Thread: Letter Writing

Originally Posted by ashford_old_school

Ah hung by my own petard, and quite rightly so! However, I am still correct; never ever use THAT phrase. Recipients will just think you are stuck in the cold war and think you might be one of those people that writes to Soldier Magazine whingeing about the NDM, or lack of!!!

Correct usage but not the correct words!

It is "hoist by (or "with") his own petard".

A petard is a bomb and the phrase comes from Hamlet.

The Wiki explains all...

Litotes

ARRSE!!! ;(

Originally Posted by "Sangreal

However, my tuppence worth as far as the OP's problem is that I wonder whether writing to the Welfare Officer is indeed the best solution. As a parent with kids in an SCE school I would be compelled to write to the Head Teacher in the first instance.

I have been down the road as far as I can after various meetings at the school. I asked my welfare office for advice and was told to address a letter to the welfare officer requesting his help and advice and he would push it through the chain starting with the headteacher and if still no joy, all the way to SCE.

Originally Posted by gingerslime

Originally Posted by "Sangreal

However, my tuppence worth as far as the OP's problem is that I wonder whether writing to the Welfare Officer is indeed the best solution. As a parent with kids in an SCE school I would be compelled to write to the Head Teacher in the first instance.

I have been down the road as far as I can after various meetings at the school. I asked my welfare office for advice and was told to address a letter to the welfare officer requesting his help and advice and he would push it through the chain starting with the headteacher and if still no joy, all the way to SCE.

Fair one.

If writing to anyone below Lt Col i always sign off 'luv n bubbles'

For Lt Col and above i just finish with 'l8r'

I am sooo with the times.


As for the bullying, go through the school system, just to record what you have done so at a later date you can if required prove the school did nothing about it.......as seems to be the usual case, a sth ebully will no doubt have 'issues' which cause's them to behave this way etc etc etc

Originally Posted by Sangreal

Do be aware that JSP 101 has been hijacked by Crab Air and, in line with everything else they get hold of, they've ripped out all the style from military writing and left a limp, colourless document with a hint of civi about it.

You are a dull cnut. Do you mean 'the superfluous stuff that nobody except bored pedants used was removed' and 'it came more into line with current mediums of communication'? Thats what happened.
You sound like a LE RO in a dull job in a dark corner of an HQ who hangs on to what made the Army great - pedantry and a death grip on outdated practices. You still fear the Russkie hordes coming across the German Plains don't you?

Originally Posted by Mr_C_Hinecap

Originally Posted by Sangreal

Do be aware that JSP 101 has been hijacked by Crab Air and, in line with everything else they get hold of, they've ripped out all the style from military writing and left a limp, colourless document with a hint of civi about it.

You are a dull cnut. Do you mean 'the superfluous stuff that nobody except bored pedants used was removed' and 'it came more into line with current mediums of communication'? Thats what happened.
You sound like a LE RO in a dull job in a dark corner of an HQ who hangs on to what made the Army great - pedantry and a death grip on outdated practices. You still fear the Russkie hordes coming across the German Plains don't you?

I've hit a nerve there haven't I Biggles? Why not fcuk off to e-goat where you can be beige with the rest of your chippy RAF brethren.

Originally Posted by Sangreal

I've hit a nerve there haven't I Biggles? Why not fcuk off to e-goat where you can be beige with the rest of your chippy RAF brethren.

Only that if I see dull, I call it. Why not defend your assertions and tell me why knowing when to use a DO rather than an O was better than now? Or were you a better little soldier when there was a plethora of detail for you to obsess over just to write a letter? Anyone who bemoans the simplification of Service Writing as a bad thing is mad and, as I said, probably a LE RO fighting the Cold War.

Get some time in on ARRSE before you tell me where to post.

I'm old and boring and think there is still a place for formal letters on formal occasions such as joining a new unit, writing a formal congratulation to someone or apologising for a major fcuk up....

Writing to the welfare officer is not a formal occasion and does not require a formal letter.

If you know the name of the welfare bod then you could use 'Dear Mr Smith' but otherwise just put the title in the address and dispense with the Dear Sir/Madam - yours faithfully altogether - just sign it.

From Sangreal

Originally Posted by Mr_C_Hinecap

Why not defend your assertions and tell me why knowing when to use a DO rather than an O was better than now? Or were you a better little soldier when there was a plethora of detail for you to obsess over just to write a letter?

I sense that you found it mentally taxing to use different writing styles for different types of correspondence. I've never had to obsess over any detail on a letter - applying a few rules here and there really isn't that difficult. I'm unsure why you think I'm old fashioned -I certainly do not advocate the practice of requesting permission to marry etc - but I do think that having more than one writing style allows the author to confer meaning over and above content. A thank you letter in DO format is far more personal than a LM; a Formal Letter's style (there is no such thing as an 'O') is rightly appropriate for those few occasions when they are warranted; a LM is the best way to convey guidance and direction.

Originally Posted by Mr_C_Hinecap

Anyone who bemoans the simplification of Service Writing as a bad thing is mad and, as I said, probably a LE RO fighting the Cold War.

Or simply they just have the cognitive ability to use a couple of layout techniques which avoid making their correspondences as dull as RAF Mess Kit.

Originally Posted by Mr_C_Hinecap

Get some time in on ARRSE before you tell me where to post.

Did you really write that? Whatever next, 'My dad's bigger than yours'?

Get a grip of yourself.



I have the honour not to be,
Crab,
Your obedient Servant

Sangreal

Thought it was "Defence Writing" anyway?

My Brother-in-Law, a rather young fogeyish RN Officer almost had conniptions when receiving a letter from a rather senior light-blue type with the appellation "Dear Colleague"...

Originally Posted by CaptainPlume

Thought it was "Defence Writing" anyway?

My Brother-in-Law, a rather young fogeyish RN Officer almost had conniptions when receiving a letter from a rather senior light-blue type with the appellation "Dear Colleague"...

How very New Labour. The new Bullshite. Lets face it he no more meant it than Brown does when every he says or writes anything.

hi ,

read you the DW master i need help please

is it true that jsp 101 no longer uses the terms formal letter and demi-offical letter, if not what is the defintion of them

also what is the aim of jsp 101 have looked at the lates copy there does not appear to be an "Aim of" section

any help yu could give me would be appreciated, it for my JCC course.

I work in Welfare and the main thing is that you report and record everything as accurately as possible.Protocol is not high up in importance when it comes to these things.

PM me if you need to.

As it is a personal matter and not a work related welfare issue best to keep it informal yet informative, maybe include a copy of any correspondence between yourself and the head teacher previously.
Alternatively visit them in person, any problems raised directly through them will normally get sorted much faster than waiting for someone to get back to you.