A Warm Wish Gift Giving Tips
Gifting 101 - Gift Giving Etiquette.
The process of giving a gift is quite simple but there’s often a great deal of stress involved if the gift giver isn't sure of the proper “etiquette” involved. We want our clients, employees and associates to know how important they are to us and we want to do something nice for them, but what is appropriate and more importantly what could be considered inappropriate? Sometimes we will forgo giving gifts entirely for fear of damaging a relationship with a misconstrued gesture, once we know the rules this is no longer necessary and we can reap the rewards of our generosity.
To avoid a gift being viewed as a bribe or with other unsavory connotations never give a gift during negotiations. It's perfectly acceptable offer to give gifts to show appreciation, apologize, cement friendships and/or business relationships or to congratulate someone. Just make sure the gift isn't too miserly or too extravagant. Both will damage your image and your relationships. Being to Misery shows that you really don't care about the other person, Being too extravagant implies that you may expect more from the relationship that is being offered.
Once you decide on a budget for the gift, make sure it is something the person would enjoy, never give a gift simply because you like it. With business gifts don't give a gift merely because your company logos on it. Items with your logo might be wonderful for you but think of what the recipient will do with it. Do you routinely display other companies logos in your home or office? Always use logo’s with a great deal of discretion so your gift doesn't come across as an ad. Anything you give a client associate or employee represents yourself and your company make sure it's of the highest quality in the best taste if you do you gifts will always be appreciated and you'll enjoy the benefits of your efforts.
Earth Day
By Senator Gaylord Nelson, Founder of Earth Day
What was the purpose of Earth Day? How did it start? These are the questions I am most frequently asked.
Sen. Gaylord Nelson Actually, the idea for Earth Day evolved over a period of seven years starting in 1962. For several years, it had been troubling me that the state of our environment was simply a non-issue in the politics of the country. Finally, in November 1962, an idea occurred to me that was, I thought, a virtual cinch to put the environment into the political "limelight" once and for all. The idea was to persuade President Kennedy to give visibility to this issue by going on a national conservation tour. I flew to Washington to discuss the proposal with Attorney General Robert Kennedy, who liked the idea. So did the President. The President began his five-day, eleven-state conservation tour in September 1963. For many reasons the tour did not succeed in putting the issue onto the national political agenda. However, it was the germ of the idea that ultimately flowered into Earth Day.
I continued to speak on environmental issues to a variety of audiences in some twenty-five states. All across the country, evidence of environmental degradation was appearing everywhere, and everyone noticed except the political establishment. The environmental issue simply was not to be found on the nation's political agenda. The people were concerned, but the politicians were not.
John F. KennedyAfter President Kennedy's tour, I still hoped for some idea that would thrust the environment into the political mainstream. Six years would pass before the idea that became Earth Day occurred to me while on a conservation speaking tour out West in the summer of 1969. At the time, anti-Vietnam War demonstrations, called "teach-ins," had spread to college campuses all across the nation. Suddenly, the idea occurred to me - why not organize a huge grassroots protest over what was happening to our environment?
I was satisfied that if we could tap into the environmental concerns of the general public and infuse the student anti-war energy into the environmental cause, we could generate a demonstration that would force this issue onto the political agenda. It was a big gamble, but worth a try.
Anti-war DemonstratorsAt a conference in Seattle in September 1969, I announced that in the spring of 1970 there would be a nationwide grassroots demonstration on behalf of the environment and invited everyone to participate. The wire services carried the story from coast to coast. The response was electric. It took off like gangbusters. Telegrams, letters, and telephone inquiries poured in from all across the country. The American people finally had a forum to express its concern about what was happening to the land, rivers, lakes, and air - and they did so with spectacular exuberance. For the next four months, two members of my Senate staff, Linda Billings and John Heritage, managed Earth Day affairs out of my Senate office.
Five months before Earth Day, on Sunday, November 30, 1969, The New York Times carried a lengthy article by Gladwin Hill reporting on the astonishing proliferation of environmental events:
"Rising concern about the environmental crisis is sweeping the nation's campuses with an intensity that may be on its way to eclipsing student discontent over the war in Vietnam…a national day of observance of environmental problems…is being planned for next spring…when a nationwide environmental 'teach-in'…coordinated from the office of Senator Gaylord Nelson is planned…."
It was obvious that we were headed for a spectacular success on Earth Day. It was also obvious that grassroots activities had ballooned beyond the capacity of my U.S. Senate office staff to keep up with the telephone calls, paper work, inquiries, etc. In mid-January, three months before Earth Day, John Gardner, Founder of Common Cause, provided temporary space for a Washington, D.C. headquarters. I staffed the office with college students and selected Denis Hayes as coordinator of activities.
Earth Day worked because of the spontaneous response at the grassroots level. We had neither the time nor resources to organize 20 million demonstrators and the thousands of schools and local communities that participated. That was the remarkable thing about Earth Day. It organized itself. From The Wilderness Society
Traditional Anniversary Gifting Items
Birthday Stones and Colors
