A pledge from the Butler Academy

(Year 232, Winter) The Butler Academy, located at Mirage Park in Del Sol Valley, is the most successful of our many private high schools. Founded in Year 136 this boarding school is clearly the oldest, but it is also winning both ranks: Most A graduatees and Most popular. The school still offers classes that were requested by Aristocracy generations ago, but with a few extras. Students no longer become butlers, cooks, maids and governesses, alone. Bartenders and Nectar makers might study here as well. Culinary chefs aiming for restaurants are welcomed, too.

Principal Abraham Golden in his office at the Butler Academy.

Not every student aims to serve a higher ranked House. No, these days even some studies there to prepare themselves for administrating the House they some day will be the Head of. However, times are changing, and the school's Principal Mr. Abraham Golden can tell us more.

- We can no longer provide enough well educated live-in Servants, and will need to ask that high nobility Houses get priority.

This is caused by several changes to community.

- Many Houses have a better ecconomy thanks to well paid careers and specializing with lower costs related to agriculture. Fields were sold out of the family, bringing in funds and reducing farming activity. This means that also lower levels of Aristocracy can now afford a live-in Servant, while fewer children means fewer Students to get educated by the Butler Academy. In the old days 10 children in a family was not rare, and because only the oldest two or three could hope to marry well, younger children had the options to marry below their class or to stay unmarried and rather serve a higher house. Back then serving a high nobility House brought status, but it was harder to keep such a job if you married.

These days there are fewer children to serve. 

- The result is unfortunately that the better positioned Houses have been lacking live-in Servants for the past couple decades or so. There is always the Butler Service and the Maid Service, but having servants as part of the household works better for most - besides it naturally gives more status.

Because the offer has become tighter, we will now allow priority according to rank, more strict than before. The Royal Palace will always have priority, followed by the 5 dukedoms, and then the 3 counties that are of high nobility rank. Then, the remaining counties, and lastly, the many baronies. Finally, the rest of aristocratic Houses, but they should already realize that they might never get a live-in Servant unless they hire a relative that will then lack the formal education. 

A year ago: Principal Golden with graduated students Stuart Ritz and The Honorable Rosanne Rab-Saxor. 

Principal Abraham Golden also thinks we must rethink the number of live-in Servants per House. The new norm will be:

* The Royal Palace: Unlimited.

* Dukedoms: 1 Butler, 1 Cook or Governess.

* Counties and additional estates resided by members of the Royal Family: 1 Butler.

* Baronies: none.

- We want to limit the number of Servants to 2 per House. All Houses can of course order the Butler Service or Maid Service.

Butlers will now accept Gourmet cooking, and also some farming and animal caretaking except cleaning/weeding. In the past only Cooks could tend to filthy outdoor chores. Our Butlers are well skilled in Handiness, and they do clean, and A-grade students even get an extra trait that can reduce the household's costs. They will hire assistance when needed. Their pay must reflect your skill and trait requirements, of course, meaning that a Butler who will cook must be paid more. This will normally be individual agreements.

- We do welcome more students, also commoners, but it will take years to graduate enough.