George Washington - Planter To President

In temper and outlook George Washington had little in common with such radicals of the Revolution as Samuel Adams and Thomas Paine. He was a well-to-do planter, who felt the pinch of British imperial control in matters involving his daily activities, such as, restrictive trade laws on the export of tobacco, laws taxing tobacco from one colony to another, levying colonial taxes, and laws prohibiting colonists from taking up western lands to relieve their burdens of debt due to poor crop production.

Young George Washington In The Military

When not yet twenty-one, Washington began his remarkable military career. Shortly after he was appointed major in the Virginia militia, he was delegated by Governor Dinwiddie of Virginia to carry to the commander of the French forces on the Ohio River the momentous message which precipitated the French and Indian War by demanding, in the name of King George II, that the French withdraw from the Ohio Valley.

Young Washington's heroic efforts in defending Fort Necessity, his heroism in the attack of General Braddock's army on the Monongahela, and his participation as colonel of a Virginia regiment in the taking of Fort Duquesne were the start of his brilliant military career.

Washington Returns Home

After the British defeated the French at Fort Duquesne, George Washington resigned his military command, married, settled at Mount Vernon, and continued his life as a planter. He took a relatively unimportant part in the agitation against British measures adversely affecting the colonies from 1759 to 1774.

However, when the British "Intolerable" Acts of 1774, directed chiefly against Boston and Massachusetts, but threatening the freedom of all the colonies, led to the assembling of the Continental Congress at Philadelphia, George Washington was one of the Virginia delegates.

Commander-In-Chief

When war broke out, a commander-in-chief of the united colonial forces was required. Washington was the logical choice because of previous military service. As commander-in-chief, Washington's greatest feat probably was keeping his men together after the dis-heartening defeat at Fort Washington on Upper Manhattan Island. He gathered the remnants of his army together and defeated the British at Trenton and Princeton.

Character Of A Hero

At war's end in 1782, George Washington faced perhaps the biggest crisis of his career, one that would define his character as a great American hero. His men had forgone pay for as much as six years during the war, with a nearly bankrupt Congress, considering a permanent non-payment of the troops.

Washington himself was approached to lead an armed rebellion against Congress to allow him to be set up as king, but these men did not understand his character. He responded with these words, "You could not have found a person to whom your schemes are more disagreeable", "Banish these thoughts from your minds."

On March 15, 1783, Washington met with the men in Newburgh, New York. "Gentlemen", he spoke, addressing a crowded room, "As I was among the first who embarked in the cause of our common Country; as I never left your side one moment, but when called from you on public duty; as I have been the constant companion and witness of your Distresses... it can be scarcely be supposed... that I am indifferent to your interests. But... this dreadful alternative, of either deserting our Country in the extremist hour of her distress, or turning our Arms against it,... has something so shocking in it that humanity revolts from the idea... I spun it, as every man who regards liberty... undoubtedly must." Washington, by his selfless example, had shamed the conspirators out of their plot.

President George Washington

When the war ended in 1783, Washington resumed his life as planter and land promoter at Mount Vernon. In less than four years he was called from his comfortable life as private citizen and asked to lead the Virginia delegation to the Convention at Philadelphia, called to strengthen the Articles of Confederation.

He was elected President of the government established under the Constitution framed at the Convention. For the next eight years, as President, his integrity made it possible for him to command general respect; and as a Federalist, a believer in strong central government, and a conservative in matters of credit and finance, he helped to establish the young republic firmly in the eyes of its own citizens, as well as of Europe. In 1797, George Washington returned to Mount Vernon where he died two years later in December 1799 a great American hero.

Why Is Reading a Key to Student Success?

Statistics indicate that only about one in four Americans read a book per year. The one greatest deficiency employers note in their employees is poor reading and writing skills, and companies spend billions each year on remedial courses for workers. J. C. Penney stated, "One of the saddest mistakes I made in years gone by was my utter neglect of reading." Abigail Van Buren said, "If I could give young people only one piece of advice, it would be read, read, read!"

Back in the day when books were less common and more expensive, the great preacher, Spurgeon, urged people to buy only the best most profitable books-those that would do the reader the most good. Locke follows up on that challenge with his statement that "reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read our own."

Nowadays in Western society some formal education is available for most of the young, and, where it is available, of course it should be enjoyed. However, the crucial value of reading cannot be over-emphasized. Dozens of famous and very productive individuals became successful largely through reading.

It is not secret that Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain) left school at the age of thirteen for a learning pilgrimage which included stints as a delivery boy, grocery clerk, blacksmith's helper, typesetter, and river boat pilot. He became one of the most renowned writers in American history.

Abraham Lincoln failed twice in business before he reached the age of twenty-five, had a nervous breakdown and failed in seeking public office eight times before being elected the sixteenth president of the United States. In spite of the odds against him, Lincoln was a self-educated lawyer with not even a year of formal schooling. He is said to have walked for miles in pursuit of books, and, although he couldn't avail himself of multitudes of books, he set out to thoroughly understand everything he did read.

Research establishes that almost four million children in the United Kingdom do not even own a book. This causes concern that the rate of children growing up without books is rising, not falling. Youngsters from families of a lower economic level are even more likely to miss out. A recent report by the National Literacy Trust reported in a survey of 18,000 youngsters that almost a third - 3.8 million - do not have books of their own. And the figure has increased from seven years ago, the last time the poll was conducted, when it stood at one in ten.

These statistics also reveal that boys are more likely to be without books than girls, and children eligible for free school meals - a measure of poverty - are more likely to not own a book. The findings, not unsurprisingly, indicate that children who do own books are more likely to enjoy reading, read more books and read more frequently. They are also more likely to perform better at school. Just 7.6 percent of pupils who possess books of their own are reading below the expected level, against 19 percent of those that do not own books. This reflects cause for great concern. Researchers also concluded that 75% of children who read nine or more books a month read above the level expected of them, compared with 28.6% of those who read no books in a month. We must make good books available to our children. Then we must get our children reading by giving them books that will hook their interests. The statistics are almost guaranteed to be no better in the United States.

What Is the Best Month to Take the ACT Test?

There are several months to take the ACT test. How do you know which is the best one? Well, first of all, the test is the same every time, so there is no advantage with the test being easier or harder. However, there are two very important considerations that can help you end up with a higher score.

The first consideration is that you will probably want to take the ACT test more than once to optimize your score. If that is the case, you will want to take the ACT test the first time during the Fall of your junior year. This will give you time to focus on the areas you need to improve upon before taking the test again in the Spring, when you will have the chance to do better.

Second, you will want to take the test in the month of December specifically, because that gives you the option of requesting a Test Information Report, for a small additional charge, which will be priceless. This report will give you the questions from the test so you can see exactly what you got wrong. With that information you will know exactly what to study to improve your score.

In order to be able to request a "TIR" you have to take the ACT test at a national test location. That means it is on the December date where it is being administered nationally, and not just at a few schools. To ensure you get the right date, simply register online through the ACT website.

This is just one way of working really smart to get the highest ACT test score you can. Another way to work smart is to learn by watching videos online whenever you have a couple of minutes, here and there.

Human Resources Is The Heart Of A Business

The modern office is becoming an increasingly litigious place. With potential legal problems seemingly around every corner, human resources is growing in importance. The expanding roles of HR include talent recruitment, diversity and inclusion, succession management, departmental restructuring, employee engagement, employee retention, performance metrics, and much more. For professionals in the field, obtaining HR certification can open up doors and help improve business performance. HR leaders have the ability to drive business performance by defining, developing and delivering a competitive advantage through human capital.

Human resources is a growing asset to any company. HR stands in the unique position of being able to influence the strategic planning process to align the goals and values of a company for superior outcomes. Businesses that do not look to take advantage of the skills taught in HR consulting training are not utilizing all the assets at their disposal. Having a professional with HR certification in an office will help the company align its goals vertically and horizontally to improve processes, people, and customer outcomes. Each business has a set of core values, and most aim to turn a profit. Human resources combines the two to maximize the workspace environment. Human resource experts can implement the best practices for workforce partitioning, performance variability, and value identification. Utilizing all workers to the best of their abilities is the key to maximizing profits for a business.

Diversity is a common issue for human resources, but as recent research has shown, diversity is progressively being viewed as a competitive advantage. HR consulting training will cover the nuances of workplace equality laws such as Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) and Affirmative Action (AA). Not only just understanding these laws, but also having the ability to apply them to real situations is crucial to maintaining an equal and lawful workplace. Those with HR certification will use the things that make employees different to either reinforce a company's strengths or fortify an area of weakness. Different personalities and cultures provide a wide range of perspectives on various topics, often leading to greater innovation. Diversity is crucial for a business to protect against litigation, but more importantly, it helps an organization grow and become a well-rounded environment for success.

Human resources is defined as the set of individuals that make up a workforce. The goal of human resource management is to utilize the workforce to the best of their ability and to create an environment to encourage efficient, comfortable work. A human resource consultant helps changes proactive advice into strategic initiatives. These strategies are built around improving decision-making processes, accurately predicting outcomes, and refining and driving processes.

HR consulting training teaches managers how to use these skills by utilizing employee scorecards and advanced metrics in order to maximize each employee's output. HR's impact continues with developing talent and increasing employee engagement and retention. Human capital is what makes up a company; if the people doing the work are not engaged and improving then the results will impact the bottom line. Proper human resource management will engage employees and enhance the process. Human resources is the heart of the company. Receiving HR consulting training or gaining HR certification ensures that the company will reach its full potential.