[DFT] Fw: [ChivalryToday] From the Chivalry Newsdesk

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 From the Chivalry Today News Desk
By Scott Farrell
©2004, Shining Armor Enterprises
www.ChivalryToday.com

The Code of Chivalry can be found in chronicles of medieval history,
but issues regarding chivalrous behavior and knightly ideals can also
be found in today’s headlines. Here are some recent news stories that
demonstrate what an important role chivalry plays in our world. Follow
the links at the end of each blurb (or cut-and-paste them into your
browser’s address window) to get more details — then discuss and
explore these stories with friends, family members and co-workers as a
means of bringing chivalry to life in the modern world.

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Sales and Chivalry
Talk about "chivalry and salespeople" and you'd better get used to
having people laugh in your face. (Trust me on that one - I'm speaking
from experience.) In our culture, we expect anyone who's selling a
product to be sly, persuasive and unctuous.
In essence, there are few individuals considered less trustworthy than
a salesperson. Why? Because traditional wisdom dictates that in sales
the only goal is to "close the deal." The fast buck is (usually)
considered more important than the well being of the customer.
Yet there is another approach to sales - one that acknowledges that the
most productive salesperson is the one who looks out for the customer's
best interest instead of simply trying to wrest the customer's credit
card out of his or her grip.
Here's an article from The Spin magazine (a sales-industry trade
journal) that reminds anyone involved in selling of this fact: A good
salesperson must be a good person first, and a good seller second.
That's how a salesperson becomes a knight in shining armor.
Read the story at:
http://www.huthwaite.com/thespin/the_spin_46.htm#Salesperson

Faith and the Refugee
If you'd knew that a neighbor, co-worker or casual acquaintance made a
promise to a boy halfway around the world, then was killed in an
accident, would you feel obliged to follow through on the commitment?
That's exactly what happened when a group of Japanese business
executives heard about a journalist's pledge to attain medical aid for
a boy blinded during a bombing in Iraq. The members of a Tokyo Rotary
Club have honored both the refugee and a journalist who was killed in
the line of duty by making sure that a pledge of mercy, made in the
heat of war, didn't die with its maker. It's a wonderful testament to a
group of knights in shining armor who reached across the globe to help
someone in need.
Read the story at:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20040603-1932-japan-
helpingmohamad.html

The Dangers of Dehumanizing
As the ripples of the events in Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison continue to be
felt throughout the global community, we're left to reflect on how this
incident has affected everyone who values chivalry in its truest sense
- as a warrior's code of honor. An interview with the retired
helicopter pilot who halted the infamous My Lai Massacre brings a very
personal perspective on the need for chivalry and respect in battle -
and on how a lack of respect for enemies, competitors or adversaries
weakens self-respect and degrades the understanding of right and wrong.
(WARNING: There is a moderately graphic picture attached to this
article. Proceed with discretion.)
Read the story at:
http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/news/040523/abuse.shtml

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What's new at Chivalry Today?
- Read several new "Portraits in Chivalry" - real-life stories of
modern knights in shining armor;
- Discover the place of competition and ambition in the Code of
Chivalry in "Strength & Chivalry";
- Take the "Athlete's Pledge of Chivalry" just in time for summer
sports.

Plus, you can always purchase "Chivalry Today" CDs and merchandise, and
learn about upcoming seminars in the Chivalry Store in the left-hand
navigation bar at www.ChivalryToday.com

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Readers are permitted and encouraged to share this article with others
as a way of furthering the understanding of the Code of Chivalry in the
modern world. Scott Farrell's seminars on chivalry and the knightly
virtues are available to businesses, schools and civic organizations
throughout the Southern California area; more information can be found
on our website. Please include all copyright statements and
attributions when forwarding Chivalry Today articles. Copyright 2004
Scott Farrell and Shining Armor Enterprises. Visit our website at
www.ChivalryToday.com .