Slowly shaking head....

[emb021 16]

"No, we get it. However, some folks seem to think that even listing your title is too much too."

 

I would agree.

 

I had someone who sent out an email, and for some reason left off his position. When I forward it along to others, I added it, because to me it was important for the context of the message and because the people I was forwarding it to would not know that. (using twocubdad's post, it would be like getting an important email from the lodge adviser who left of their position as lodge adviser). The person sent me a very angry email about doing that, which I thought was strange. Had I altered the message, I could see that, but adding their title??

 

[Eamonn 61]

Ehink that I'm kinda lucky.

There isn't a lot of Eamonns around.

Add that to the fact that most people who have met me tend not to forget me.

I don't have much use for titles, but of course if I were ever knighted I'd use the Sir Eamonn!

Ea.

[CalicoPenn 729]

If I were a Scoutmaster sending an e-mail to folks in my unit, I'd leave it out. Sending to a group of Webelos parents to invite them to a meeting? I'll put it in.

 

Chapter Adviser sending a blast e-mail to a chapter mailing list? It's probably safer to include Chapter Adviser so that the first glance of a parent doesn't panic them that some strange adult is e-mailing their son.

 

For most e-mails, probably not including titles - either the body of my e-mail is going to make clear what capacity I'm writing, or they're going to know me in the first place.

 

Outside of Scouting? Some institutions make a big deal out of them, others don't. Some folks make a big deal out of it - others don't. I tend to find that the folks that don't make a big deal out of their credentials seem to be just a little bit more down to earth and less self-important.

 

My boss is a great guy, but a bit of an academic wonk. He can't start a hobby without throwing himself whole hog into it. He took up gardening but rather than just taking a couple of continuing ed classes to get started, he signed up for a program at a community college and earned an AAS (Associate in Applied Science) in Horticulture. He took up Photography and instead of just buying a camera, earned an AFA (Associate in Fine Arts). Yet the only time he trots out the credentials is when we get someone new on the Board who insists that we use our credentials and then he'll usually send out a pointed e-mail about letting our work speak for us rather than a list of letters behind our names. I dug up the e-mail from the last time this happened - about 2 years ago:

 

Dr. John Smith, AA, AS, AAS, AFA, BA, BS, MA, MS, MBA, PhD, EdD, JD, MD.

 

Eamonn might appreciate this more but he likes to joke that if he ever went to Oxford, they'd look at this list of letters and say well that's nice but where's your credentials.