PoliteChild Newsletter, January 2004


	The Polite Times
A regular newsletter published by The PoliteChild, Inc.
Vol III, No 1	January 2004

In This Issue

1. President's Corner

2. Most Mannerly City in the US

3. Manners Mania Quiz

4. Media Mentions…

5. Classes starting in South Sound!

6. New Resources on Social Skills Topics

7. Next stop – San Diego!

8. Answers to Manners Mania Quiz

President’s Corner – What’s in a name?

Dear PoliteChild families, supporters, and friends:

Happy New Year to you all! And, for those many of you that are new to the newsletter group, welcome to another year of our newsletter.

For those of you who have been with us for a while, you may notice a subtle but significant change in our little publication: we’ve changed our name! As of this month, we are no longer the “Polite Press” but rather “The Polite Times.”

Why the change? Well, for one, we felt that the new name is more indicative of what we are all about: bringing about a more polite culture and more civil times than we’ve had in our past. We think the name conjures up progress, and is focused on our goal, beyond just providing a nifty little publication full of news and resources. And, as we grow as a company and a community, we think the image of “polite times” will be self-reinforcing.

It’s nothing new that we are more likely to accomplish that which we can strongly visualize. “Act ‘as if’ ” is a powerful tool for realizing change. Given that, what we’d like to do is continually picture and reinforce the end result, which hopefully is a society that places greater value on such lost virtues as honesty, integrity, compassion, consideration, and loyalty.

If civility and kindness are something you value in your community, you may want to start some change of your own. Of course we’d love it if you would suggest bringing in PoliteChild to your school, church, or other local organization, but this certainly isn’t your only choice.

To get the message out, you might take out an ad in your local paper proposing a return to more courteous behavior. Or, put up a sign at your workplace saying “Good Manners spoken here.” You could do something really out-going and give away paper flowers with a message at a public place where people congregate (like a park! Beware of private property because there are usually laws or rules against non-approved solicitation, even if you’re giving away free stuff.)

Maybe you want to bring the subject of good social skills up at your local PTA/PTO/PTSA meeting? Or, in your homes you could have a fun contest to see who can be the most polite in one evening or over a weekend. Get creative, make it enjoyable! For some clever ideas you can always look at the Random Acts of Kindness books.

In fact, what do you think if we have our own contest for who has the most creative idea for bringing civility into their community? The winner will get one of our popular “got manners?” T-shirts.

To submit your idea, please contact us! We’ll collect all the ideas and ask our subscribers to vote next month! In order to be considered, please send us your idea by February 20th. I can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Corinne Gregory
President and Founder, The PoliteChild, Inc.

P.S. As always, you can reach me at corinneg@politechild.com with your feedback and comments.

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Most Mannerly City in the US

According to the Associated Press, Charleston, South Carolina has been designated the most mannerly city in the country for the ninth year in a row. The list has been compiled and released by Marjabelle Young Stewart, etiquette expert and author of over a dozen books on the subject, for over 27 years, and this is Charleston’s tenth appearance since its first publication.

Southern charm is certainly legendary and Charleston seems to have made a conscious effort to remain on the list once it clinched the top spot.

Other cities that made the list include:
• Tied for 2nd: Springfield, IL and Peoria, IL.
• 3rd place: Pensacola, FL
• 4th place: San Francisco, CA
• 5th place: Council Bluff, IA

Other cities rounding out the list were:
• Nashville, TN
• New York, NY
• Seattle, WA
• Chicago, IL
• Los Angeles, CA

A news story can be found at: http://www.kirotv.com/news/2774970/detail.html

Don’t see your city on the list? Well, start preparing for next year’s list and start a campaign for good manners! There’s no downside: even if you don’t make the list the first time around, you still will have made a positive impact on your community!

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Manners Mania Quiz

Try this fun quiz to see who the manners experts are!

1. Just as you take a big bite of food, someone asks you a question. What do you do?
a) Swallow as quickly as possible and then answer.
b) Hold a napkin in front of your mouth as you answer.
c) Just answer and don't worry about it!
d) Say nothing. Point to your mouth and smile.

2. What is MOST important for a host(ess) to offer his/her guests?
a) Delicious food.
b) Candy.
c) Great prizes.
d) Hospitality.

3. When receiving a compliment, you…
a) Say you do not deserve the compliment.
b) Say "Thank you."
c) Be quiet and blush.
d) Fish for more details.

4. When visiting someone overnight, you…
a) Tell the family what you do at home so they may adjust and be better hosts.
b) Provide the host with a grocery list of your favorite junk foods.
c) Run around like an escaped monkey and make funny noises.
d) Respect the home in which you are visiting.

5. At dinner, a basket of your favorite bread is passed. Which piece do you choose?
a) The largest piece.
b) The closest piece to you.
c) As much as you want.
d) The warmest piece at the bottom of the basket.

6. When talking on the telephone, you should…
a) Avoid eating, chewing gum, or making extra noises.
b) Speak clearly.
c) Be considerate of others who need to use the telephone.
d) All of the above.

Check your answers to the quiz at the bottom of the newsletter!

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Media Mentions…

In January, you will find us locally in the Seattle Times (currently scheduled for January 24) and as a feature story in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (currently scheduled for January 26th).

And, for those of you who didn’t get a chance to see PoliteChild President and Founder Corinne Gregory on NBC's The Today Show last month, we have the video available on our website at http://www.politechild.com/Today/index.htm.

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Classes starting in South Sound!

Many of you have been asking when we will be offering classes in the South Sound area. Since last March, we have been looking for the right location AND the right instructor. Well, we are happy to announce that we have finally found both!

We have two SocialSmarts™ classes starting Friday, February 20th, at the Key Bank Office in Puyallup. Our EarlyLearners class begins at 3:30pm and the GradeSchool class starts at 4:15.

For more information, address and map to the facility, and to register, please visit the class schedule page at http://www.politechild.com/classes/classes_location_WA.htm. These classes will fill quickly, so don’t hesitate to sign up and save your spot!

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New Resources on Social Skills Topics

Many of you have been using the Resources section of our website for lists of recommended books, tips on manners, requesting a speaker, and more. This month, we’ve added another resource that you may find useful: a library of articles having to do with manners, social skills, and related topics.

Our goal is to offer relevant, independent articles on these important subjects for parents, educators, and the general community. We plan to update the web page regularly as we find good published information.

You can find the article library at: http://www.politechild.com/rss-articles.htm.

If you come across an article you think we should include, please send us a link to it and we’ll add it if it’s of general interest!

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Next stop – San Diego!

For a while now we have been getting inquiries from families and individuals wanting to know when we would be coming to the greater San Diego metro area. Several people have written in asking about teaching opportunities, and others have recommended us to schools they know in the area.

We are in the process of investigating the opportunities available to us in this part of California. We plan to be able to offer courses and even our curriculum to schools before the end of this school year, and be in a strong position in the region come September.

If you know of any schools that might benefit from our program, or individuals who could be good instructors, we’d really love it if you would contact us! And, even better, suggest to your school or friends that they contact us directly. We look forward to serving you in Southern California!

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Answers to Manners Mania Quiz

1. d) Say nothing. Point to your mouth and smile. When you have finished eating the bit in your mouth, you may answer the question. (Avoid taking large bites.)

2. d) Hospitality. Hospitality is the kindness and attention that help your guests feel welcome in your home.)

3. b) Say, "Thank you." (Give a compliment back, too, if it is sincere.)

4. d) Respect the home in which you are visiting. (And always follow the rules of their home).

5. b) The closest piece to you.

6.d) All of the above.

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