from generation to generation. Some of the findings of studies can also be explained in terms of culture and society. For example in the past women have had to rely on men to provide for them given the inequality in earning power etc. In today’s modern times we may see changes in what women are looking for in a mate. Bereczkei et al (1997) found that females now advertised for men who are family-orientated suggesting they are less concerned about resources. In this way evolutionary theory can be accused of being reductionist in trying to explain reproductive behaviour in terms of gene survival and ignoring social, cultural and moral influences on our reproductive behaviour. Evolutionary theory is also highly deterministic, which is dangerous as we forget that humans have the ability to think about their actions. Biologist Richard Dawkins believes we can override biology with freewill. For example evolutionary theory predicted that men who cannot attract a mate would resort to rape. While this does happen, the majority of single men would not entertain this idea. Finally much of the evidence for evolutionary theory is based on presumed knowledge about past human environments leading to speculations about which behaviours may have been adaptive. As such evolutionary theory is very difficult to test experimentally.

Old Age Problem Essay

The elderly population in India is continuously increasing and also the problems faced by these people are increasing simultaneously. The number of people in old age homes is constantly increasing and also most of the parents are now deciding to live in old age homes rather than living with their children. Nowadays these people are facing the problems like lack of care, emotional support and economic support from the family etc. Our culture recognizes the status of the parents as that of God. A moral duty is put on the children to take care of their parents. But nowadays what we are observing in our society is that the children are not willing to take care of their parents, they do not want to spend money on them, they are treating their parents as aliens, they do not want to share an emotional bond with parents. These children are forgetting that the foundation of their life is built up by the parents. They are forgetting their moral and ethical duties towards their parents. This is because of fast life, industrialization, money oriented minds, inflation etc. Children have no time to look after their parents because of their busy schedule and as a  consequence of this situation the elders are getting neglected. At this age almost all the people need some kind of support. Definition Elderly or old age consists of ages nearing or surpassing the average life span of human beings. The boundary of old age cannot be defined exactly because it does not have the same meaning in all societies. Government of India adopted ‘National Policy on Older Persons’ in January, 1999. The policy defines ‘senior citizen’ or ‘elderly’ as a person who is of age 60 years or above. Characteristic of old age Poor eyesight Hard of hearing Grey/ White hair Wrinkles Cardigans Suspicious of technology Slower movements More likely to suffer from diseases Weaker immune system Social cause of old age problem Failing Health It has been said that â€Å"we start dying the day we are born†. The aging process is synonymous with failing health. While death in young people in countries such as India is mainly due to infectious diseases, older people are mostly vulnerable to non-communicable diseases. Failing health due to advancing age is complicated by non-availability to good quality, age-sensitive, health care for a large proportion of older persons in the country. In addition, poor accessibility and reach, lack of information and knowledge and/or high costs of disease management make reasonable elder care beyond the reach of older persons, especially those who are poor and disadvantaged. To address the issue of failing health, it is of prime importance that good quality health care be made available and accessible to the elderly in an  age-sensitive manner. Health services should address preventive measures keeping in mind the diseases that affect – or are likely to affect – the communities in a particular geographical region. In addition, effective care and support is required for those elderly suffering from various diseases through primary, secondary and tertiary health care systems. The cost (to the affected elderly individual or family) of health has to be addressed so that no person is denied necessary health care for financial reasons. Rehabilitation, community or home based disability support and end-of-life care should also be provided where needed, in a holistic manner, to effectively address the issue to failing health among the elderly. Economic insecurity Economic security is as relevant for the elderly as it is for those of any other age group. Those who are unable to generate an adequate income should be facilitated to do so. As far as possible, elderly who are capable, should be encouraged, and if necessary, supported to be engaged in some economically productive manner. Others who are incapable of supporting themselves should be provided with partial or full social welfare grants that at least provide for their basic needs. Families and communities may be encouraged to support the elderly living with them through counseling and local self-governance. Neglect The elderly, especially those who are weak and/or dependent, require physical, mental and emotional care and support. When this is not provided, they suffer from neglect, a problem that occurs when a person is left uncared for and that is often linked with isolation. Changing lifestyles and values, demanding jobs, distractions such as television, a shift to nuclear family structures and redefined priorities have led to increased neglect of the elderly by families and communities. This is worsened as the elderly are less likely to demand attention than those of other age groups. The best way to address neglect of the elderly is to counsel families, sensitise community leaders and address the issue at all levels in different forums, including the print and audio-visual media. Schools and work places offer  opportunities where younger generations can be addressed in groups. Government and non-government agencies need to take this issue up seriously at all these levels. In extreme situ ations, legal action and rehabilitation may be required to reduce or prevent the serious consequences of the problem Isolation Isolation, or a deep sense of loneliness, is a common complaint of many elderly is the feeling of being isolated. While there are a few who impose it on themselves, isolation is most often imposed purposefully or inadvertently by the families and/or communities where the elderly live. Isolation is a terrible feeling that, if not addressed, leads to tragic deterioration of the quality of life. It is important that the elderly feel included in the goings-on around them, both in the family as well as in society. Those involved in elder care, especially NGOs in the field, can play a significant role in facilitating this through counseling of the individual, of families, sensitization of community leaders and group awareness or group counseling sessions. Activities centered on older persons that involve their time and skills help to inculcate a feeling of inclusion. Some of these could also be directly useful for the families and the communities Fear Many older persons live in fear. Whether rational or irrational, this is a relevant problem face by the elderly that needs to be carefully and effectively addressed. Elderly who suffer from fear need to be reassured. Those for whom the fear is considered to be irrational need to be counseled and, if necessary, may be treated as per their needs. In the case of those with real or rational fear, the cause and its preventive measures needs to be identified followed by appropriate action where and when possible. Current statistics related to the old age problem †¢ The elderly population (aged 60 years or above) account for 7.4% of total population in 2001. For males it was marginally lower at 7.1%, while for females it was 7.8%. Among states the proportion vary from around 4% in  small states like Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Nagaland Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya to more than 10.5% in Kerala. †¢ Both the share and size of elderly population is increasing over time. From 5.6% in 1961 it is projected to rise to 12.4% of population by the year 2026. †¢ The sex ratio among elderly people was as high as 1028 in 1951 but subsequently dropped to about 938 in 1971 and finally reached 972 in 2001. †¢ The life expectancy at birth during 2002-06 was 64.2 for females as against 62.6 years for males. At age 60 average remaining length of life was found to be about 18 years (16.7 for males, 18.9 for females) and that at age 70 was less than 12 years (10.9 for males and 12.4 for females). †¢ There is sharp rise in age-specific death rate with age from 20 (per thousand) for persons in age group 60-64 years to 80 among those aged 75- 79 years and 200 for persons aged more than 85 years. †¢ The old-age dependency ratio climbed from 10.9% in 1961 to 13.1% in 2001 for India as a whole. For females and males the value of the ratio was 13.8% and 12.5% in 2001. †¢ About 65 per cent of the aged had to depend on others for their day-to-day maintenance. Less than 20% of elderly women but majority of elderly men were economically independent. †¢ Among economically dependent elderly men 6-7% were financially supported by their spouses, almost 85% by their own children, 2% by grand children and 6% by others. Of elderly women, less than 20% depended on their spouses, more than 70% on their children, 3% on grand children and 6% or more on others including the non-relations. Situation Analysis of The Elderly in India, 2011 †¢ Of the economically independent men more than 90% as against 65 % of women were reported to have one or more dependants. †¢ Mong the rural elderly persons almost 50% had a monthly per capita expenditure level between Rs. 420 to Rs. 775 and among the urban elderly persons, almost half of aged had monthly per capita expenditure between Rs. 665 and 1500 in 2002. †¢ Nearly 40% of persons aged 60 years and above (60% of men and 19% of women) were working. In rural areas 66% of elderly men and above 23% of aged women were still participating in economic activity, while in urban areas only 39% of elderly men and about 7% of elderly women were economically active. †¢ Even in 2007-08 only 50% men and 20% of women aged 60 years or more were literate through formal schooling. †¢ In rural areas 55 % of the aged with sickness and 77 % of those without sickness felt that they were in a good or fair condition of health. In urban areas the respective proportions were 63 % and  78 %. †¢ The proportion of elderly men and women physically mobile decline from about 94% in the age-group 60 – 64 years to about 72% for men and 63 to 65% for women of age 80 or more. †¢ Prevalence of heart diseases among elderly population was much higher in urban areas than in rural parts. †¢ About 64 per thousand elderly persons in rural areas and 55 per thousand in urban areas suffer from one or more disabilities. Most common disability among the aged persons was loco motor disability as 3% of them suffer from it. †¢ In age-groups beyond 60 years, the percentage of elderly women married was markedly lower than the percentage of men married. †¢ More than 75% of elderly males and less than 40% of elderly females live with their spouse. Less than 20% of aged men and about half of the women live with their children. Solution and remedial measure to solve old age problem 1 Administrative set-up The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, which is the nodal Ministry for this purpose focuses on policies and programmes for the Senior Citizens in close collaboration with State governments, Non-Governmental Organisations and civil society. The programmes aim at their welfare and maintenance, especially for indigent senior citizens, by supporting old age homes, day care centres, mobile medicare units, etc. 2 Relevant Constitutional Provisions Article 41 of the Constitution provides that the State shall, within the limits of its economic capacity and development, make effective provision for securing the right to work, to education and to public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement, and in other cases of undeserved want. Further, Article 47 provides that the State shall regard the raising of the level of nutrition and the standard of living of its people and the improvement of public health as among its primary duties 3 Legislations The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 was enacted in December 2007, to ensure need based maintenance for parents and senior citizens and their welfare. General improvement in the health care  facilities over the years is one of the main reasons for continuing increase in proportion of population of senior citizens. Ensuring that they not merely live longer, but lead a secure, dignified and productive life is a major challenge. 4 National Policy on Older Persons (NPOP), 1999 The National Policy on Older Persons (NPOP) was announced in January 1999 to reaffirm the commitment to ensure the well-being of the older persons. The Policy envisages State support to ensure financial and food security, health care, shelter and other needs of older persons, equitable share in development, protection against abuse and exploitation, and availability of services to improve the quality of their lives. The primary objectives are: †¢ to encourage individuals to make provision for their own as well as their spouse’s old age; †¢ to encourage families to take care of their older family members; Situation Analysis of The Elderly in India, 2011 †¢ to enable and support voluntary and non-governmental organizations to supplement the care provided by the family; †¢ to provide care and protection to the vulnerable elderly people; †¢ to provide adequate healthcare facility to the elderly; †¢ to promote research and training facilities to train geriatric care givers and organizers of services for the elderly; †¢ to create awareness regarding elderly persons to help them lead productive and independent live. The Implementation Strategy adopted for operationalisation of National Policy envisages the following: †¢ Preparation of Plan of Action for operationalisation of the National policy. †¢ Setting up of separate Bureau for Older Persons in Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment. †¢ Setting up of Directorates of Older Persons in the States. †¢ Three Yearly Public Review of implementation of policy. †¢ Setting up of a National Council for Older Persons headed by Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment from Central Ministry, states, Non-Official members representing NGOs, Academic bodies, Media and experts as members †¢ Establishment of Autonomous National Association of Older Persons †¢ Encouraging the participation of local self-government 5 National Council for Older Persons In pursuance of the NPOP, a National Council for Older Persons (NCOP) was constituted in 1999 under the Chairpersonship of the Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment to oversee implementation of the Policy. The NCOP is the highest body to advise the Government in the formulation and implementation of policy and programmes for the aged. The Council was re-constituted in 2005 with members comprising Central and State governments representatives, representatives of NGOs, citizen’s groups, retired person’s associations, and experts in the field of law, social welfare, and medicine. 6 Inter-Ministerial Committee on Older Persons An Inter-Ministerial Committee on Older Persons comprising twenty-two Ministries/ Departments, and headed by the Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment is another coordination mechanism in implementation of the NPOP. Action Plan on ageing issues for implementation by various Ministries/ Departments concerned is considered from time to time by the Committee. 8 Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 24 Situation Analysis of The Elderly in India, 2011 The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 was enacted in December 2007 to ensure need based maintenance for parents and senior citizens and their welfare. The Act provides for:- †¢ Maintenance of Parents/ senior citizens by children/ relatives made obligatory and justiciable through Tribunals †¢ Revocation of transfer of property by senior citizens in case of negligence by relatives †¢ Penal provision for abandonment of senior citizens †¢ Establishment of Old Age Homes for Indigent Senior Citizens †¢ Adequate medical facilities and security for Senior Citizens The Act has to be brought into force by individual State Government. As on 3.2.2010, the Act had been notified by 22 States and all UTs. The Act is not applicable to the State of Jammu & Kashmir, while Himachal Pradesh has its own Act for Senior Citizens. The remaining States yet to notify the Act are – Bihar, Meghalaya, Sikkim and Uttar Pradesh. 9 Central Sector Scheme of Integrated Programme for Older Persons (IPOP) An Integrated Programme for Older Persons (IPOP) is  being implemented since 1992 with the objective of improving the quality of life of senior citizens by providing basic amenities like shelter, food, medical care and entertainment opportunities and by encouraging productive and active ageing through providing support for capacity building of Government/ Non- Governmental Organizations/Panchayati Raj Institutions/ local bodie s and the Community at large. Under the Scheme, financial assistance up to 90% of the project cost is provided to nongovernmental organizations for establishing and maintaining old age homes, day care centres and mobile medicare units. The Scheme has been made flexible so as to meet the diverse needs of older persons including reinforcement and strengthening of the family, awareness generation on issues pertaining to older persons, popularization of the concept of lifelong preparation for old age, facilitating productive ageing, etc. The Scheme has been revised w.e.f. 1.4.2008. Besides increase in amount of financial assistance forexisting projects, several innovative projects have been added as being eligible for assistance under the Scheme. Some of these are: †¢ Maintenance of Respite Care Homes and Continuous Care Homes; †¢ Running of Day Care Centres for Alzheimer’s Disease/Dementia Patients, †¢ Physiotherapy Clinics for older persons; †¢ Help-lines and Counseling Centres for older persons; †¢ Sensitizing programmes for children particularly in Schools and Colleges; †¢ Regional Resource and Training Centres of Caregivers to the older persons; †¢ Awareness Generation Programmes for Older Persons and Care Givers; †¢ Formation of Senior Citizens Associations etc. Situation Analysis of The Elderly in India, 2011 The eligibility criteria for beneficiaries of some important activities/ projects supported under the Scheme are: †¢ Old Age Homes – for destitute older persons †¢ Mobile Medicare Units – for older persons living in slums, rural and inaccessible areas where proper health facilities are not available. †¢ Respite Care Homes and Continuous Care Homes – for older persons seriously ill requiring continuous nursing care and respite. During 2007-08, Government has spent more than 16 crores of rupees for assisting 660 such Programmes around the country which covered around fifty thousand beneficiaries. 10 Assistance for Construction of Old Age Homes A Non-Plan Scheme of Assistance to Panchayati Raj Institutions/ Voluntary Organisations/ Self Help Groups for Construction of Old Age Homes/ Multi Service Centres for Older Persons was started in 1996-97. Grant-in-aid to the extent of 50% of the construction cost subject to a maximum of Rs. 15 lakhs was given under the Scheme. However, the Scheme was not found attractive by implementing agencies and was discontinued at the end of the X Plan (2006-07). Section 19 of the Maintenance & Welfare of Parents & Senior Citizens Act 2007 envisages a provision of at least old age home for indigent senior citizens with 150 capacities in every district of the country. A new Scheme for giving assistance for Establishment of Old Age Homes for Indigent Senior Citizens in pursuance of the said provision is under formulation. 11 International Day of Older Persons The International Day of Older Persons is celebrated every year on 1st October. On1.10.2009, the Hon’ble Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment flagged off â€Å"Walkathon† at Rajpath, India Gate, to promote inter-generational bonding. More than 3000 senior citizens from across Delhi, NGOs working in the field of elderly issues, and school children from different schools participated. Help age India, New Delhi collaborated with the Ministry in organizing the event of the day. . Action taken by trainee for solving the problem Give awareness program should be conducted for the parents and children Parents should aware about their children proper growth .Then only they can be understood about the value of their parents Physiotherapy Clinics for older persons; Help-lines and Counseling Centers for older persons; Sensitizing programs for children particularly in Schools and Colleges; Regional Resource and Training Centers of Caregivers to the older persons; Awareness Generation Programs for Older Persons and Care Givers Be a role model by caring aged persons in their all needs Comments and suggestion Elderly or old age consists of ages nearing or surpassing the average life span of human beings. The boundary of old age cannot be defined exactly because it does not have the same meaning in all societies. People can be considered old because of certain changes in their activities or social roles. Also old people have limited regenerative abilities and are more prone to disease, syndromes, and sickness as compared to other adults. The medical study of the aging process is called gerontology and the study of diseases that afflict the elderly is geriatrics. Nowadays the number of old age homes are increasing. Reasons for this rapid increasing are improper caring their children, unrespectable to their own parents, aim only to be earn money, parents become burden and time of loss in their lives, aged people may have many diseases etc†¦.. Conclusion Aged people are really like children in their old age. When they have enough strength they gave care for their children and when they grew they avoid their parents because of their neat less performance towards others. We should understand their needs and have obligation to care aged persons. It is not only our duty but also our need. They may have many problems in their life that because of their age. They cannot avoid these problems themselves but it is the problems of this stage of growth. So we should care our parents as our gifts and become a role model for others. It is the collection of good deeds in our lives. So be proud about our parents.