The Failed State of Franklin

The Failed State of Franklin Founded in 1784 with the intent of becoming the fourteenth state of the new United States, the State of Franklin was located in what is now Eastern Tennessee. The story of Franklin - and how it failed - highlights how the victorious end of the American Revolution in 1783 actually left the new Union of states in a fragile condition. How Franklin Came to Be The costs of fighting the Revolutionary War left the Continental Congress facing a staggering debt. In April 1784, the legislature of North Carolina voted to give Congress some 29 million acres of land - about twice the size of Rhode Island - located between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River to help pay its share of the war debt.   However, North Carolina’s â€Å"gift† of the land came with a major catch. The cession document gave the federal government two years to accept complete responsibility for the area. This meant that during the two-year delay, the western frontier settlements of North Carolina would be virtually alone in protecting themselves from the Cherokee Indians, many of whom remained at war with the new nation. Needless to say, this did not sit well with the residents of the ceded region who feared that the cash-starved and war-weary Congress might even sell the territory to France or Spain. Rather than risk this outcome, North Carolina took the land back and began to organize it as four counties within the state. After the war, the frontier settlements west of the Appalachian Mountains and east of the Mississippi had not automatically become part of the United States. As historian Jason Farr wrote in the Tennessee Historical Quarterly, â€Å"It was never assumed.† Instead, Congress gave the communities three options: become parts of existing states, form new states of the union, or become their own sovereign nations. Rather than choosing to become a part of North Carolina, the residents of the four ceded counties voted to form a new, fourteenth state, which would be  called Franklin. Historians suggest that to some extent, they may have agreed with George Washington, who suggested that they had become â€Å"a distinct people† with cultural and political differences from those in the Atlantic states who had fought for American independence. In December 1784, Franklin officially declared itself to be an independent state, with Revolutionary War veteran John Sevier reluctantly serving as its first governor. However, as historian George W. Troxler notes in the Encyclopedia of North Carolina, Franklin’s organizers did not know at the time that North Carolina had decided to take it back. â€Å"The December 1784 constitution of Franklin did not formally define its boundaries,† Troxler wrote. â€Å"By implication, jurisdiction was assumed over all of the ceded territory, and area approximating the future state of Tennessee.† The relationship between the new Union, its 13 Atlantic Seaboard states, and the western frontier territories had gotten off to a rocky start, to say the least. â€Å"There was little concern for western political and economic interests during the Confederation era, especially among the northeastern elite,† Farr writes. â€Å"Some even assumed that frontier communities would remain outside the union.† Indeed, Franklin’s declaration of statehood in 1784 stirred fears among the Founding Fathers that they might not be able to keep the new nation together.   The Rise of Franklin A delegation from Franklin officially submitted its petition for statehood to Congress on May 16, 1785. Unlike the statehood approval process established by the U.S. Constitution, the Articles of Confederation in effect at the time required that new petitions for statehood be approved by the legislatures of two-thirds of the existing states. While seven states eventually voted to admit the territory as what would have been the 14th federal state, the vote fell short short of the required two-thirds majority. Going It Alone With its petition for statehood defeated and still unable to agree with North Carolina over several issues including taxation and protection, Franklin began operating as unrecognized, independent republic. In December 1785, Franklin’s de-facto legislature adopted its own constitution, known as the Holston Constitution, which closely tracked that of North Carolina.    Still unchecked - or perhaps unnoticed due to its isolated location - by the federal government, Franklin created courts, annexed new counties, assessed taxes, and negotiated several treaties with area Indian tribes. While its economy was based mainly on bartering, Franklin accepted all federal and foreign currencies. Due to the lack of its own currency or economic infrastructure and the fact that its legislature had granted all of its citizens a two-year reprieve on paying taxes, Franklin’s ability to develop and provide government services was limited. The Beginning of the End The ties that  held Franklin’s unofficial statehood together  began to unravel in  1787. In late 1786, North Carolina offered to waive all back taxes owed to it by Franklin’s citizens if the â€Å"state† agreed to reunite with its government. While Franklin’s voters rejected the offer in early 1787, several influential citizens who felt disenchanted by the lack of government services or military protection in Franklin supported it the offer. Ultimately, the offer was rejected. North Carolina subsequently sent troops led by Col. John Tipton into the disputed territory and began to re-establish its own government. For several very contentious and confusing months, the governments of Franklin and North Carolina competed side-by-side.   The Battle of Franklin Despite the objections of North Carolina, the â€Å"Franklinites† continued to expand to the west by forcibly seizing land from the Native American populations. Led by the Chickamauga and Chickasaw tribes, the Native Americans fought back, conducting their own raids on Franklin’s settlements. As part of the larger Chickamauga Cherokee Wars, the bloody back-and-forth raids continued into 1788. In September 1787, the Franklin legislature met - for what would be the last time. By December 1787, the loyalties of Franklin’s war-weary and debt-laden citizens to its unrecognized government was eroding, with many openly supporting alignment with North Carolina. In early February 1788, North Carolina ordered Washington County Sheriff Jonathan Pugh to seize and sell at auction any property owned by Franklin’s Governor John Sevier in order to repay taxes he owed to North Carolina. Among the â€Å"property† seized by Sheriff Pugh were several slaves, who he took to Col. Tipton’s home and secured in his underground kitchen. On the morning of February 27, 1788, Governor Sevier along with about 100 of his militiamen showed up at Tipton’s house, demanding his slaves. Then, on the snowy morning of February 29, North Carolina Colonel George Maxwell arrived with 100 of his own better-trained and armed regular troops to repel Sevier’s militia. After less than 10 minutes of skirmishing, the so-called â€Å"Battle of Franklin† ended with Sevier and his force withdrawing. According to accounts of the incident, several men on both sides were wounded or captured, and three were killed. The Final Fall of Franklin The final nail in Franklin’s coffin was driven in March 1788 when the Chickamauga, Chickasaw, and several other tribes joined in coordinated attacks on frontier settlements in Franklin. Desperate to raise a viable army, Governor Sevier arranged for a loan from the government of Spain. However, the agreement required Franklin to be placed under Spanish rule. To North Carolina, that was the final deal-breaker. Strongly opposed to allowing a foreign government to control what it considered to be part of its state, North Carolina officials arrested Governor Sevier in August 1788. While his supporters quickly freed him from the poorly protected local jail, Sevier soon turned himself in. Franklin met its final end in February 1789, when Sevier and his few remaining loyalists signed oaths of allegiance to North Carolina. By the end of 1789, all of the lands that had been part of the â€Å"Lost State† rejoined North Carolina. The Legacy of Franklin While Franklin’s existence as an independent state lasted less than five years, its failed rebellion contributed to the framers decision to include a clause in the U.S. Constitution regarding the formation of new states. The â€Å"New States† clause in Article IV, Section 3, stipulates that while new states â€Å"may be admitted by the Congress into this Union,† it further stipulates that no new states â€Å"may be formed â€Å"within the jurisdiction of any other State† or parts of states unless approved by votes of the state legislatures and the U.S. Congress. Historical Events Fast Facts April 1784: North Carolina cedes parts of its western frontier to the federal government as repayment of its Revolutionary War debt.August 1784: Franklin proclaims itself as the 14th independent state and secedes from North Carolina.May 16, 1785: Petition for Franklin statehood sent to U.S. Congress.December 1785: Franklin adopts its own constitution, similar to that of North Carolina.Spring 1787: Franklin rejects an offer by North Carolina to rejoin its control in return for forgiving the debts of its residents.Summer 1787: North Carolina sends troops to Franklin to re-establish its government.February 1788: North Carolina seizes slaves owned by Franklin Governor Sevier.February 27, 1788: Governor Sevier and his militia attempt to recover his slaves using force but are repelled by North Carolina troops.August 1788: North Carolina officials arrest Governor Sevier.February 1789: Governor Sevier and his followers sign oaths of allegiance to North Carolina.By December 1789: All areas of the â€Å"Lost State† of Franklin had re-joined North Carolina.

Hares and Pikas - Lagomorpha - The Animal Encyclopedia

Hares and Pikas - Lagomorpha - The Animal Encyclopedia Hares, pikas and rabbits (Lagomorpha) are small terrestrial mammals that include cottontails, jackrabbits, pikas, hares and rabbits. The group is also commonly referred to as lagomorphs. There are about 80 species of lagomorphs divided into two subgroups, the pikas and the hares and rabbits. Lagomorphs are not as diverse as many other mammal groups, but they are widespread. They inhabit every continent except Antarctica and are absent from only a few places around the globe such as parts of South America, Greenland, Indonesia and Madagascar. Although not native to Australia, lagomorphs have been introduced there by humans and have since successfully colonized many parts of the continent. Lagomorphs generally have a short tail, large ears, wide-set eyes and narrow, slit-like nostrils that they can scrunch tightly closed. The two subgroups of lagomorphs differ considerably in their general appearance. Hares and rabbits are larger and have long hind legs, a short bushy tail and long ears. Pikas, on the other hand, in contrast, are smaller than hares and rabbits and more rotund. They have round bodies, short legs and a tiny, barely-visible tail. Their ears are prominent but are rounded and not as conspicuous as those of hares and rabbits. Lagomorphs often form the foundation of many predator-prey relationships in the ecosystems they inhabit. As important prey animals, lagomorphs are hunted by animals such as carnivores, owls and birds of prey. Many of their physical characteristics and specializations have evolved as a means of helping them escape predation. For example, their large ears enable them to hear approaching danger better; the position of their eyes enables them to have a near 360-degree range of vision; their long legs enable them to run quickly and out-maneuver predators. Lagomorphs are herbivores. They feed on grass, fruits, seeds, bark, roots, herbs and other plant material. Since the plants they eat are difficult to digest, they expel a wet fecal matter and eat it to ensure that the material passes through their digestive system twice. This enables them to extract as much nutrition as possible from their food. Lagomorphs inhabit most terrestrial habitats including semi-deserts, grasslands, woodlands, tropical forests and arctic tundra. Their distribution is worldwide with the exception of Antarctica, southern South America, most islands, Australia, Madagascar, and the West Indies. Lagomorphs have been introduced by humans to many ranges in which they were not formerly found and often such introductions have lead to widespread colonization. Evolution The earliest representative of the lagomorphs is thought to be Hsiuannania, a ground dwelling herbivore that lived during the Paleocene in China. Hsiuannania is know from just a few fragments of teeth and jaw bones. Despite the scant fossil record for early lagomorphs, what evidence there is indicates that the lagomorph clade originated somewhere in Asia. The earliest ancestor of rabbits and hares lived 55 million years ago in Mongolia. Pikas emerged about 50 million years ago during the Eocene. Pika evolution is difficult to resolve, as only seven species of pikas are represented in the fossil record. Classification The classification of lagomorphs is highly controversial. At one time, lagomorphs were considered to be rodents due to striking physical similarities between the two groups. But more recent molecular evidence has supported the notion that lagomorphs are no more related to rodents than they are to other mammal groups. For this reason they are now ranked as an entirely separate group of mammals. Lagomorphs are classified within the following taxonomic hierarchy: Animals Chordates Vertebrates Tetrapods Amniotes Mammals Lagomorphs Lagomorphs are divided into the following taxonomic groups: Pikas (Ochotonidae) - There are about 30 species of pikas alive today. Members of this group include silver pikas, collard pikas, steppe pikas, Chinese red pikas, Himalayan pikas, and many other species. Pikas are notable for their short, rounded ears, lack of a tail, and round body. Hares and rabbits (Leporidae) -Â  There are about 50 species of hares and rabbits alive today. Members of this group include eastern cottontails, robust cottontails, European rabbits, antelope jackrabbits, snowshoe hares, Arctic hares, volcano rabbits, desert hares, Abyssinian hares, and many others.

Understanding Religious Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Understanding Religious Diversity - Essay Example Considering a person as even a part of Allah’s qualities for worship is forbidden. Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (S.A.A.W) is a man and last prophet of the only god Allah. In Christian religion there are mainly three figure possessing divine powers as god has; Holy mother referred as Maryam (A.S) in Islam, Jesus the son of god is referred as messenger like Muhammad (S.A.A.W) and a simple human being with a blessed soul given by Allah; third figure is god itself. Synonym to god in Islam is Allah. There are only two physical worships or you can say rituals mainly performed by every Muslim all over the world. One is praying to Allah in the same way as Messenger of Allah (S.A.A.W) did. Other is fasting. Fasting is not a unique phenomenon as Jews and Christians are also familiar to fasting. I perform both worships as it is obligatory for every Muslim to perform them. Another ritual called Jihad has two types; one the fight of man within itself against personal fears and evil deeds. Other one is Jihad with sword or weapon; Jihad of person with itself is given more importance than others. Jihad with sword is only an obligation to Muslims when they are attacked by foreign power or fight with them on the basis of religion. Also it is only allowed when given permission by ruler of Muslim country or permission from wife and mother. Terrorists that are propagated as Islamic fighters over the media are not Muslims. The oneness of god and limited obligations to man makes in my opinion more satisfied and brave in character; also Islam provides guidance in every aspect of life from personal to society figure of it. Modern phenomenon as organizational behaviors, business ethics, family and child care and war ethics that are introduced into modern world were taught by Islam 1400 years ago. These are enough proofs to believe in truthfulness of Islam and are the main motivation

The Importance of Learning Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Importance of Learning Language - Essay Example For tourists and travelers, skill in the language helps to communicate and learn new things about the countries. Indeed, when I had come from Somalia at the age of six years, I had no knowledge of the English language. The supplementary classes in English had greatly helped me to acclimatize and become comfortable in the new environment. Its proficiency not only helped me to become part of mainstream society but also facilitated in an acquisition of academic and professional qualifications.My professional degree in Pharmaceutical Science was made possible only because of my expertise in the English language. I want to teach English to foreign travelers and students. Though constructively employed in the healthcare industry since 2007, I feel the need to share my experience and make communication easier for people whose mother tongue is not English. CELTA or Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Language is initial teaching qualification for people with little or no prior teaching experience.I have been volunteering at the community center where I help ESOL teacher with her class. I really enjoy helping her in teaching adults.It has revealed my natural talent for teaching as I am easily able to connect with people from diverse background. As a certified CELTA teacher, I would be able to help more people, especially travelers and foreign tourists, to overcome their language barrier and enjoy different culture with better understanding. I, therefore, believe that CELTA would help me to achieve my broader goals and objectives of life.

The so called threat Essay Example for Free

The so called threat Essay Computer Viruses, what are they? Deadly programs wrote by the best of the best, or super weapons used by powerful countries against their enemies? Or, just harmless (mostly) little creations made by bored programmers? I think the latter is more correct. Most viruses are harmless, only a very small percentage causes harm to a computer, either deliberately or due to errors in the code. But, it is certainly due to the media that everyone is scared of them. All most all just spread and do something annoying, not format your hard drive. Take the Stoned virus for example, all it does is infect the boot sector of a disk then loads itself in memory. When the Stoned virus is in memory, it waits for the 13^th of any month then displays on your screen Your computer is now stoned. While in memory it infects any disk that is in your computer and any entered after that. In this essay I intend to describe the different types of viruses, how they work, how they are written, how to get rid of them and how to find out if you have one. There are many different types of computer viruses. They cover a wide area of infecting your computer. In fact, there are more viruses than legitimate programs, about 3 or 4 times more! Boot sector viruses are a strange type of viruses. They dont infect files, but instead they infect the disk directly. When you double click on a disk the disk I `run like an application (such as Word, Claris or Windoze itself). It is when the disk is run that is usually tells the computer that it is a disk and to open a window saying what is in it. But, if the disk is infected with a boot sector virus then the virus is run instead. Usually the virus will call the `real part of the disk so that it appears to run normally. Also the virus is almost never the size of the boot sector so it has to install partly in the boot sector and the rest hidden somewhere on the disk. So your disk will be smaller than usual even if you have no files installed. File viruses usually add a copy of themselves to the beginning or end of a program, usually to files that end in exe, com, cpl or dll. There is now a new type of viruses that infect vbs or js files either as well or instead. The I_Love_You virus is an example of a virus that infects vbs files. Although the I_Love_You virus isnt correctly speaking a file virus, it is more of a worm than a file virus, but as infects files as well Ill just use it for this example. Macro viruses only infect MS Word and MS Excel. MS Word and MS Excel. have their own programming language built into them, Visual Basic. VB (Visual Basic) enables programmers to write programs to automate tasks in Word Documents or Excel Spreadsheets. But it also enables virus writers to create viruses that can spread through the most popular package documents by just reading the documents. And, MS Word and MS Excel has another stupid feature, it comes by the name of normal. dot. It enables the user to put macros in it so that they are run every time you open any document or create a new one. You can also put viruses there. Microsoft at their best as usual. Worms are not actually viruses. Normal computer viruses have to be run by the user somehow to spread, but worms spread all by themselves, with no human intervention at all. They almost always spread through either networks or the Internet. You probably have heard of the second most famous worm ever, the I_Love_You letter worm that took the worlds media by storm in late 1999, early 2000. Or maybe youre old enough to remember the most famous and most destructive worm ever, the Morris Worm that brought down the entire Internet and most electronic communication. It worked by using a flaw in SendMail, a program that is used to send and received emails by almost every ISP in the world to spread. Basically it was an accident that it brought down the Internet because it was spreading to quickly for the primitive computers to handle, and just crashed them. Worms generally use flaws in programs that are wide spread like Windoze and Outlook Express to spread. The I_Love_You letter virus used Outlook Express to spread, Morris Worm, SendMail. The Tune. G worm uses a flaw in Microsofts (Oh, no surprise there then! ) Network Server to spread around the network. Generally all worms do is spread. In this next section, I intend to list the basic methods of getting rid of viruses, not forever though, but for the meanwhile. 1) Boycott Microsoft Almost all viruses are written for Windoze or DOS (What Microsoft brought out before Windoze, very primitive, but very good) 2) Get one or more decent anti-virus and update them regularly I personally use CA Inoculate IT get it at [1]www. antivirus. cai. com, you can update it every day if you want for free, but I usually only update it every 2 weeks. 3) Be careful where you get your software from Only get it from reputable stores or websites. If you are suspicious, dont buy / download / run it! 4) Read, read and read Keep up to date on all security issues and virus information. Good sites include [2]www. bugtraq. com, [3]www. rootshell. com and [4]www. microsoft. com (Hmmm, isnt that the source of all the problems? Well, they do have all the updates for Windoze and Microsoft products). Basically viruses arent as big a threat as the media makes them out to be. I personally have a collection of around twenty or more viruses, some harmful, some not. In the finally edit / copy of this essay there will be a floppy disk containing the source code for some of the most famous and not so (but just a dangerous) famous viruses. But, before you go mental at me for giving out viruses to anyone, I have edited them so that they dont do any damage unless you know good programming then you could change it back. But, I leave that choice to you, and remember, if you use the source (edited or not) and get caught, then dont blame me, I didnt tell you to do it. (PS. You can get the full unedited source code and a few of my own at my website. Ill tell you where it is in the next edit / copy). Graeme Ford,3K1. References 1. http://www. antivirus. cai. com/ 2. http://www. bugtraq. com/ 3. http://www. rootshell. com/ 4. http://www. microsoft. com/.

Thomas Young :: biographies bio physics physicist

Thomas Young (1773-1829) Thomas Young was a brilliant man throughout his life. At a young age of fourteen, he was familiar with Latin, Greek, French, Italian, Hebrew, Arabic, and Persian. He was so educated in a variety of areas that his peers called him Phenomena Young. This Englishman found interest in languages, medicine, nature, and light. He did his studies in London, Edinburgh, and Gà ¶ttingen, and practiced medicine in London. With his strong interest in sense perception, he was able to make many realizations and discoveries about the eye. For example, he was the first to realize the eye focuses by changing the shape of the lens, he discovered the cause of astigmatism, and he and Helmoltz initiated the three color theory of perception. In 1801, regardless of the uncertainty from other scientists, his double-slit experiment established that light was a wave motion, making his famous. Over the years, he gained new interests. He started studying Egyptology, and while he was one Napoleon’s expedit ions he started studying the texts of Rosetta Stone. This in time helped to decipher the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic writing. Some other interests that Young acquired over the years, leading him to more discoveries are surface tension, elasticity and energy. He even worked as a professor at schools, including the Royal Institution and Cambridge University. Thomas Young was a smart, well educated English physician and physicist. His love for his work and interests allowed him to make discoveries that help us to this day, and to be remembered and acknowledged as â€Å"†¦a man alike eminent in almost every department of human learning.† Lifelong Accomplishments 1773 -Thomas Young is born 1792 -Young decided on a career in medicine. 1793 -Presented a paper before the Royal Society in which he attributed the accommodation of the eye to its muscular structure 1794 -Elected to membership of the Royal Society -After completing his medical studies at Edinburgh and Gà ¶ttingen, he returned to London to practice but continued his scholarly studies at Emmanuel College, Cambridge -His uncle died, making him financially independent, allowing him to pursue his real interests 1798 -Some investigations on sound and light formed the starting point for his theory of interference 1799 -Began his medical practice in London -While attending medical school, he discovered how the lens of the human eye changes shape to focus on objects at different distances 1800 -Published his experiments on Sound and Light in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society 1801 -Discovered the cause of astigmatism -Young and Helmholtz initiated the three color theory of perception.

Dr. Maya Angelou (personality theory) Essay

Dr. Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Johnson on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri. Her father, Baily Johnson, was a doorman, and, later a dietician for the navy. Her mother, Vivian Johnson, was a registered nurse. When Angelou was three years old, her parents were divorced. They sent her and her four-year-old brother, Baily, Jr., to live with their paternal grandmother, Annie Henderson, in Stamps, Arkansas. Henderson ran a small general store and managed to scrape by. She continued to do so after her grandchildren joined her. Angelou’s grandmother was one the many strong who trained her, helped her, and provided her with role models. The people of her church also nurtured her and gave her a sense of belonging to a community. But her child hood in the south was a nightmare. In 1982, Maya Angelou told Ebony Magazine about Stamps. She said: â€Å"When I was taken to California by my grandmother, I vowed never to return to the grim, humiliating south. Except for a tentative trip to visit when I was eighteen, I didn’t break my promise until I was forty years old.† When she was seven and a half, Angelou left Stamps to visit with her mother. While there, she was raped by her mother’s boyfriend. He was tried, found guilty, and kicked to death in prison. The confused little girl felt responsible for his death and withdrew into herself. â€Å"I was mute for five years, I wasn’t cute and didn’t speak. I thought he was killed because I spoke his name that was the only logic I was able to employ. So I thought if I spoke, anybody might die.† In frustration, her mother sent her back to Stamps. Her emotional withdrawal caused many to think of her as backward, but her grandmother did not give up on her. â€Å"My grandmother told me all the time, ‘Sister, Mama don’t care what these people say about you being a moron, being a idiot. Mama don’t care. Mama know, Sister, when you and the good Lord get ready, you’re gonna be a preacher.'† Angelou was also helped by a woman named Bertha Flowers, who i ntroduced her to literature. By the time of her graduation from eighth grade, she was at the head of her class. While attending high school, she took drama and dance lessons. She then decided that she wanted to be a streetcar conductor in San Francisco. Although San Francisco had never had a Black conductor and was not eager to hire one, she persisted and, with her mother’s support managed to attain her goal. At sixteen Angelou gave birth to her son, Guy. She did not plan her  pregnancy but has always been grateful that it happened. â€Å"The greatest gift I’ve ever had was the birth of my son. Because when he was small, I knew more than he did, I expected to be his teacher. So because of him, I educated myself. He began to ask questions I didn’t have the answers to, so I started my lifelong love affair with libraries . . . I’ve learned an awful lot because of him. â€Å" Still, her life at this time was not easy. In addition to teaching her son, she also had to support him. She was a cook and a nightclub waitress and, for a short time, â€Å"madam† for two lesbian prostitutes. She began doing drugs but then quit after seeing what they had done to her brother. When she was twenty-two, Angelou married Tosh Angelos, a white former sailor. Two years later she left him and became a professional dancer. She then moved to New York to pursue a career and study with Pearl Primus. In 1954, she was cast in a production of Porgy and Bess that toured Europe and Africa. When she came back to the United States, in 1960-61, she was northern coordinator of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). In 1961 she also appeared in an acclaimed off-Broadway production of the Blacks, by Jean Genet. The show was highly successful and ran until 1964. By this time, Angelou was writing poetry, short stories, and songs. Her reputation was growing. In 1970, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings was published. It became a best seller and an instant classic, and became a made-for-television movie. In 1971, her screenplay Georgia, was made into a film, making her the first Black woman to have an original screenplay produced. The four other volumes of her autobiography are, Gather Together in My Name (1974), Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Merry Like Christmas (1976), The Heart of a woman (1981), and All God’s Children Need Travelin Shoes (1986). She also published several volumes of poetry and has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for one of the, Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ‘fore I Diiie (1971). In 1973, Angelou appeared on Broadway in Look Away and was nominated for a Tony Award. In 1977 she received an Emmy nomination for her performance in the mini series Roots. She was appointed to the Bicentennial Commission by President Gerald Ford and to the Commission of International Women’s Year by President Jimmy Carter. For many  Americans, one of the most memorable moments during the inauguration of President Bill Clinton, on January 20, 1993, came when Maya Angelou recited the poem, â€Å"On the Pulse of Morning† not since 1961, when Robert Frost read his work at the ceremony for president John F. Kennedy, had a poet taken part in a presidential inauguration. Dr. Angelou is best known for the first volume of her autobiography, in it, she bravely speaks of her battle to overcome abuse, rape, and poverty. For thousands of young Black women reading the book, it is a way of passage for those who have been similarly victimized, it is like a soothing ointment that helps heal the wounds. Angelou gives a voice to the voiceless; she says, â€Å"You’re not alone. In happened to me too. You are not to blame. You will survive.† The Humanistic approach can be applied to Dr. Maya Angelou’s biography in a number of ways. In order to do so, I attempted to take each piece by piece to gain a clear understanding of both. Beginning with the four elements of the approach: it is obvious that she accepts personality responsibility for her life, and doesn’t blame anyone else for anything bad that may have happened to her. She hasn’t allowed anyone else to make her decisions. Her need for personal growth doesn’t seem like it has been met due to the fact that she continues to work and strive for more. I would consider Dr. Angelou to be a fully functioning person because she trusts her own feelings, and experiences them very deeply. It is easy to tell that she really cares about other people and is a true humanist (motivation by growth need). When looking at Manslow’s hierarchy of needs, it is obvious that her physiological needs have been met, simply because, she is still alive. Since her life as a child was very chaotic and her future was unpredictable, her safety needs were not met at that time. Statements such as â€Å"All my life, everything has been about survival. All of my words are meant to say. ‘You may encounter many defeats but you must not be defeated. In fact the encounter may be the very experience which created the vitality and the power to endure, â€Å"‘ lead me to believe the she has, however, managed to find a way to stabilize her life and have those needs met. â€Å"What I would like said about me is that I dared to love.† She said to Essence Magazine. â€Å"By love I mean the condition in the human spirit so profound it encourages us to develop courage and build bridges and learn to trust those bridges and cross the bridges in attempt to reach other human beings.† This shows that her belongingness and love needs have been met because she knows that they are important and has allowed them to be. I believe that the kind of love adopted by Angelou is B-love because she is really concerned with the well-being and growth of others. I could tell that her self-esteem needs have also been met because if they weren’t, she wouldn’t be as successful as she is. One statement in the book that really stood out to me about self-actualization was made by Manslow†: An artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What a man can be, he must be. He must be true to his own nature.† I feel that although Angelou is doing something that makes her happy, and that she loves, her self actualization needs have not been met because she continues to do more. I personally believe that if these needs are met, then people lose their motivation and drive to live, because there is nothing to achieve, no goals to reach, which results in nothing to look forward to anymore. Maya Angelou is a psychologically healthy person because she does posses self-actualizing creativity, which is shown in her writing, she accepts herself, and expresses herself freely. I think her life seems to be full of optimal experiences, one of which is writing. She has stated that she â€Å"can write for eighteen hours straight in complete solitude and not notice it.† She also seems to have no problem with disclosure, which is obvious because she is a writer. She continuously puts her feelings and emotions on display. She discloses events that are traumatic as well as those that are not, which seems to be good for her self-development because it is a great release. I’m not really sure if Dr. Angelou has experienced loneliness, but it is possible because everyone has felt that way at one time or another. â€Å"One would say of my life-born loser-had to be: from a broken family, raped at eight, unwed mother at sixteen . . . in fact but that’s not the truth. In the Black community, however bad it looks, there’s a lot of love and much  humor.† This statement shows that there are many ways in which race, and sex have affected Angelou’s life because she would not have gone through a lot of the experiences that she has if she simply were not a Black woman. â€Å"You’re going to be famous,† Billie Holiday told Maya Angelou in 1958, â€Å"but it won’t be for singing.† The first part of this prophecy was fulfilled. The second part, in the most superficial sense, was true as well. Angelou’s fame did not grow from the nightclub singing she was then doing to support herself and her son. But in a way Holiday was wrong. Since she first put paper to pen, Maya Angelou has been singing. In closing, by taking all of the aspects of the Humanistic approach into consideration, I believe that it does, give a few possible explanations about Dr. Angelou’s personality when directed to the little information that is given about her in her biography. By writing this paper I feel that I have gained a deeper insight on how to appreciate and apply this approach to the life and personality of anyone. I understand how this approach can apply to many people that I come into contact every day and possibly explain why they behave in the manners that they do. If they are writers and all that they put forth are sad pieces, if they are singers and mostly talk about sex. Whatever the case may be, there is a reason behind the things that people do. The humanistic approach can apply to all areas of life with no exclusions based on race, class, or gender.

The Lego Case

1. What were LEGO’s main expectations and learnings from the relationship with the Flextronics? Expectations: a. Saving cost by outsourcing to low-cost countries: Prior to outsourcing, LEGO owned and operated production plants mainly in relatively high labor-cost countries, such as the United States, Switzerland and the South Korea. The main reason for this is that LEGO built plants close to its main markets to save transportation cost.But LEGO finally realized that the reduced labor cost in some labor-intensive countries outweighed the reduced transportation cost. Then they decided to outsource to Flextronics who has production capacity in low-cost regions; b. Subcontracting to Flextronics allowed LEGO to reach the economy of scale as well as reduce production complexity by combining its production with that of other Flextronics’ clients; c. Contracting production to Flextronics can help LEGO eliminate the risk of production price fluctuations. Learnings: a.LEGO learne d from Flextronics the importance of documentation and standardization of the production, which give LEGO Group transparency and often help LEGO manage the challenges of complexity and to identify the stronger and weaker parts and links of the production network. b. LEGO should consider more factors before they outsourcing. Things like Flextronics’ operation style, the cost and time of providing engineering support and training, and variable lead time incurred by global sourcing are really critical for making decisions. 2.What are the key challenges in maintaining a relationship like the one between LEGO and Flextronics. The key challenge in maintaining a relationship between buyer and supplier is how to reach an agreement that benefits both parties. Take LEGO and Flextronics for example, it’s a big problem for LEGO to solve the conflict between its need for flexible and Flextronics’ more stable and predictable operations. LEGO had wide range of products, includ ing many licensed products like Harry Potter and Star Wars, and each of its products consisted of different unique bricks.And it’s difficulty for LEGO to make a precise forecast with fluctuating demand. These two points made LEGO over-dependent on flexible production, which is totally against Flextronics’ operation style in which economies of scale is a key phrase. Since both LEGO and Flextronics require a profitable business model, it’s a great challenge to reach agreement that benefits both parties with difference emphasis. Also, LEGO has to consider how to communicate withFlextronics pertaining to making a clear plan for training and educating their staff so that they can be able to meet LEGO’s efficiency requirement quickly. 3. How can LEGO handle the supply chain complexity to improve knowledge sharing, flexibility and coordination? LEGO introduce a sophisticated planning system called sales and operations planning (SO&P) to its daily operation. SO&P can help LEGO monitor and coordinate different parts in supply chain and provide LEGO the visibility of its global operation, which usually involve numerous outsourcing partners.Besides, to maintain a good relationship with supplier over the long term, it’s reasonable to invest some resources to help the supplier achieve the level of performance required by LEGO. Through training and educating staff in Flextronics, LEGO can help Flextronics to build production capacity to meet the requirement of flexibility. Also, LEGO can put quality control personnel in factory to monitor production line and prevent quality variation. And frequent communication about production progress, updating issue and feedback is necessary for improving coordination and knowledge sharing.Building a sophisticated information system is of great help to improve supply chain flexibility and coordination, by conveying information seamlessly, it allows the supplier to get the visibility of sales and invento ry and adapt their own production to these information. This can eliminate the situation of overstock and out of stock. 4. What are the key considerations when outsourcing or offshoring production? Discuss them. To make a make versus buy decision, company should first consider the total cost of outsourcing.This cost should include not only the quotation from supplier but also the cost of monitoring the relationship, cost of providing training, education and engineering support to the supplier and cost of dealing with cultural and operational difference. Outsourcing globally is also subject to ethical and environmental violations. Buying company should conduct a comprehensive investigation of the supplier’s production and related issues like child labor, below-minimum wage and safety production. If the supplier violated any of these laws, it is usually the buying company that became the target of social media and NPOs.A company’s reputation can be greatly damaged due to the noncompliant supplier. If a buying company outsourcing its production, it may become over-dependent on supplier for production and finally lose the production ability, which may turn out to be a great disadvantage. Company should decide smartly which part of its business is appropriate for outsourcing. Besides, company should consider the variable lead time which is often impossible to control with outsourcing on global scale. Above all, it’s critical for buying company to make a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis to decide in-house production or outsourcing. . Describ the competitive environment of the industry and how it relates to LEGO’s choices? A number of toy companies had built production plants in China, statistic show that 90 percent of the world’s toys are made in China. This means many of LEGO’s competitors have price advantages over LEGO and it’s hard for LEGO to survive in some developing countries, which have relatively low purc hasing power. That lead LEGO make the decision to outsource its production to Flextronics who have production line in low cost countries.Competitors in toy markets are also compete for decreasing lead time which is critical in the eyes of customers. Customers usually don’t like to wait for long to receive the order, especially during the time before holidays when toys are brought as gifts for their kids. Variation in lead time often annoyed customers and triggered in market share losing. Since it’s difficult to control the lead time concerning to LEGO’s complex products with Flextronics’ stable and standardized production and operation style, LEGO decided to source back its production task.

Benetton Group Essay Example

Benetton Group Essay Example Benetton Group Essay Benetton Group Essay REPORT BY COMPETENCY GROUP MARKETING STRATEGY OF UNITED COLORS OF BENETTON INDIAN INSTITUTE OF PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT Page 1 IIPM AHMEDABAD An Analysis of Marketing Strategy of United Colors of Benetton A report submitted towards the partial fulfillment of the requirements of the two years full-time MBA Degree. Guided By: PROF. PABITRA RANJAN CHAKRAVORTY Submitted By: SHREY GHOSAL STEFFY VELAYUDHAN SANDEEP SINGH BHADAURIA SUMIT TANWAR HARSHIL PATEL Page 2 ACKNOWLEDGMENT We, the Competency Group, take this privilege while presenting this project report, to xpress our deep gratitude to all those who offered their valuable help and devoted their precious time to help us in completing the project successfully. This Journey into project methodology would have been a travesty had it not been for the guidance, assistance, encouragement and moral support from many. It would be unjust if we do not commence this study by acknowledging their efforts. We would Ilke to express our gratltuae to all tnose wno gave us tne posslDlllty to complete Marketing Strategy Report. We would like to thank Indian Institution of Planning Management. We are deeply indebted to our faculty and guide Mr. Pabitra RanJan from Indian Institution of Planning Management for his valuable guidance, stimulating suggestions, patience and for encouraging us to go ahead with our project report. We want to thank all the faculties and our friends in Indian Institution of Planning Management for their help support, interest and valuable hints during our project. Page 3 CONTENTS sr. NO Introduction Particular Page No. 05 2.. Objectives of the Study 07 3. Research Methodology 4. Marketing Strategy 9 5. Brands 14 6. Sales 15 7. Supply Chain 16 8. Sourcing 17 9. Visual Merchandising 10. Competitor Analysis 8 11. SWOT Analysts 20 12. Questionnaire Analysis 21 Recent Developments 29 14. Recommendations Conclusions 15. Appendix 32 Page 4 1. INTRODUCTION: 1. 1 History: Benetton Group is a global fashion brand, based in Treviso, Italy. The name comes from the Benetton family who founded the company in 1965. Benetton Group is listed in Milan. Benetton has a network of around 6,000 stores in 120 countries. The stores are managed by independent partners and generate a total turnover of over 2 billion euro. In 1965, Luciano Benetton, the eldest of four children, was a 30-year-old salesman in Treviso. He saw a market for colourful clothes, and sold a younger brothers bicycle in order to buy his first second-hand knitting machine. His initial small collection of sweaters received a positive response in local stores in the Veneto region, and soon after he asked his sister and two younger brothers, Gilberto and Carlo, to Join him. In 1965, the entity known as the Benetton Group is formed. In 1966, the Benettons opened their first store in Belluno and three years after in Paris, with Luciano as chairman, his brother Gilberto in charge of administration, their younger brother Carlo running production, and Giuliana as a chief designer. y ln 1965 The Benetton Group is established. y ln 1970 A Duslness model making tne OITTerence: unique, nexlDle ana Innovative. y In Benetton communication campaigns: known all over the world. y ln 1990 A global company present in 120 countries. In 2000 Benetton grows with the market: over 1 50 million garments produced every year and distributed in around 6,000 contemporary store Page 5 1. 2 Overview of United Colors of Benetton: Today, the Benetton Group is presented in 120 countries around the world. Its core usiness is fashion apparel: a group with a strong Italian character whose style, quality and passion are clearly seen in its brands, the casual United Colors of Benetton, th e glamour oriented Sisley, Playlife American college style and Killer Loop streetwear. The Group produces over 150 million garments every year. Its network of more than 5,000 contemporary stores around world, offers high quality customer services and generates a total turnover of over 2 billion euro. Target Customers: The companies target group is between the ages of 16 to 32 The prices must be logical for someone as young as 16 is able to afford the product The older people who have their own income dont find the product price to cheap or expensive. Older women (over 32) buy these clothes so that feel and dress younger than their real age. Headquarters: Benetton Groups Corporate headquarters is located at Villa Minelli in Ponzano, about 30 km from Venice. Villa Minelli is a complex of sixteenth century buildings of great historical and cultural interest. The villa was acquired by Benetton in 1969 and the task of restoring and remoaernlslng tne complex, entrusted to arcnltects Atra ana IODIa scarpa, took over fifteen years. From the mid 1980s Villa Minelli became the headquarters of the Group and home to all its strategic functions. Around 6,000 stores worldwide: y The development of Benettons commercial network, characterised by prestigious locations in historic and commercial centres and by the high level of customer services offered, has been supported by a major programme of investment worldwide. y The Benetton stores carry complete collections, as well as a wide selection of accessories, offering a full range of Benetton style and quality. Page 6 Design: A staff of 300 designers from all over the world creates the collections for the casual United Colors of Benetton, the glamour oriented Sisley, the leisurewear brand Playlife. The design team is also engaged in researching new materials and creating new lines for different targets from children, men and women to expectant mothers, offering them not only practical and modern styles but also maximum comfort. The result is the latest trends in design and a rich output of many models a year which are realized with computer assisted design systems fully integrated with the rest of the companys production phases. 2. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 2. 1 Primary Objective: To analyse the marketing strategy of United Colors of Benetton. 2. 2 Secondary Objective: To study the various promotional schemes of United Colors of Benetton. To study the Branding strategy of United Colors of Benetton. To understand the perception of consumers towards United Colors of Benetton. To analyse the strategy of competitors of United Colors of Benetton. The methodology of our project was purely based on personal observation as well as interaction and discussion with customers. The study involved both exploratory and descriptive research techniques using both primary and secondary sources. . 1 Primary Research Research Design: The research design used in the study was descriptive in nature. page 7 Sample Design: i) Population: UCB customers all over the world. it) Survey population: IJCB customers in Ahmedabad. iii) Sampling unit: A consumer of fashion clothing and apparells (male or female). v) Sampling technique: Non probability method using Judgmental sampling. v) Sample size: 150 v) Research Tool: Questionnaire unstructured interview and focus group discussion. . 2 Secondary Research Secondary research provided insights regarding Industry trends, Offerings of key layers and Consumer Profile and preferences; Focus Group discussions and Depth Interviews provided information about Consumer perception about the Product/ Service offering, Key factors that influence their choice, Satisfaction levels with current offerings, and desirable features. 3. 3 Design Considerations All questions (except identification-based) were closed-ended. The basic questions were posed first, and identification questions were at the end. Careful wording was used to avoid ambiguity or biasing questions. Several questions involved the respondent expressing his/her level of agreement with a certain issue. Few of these questions were stated positively and few others negatively to avoid biasing in response. Sensitive information such as Information regarding Income/Family Status had response categories and was placed towards the end of the questionnaire to increase response rate. 3. 4 Questionnaire Development A well-structured questionnaire was developed after a review of Internet commerce literatures. The first half of the questionnaire tried to study the general perceptions and attitudes of consumers towards online ticket booking and the second half tried to study their perceptions related to online travel portals. The questionnaire included OITTerent scales sucn as nomlnal scale semantic differential scale. Page 8 4. MARKETING STRATEGY: 4. 1 The Pricing Strategy , LIKert scale, Importance ratlng scale as well as Benetton has moderate priced boutiques and the strategy of the firm is the match between its internal capabilities and its external relationships. The strategy describes how it responds to its suppliers, its customers, its competitors, and the social and economical environment within which it operates. The inclusion of several of its competitors, such as the GAP and others in the garment industry, would appear o suggest that although conditions in the apparel market are undoubtedly tough, the more brand focused organizations are adapting to the market evolution and are still commanding a premium for added value sales. In the absence of a store or even on-line prices, to find pricing information for Benetton clothing a search on E-bay was the only site to yield clothing information and since this was an auction site, the prices on the clothing were not an actual representation of the corporations pricing policies. A plethora of information could, however, be found in regards to the accessory line, the magazine, and on the ragrance. 4. 2 Production strategy The Benetton group to the U. S market in hopes of revitalizing its brand across the country. The new benetton stores will have a larger format ranging from 6000 square feet to 20,000 square feet. They will also have a more expensive line of products and a minimal design, say company officials. The retailers plan to open three stores in Manhattan this fall and are looking at sites in Los Angeles, san Francisco and Atlanta. Today United Color of Benetton is one of the best known brands, with daring campaigns and new , innovative and high quality products. This brand stayed in the top for more than twenty years. Anything done under this brand proved to be successful from the start. The mix of the products made under the brand name United Color of Benetton include the consumer products as brightly colored clothing lines, accessories, shoes, baby clothing lines, each collection with is own personality adapted for a larger consumer scale as possible. The organizational products include Page 9 licenses and franchising. The UCB products designed for young people of all ages, colors, nationalities, with the desire to have more color in their life. A global brand that has an international style combining color, energy, and practicality, the united Colors of Benetton sells in addition to a range of male and female clothing for several occasions, a magazine, a fragrance line, and accessories. The core group of Benetton is the clothing line which has a strong Italian character in design and style offering a total look for every day. The adult clothing line is described as having no boundaries or set rules. The adult clothes line extends from casual to formal to glamours to sportswear that allows the consumer to mix materials, style, and themes. The childrens clothings line assimilates popular and emergent trends, encouraging childrens explosives creativity. Much as the adult line, the childrens line offers a multi-ethnic eclectic range of choices. For teenagers, there is an entire dedicated line referred to as, The Hip Site. 4. 3. Promotional Strategies Communication should never be commissioned from outside the company, but conceived from within its heart. Benetton Group use the value to creating from capitalize on an image, the Benetton groups advertising campaigns are not only a means of communication but a feeling of us. They use the mediums through their universal impact; they have succeeded in attracting the public to attend to their brand and especially, in standing out among the current clutter of images. All the colors of the world this is the first slogans to appear in Benetton ads, and thence later has modified to United Colors of Benetton. this concept communicated on a strong of colors. page 10 Examples of advertisement media. Magazine Colors Magazine is one of magazine about the rest of the world. Its on sale in 40 countries, published in 4 languages. Colors Magazine let talk to young people in round the world. Internet Benettons website is one of easy way to invite, the user can see the new collection ana tne new campalgns. Its a way to up to oate Tor customers all tne time Page 1 1 Fabrica Fabrica is Benettons communication research centre, they made it with the aim of combining culture with industry and volunteering young people from around the world to creative and interchange their experience. Fabrica give an opportunity to young artists/designers for training and studying, and develop into the experts. The promotion strategy of Benetton is mainly the advertising strategy and it Is one of Benettons main assets. At first, from 1984 to 1990 Benettons advertising strategy was based on picture of young people, each of them representing a different skin color, wearing really colorful outfits. The main point of this advertising strategy was to set up individuals together from all over the world, no distinction between skin colors. The brands value was about brotherhood and cultural tolerance. The ads were focusing on cultural tolerance such as Black and Whitep, Russian and Americanp, Jewish and Palestinianp. Benettons slogan is the well-known: United Color of Benettonp. The brand wanted to have the identity of colors. This is also a sign of allegiance, an outward sign of an ideology and a set of values and brand culture (social issues). This strategy was an innovative advertising strategy, because the company uses social issues. In the same way, it created a long term relationships with customers with strong brand recognition. Nevertheless, in 1991, Benetton changed its advertising strategy. The company repositioned itself in showing the real world and its issue. The advertisements are more and more shocking, the topics are wider such as Aids, war, pollution, and other ocial issues. . 4 Place strategy Benetton is arguably the worlds largest retailer with a network of 6000 large stores, smaller branches and franchises in 120 countries, worldwide. The company trades on the basis of Just-ln-Time coloration and finishing providing flexibility to consumer demand. Benetton is an Italian clothing manufacturer with sales of 1. 9 billion pounds in 2002. The company distributes mainly through third-party independent retailers, but is currently developing its own retail Page 12 network. It generates 69% of sales in Europe, 9% in North America, 9% in Asia and

Sample Short Answer Response for College Admissions

Sample Short Answer Response for College Admissions Many colleges and universities ask an applicant to write a brief essay that elaborates on a high school extracurricular activity or work experience. This might be a supplement for the Common Application or a part of the schools own application. The majority of students choose to focus on extracurriculars, but Joel makes the unusual decision to focus on a rather unglamorous job, working at Burger King. Joels Short Essay on His Work Experience For the past year I have worked part-time at Burger King. Its a job I picked up to help pay for my class trip to Germany. The job is what youd expect -   Im on my feet the whole time assembling burgers, squirting ketchup, and cooking fries. The pace can be frantic at times, and the pay is low. My friends who come into the restaurant make fun of me. The job is neither strengthening my calculus skills nor improving my writing ability. However, I have been surprised by the relationships Ive developed with my coworkers. Some are high school students like me, but others are twice my age working full time and struggling to support their families. When I applied to Burger King I simply wanted a paycheck, but I now am grateful for the opportunities Ive had to build friendships with and learn from people very different from me. Critique of Joels Short Answer Response Joel takes a risk in his short answer response because he describes a job that isnt something most people (often wrongly) would want to highlight. However, Joel makes a couple moves in his response to make it effective. First, he manages to slip in his reason for taking this job -   he wants to travel to Germany. The fact that he is willing to work hard to have this travel experience shows a level of motivation and global interest that should impress the admissions officers. The writing itself is clear and free of errors, and the essay comes in at 833  characters/150 words - the maximum limit for Joels essay prompt. With extremely short essays like this,  the recommended essay   length  should be close to the upper limit. You have so little space to say something meaningful that you should take advantage of the space you have. Had Joels essay had a 250-word limit, he could have provided some more details about the people with whom he worked, and expand upon the lesson he learned from the experience. When it comes to Joels job, he doesnt try to present it as something it isnt. In a somewhat humorous way, he describes the nature of his Burger King employment. Joel is clearly not trying to impress the admissions folks with the job itself. What Joel does reveal, however, is that even the most mundane job can have its own rewards, and that a job is often defined by coworkers more than by the duties of the job itself. Joel doesnt have space in the short answer to explain exactly what he has learned from his coworkers, but we leave his response with the feeling that Joel is someone who is open-minded and can get along with and learn from people different from himself. He is also someone who is willing to work hard for his goals. These are qualities that will be attractive to a college. A Final Word on Short Answer Essays Dont underestimate the importance of the shorter essays a college or university requires as part of their application. While the main Common Application essay is certainly important, it is common - youre submitting that same essay for every school that uses the Common Application. The supplemental essays address specific issues of interest to the specific college. If you fail to follow the best practices for these short essays, you will likely fail to convince the college that your interest is sincere. Work hard to avoid common short answer mistakes. For another example of a good short answer, Christie does a good job in her essay on her love of running. Dougs essay on a business he started, on the other hand, strikes the wrong tone and could end up hurting his application.

Essay about Church Growth Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

About Church Growth - Essay Example For the present action plan therefore, a combination of ideas and thought from both sides of the argument are being considered. In its totality therefore, this is going to be an action plan on how to map up ways of increasing the physical quantum of the church’s membership and there after find means of equipping the spiritual content of the members who are won into the church. This shall be done by following the planning process steps to come up with a comprehensive way of guaranteeing a paper-work church growth formula. Planning Processes Step 1: Purpose and Goal Setting The very first step is for the church to have a purpose and set out goals on what it wants to achieve. Already, it has been indicated that as far as church growth is concerned, there are two major schools of thoughts as to what church growth constitutes. For this reason, it is important that the church comes clear on which of the two ways it wants to pursue as it sets out its purpose and goal. The goal settin g ought to have some key conventional qualities. For instance the goals ought to be specific, time bound, achievable, relevant and measurable. The purpose should also have some key features such as the fact that it should have alternatives and monitoring and evaluation components. Giving the background of the church therefore, there could be a purpose and goal that seeks to increase the membership of the church by one hundred (100) souls in three (3) months and leading the new members through various spiritual activities that will help them become born-again Christians after two months of joining the church. Step 2: Surveying After the purpose and goals have been set, the way will be paved for surveying to take place. Surveying will particularly involve the act of going to the grounds to measure the real ‘size’ of the job at hand. By size, reference is being made to the length of work that will be involved should the action plan be eventually implemented (Bunzel, 2002). The surveying should therefore have several considerations that include the amount of money needed to carry out a perfect job, the scope of places to go, the kind of people to approach, the schemes and strategies to use for the soul winning exercise and the expected feedback that will result from the eventual work. Timing should also be another key aspect of the surveillance. This is because when the church implements its action plan within a very conducive time frame, there are several conditions within the timing that can affect the results. In a typical example, it is common knowledge that during occasions like Easter, 31st Night and Christmas, a lot of people become very religious. Because of this, they respond to church activities more quickly. Such a time would therefore be a better timing season to implement the church’s plan. Step 3: Planning Undoubtedly, the best time to go about planning for the church growth concept is after the surveying is complete. This is beca use the surveying will come out with tangible results and responses on the actual steps that need to be taken in the course of the implementation of the action plan. At the planning stage therefore, the church growth team will be dealing with a more realistic approach to getting the action plan underway. For