Starkey International Institute for Household Management
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The Starkey International Institute for Household Management, commonly known as Starkey and nicknamed Butler Boot Camp[1], is a vocational school for butlers.
Based in a Georgian-style mansion in Denver, Colorado, United States, the institute was founded in 1990 by Mary Starkey. Training costs upwards of $13,000, and occurs in two-month sessions. The school graduates over 60 trainees a year.[1] As of 1999, the school had planned a satellite school in the Washington, D.C. area.[1]
Among the school's regulations are a ban on the use of given names and the wearing of a uniform. Starkey emphasizes personal boundaries and professionalism. The school prefers the term "household manager" as a gender-neutral equivalent of "butler".[1] Most students come from a background in a related field such as catering or property management, and are generally older and starting second careers.[1] The school uses The Remains of the Day as a "model for butlering".[2]
In the late 1990s, demand was particularly strong. According to one expert, the U.S. was experiencing an unprecedented increase in the number of households that could afford a butler.[1] At that time demand far exceeded supply, and the school itself had a long waiting list.[2]
In 2001, the school organized a "butler's convention" in Denver, with Paul Burrell as a keynote speaker. After the former butler to Princess Diana began speaking openly in his dispute with the royal family, Starkey criticized him for "betraying his ethics" and said she should not have invited him. She said if a client makes your job impossible, the only ethical choice was to quit.[3]
Some students, numerous former Starkey employees, and several wealthy clients have criticised the programme and its owner.[4]
[edit] References
- Frank, Robert L. (2007). Richistan: A Journey Through the American Wealth Boom and the Lives of the New Rich. Crown Publishing Group, 277. ISBN 0307339262.
- Sims, Sandy. "Good Help is Hard to Find", The Campbell Reporter, Metro Publishing Inc, 2000-07-12. Retrieved on 2007-06-23.
- Kolhatkar, Sheelah. "Thanks a billion", Times Online, Times Newspapers, 2006-08-17. Retrieved on 2007-11-11.
- ^ a b c d e f Blaine Harden. "Molding Loyal Pamperers for the Newly Rich", The New York Times, October 24, 1999. Retrieved on 2007-11-11.
- ^ a b Philip Delves Broughton. "Leave it to Jeeves at £75,000 a year", Irish Independent, October 28, 1999. Retrieved on 2007-11-11.
- ^ Blaine Harden. "The Butler Burns His Bridges And Gets the Best Revenge", The New York Times, November 17, 2002. Retrieved on 2007-11-11.
- ^ Joel Warner (9 Aug 2007). "At Your Disservice". Denver Westword News. Archived by WebCite®.
[edit] External links
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