Starkey International Institute for Household Management

The Starkey International Institute for Household Management, commonly known as Starkey and nicknamed Butler Boot Campcite news
url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C03E0D81638F937A15753C1A96F958260
title=Molding Loyal Pamperers for the Newly Rich
author=Blaine Harden
date=October 24 1999
publisher=The New York Times
accessdate=2007-11-11] , is a vocational school for butlers.

Based in a Georgian-style mansion in Denver, Colorado, United States, the institute was founded in 1990 by Mary Starkey. Training costs upwards of $13,000, and occurs in two-month sessions. The school graduates over 60 trainees a year. As of 1999, the school had planned a satellite school in the Washington, D.C. area.

Among the school's regulations are a ban on the use of given names and the wearing of a uniform. Starkey emphasizes personal boundaries and professionalism. The school prefers the term "household manager" as a gender-neutral equivalent of "butler". Most students come from a background in a related field such as catering or property management, and are generally older and starting second careers. The school uses "The Remains of the Day" as a "model for butlering".

In the late 1990s, demand was particularly strong. According to one expert, the U.S. was experiencing an unprecedented increase in the number of households that could afford a butler. At that time demand far exceeded supply, and the school itself had a long waiting list.cite news
url=http://www.independent.ie/world-news/leave-it-to-jeeves-at-pound75000-a-year-395258.html
title=Leave it to Jeeves at £75,000 a year
author=Philip Delves Broughton
date=October 28 1999
publisher=Irish Independent
accessdate=2007-11-11]

In 2001, the school organized a "butler's convention" in Denver, with Paul Burrell as a keynote speaker. After the former butler to Princess Diana began speaking openly in his dispute with the royal family, Starkey criticized him for "betraying his ethics" and said she should not have invited him. She said if a client makes your job impossible, the only ethical choice was to quit. [cite news
url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A03E6DA1530F934A25752C1A9649C8B63
title=The Butler Burns His Bridges And Gets the Best Revenge
author=Blaine Harden
date=November 17, 2002
publisher=The New York Times
accessdate=2007-11-11]

Some students, numerous former Starkey employees, and several wealthy clients have criticised the programme and its owner.cite journal | author=Joel Warner| title=At Your Disservice| journal=Denver Westword News| year=9 Aug 2007| url=http://www.westword.com/2007-08-09/news/at-your-disservice/print [http://www.webcitation.org/5R5vB2Vfu Archived by WebCite®.] ]

Mary Starkey is currently under indictment for two separate incidents of alleged assault, one on a Starkey student, the other on her romantic partner. She has been imprisoned on two separate occasions for these assaults, and has posted bail.

References

*cite book |last= Frank|first=Robert L. |title= |year=2007 |publisher=Crown Publishing Group |location= |isbn=0307339262 |pages=277
*cite news |first=Sandy |last=Sims |title=Good Help is Hard to Find |url= http://www.svcn.com/archives/campbellreporter/07.12.00/cover-0028.html|work=The Campbell Reporter |publisher=Metro Publishing Inc |date=2000-07-12 |accessdate=2007-06-23
*cite news |first=Sheelah |last=Kolhatkar |title= Thanks a billion|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/article610820.ece |work=Times Online |publisher= Times Newspapers|date=2006-08-17 |accessdate=2007-11-11

External links

* [http://www.starkeyintl.com/ Starkey website]