European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 10, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes Ann Landers Page 11 letters dear Ann Landers your by Laws for in Laws column rubbed me the wrong Way. Maybe i am unusually sensitive because i have three daughters in Law who have been taking advantage of me for years. I know what you re thinking Why do i allow it probably because i Don t want to put my sons in the Posi Tion of having to choose sides. In the name of fairness i Hope you will print by Laws for married children. I m sure i was not the Only one who was offended by that column. Any City Sadear any City you will be Happy to know that the column was blasted from Maine to California not to mention complaints from Canada Mexico City san Juan to Chi Minh City and Caracas. Here is a composite of the Best rebuttals by Laws for married children 1. Please Don t ask to borrow Money because the folks have  the same goes for our cottage in the Woods the Beach House the second car the Lawn Mower boat Etc. 2. Don t ask us to baby sit. We sat enough with you. Stay at Home with your kids like we did. Or hire a baby Sitter. 3. Don t drop in unexpectedly. If you can t Telephone or Haven t been invited wait until you Are. 4. Don t expect to have All your Holiday meals Over Here. I know our House is bigger than yours but you could have the family Over for thanksgiving or Christmas or easter Brunch if you wanted to. 5. Don t invite yourself Over when we Are entertaining. If we want to include you we will let you know. 6. If your kids need new clothes buy them. Don t ask us to take the children shopping. 7. Don t Call us in the Middle of the night to get a grandchild out of jail. We had enough of that sort of thing with you. 8. Please teach your children How to behave when they visit in our Home. This Means no walking on the furniture no playing tag in the House and sliding on the varnished floors. And Tell them not to help themselves to whatever they find in the fridge. 9. Let your children know that it is not polite to look in the Bureau drawers and ask can i have this 10. Please get your stuff out of our House. It s been several years now and i could use the space. Dear Ann Landers what kind of fascist provided you with that cute slogan Don t sweat the Small stuff ? it reminds me of a joke that has been going around for Many years in one form or another my wife and i have an arrange ment that keeps peace in the family. She gets to decide the Small issues such As where we go for vacations and which House to buy. I get to decide the big things such As do we pull our troops out of the persian Gulf and get Tough with Japan about the imbalance of  Don t you know it s the Small stuff that creates the big problems Wake up out there. Chevy Chase my. Dear Chevy i agree. The major issues Are solved with relatively no trouble. Examine your life and you la see that i m right. Los Angeles times Syndicate columnist Landers welcomes your letters. You can write to her in care of the stars and stripes Apo 09211, . Forces civilian Job hiring procedures explained after several years of placing my Fate in the hands of the civilian personnel office in the Effort to obtain employment i had found new Hope toward achieving employment with the initiation of the spouse prefer ence system. For once i had Felt our permanent change of station would be a transition period of Little Conse Quence to my working outside of the Home. Much to my disbelief i have found this not to be the Case. Being the prudent person i am i was prepared for a lengthy period of unemployment As the wheels of employment for military spouses Are almost at a dead Stop. What i was not prepared for were the instances of being selected As rated eligible for a position then informed another applicant had been selected without so much As an interview by the prospective employer. Asking about this i have been informed managers with the non appropriated fund Naf system have the option to select from applications rather than con duct interviews of applicants. What am i missing Here is this a new procedure to alleviate face to face confrontation with applicants or Are these managers so competent in their Field that they can judge a person s aptitude for the position appearance personality traits and genuine desire to perform the duties of the position in question by read ing an application if this be the Case we definitely need More of these managers to fulfil other areas of concern that require such insight. Any proficient member of management is aware that one of the most valuable assets he or she possesses in the hiring of a new employee is the interview. Al though an applicant is completely qualified for a Posi Tion there May be underlying aspects that would act As a deterrent in the performance of assigned duties. A competent interviewer can detect these during the interviewing process. The statement these managers have the option makes it difficult for me to Swallow As being fact. Even volunteers Are interviewed to see where they would Best be suited to work. This leaves me with the feeling of reliving other instances where positions were declined because of an already existing employee being selected for the position with applicants being Ren dered inactive with no regard to preference. I can Only speculate on this but from past association i can say i would be pretty much right on target. So where do we go from Here do we receive prefer ence after a move or Are we still placed in the inactive file because the preference remains in the control of current employee advancement somewhere there has to be a solution to simplify what is turning out to be just another piece of paper not adhered to by those who hire. The exterior intent has been established leaving the inside mechanism in desperate need of adjustment to serve its purpose guaranteeing spouses who have just moved an Equita ble Chance for employment. Without cooperation and adherence from All involved in the hiring process spouse preference is no More than a fallacy returning military spouses to the previous struggle of excessive periods without employ ment through no fault of their own. Name and location withheld editor s note Audace Previti civilian personnel division office of the Deputy chief of staff personnel he Usa eur replies thank you for your letter which gives us an Opportunity to explain the regulatory provisions and the practical considerations inherent in the matter of selecting applicants for employment. Your letter questions the right of a selecting manager to interview or not to interview All or any applicants referred to fill vacancies. Secondly it questions the effectiveness of the military spouse employment prefer ence program. On the matter of interviewing candidates for vacant positions managers of both appropriated fund and non appropriated fund positions Are regulator ily enjoined to consider the qualifications of All applicants referred for a position before making a selection. There is no mandate nor should there be one that a manager interview All applicants. The manager must use Job related reasons to determine the candidates to be interviewed. If a review of the applications establishes that one or More of the candidates Lack the specialized experience that a manager believes is needed to Success fully perform the duties of a position interviewing those applicants would not serve to add the missing experience and would waste the time of both the applicants and the manager. On the other hand if the work histories of some of the applicants list the desired experience interviewing some or All of those candidates could help the manager decide which one in his or her judgment would be Best suited for the Job. Applicants who meet established qualification requirements to fill a position vacancy Are referred in specific priority order based in Law and regulations. To afford them an Opportunity to Advance under Merit  motion procedures employees currently on the Rolls Are normally Given first referral priority. As internal Candi dates they Are All referred without distinction on an equal basis. In the absence of qualified internal candidates Selec Tion of external candidates requires adherence to rules on Veteran preference military spouse preference and family member preference. Managers must give reasons for their selections on referral lists and May Only pass Over preference eligible for Job related reasons that must be approved by the highest appointing authorities. The department of defense requires periodic reports from All military commands to provide information to the Congress on the numbers of military spouses employed under the Law. Within Usa eur the numbers have been substantial and there Are currently in excess of 27,000 family members both military spouses and other family members employed. Despite the High figures however there Are communities where there Are More priority candidates for employment than there Are positions to be filled. Under these circumstances there can be no guarantee of employment for All candidates regardless of their status As military spouses or other priority category. Pen pals please list my name in your pen pal column. I am a 20 year italian College girl. I like animals Black music cooking Reading. Giorgia Pescetto via train 14 56100 Pisa. Italy i would like to be listed in your pen pal column. I am 19 years old and would like to write to someone of the same age. My hobbles Are music swimming studying English. Margarett Ferreira Claro Rua Aurelia 205 Lapa 05046 Sao . Brazil could you please list me in your pen pal column. Miss Marlene Acenas co Raquel Morrison Losano bakery la bores St. Panda can metro Manila Philippines i would like to have pen pals. I am 24 years old. My hobbies Are yachting Mountain climb ing cycling and travelling. I work As a Cook and am in a Mountain Rescue team. Klare twist Cadar Centre Velindre three Cocks or. Brecon powys., South Wales United kingdom i would like to correspond with people All Over the world. I am 22 years old and a teacher in a Public elementary school. Jocelyn 0. Barcase education & training Center school i Bacolod City Philippines the St ars and filpes 5 Jun european edition col Jeffrey m. Cook Usa commander editor in chief it col Suzanne l. Phillips u3af Deputy commander editor in chief Marie Kominicki Mert Proctor Deane b. Mcdermott production manager managing editor circulation manager this newspaper is an authorized unofficial publication for members of the military services overseas. Contents of the stars and stripes Are not necessarily the official views of or endorsed by the . Government the department of defense or the . European command. The appearance of advertising in this publication including inserts or supplements does not constitute endorsement by the department of de sense or the stars and stripes of the products or services advertised. 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