Diving into the first topic of discussion from the book
General Business Training: Chapter 10 Mail
In the introduction to this series, I was unable to date this book. Based on the postage rate of three cents, I am going to place this book somewhere between 1917 and 1952, the date ranges when US postage was three cents.
The first few sections address the various types of mail classes, insurance, COD, and special delivery / handling. But section 3, Addressing Envelopes and Packages, caught my eye. We live in a digital age. Many of us remember our mothers forcing us to handwrite thank you letters to family and friends for various occasions. I suspect that many parents are not carrying on with this tradition. Personally, I know the number of thank you cards I received has dwindled.
I did however, receive this thank you card in the mail, written and addressed by hand.
Some people still get it.
So, for those of you afraid of snail mail, like your granny is afraid of the computer, here is what the book says:
The Address:
“The name of the person to whom the letter is sent, the street address, the city, and the state should be written or typed on separate lines as in figure 72. The ordinary address on a letter should have at least four lines. If the name of a company or business is given in addition to the name of the individual, the address may have five or more lines. “
The Return Address:
The address of the sender should be placed in the upper left -hand corner so that the post office can return the letter to him if the one to whom it is addresses cannot be located. This addres is usually printed on the stationary used by the business, but if it’s not printed, it should be written. “
Now you try it. Think about a person or business that has made you grateful this week. Pick up a pen and some paper, and write them a thank you note! You don’t need special paper, or expensive stationary. Trust me. They will just be grateful for the time you took to write it.
When did you last get a thank you note? How did it make you feel?
