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Browse local data from the Census Bureau's American
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Jordyn Reeves's curator insight, January 11, 3:44 PM
This relates to our topic by showing that our population is growing rapidly. By the time 2025 there will be more than 11 billion people on the Earth. But we have enough resources to last us.
Matthieu CLEMENT's curator insight, November 1, 2016 2:30 AM
Après Londres, toujours le concentré d'intelligence et de mise en appétit du cinéma avec Blow UP dans la toile, cette fois-ci de Big Apple. Un plaisir sans cesse renouvelé par Luc Lagier et l'équipe de Camera Lucida pour ARTE ;)
Seth Dixon's curator insight, September 16, 2014 3:32 PM
This is a good video to explain globalization (although this is my personal favorite), to see that it not just an economic force, but one that touches just about every facet of modern life.
Questions to ponder: What are the driving forces behind globalization? What areas are most impacted by globalization? How does globalization benefit some, and adversely impact others? Why?
Tags: globalization, economic, industry, NGOs, political, scale, unit 6 industry.
Anita Vance's curator insight, June 30, 2014 8:54 AM
This article helps give an early start to map skill implementation - even at the earliest levels.
DTLLS tutor's curator insight, July 1, 2014 5:04 AM
Love this website. Not just this article, but the whole idea. Have a little browse around...
wereldvak's curator insight, July 6, 2014 2:53 PM
De taal van de kaart: welke woordenschat hebben kinderen nodig om de kaart te kunnen lezen?
Seth Dixon's curator insight, May 28, 2014 9:06 AM
International trade agreements are usually discussed at the national level. "NAFTA benefits Mexico" is a commonly heard saying because trade with the United States and Canada strengthens the manufacturing sector in Mexico. Even if there is an overall benefit to a country, there are always winners and losers for different regions, economic sectors and many other demographic groups. Farmers in southern Mexico were certainly a sector that struggled mightily under NAFTA.
Tags: Mexico, supranationalism, industry, place, agriculture, food production,
Jason Wilhelm's curator insight, May 29, 2014 11:44 AM
The American agricultural industry has been highly subsidized by the government to create interest in farming and food production. This causes problems for America's neighboring countries' resident farmers. The Mexican corn farmers are struggling mightily with the influx of cheap American corn into Mexico due to the open trade policies created by NAFTA. Some tariffs or new economic regulations must be created to protect Mexican corn farmers and regulate the amount of cheap American corn that is flooding Mexican markets.
Nicole Kearsch's curator insight, September 29, 2014 12:44 PM
With all the good we thought NAFTA did for the three countries involved, I feel that sometimes we overlook the bad. Southern Mexico has felt all negative affects from NAFTA. While the northern states in Mexico are able to keep up with the advanced agricultural processes that America has, the south is unable to. The old techniques and lack of machinery prevents the south from having any possible competition with the north as well as America leaving the south to become extremely impoverished and potentially unsuitable for any living.
Joanne Wegener's curator insight, March 7, 2014 5:03 AM
Fat or Lean - what sort of world do we live in
An interesting discussion on the way we perceive and label the world.
Ma. Caridad Benitez's curator insight, March 11, 2014 10:15 AM
Hoy en día poca claridad de dónde exactamente queda y quiénes son?
Seth Dixon's curator insight, March 13, 2014 10:46 AM
UPDATE: this article (from the Atlantic) on the exact same concept would supplement the NY Times article nicely.
Seth Dixon's curator insight, February 15, 2014 3:34 PM
This is an intriguing strategic move by the UK as Scotland considers independence. Some have argued that this move will backfire and push more Scottish voters into the "yes" camp. In related news, the BBC reports that EU officials say that an independent Scotland would have a hard time joining the European Union.
Tags: devolution, political, states, sovereignty, autonomy, Europe, unit 4 political, currency, economic.
Jess Deady's curator insight, May 4, 2014 9:40 AM
The countries of Britain want their independence. Scotland uses the pound just like England and Wales but its being threatened that the government might take away that right to use that monetary system.
Seth Dixon's curator insight, September 9, 2013 4:31 PM
Where did your T-Shirt come from? Where did the food your parents bought at the grocery store come from? What's the origin of the components in your cell phone? These questions all allude to what geographers call a commodity chain analysis. Analyzing where the consumer goods that we use every day came from can make global issues hit a little closer to home and reinforce concepts such as globalization. The website Follow the Things is a great resource for teaching students about commodity chains and mapping out your own personal geographies.
Tags: industry, economic, globalization, consumption.
Fran Martin's curator insight, September 10, 2013 3:37 AM
Great website by colleague Ian Cook at Exeter University
Mr Ortloff's curator insight, October 8, 2013 12:32 PM
Where did your T-Shirt come from? Where did the food your parents bought at the grocery store come from? What's the origin of the components in your cell phone? These questions all allude to what geographers call a commodity chain analysis. Analyzing where the consumer goods that we use every day came from can make global issues hit a little closer to home and reinforce concepts such as globalization. The website Follow the Things is a great resource for learning about commodity chains and mapping out your own personal geographies.
Seth Dixon's curator insight, July 24, 2013 12:08 PM
While I am not endorsing all of the ideas presented, the author makes some thoughtful points about American culture that are worth considering.
Kenneth Jordan's comment, September 3, 2013 10:57 PM
I feel that most Americans take for granted the freedoms and luxuries they have because they don't take the time to view life from a foreigner's point of view. We go through our daily lives not realizing how much easier our lives are than most people's around the world.
Kenneth Jordan's comment, September 3, 2013 11:01 PM
I believe that most Americans go through their day without realizing how much easier their lives are than those of people who live in different counties.
Steven Flis's curator insight, December 17, 2013 3:17 PM
From these statistics i dont think the biggest change is the latin american immigrant population but the european population. The european went from 13% to 8 % of the total make up of immigrant population. Thats a 60% decline, and that tells me that the attraction of living in America has diwendled while the EU market is on the rise. I think this is from the growing economies of the EU market and also the fact that the US has been improving in many of the leading statistics such as education, child care, and quality of life.
Edelin Espino's curator insight, December 5, 2014 10:58 AM
Is not a surprise that illegal immigrants have been decreasing since 2007, because the economy crisis and the borders.
Alyssa Dorr's curator insight, December 16, 2014 9:34 PM
Immigration has been an ongoing issue and the problem of border hopping doesn't make it any better. Of course numbers are going to vary from year to year. This article discusses where US immigrants come from and how the immigration changes over time. In 1992, most legal immigrants came from Latin America and Europe. Nowadays, they mostly come from Asia and Africa. Also, these statistics are only based off of legal immigrations. We cant forget the ones that just hop the border in their free time. As stated in the article, it has been estimated that there are about 11.1 million illegal immigrants in the United States. A majority of them come from Latin America and the Caribbean. With that being said, legal immigrants still make up the biggest chunk of the foreign population in the United States and the population only continues to grow.
Kristin Mandsager San Bento's curator insight, January 29, 2015 6:31 PM
Craziest thing I've ever seen! The poor kids on Robert's Island that has to cross through Canada to go to school. I think it's crazy that the borders were defined when they didn't even have a complete map. Taking a guess obviously didn't work out. It seems very difficult to define a border.
WILBERT DE JESUS's curator insight, February 12, 2015 6:39 PM
Sometimes borders between frendly neighbours like Canada and USA are less protected than borders between countries with conflicts.
Adam Deneault's curator insight, December 4, 2015 10:01 PM
before watching this video, to be very honest, I thought we really did have the longest straightest possible border between two countries. What really blows my mind is that there is literally a gap between the two countries signifying the border. Another one is the random tip of land that goes into Canada, but it is not really land, it is a lake. But by far, the most bizarre border to me is the Point Roberts in Alaska, where the high school students have to actually pass international borders just to go to school.
Lilydale High School's curator insight, November 5, 2016 6:23 PM
Data about many aspects of places, industry, education in the US.
Matthieu CLEMENT's curator insight, October 29, 2016 4:26 AM
London Town visitée et revisitée par la machine à cut d'amour du Cinéma de Blow Up avec des morceaux de géographie de nos imaginaires dedans.
Jason Schneider's curator insight, March 9, 2015 3:41 PM
This is easier because it shows you the shape of the countries. As for this quiz, I can locate any African country but some of them, not precisely. I'm able to locate Ethiopia, Libya and Angola obviously because they're bigger but not Togo, Eritrea and Rwanda. However, I can closely locate the smaller countries but not precisely.
Jared Medeiros's curator insight, March 29, 2015 5:21 PM
I love interactive maps like this. These are the best way to learn where things are in the world geographically. Africa is the toughest, for myself, continent in the world to be able to locate and identify where certain countries are. This is in part because Africa has so many countries and also Africa is a part of the world that is not often taught in school, therefore you have limited thoughts and ideas about these types of areas.
David Lizotte's curator insight, April 22, 2015 1:54 PM
I have always been fascinated with Africa and its history. Through its history one can understand why Africa is the way it is today. Its a shame that Africa does not have more of a focus in the Public School Curriculum. Its played a huge part in developing western civilization, whether it be in ancient Alexandria providing grain for the Roman Republic or the coltan extracted through inhumane means in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Africa is a continent that has been raped and torn in a repetitive manor under a variety of foul experiences brought upon by western countries. These are the same western countries that are held of high interest and regards in subject manor instituted in the Public School System. Africa has also been apart of amazing developments of human civilization, for example the Trans Saharan Trade Route which linked Kingdoms such as Ancient Ghana to dynasties far in the Middle East. It is also the birthplace of man (no big deal). In either case there needs to be a stronger push on teaching/molding "Africa" (yes, I know... broad) into the curriculum. It is important in both understanding the history of the world, specifically western civilization and how it coined itself "civilized." Through introducing basic aspects, history, and dilemmas (both old and modern) it could inspire more interest and an expansion of knowledge from student to student. School is and will most likely continue to be Euro-centric and have large flares of Americana and other "themes" of North America.
Whitney Souery's curator insight, May 28, 2014 6:48 PM
The majority of megacities are in the developing world, with the exception of places like New York and Tokyo, best showing how the face of the world is changing. Developing countries are on their paths to becoming major powers, such as Calkutta for example. As an enlarging city, more and more citizens are flocking to the abundance of jobs in the city which thus increases India's development as a result of the growing city and thus leads to a cycle of growth as demand for more jobs increases as the city grows. Megacities are thus a symbol of the developing world and can be used in human geography as symbols of development.
harish magan's comment, September 10, 2013 7:09 AM
It is very interesting to explore new cities and their sky views
Victoria McNamara's curator insight, December 12, 2013 12:41 PM
After taking this quiz I realized I could not really identify most of these cities. I could tell some of them were European from the look of the buildings. I also thought a few more were cities in the United States but there was only Dallas. In my opinion these cities are even more spectacular than some of our major cities.
Seth Dixon's curator insight, September 5, 2013 2:32 PM
I am delighted to announce that I will be one of the new authors that will be writing for Maps 101's newest educational platform: the Geography News Network. Many schools and districts across the country have subscriptions to this online service that provides thousands of supplemental materials and lesson plans for geography, earth science, history and social studies teachers. If your school district does not currently have a subscription, you can sign up for a free trial subscription.
Sandy Montoya's comment, September 8, 2013 12:38 PM
I believe it is very important for viewers to watch such channels. You get a chance to learn about other cultures around the world and relate them to themselves and the world around them. It is a great educational site.
Seth Dixon's curator insight, June 7, 2013 10:55 PM
This article highlights a fascinating cultural shift that impacts the migrants that come to the United States. The second generation might have more money but they tend to live shorter lives than their parents. As the next generation becomes integrated into American pop culture, unhealthy habits follow (smoking, drinking, high-calorie diets and sedentary lifestyles).
Tags: migration, popular culture, population, food, culture.


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Borders, Boys, Banter and Bohemian Rhapsody
Trip Start Jul 12, 2012
67Trip End Sep 21, 2012
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Where I stayed
So after rushing about like a mad woman I arrived at the bus station and checked in. The Tica bus we were on was great, I was really surprised as I'd heard bad things about them, 3 people to a seat, no air con etc, but it was really modern and comfy. I managed to get a seat next to an English guy, rather than some creepy, fat Honduran man so that was a bonus and the bus wasn't even filled till we got to the capital, Tegucigalpa, so I was able to move to two empty seats and stretch out and snooze.
We eventually stopped for breakfast which for me consisted of a doughnut, some yogurt and a few sips of the Starbucks chilled coffee drinks, which was gross. Was going to regret this meal choice when I only had an apple to last me till 6pm that evening. The other cool thing about the Tica bus is try have movies to distract you from the long journey. Some were terrible but watchable (My Life in Ruins) but we also got pretty good ones like The Pursuit of Happyness and The Blind Side. Well done Tica.
Once we got to Tegucigalpa the bus was rammed so I had to give up my comfy seats and move back in with Ady my bus mate. We finally got to the border where we were all piled off to stand in the humidity while they faffed about with our passports. As per usual at the border I changed my old money for the new currency with some of the people who walk around and change your money. This time however I thought it was a bit low, I knew they'd always take some sort of few but I was about 4 dollars short of what I should have got. Luckily some local woman started shouting in Spanish at this guy and made him give me some more money. What a legend!
We then had to go to the Nicaraguan side where we had to take all of our bags and have them searched by customs. I swear my bag is getting heavier by the day as well despite the fact that I am definitely not adding anything to it! The queue was massive and it was baking. Apparently I don't look dodgy though as I started to unzip my bag he basically said I didn't need to bother. Then, for some reason, we had to wait outside in the sun, with no seating, for an hour, rather than siting on the cool bus. The driver wouldn't let us back on and all my water etc was on there! On an upside though I got talking to a group of guys who were on the bus and I decided to head with them to Bigfoot Hostel rather than the place I'd been recommend at Finca Tatin as a) there will DEFINITELY be people there, no staying in dorms by myself this time and b) the boys seem like a nice group so I might finally be able to have the banter that I have been sorely missing! We finally were allowed back on the bus after 3 hours doing the border crossing to find we hadn't even got a stamp from Nicaragua, WTF? Will definitely be remedying this on my out of the country!
We all arrived at Bigfoot and they had room for all of us. We pretty much immediately started drinking, after I'd scoffed some food down due to my lunch of an apple and some of Ady's biscuits, and showered. FINALLY I'm going out after like a month travelling. Spent most of the evening chatting, surprise, as with most travellers we almost immediately got onto the sex conversation! We then all went out to this random sweaty bar that was playing Latin music which 20 minutes later turned into depressing Spanish karaoke. After a while of this me, Ady, Carlo and James decided we weren't putting up with this hideousness anymore and we got up and did, at my suggestion, Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody. Obviously we did it in the most shouty way possible and it was awesome.
After it closed we all went out onto the street where I got manhandled by two local children who kept wanting kisses off me and one who wanted to marry and have sex with me! He was like ten but was trying to convince me he was 18 and it was actually pretty hilarious. The other was ridiculously strong and kept trying to break my ribs with hugs. I eventually had to get Ben to pretend he was my boyfriend though as the two kids and the guy I'd danced with had like sandwiched me between them!
The boys kept saying how all the locals seem to love me as I'd also been made to salsa dance by one local guy (who also made me a paper rose) and asked by another guy who, despite the fact I was really nice to him and gave him my 'phone number' told Carlo (who speaks Spanish) that I was really harsh to him! WTF? The guys all said I actually should have been more harsh so don't really know what he was on about.
During all this romantic drama a storm had begun and it was raining fairly heavily. I was also wearing a white T-shirt so Ben thought it would be funny to drag me under what was basically a waterfall of rain water that was rushing off a church roof. I was literally soaked all the way through, so much so that when I actually got to the toilet of the next bar, I could wring my T-shirt out. Thanks Ben! I decided to take revenge and got a glass of water from the bar which I immediately tipped straight over Ben, much to his surprise. Everyone else, except the bouncer, thought it was hilarious and I thought it was well worth getting told off for. After a bit of dancing we all went home and went to bed. Considering I only had 3 hours sleep and had a mammoth journey today this day has been pretty awesome!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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A Santa Cruz favorite for surfing, sunsets and the freshest seafood, the Dream Inn is a beloved local landmark on the historic Beach Boardwalk. Effortlessly captivating longtime guests with its colorful retro-chic style while delighting newcomers who appreciate modern services and amenities, this f...
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The Surf View room boasts floor to ceiling windows overlooking the beach and the Monterey Bay! All of our space is flexible and can be set to accomodate 40 - 150.
The Beach View Room boasts floor to ceiling windows overlooking the beach, the boardwalk, wharf, and Monterey Bay!
The Sand View room is perfect for small meetings and breakouts. Often used in conjuction with the Beach View room, we can open the airwall to offer bay views during your lunch.
The Dream Inn offers 3300 square feet of flexible meeting space and can accomodate groups from 10-200! Our meeting space offers complimentary wireless internet and full bay views. Our culinary team is fantastic and we are all looking forward to helping you make your event a great success!
This is Aquarius Restaurant, hold up to 100+ guest for any meal or buffet optios - 100% floor to ceiling windows over looking the pacific ocean
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1500 sq feet, with floor to ceiling windows over looking the Monterey Bay
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Located in a mountain retreat type setting off Hwy 17 at the Mt Hermon exit just 15 minutes from Silicon Valley and 10 minutes to the beach.
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text: The Freelap Mx Motocross Timer is designed for motocross and all terrain vehicles. Included with the timer is a USB cable and charger for US and other countries, foam and plastic protective cover with Velcro straps to mount to cycle handlebars, and canvas zipper case for easy storage. The Mx Timer records lap times and best lap time. It has a backlit display for easy reading. The Mx Timer is triggered when the rider passes a Freelap transmitter like the Tx Power 5 (sold separately) with an accuracy of 2/200 seconds. The Mx Timer is water resistant.


text:
Customer Testimonials
Hi Phil
My husband and I are absolutely delighted with the garden room, it looks stunning! Marius and Gabriel were outstanding, so professional, hard working and polite. They are machines, just keep going and going. We would happily recommend your product and your installation team to anyone. If anyone would like to view before they buy we are happy to welcome them here, just let us know.
Kind regards
Mrs Poulter
West Yorkshire
Hi Phil
Just to let you know we have paid the final invoice. We are so pleased with our garden room - thank you!
The service was outstanding every step of the way.
Mrs Archer
Hi Phil
Working with Liam and Josh has been fantastic, two great individuals. Throughout the build, they have communicated well, respected our premises and been conscious of their impact on our neighbours. The quality of work their has been first class, inclusive of housekeeping standards. I really can't praise both individuals enough, a great team. I also found dealing with you personally to be very professional from the outset, I'm very impressed with the whole team, and of course hope, that should we need any further support, that you will continue to meet the high standards you have set to date. Thank you all on behalf of my wife and I for a very enjoyable build. Regards
Mr Barker
East Yorkshire
Hello Phil
Would you please convey our thanks and appreciation to Ian and his team for the wonderful job they made of building our garden room. They worked non-stop from start to finish , often in extremely inclement weather and less than perfect conditions, all with patience and good humour.
We are delighted with the design and finish of our new corner room, it is exactly what we had hoped for, a beautiful addition to our home to be enjoyed for many years to come .
Mr & Mrs Allan
North Yorkshire
Hi Phil
Michael and Gordon are getting close to completing the installation. Craig has been in touch to make an appointment to sign off the electrics next Thursday, 26th January. Thus far we have been extremely pleased with every aspect of dealing with Oeco - we have found all of your office and installation people pleasant and efficient. We are very pleased with the quality of materials used, the construction design details, quality of work and resulting finished building. Excellent!. Best wishes
Mr Crowley
Hi Phil
Just wanted to pass on our thanks to your building team that have done a superb job – finish is stunning and the room looks great. Achieved with a slight personnel issue as well! As with all these things your reputation is set by the people on site and they were a real credit to your company. Cheers for now
Mr Foster
The room looks great. Ian and Peter, the installers were fantastic, as was Craig through the process. The whole process from start to finish was simple and straight-forward and the end product is of a very high quality.
If you want me to give you a customer testimonial please let me know. Best Regards,
Mr Sershall
Hi Phil
Good timing - no sooner had the studio been completed when we had snow. Many thanks for all the hard work that went into the project; we are very pleased with the outcome. Best wishes,
Mr Dickinson
North Yorkshire
Dear Stuart
Thank you, Craig has arranged to visit on the 26th September for the electrics, after which I will settle the account balance. I was very pleased with the installers, Michael and Gordon, they have done an excellent job : worked hard, tidy, polite and friendly. Regards.
Mrs Ferguson
West Yorkshire
Dear Phil
Ian and Peter have done a great job, being really easy to work with (agreeing to do all the little extra details) and have taken pride in what they do. We are really pleased with the end results!
Mr & Mrs Morris
Dear Stuart
I would like to say how very pleased we all are with our lovely new garden room, which has really enhanced our garden and given us a wonderful new family space to enjoy together. A big thank you to Jamie and Josh for their tireless efforts – they were a real credit to your organisation. Many thanks again for a great service and a great product. All the very best.
Mr French
West Midlands
Hi Phil
I know its a couple of months since your team completed the new music studio (garden room) and i just wanted to drop a note saying a big thank you to the team at Oeco and especially Liam and the installation team who did a fantastic job. I am extremely pleased with how its turned out and exceeded my expectations. Thanks for the great work and i would certainly recommend you to others. Please see a link with the final studio now i have moved my gear in and a time lapse video of the build.
Mr Ritchie
South Yorkshire
Hi There
Just a quick thank you to all at your Company, you have all been exceptional to deal with and I have already told half the known world about your products. A special compliment to the installers, they were two great guys and did a fantastic job for us we really do appreciate their work. Please pass on our thanks to them again as I feel they deserve a big 'pat on the back'.
Mr Jeffreys
West Yorkshire
Dear Phil
We would just like to say what a great success our garden studio is and how well Mike and Gordon did in adverse circumstances, finishing the building only one day late. Their timber work was superb - especially the way they finished the eves, which made the building look so much nicer. A very professional job indeed.
Mr Rayner
Hi Phil
Oeco Garden Rooms were accommodating and provided an alternative solution when access to our garden proved difficult. The builders were very professional, took care not to damage the garden and even finished ahead of time. The finished garden studio looks very fine, just as we hoped.
Kind Regards
Mr Reneby
Thank you Phil
Can I say once again what a fantastic job both Lee and Sam have done. The workmanship is outstanding and they are friendly and accommodating also. It has been a pleasure having them here for the week. They have always done what they said they would do and done it with a smile. We will quite miss them when they leave this evening. I would also say the service from you and the rest of the team has been first rate also. You have all been most professional, reliable and customer centred. Friendliness and putting the customer first is clearly an important part of your company "Oeco" and everyone lives up to it. I would have no trouble recommending you to others (I already have) and would be happy to offer any reference, commendation in the future. Not something that is said often these days but it has been a real pleasure.
Ms Eastwood
West Yorkshire
Dear Phil
I would just like to pass on my praise and thanks to Michael and Gordon , they have been absolutely outstanding this week in fitting the garden room . They have worked so hard , always been polite and professional and are a credit to the trade . The workmanship is exceptional and I am thrilled with my garden room!. Thank you also to everyone I have spoken to or liaised with at Oeco , I cannot recommend you all enough.
Best wishes
Ms Stoneman
Hello Phil. Hope you are well.
The garden office is looking great. Ian and Pete have been brilliant, real pleasure to have around. They should be finished today and wanted me to let you know. Also on the itinerary sheet it says no radiator, there should be one and Ian has one with him, so just for your records. Thanks again. Will definitely be writing a review as you guys are great. Kind Regards
Ms Thomas
I would like to thank you for the work you have done with us and ask you to note that the two guys who came here (Damon and Shaun) worked incredibly hard. We are very pleased with our garden room and will have no problem recommending Oeco to others.
Yours sincerely
Mr Bloomfield
Hi Phil
Just thought I'd send you a couple of photos and a walk through of our garden room. We are over the moon with it and it is still attracting admiring comments. Just a couple of finishing touches and we are done.
Kind regards
Mr York
Hi Alicia
Thank you we are very pleased with the room. The experience of dealing with your company has been really good and we would not hesitate to recommend you to others. I would like to thank and praise both Sam and Lee for there skills, speed and happy friendly personalities. Please pass on my thanks to the A team!!
Happy Christmas and a prosperous new year.
Mrs Masters
Hi Stuart
Just a note to say how happy we are with our Oeco garden studio built this year. I live just outside Ripon and having searched nationwide we were very pleased that the firm we chose happened to be based just down the road. Gareth, Phil and the fitters were all great, despite a few unforeseen complications.
North Yorkshire
Phil - Here we are with an absolutely superb garden room!
Lee and Adie were the best workmen we have had at our place - and we have had lots - they checked progress all the way through, discussed every aspect with us to ensure we were happy and worked really hard to get the job done - a real credit to both themselves and your business!!
And they were an absolute joy to have around - although they cost us lots in tea, coffee, diet coke and bacon butties ??. Now it's over to us to start the decorating and the landscaping !!! We'd recommend OECO without hesitation and we are so pleased we chose you to do business with. Thank you again and our very best wishes
Steve and Simon
Hi Gareth,
Just wanted to say thanks for everything with my garden room. It looks fantastic, really stylish, but yet still practical. Also wanted to say that the 2 lads who can up to build it were awesome - very customer aware and they put in some serious graft for up 12 hours a day. I won't hesitate to recommend your company to my clients.
Good luck in the future. Cheers,
Mr White
Hi Phil
We have been most impressed by Lee & team's workmanship and work attitude. They take pride in what they do. It shows; we are very happy with the garden lodge they built . They left the site nice and tidy and we can truly say it was a pleasure to work with them. Please pass these comments on to the managing director – he may like to get some feedback. Regards,
Mrs Elders
Hi Phil
We have just had the landscaping complete and thought you would like to see the results - we just need to give some thought now as to which plants to use. We (and quite a few others in the village and beyond) are impressed by the finished article.
Mr & Mrs Ellison
West Yorkshire
Hello Phil
We are delighted with the garden room! Please extend our thanks to Mike and Andy. They worked unbelievable hard and were a credit to your company. Thank you for the invoice which I have now paid. Have a great weekend.
Mrs Brookes
Hi Phil,
Your team has just finished our garden studio/office and is now on the long journey home, so all that remains is for your electrician to come along and fit the consumer unit. We'd just like to put on record our thanks to Bob and Phil for a great job and also for the huge number of hours they have put in. They were working anywhere between 12 and 14 hours a day after suffering a horrendous journey down here, and coped with the difficulty of our site (a 1.5m drop off the old garage base as a maximum) with nothing but cheerfulness. Besides being skilled and extremely hard working, they were a lovely couple of guys to have around. They really are a complete credit to your firm and we are very pleased with the end result.
With best wishes,
Mr & Mrs Gregory
Hi Phil
I have to say Lee and Jamie were brilliant and the whole experience enjoyable. They were very polite and a credit to your company. I only wish everyone could be like them. I work in the building industry and good reliable guys are hard to come by. I had done my research and narrowed it down to several companies and it was you Phil who gave me the confidence to choose you guys as you seemed a well established company and had good knowledge of your product. It was very easy to deal with Oeco and that is what made the experience a good one.
The finished product is fantastic and exactly what I had imagined for my home office. Very very pleased! I'll forward you some photos.
Kind regards
Mr Hawkes
Dear Stuart, Many thanks for a prompt and clear response, that is much appreciated. I have just paid the final invoice. Why, as Phil alerted me to, either Apple or Gmail think correspondence from you is " Junk" I have no idea but your Garden Buildings and your staff most certainly are not !! I repeat my thanks in Sunday's email: having spoken to Alicia a couple of times and yesterday met Craig I now think I know virtually all your team; Michael and Andy as installers; the quality of design, materials and finish are all first class…….so simply: " Thank you ". Please pass my thanks to all involved in my job. Best Wishes
Mr Winfield
Hello Phil,
We are delighted with the garden room! Please extend our thanks to Mike and Andy. They worked unbelievable hard and were a credit to your company. Have a great weekend.
Mr & Mrs Brookes
Dear Craig,
Just to put on the record how impressed we are with everyone's attitude and willingness to help.
Kind regards.
Mr & Mrs Williams
Hello Phillip and Craig.
Just wanted to drop a quick note to say thanks for all your help getting the room built. Its finally finished and I am looking forward to fitting it out and starting to use it - It looks awesome. The guys that came down to build out were superb ( Andy and Sam ) They worked incredibly hard , they were enormously helpful with some of the bespoke requests (Pool light fittings and cabling) and completed the job to a very high standard. They represented your company extremely well. It has been a great pleasure dealing with OECO throughout the process from initial enquiries through to completion - Every question I raised was answered and every interaction with the company gave the impression that you genuinely care about your customers which is extremely refreshing. I will take some photo's of the finished room once decoration and landscaping is complete - You are most welcome to use them in future marketing if you would like. Many thanks for all your help !
Mr Kirkland
Hi chaps, just a quick note to say thanks again and that the sound proofing is amazing! Not a peep outside. It does exactly what it says on the tin! All the best
Mr Ingleby
I would like to thank you and your team... they have all been really professional, courteous and great workers! It has been a pleasure having them work here! Kind regards
Ms Humphreys
Many thanks, extremely happy with the office and the team who fitted it were brilliant, cannot fault.
Mr & Mrs Driver
Many thanks for a superb product and installation. Best regards.
Mr Johnson
I wanted to write a few words expressing my thanks and gratitude towards yourself and your team at Oeco. I spoke with several different garden room companies before making my decision and you were by far the most informative, helpful and dry witted I came across, not to mention the most competitively priced. Special thanks go to Michael and Sam, whose work ethic I cannot fault. They worked tirelessly through some pretty cold weather and some evenings didn't leave until well after 9.30pm. They were always helpful with answers to any questions I had and accommodated my constant changes to wiring and socket placement with a smile.
Mr Morris
Hi Philip. The room is splendid. We are thrilled with it and are looking forward to fitting it out with Sue`s sowing things and my paints, paper easel and all the clutter that I have!
The finish is superb and I will send you a jpeg or two when Bob (our builder) has finished the landscaping work. Tim and Matt are a credit to your company. They worked extremely hard and were always cheerful in spite of the rain and wind. It wasn't much like glorious Devon on either of the weeks they were here, but they still managed a smile and were very keen for us to have the room exactly as we wanted it. When they signed off they were clearly proud of their work.
There has been much interest from our friends and from the neighbours, as the best publicity is word of mouth, who knows you may be getting other orders in this area.
Finally I just wanted to say it has been a pleasure dealing with your company, you are well organised and make the project a pleasant and enjoyable experience for the customer.
Mr Palmer
We are very pleased with the garden office and the standard of the installation. Thank you very much for your help with this project. Best wishes.
Mr & Mrs Clegg
Hi Philip, Many thanks for this and we'll get it paid in the next couple of days. Craig the electrician has been in touch and is coming tomorrow afternoon. Michael and Andy did a great job and were a pleasure to have around - nothing was too much trouble and they happily put up my TV bracket and installed a data cable which our electrician dropped round. We love the garden room and I'm looking forward to using it. Many thanks again for the wonderful service and the "nothing is a problem" attitude from everyone concerned. I asked Craig in my email to pass on our thanks to Andy and Michael and would appreciate if you could do the same. Kind regards, Jane
Mrs Maxwell
Hi Gareth / Philip, I would just like to say a big thank-you for arranging the garden room install at such short notice. It will be a great help in getting the rest of the garden finished before the summer holidays. Michael, Sam and Gordon did a great job, we have thanked them personally, but thought you should know how impressed we were with their hard work and friendly attitude.
I will have no hesitation is recommending your company to anyone who asks "who built that garden room for you?" Regards
Mr Bellamy
Hello, Thank You for what has been a painless and very slick process and what a product at the end of it! It really does cause a stir when people see it and the quality is obvious. The team where hard working and friendly and went about their business in a nice manner causing as little disruption as they could. I would not hesitate to recommend you and the product. Kind Regards, Keith
Mr Bell
Hi Philip I am very pleased with my garden room which as you know was built by Leon & Danny . These two guys are a credit to Oeco garden rooms. Very professional , good tradesmen ,& very likeable. I would give my whole experience on this build 100%. Thanks.
Mike S. J
Hi Craig, Please pass on our thanks to Michael and Andy - they did a great job, worked really hard and, like everyone else at Oeco, nothing was a problem!. Kind regards, Jane
Mrs Maxi
Hi Phil, Just paid this through bank transfer. Thanks for the room, looks great. Paul
Mr Ryan
County Durham
Hi Phil, Many thanks for the swift turnaround. The room is exactly as agreed and hoped for. Liam and Danny were truly fantastic. I paid the balance as attached today. Many thanks again
Mr Edmondson
West Yorkshire
Dear Phil, Please pass my thanks onto Bobby and Jamie. I am very happy with the new office and they did a great job. I would definitely recommend your company and found all parts of the process easy and professional.
Kind Regards, Daniel
Dr Chicksand
West Midlands
Many thanks Phil, The garden room is fabulous. We are over the moon with it. We will furnish over the summer. The guys worked quickly…I didn't even realise they were on site most days!! They were great with our children, keeping them amused!! Many thanks for a prompt and efficient service…and a fabulous end product.
Mrs McBride
Dear Philip, Both Mollie and I are delighted with our garden room, it looks stunning. Also a big thank you to Michael, Gordon & Mick who worked so hard to get it all finished asap - they were real stars. Mollie is looking forward to moving her bits and pieces in!. Many thanks & kind regards,
Mr & Mrs Garcha
Hi Philip, I just wanted to say that we were most impressed by how hard Marius and James worked. They did not pause for breath when then arrived and immediately unpacked the vans and got started. They worked solidly and consistently all day and late into the evenings, even during the hottest day of the year so far. A tremendous work ethic that was admired and commented upon by three different sets of neighbours - great marketing for your company! We are very pleased with the way this has progressed. Kind regards,
Mrs Callaway
Hi Chaps, just a quick note to say thank again-the soundproofing is amazing-not a peep outside-does what it said on the tin! All the Best.
Mr Ingleby
Philip, Once again, please relay my thanks to the installation team, Bob and Jamie and complement your company on the product and its quality. Regards, David.
Mr Thorpe
South Yorkshire
Philip, Jacky is in London. She'll be back on Sunday. She will transfer the money first thing on Monday morning. Garden room is brilliant. My daughter has already claimed it right enough. Your two fitters were first class and would recommend them and your company to anyone.
Mr McPhie
I am so pleased with the building. The boys did a fabulous job. Hoping to give you some referrals. Certainly have friends who are very impressed. Kind regards.
Mr Marsh
Hi Phil, Thank you so much!. Thanks for all your support and understanding. Your garden rooms are fantastic and it's unbelievable you can achieve this in less than 2 weeks!
Mrs Dale
Hi Philip, Just to let you know that the garden room is great. Just working out furniture etc.
I'll send you some pictures when it's all done.
Mr Carrington
Hi Phil. We are thrilled with the building and the decking that Bob and Jamie have built for us. I have attached a photo of the completed building
Kindest regards
Mr Harrington
Dear Phil, Thanks for all of your help and the hard work by the site team. All went very well and we're just about moved in so hopefully we'll have a good summer using the new space.
Mr Lawfull
Hi Craig. I thought I would share this photo of my newly completed Art Studio - well pleased! Michael and Gordon did a fantastic job - the detailing is the crispest I've ever seen and I build buildings for my lively hood. Many thanks and see you on Thursday.
Mr Galloway
Hi Philip. Thanks for your e-mail but more importantly thank you for your fantastic service and team. Michael, Sam and Gordon were fab and we are so pleased with the room. We shall be recommending Oeco to anyone who asks us. All the best for now.
Mr Long
Philip I am very pleased with my garden room which as you know was built by Leon & Danny. These two guys are a credit to Oeco garden rooms.( very professional , good tradesmen ,& very likeable. I would give my whole experience on this build 100%. Thanks.
Mr Mike S.J
Dear Stuart and Team. Thank you for an excellent service from start to finish, culminating in a superb end product. Jono and Wayne were excellent at their job and a pleasure to have working in our garden. I hope to secure you some more business as my friends view our garden room.
Mr Huntingford
Hello Stuart, We are very pleased with our garden room Lee & Ross worked really hard. We will forward some pictures when we are finished. Thank you once again, the extra room will make a real difference to our lives.
Mr & Mrs Willey
Dear Stuart. Thanks for your email. I will get invoice paid as soon as.
My feedback would be that your staff were great. Really pleasant, helpful and hardworking. They also got really good feedback from the local pub where they were staying, and they accommodate a lot of workmen from around the country, many of whom are regulars. On the structure itself, I can't really comment beyond it looks great because I'm not using it yet.
Mr & Mrs Allan
Stuart, Thank you. First of all I can confirm I have sent payment now. Please confirm receipt
I am delighted with the office. Also wanted to say the team on site were excellent. They did a fantastic and thorough job. I would recommend anyone to purchase one of these offices. Can't wait to start using it. Please thank the team who came to construct this for us
Mr Higson
Dear Stuart, Thank you most sincerely for a great effort on the part of your team of Jonno, Wayne and Steve in constructing our Oeco garden room. It looks splendid - everything we had expected and I cannot commend highly enough the technical competence, "can do" approach, professionalism and basic courtesies of your team - it was a pleasure to share our place with them for the few days they were on site. Please pass our thanks on also to Gareth and Philip for their assistance to us. Thanks again and best wishes.
Mr Roe
West Midlands
Hi Stuart, Thanks for everyone's efforts to get the office up and ready for our move in tomorrow. Michael and Sam worked like Trojans! Very happy with the office and once the plastering has dried out it will look great with a coat or two of paint on the inside. The garden room was the talk of the town! The estate agents came to see it, the builders thought it was great and a potential next door neighbour who is thinking about buying one of the new plot's two doors down is thinking about getting one...I'll pass OECO's number on to him. Best regards,
Mr Breuer
Newport Pagnell
Hello Stuart, It's over a week since Michael and Sam finished our garden studio. It looks magnificent! We are delighted with the studio. The quality of the timber, insulation and electrical fittings is really excellent. The whole thing is extremely good value for money and we think it will give added value to our property as a whole. My wife can't wait to get in there as it's to be her art studio!
Mrs Scott
Hi Stuart. I am very happy with all aspects of the build and design and have already recommended your firm to a couple of my neighbours. Many Thanks.
Mr Cawley
Hi, We've yet to make full use of it so too early for feedback, but are extremely pleased with how it has turned out so far. Looks great and good quality. Jonny and Matt were an absolute pleasure to have on site. Helpful, polite, self-sufficient, hard working and extremely tidy. Please pass on our thanks to them. They were a credit to your company.
Mr Pinchbeck
Hi Stuart, Just to let you know that we received your forms and out guarantee is now all sorted out. Thank you and your team once again for our beautiful garden room. It has been much admired and we are recommending you all the time! Best wishes
Mr & Mrs West
Hi Stuart,
Thanks for the email. Matt and Tim were outstanding! Nice guys and they worked so hard. We are extremely impressed with how it all worked out, and the office looks excellent.
Mr Wilkinson
Your lads must be the most hardworking on the planet. I've never seen such dedicated workers, both here an on my times overseas. They worked through mud, rain, snow and very cold cold temperatures, sometimes from 8am to almost 10pm with very short breaks for food and drink. When they lost a full day due to the blizzard conditions at the time they put in two days work into one to get the job done. If your other teams are half as good you must have a workforce that is the envy of all other construction companies. Feel free to use anything written above as a testimonial on your website or advertising literature. Very best wishes,
Mr Day
Better than we imagined/expected. The quality is superb as is the workmanship. We'd be grateful if you would extend our warmest thanks to Mat and Jon, who were professionals, concientious and courteous. It was a pleasure having them and they worked so hard. Suffice to say we are delighted at this stage, but we doubt that you will be surprised at our comments - your testimonials are proof of your track record. We look forward to choosing decor and furnishings and spending some time in there entertaining. We'll forward on some pictures and then later forward more when we've completed the surrounding areas with flowers etc. Please feel free to use these for any of your promotional work if you see fit, but we would not wish for surname to be displayed. With best wishes
Robert and Sheena
Stuart, Thanks for sending the invoice through and I'll get that paid asap. The guys, Liam and Danny have done a truly amazing job of building the garden room—they worked extremely hard under some difficult weather conditions and were very courteous to me and my family throughout the construction. It was a pleasure to have them build the room and please pass on my thanks and gratitude as I was unable to see them when they finished.
Mr Hutchinson
Once again, many thanks for the superb service. It's been an absolute pleasure dealing with you and Gareth and we couldn't be more happy with the quality and the workmanship of the garden room. Jonny and Matt were brilliant and great ambassadors for your company. They worked through some pretty awful weather during the build, but they remained cheerful throughout! Please pass on our sincere thanks to them. As I mentioned before, we'll get some photographs taken when it's all dressed and let you have them for your records.
Mr Price
Dear Mr Hall. It is with regret that we would like to cancel the above garden room order. Unfortunately since placing the order our situation has changed and we feel unable to complete the purchase and installation scheduled. I understand that the deposit is fully refundable. We would however have no hesitation in recommending your company, the ordering process has been very efficient, you represent good value and it is a pleasure to see exact specifications and options clearly explained and costed. I apologise for any inconvenience and hope to be able to use you in the future. Yours sincerely
Mrs Bailey
Mrs Baileys deposit was refunded in full within 48 hours of receiving her communication.
Stuart,Thank you for the invoice, I'll arrange to pay this by the end of the week.
Jono and Wayne were brilliant and always smiling despite the slope nearly killing them! I'll be sure to request them for our next garden room. The room looks great and is drying out nicely. I look forward to dealing with you again in the future. Kind Regards
Ms Beatson
Riverdale Hospital, South Yorkshire
Dear Stuart, Once again i`d like to thank you, Gareth, Phil and Lee and his instalaltion team for an excellent build. It really has been a pleasure to deal with you all and the finished product is fantastic.
Mr Sinfield
Christchurch, Dorset
Hi Stuart, Many thanks I have sent the invoice to Anna for processing. Our electrician will be in today to connect. We are extremely pleased with the garden office quality and finish and the lads were all brilliant, helpful, polite and accommodating. Kind regards
Mr Stone
Hello Stuart, I will take care of the transfer today and as you say I may need to complete it tomorrow. I was very impressed with Liam and Danny's work ethics. They are excellent at what they do and they were extremely professional throughout the job. Best wishes
Mr Lellis
Hi Stuart, Thanks for the email(s). The invoice was paid this morning. We're very pleased with our garden office, it looks fantastic and is the envy of the neighborous. We're just giving it a lick of paint and I can move in! Jono and Wayne were a pleasure to have around and thoroughly professional. I was impressed with their meticulous yet speedy working manner. All the best
Mr Irvine
I would like to say how professional Michael, Andy & Sam were. They were friendly, helpful and nothing was too much trouble and they all worked extremely hard. I have promised them I will send some photos once the garden room is decorated and furnished, so hope this will be OK. Please pass on our sincere thanks to them for an excellent job, done really quickly.Best wishes
Mrs West
Hi Stuart, I hope you are well. Massive apologies for the delay getting back in touch, but I just wanted to let know how delighted I am with my garden studio. It is wonderful! Thank you so much for your advice on what to get and size etc and for the extra light glass at the front. All my clients comment on how lovely it is and my pictures have benefitted too!
I have already shown a shown a couple a few doors down our road the studio and I'll continue to recommend you guys! Thank you. Best wishes, Anna
Ms Hull
Stuart, Thanks, the office is lovely, painted and awaiting furniture.
I will post a cheque for the full amount tomorrow and will see your electrician on saturday.
The 2 workers that were here did a great job and the work tirelessly throughout, can't praise them enough. Give them my thanks. I think the whole town has driven by to look at it. thanks again,
Mr Baillie
West Lothian
The build quality of the office is superb, with every attention to detail made and I would not hesitate to recommend your company to anyone that is looking for a garden office. Thanks once again and all the best for the future.
Mr Telford
First of all thank you, what a great company and workers you have. John and Wayne certainly did you guys proud, honest and hard working, dedicated, I cannot say enough to thank you for a fantastic job. The garden room is first class, and the quality of your materials and the work is second to none. I looked at 2 other companies, and after speaking to yourself it was OECO that got the order, and I am so please that I did, and John and Wayne certainly backed up the product with the workmanship even with the small delay of the Lintel they made up for it, they certainly are an excellent team. I am happy for you to use this as a testimonial.
Mr Chambers
A quick note to express how happy I am with my new garden room from Oeco. I was very nervous when placing my order having never physically seen one of your buildings. The pictures on your website looked good, but would it really look like that when completed? I am pleased to say that the building exceeds my expectations. The Garden Room looks stunning. John and Wayne are an absolute credit to your company. I was consulted at every stage of the build, and constantly asked whether I was happy. I have never seen anyone work so hard. They arrived on site at 7am, and worked constantly putting in 12 hour days. I needed a lot of extra speaker and data cables run around the building to avoid trailing wires, and they were happy to accommodate my requests even though it meant extra work for them. Their craftsmanship and the pride they take in their work is clear to see in the finished building. The quality of the finish is outstanding.In short, I cannot recommend your company highly enough.
Mr Eagle
Dear Stuart, Thank you, Michael has now been; sorted the door, fitted the larger consumer unit and done the testing. He indicated the certificate would follow. The whole experience of the provision of the garden room has been edifying and it has been reassuring to meet and deal with all your craftspeople. I have thoroughly enjoyed the Yorkshire appreciation of humour. Please give my best wishes to Gareth. With regards,
Mrs Bolton
Pleased to let you have these fine shots of the completed office. I'm really delighted with it - Mike and Steve did a great job! Please feel free to put on the website - I can send higher resolution if required. Please also show Steve and Mike the internal finished pictures - they should be very proud! Everyone comments on the quality and finish. Best wishes. Mike
Mr Branagan-Harris
I know this build has not been as plain sailing as we would have liked. My neighbour is "frosty" but that's up to them. I like your idea, I may use that approach next time I have new neighbours! Could you advise what paperwork I should receive in regard to the insurance backed guarantee and Part P sign off too? Finally I have been very impressed with the overall build od the soundproof music room and office. Liam & Dan worked very hard with the initial build, Gareth & Phil did a great job with the internal doors and glass. I am pleased with the project and look forward to starting work in the new office tomorrow!
Thanks again, Dayle
Mr Holland
Can I firstly say that we are really happy with the new garden office and also with the work of Michael and Sam. They were a pleasure to have working in our house and absolutely no trouble. I would happily recommend your company's work and their specific contribution. Please pass on our thanks to them. Kind regards
Mr Gavurin
Dear Stuart, Many thanks for your email. I have just paid the balance in full by 'faster payment' spo it should be on your account in the next couple of hours. We are really delighted with our garden room and can't wait for the plaster to dry out and to get the decorating gear out and start to use it. The guys were really terrific and very helpful - a delight to have here. I do hope the guy who cut his hand badly on the first day here is recovering well. Please send him our best wishes. Best regards.
Mr & Mrs Thomas
I am writing to thank you for sending Andy and Michael to build the garden room. What a great job they have done, and the lads work well together. They are a credit to your team, very hard working (especially if you feed them Irn Bru lol), very pleasant lads. Your standard of workmanship is great, and i would recommend your company to anyone.
Mr Downie
Thanks for that - not often the final bill is less than expected! Cheque is in the post.
We would just like to say how efficiently Michael and Sam worked - it was a pleasure to have them here. The garden room is everything we expected - we're very pleased with it.
Best wishes
Mr & Mrs Counsell
I'd like to say what an absolute pleasure it has been doing business with you. Phil and Stephen have been a pleasure to have in the garden for the last fortnight (as were the plasterers whose names I never learnt) and we really appreciate all the effort you have made to make sure the building is just as we want it. It looks fantastic, is well finished and I can't wait to move in! I would definitely recommend you to anyone looking for some extra space and will probably bore all of my friends and colleagues with it for months to come. That said, when they see the new office, I'm sure I won't need to. Thanks again, All the best.
Mrs Rosenberg
Philip and Steven have done a great job. We are very happy with the result. They have been hard working, communicative, clean and tidy workers and keen to discuss all stages. We are very grateful for the special rate for the decking.
Best wishes
Mr & Mrs Walsh
Halifax, West Yorkshire
Many thanks for a great job. The room functions well as a Gym and is already getting a fair bit of use. I have been impressed with workmanship on the overall build and would certainly recommend OECO and the fitters who did the work.
Mr Hartley
Danny and Liam were a complete dream team! They worked flat out through rain and gales from early in the morning to late at night and managed to stay good humoured throughout (at least in front of us!). Please pass on our thanks to them again. Kind regards
Mrs Wallace
I would like to add at this point the workmanship of both Michael and Sam and the continuity of their professionalism throughout the build. These guys are a credit to your company and I would be more than happy to make a recommendation based on the experience we have received from yourselves. I am also more than happy to provide photos once I have finished landscaping the garden should you wish to publicize them on your website.
Mr Norton
Dear Stuart, Thanks for your email.
We are delighted with the garden room. Jono and Wayne worked very hard in very unpleasant weather and have done a great job. Thank you.
Mrs Siemsen
We are both delighted with the garden room which exceeds are expectations. Jonh and Wayne were fantastic! Nothing was too much trouble, their enthusiasm for the task, their work rate and the quality of the work was outstanding. They are both a real credit to your company and we will definitely be recommending Oeco to our friends. Regards and Thanks
Mr & Mrs Blackmore
Let me start by thanking your company for a fantastic product that I am sure is going to more than service its needs for many years. I would also like to say that Mike & Andy are a total credit to your company showing professionalism & friendliness at all times and producing very high standard workmanship, myself and my family enjoyed having them around. Once again thank you for this fantastic service and I will be recommending yourselves to my colleages. Kind Regards
Mr Lee Smith
Thank you again for the installation of the garden room, which I'm more than happy with.
One minor thing is that one of the tube wrappers that go around one of the door hinge seems to have broken. Would it be possible to get a spare one posted out to me.
I'm very impressed by the acoustic insulation in the room. Now that I've painted it, got the mains wired up, and got it connected to the internet, I've started moving in some of my other things. I can play at a loud volume and when you're a few feet away from the studio you can't hear a thing, so its great ! Please thank Michael and Sam for doing such a good job. I can send some more pictures of its construction if you're interested. Regards,
Mr Wills
We are very pleased with the garden room it sits very well in the garden. Michael and Andy did a very good job working very hard, please send on my thanks to them both. This was especially good for me as I was out of the country for the first week and Juliet was dealing with them. They made her job much less stressful. If you would like we can send some photos once we have finished the surrounding area. Thanks again
Mr Robertson
We haven't yet moved into the studio but we are really pleased with it and have enjoyed watching it's creation. John and Wayne are very skilled, thorough, resourceful and extremely hard working. They were on site by 7am most days. It was good to be able to make decisions about where exactly windows, doors, plugs and switches, decks etc should be, once the space was built and you had a better idea about the space. We will send some photographs when we have finished moving in. I think photographs of the outside of the studio would be better in the spring. Thank you for your patience and help with the project, it has been a good experience. I will definitely recommend Oeco to anyone and everyone. Please pass on our thanks to John and Wayne, best wishes,
Mr & Mrs Marshall
Can I state that doing business with you and you guys was an absolute pleasure and something that is very rare in this day and age. It is easy to offer a high level of service but to provide a high level of service it takes knowledge of your customers requirements and a lot of hard work which is something you and your guys obviously understand and I would have no problem whatsoever in recommending you to anyone in the future. The build and installation went without a hitch and your guys were onsite exactly when they said they would be and there did not seem to be anything that was too much trouble for your installers as they worked hard to provide not only a beautiful garden studio but complete customer satisfaction. Can you let Gareth, Craig and Phillip know that we were extremely pleased with the finished product and how they went about their business they are a credit to themselves and you. Thanks and very best wishes for the future.
Mr & Mrs Curness
I am very pleased with the garden room, just means I need to get my finger out and get the garden up to the same standard!. Steve and Bob did you proud, always helpful and full of advise. I plan to landscape the area around the garden rooms over the next few weeks and I will send you some photos.
Mr Swankie
Arbroath, Scotland
I am very pleased with the new studio and was impressed throughout by the way in which Michael and Sam worked long hours to complete it. Clearly they take pride in what they are doing and apply great care to every detail along the way. All good wishes,
Mr Lane
I'm well thanks and looking forward to using my new garden room (gym). I must say, the end product looks great and Jono and Wayne have done a fantastic job..........they're good guy's and worked really hard. No problem with you using the photos on your website - let me know when there on as I would be intersted to see them. Speak to you next week.
Mr Kliner
Gareth completed the window fitting - many thanks. I have just transferred the remaining balance to your account. Please pass on our thanks to your staff, who have been excellent throughout the build. We are very pleased with our building. With very best wishes.
Mr Wilkie
West Sussex
We are very pleased with the studio and I am very impressed with the build from start to finish. Special mention to all the fitters and particularly Gareth and Phil, it was a pleasure to have them with us. Absolutely no problem regarding use of pictues for marketing purposes and should you need others then please let me know. Needless to say, I will readily recommend your business to friends and family. Again, many thanks for a lovely studio which will certainly be utilised to its fullest.
Mr Turk
I have nothing but the highest praise for all at OECO, from the initial contact with Stuart through to completion. The choice of studio was painless and the literature was clear. The building process was a joy to behold and it was a pleasure to have Gareth and Phil on site. They felt like family after a week and a half. The studio itself looks superb and has had many admiring glances from neighbours and friends. I believe it represents excellent value for money and the whole family loves it.
Mr Tribe
North Yorkshire
Gareth and Philip did a great job! We are delighted with the final result. I know Philip took some photos but give me a shout if you require anymore for any reason. It really does look beautiful out there now! The studio is a real asset to the landscaping and is going to be a fantastically versatile addition.
Mrs Edwards
Windsor & Maidenhead
Dear Stuart
We are delighted with the garden studio and please feel free to use the photographs in your new brochure. May I also say how excellent Jono and Wayne were throughout the build. They were very professional, polite and considerate and extremely hard working. Please pass on my sincere thanks for a job very well done.best wishes Jonathan
Mr Slack
I would like to thank you and Gareth and Philip for the superb service you have provided. I was kept informed all along, and while my project was delayed by a week this did not present a problem to me and I was told in advance of this occurring. During the construction Gareth and Phil were most courteous and worked like the proverbial Trojans, getting the job done well within the time advised and always had a smile and a joke about something or other when I went out to see how they were progressing or to offer them refreshment. I would have no hesitation in recommending your company and Gareth and Phil in particular as installers. Yours sincerely
Mr Harper
Hi Stuart. Thank you very much for your prompt response which is much appreciated.
We are certainly happy with the office, and we hope we get many years of use from it. We will also happily recommend your company to others we come across looking for such a lovely office. I hope you have a great Xmas and New Year, too, and I hope your business goes from strength to strength in the years to come. With best wishes
Mr Cole
Many thanks for your e mail , of course I will take some photos I will wait until we have turfed the sides and will forward onto you. I would like to say that Wayne and Jono were a real credit to your company, they were hardworking , polite and a pleasure to have working in our garden. It has been a pleasure doing business with you. Kind Regards
Mrs Wilder
Without doubt I'll get send you some pictures, but is suspect it will be a couple of weeks before I have finished all the tiling and kitted out with nice furnishings. You're a true gentleman and it's been a pleasure working with you and like I said, Gareth and Phil did a great job. They were very accommodating throughout. Best Wishes
Mr Randle
Dear Stuart, We are delighted with the look of the new garden room and looking forward to getting a lot of use out of it. One small suggestion: (you did ask me for any feedback!) It would be useful to have a couple of clips to catch the door handles. Just a thought as it is something we will fit to keep the double patio doors open when using the garden room in the summer. This will stop them closing in any wind. Many thanks to you and your lads for doing an excellent job.
Mrs Brown
We are very pleased with the completed garden room. It is a lovely design and very well built, using high quality materials. John and Wayne were fantastic, working 12 hour days, hardly ever stopping. They completed the structure well within time. Best wishes for the future!
Mr Lockyer
I am delighted with the garden room, work has now started on the redesign of my garden and I'm looking forward to it all being completed, it should look really good. I'm also looking forward to working in the garden room, it will be a studio for my art work. Thank you again to Steven and Michael for their excellent work.
Mrs McGrath
County Durham
My wife and I are extremely happy with our new garden studio office. Thankyou for an excellent job. I would be more than happy to recommend you and your company to anyone considering a new garden room.
Mr & Mrs Hardy
County Durham
With regard to the garden studio we would just like to say that we are absolutely over the moon with it. The quality and workmanship is exceptional and we would like to thank you, Craig, Ross & Johno for an excellent service. We have been using the garden studio all weekend and look forward to many years of use and enjoyment from it. Again many thanks.
Mr & Mrs Moreton
West Yorkshire
Garden office looks great. Really pleased with it. You finished just in time for the office furniture move on Friday. Please thank the lads for us - they worked hard and have done a good job. Happy for you to use us a reference if you need one.
Mr Reeve
The shower room is now finished and all powered up so everything now looks excellent. I will send you some internal photos in due course. Best wishes your number 1 fitting team ( Gareth and Phil) I think from a customers perspective you have an excellent product and very good team. All lthe best for the future!.
Mr Humphris
Hi Stuart, the lads did an excellent job on the garden studio and both Sharon & I are really pleased. We'll post the balance cheque to you tomorrow. Kind regards Mike.
Mr Hodges
Just a quick email to let you know how pleased i am with my new garden studio office. No more working in the spare bedroom!. Please find some pictures attached. Thank you for all your hard work.
Mrs Reast
East Yorkshire
The garden room looks fantastic. The build went very smoothly & the guys on site did a great job and we are all delighted with the end result. A super addition to the house and i am amazed at how much room there is inside. Many thanks again.
Mrs Gibson
County Durham
We now have a beautiful garden room that is used every day and admired by all our family and friends. Your team arrived early every morning and stayed late each evening. They were polite and friendly. Everyone kept us well informed as to where we were with the build and answered all of our questions. I am over the moon with our new garden room and it feels as though it's always been part of the house.
Mr Chester
Excellent service from start to finish. All the staff are very efficient and professional. We would recommend Oeco for anyone looking for a high quality insulated garden studio.
Mr Lang-Burns
North Yorkshire
I'm absolutely delighted with the finished garden office. Mark and Daniel did a great job finishing things off, I wish all people were so easy to deal with. I'm looking forward to working in the office from next week; the electrician is coming at the start of the week to connect the power. He seemed impressed that your team had made things so easy for him.
Thanks for everything, I'm glad I chose Oeco.
Mr McInnes
Wow, well I now have a nice new garden music studio. Its lovely for sure. Good quality build and very nicely finished. Good work, pleanice new se send my thanks to Gareth and Philip. Top boys. Tell them Happy Christmas and all that jazz!. The studio is fantastic and really amaizing for heat retention... I bought a cheap oil filled radiator and have it on its lowest setting - i can not believe that it is toasty inside all the time ( temperature outside is minus 12!!!). Ill send you some pictures over in the next few weeks once ive set up my music room. Cheers and all the best.
Mr Graveson
What really impressed me was the speed and professional way the fitters went about the job. All the work was done in a matter of a week and we barely knew they were there. My new garden room exceeded my expectations and is a pleasure to work from.
Mrs Hobbs-Davis
We would highly recommend oeco garden rooms to anyone who longs for extra space. The outdoor garden studio was the perfect solution for us when we decided our teenage son needed to have his own space.
Mr & Mrs Chandler
I do not normally write emails like this, in fact I have never written an email like this at all.... I am writing to thank Oeco for their fantastic service, respect, craftsmanship, dedication, flexibility and much more..... They carried out a fantastic job all round and I will and have recommended you to family and friends.
Mr Norcross
We absolutely love it and so do the kids, we have achieved a beautiful extra room, giving us more space and the kids more freedom. A job well done, thank you.
Mr Rush
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on a job well done. My wife and I are really pleased with the finished result and would like to pass on our thanks to everyone involved. The quality of the finished job is excellent and a real asset to our home.
Mrs Drake
West Yorkshire
The construction work was carried out to the highest level, with no stress to us at all. The team were excellent, polite and most of all tidy in their work. It was a pleasure to have them at my house.
Mr & Mrs Haighs
The whole project was managed perfectly and was seamless! We are absolutely delighted. Thanks you so much for doing a fabulous job. There is absolutely nothing we can fault!
Mr & Mrs Vale
We are really happy with your garden building and think it is an excellent product. Stuart and the staff have been really nice to deal with, very helpful and professional.
Mr Andrews
We are delighted with the extra garden room space. It's now a fantastic games\TV room for the kids. Thanks for the good service and we have no hesitation in recommending you to our friends.
Mrs Dunlop
Thank you very much!. We love our new garden studio. It was a pleasure to do business with your company and your workmen were great.
Mr & Mrs Matlock
To Everyone at Oeco who helped on our project. A huge thankyou! We are extremely pleased with the finished result. Fantastic product and workers, we would happily recommend you to others.
Mr Willoughby
We would also like to put on record, our 100% complete satisfaction with our new garden studio. We are absolutely delighted with the whole job, from start to finish. All of your tradesmen went about their jobs in a very professional and tidy manner. We were never inconvenienced in any way during the conversion. We will certainly be recommending you to anyone who asks us.
Mr & Mrs Hyder
The construction team were great who cleaned up after themselves and cared about their work. We have had a lot of people asking about the garden room and we always recommend you.
Mr & Mrs Scarborough
The construction team and the build quality of your garden rooms are excellent. It was a pleasure to do business.
Mr Dodds
The whole process from the start to being handed the keys of our finished office, went very smoothly. The garden office just seemed to 'appear' without any disruption. We are very pleased with our new office at the bottom of our garden! Thank You.
Mr Kaye
Can I just take this opportunity to express my appreciation at your team of men. What a fantastic job, start to finish - excellent team work. I was amazed how clean & efficient your building team are... I would fully recommend your firm to anyone and thank you so much....
Mr & Mrs Lyons
I felt compelled to write to you concerning the construction of our new garden room. The construction team have worked hard and have been very courteous and respectful to us at all times. We found them very approachable and efficient and nothing was too much trouble, any questions we had were answered in depth and they could not be more obliging.
Mr Taylor
West Sussex
Thank you for all your work we are extremely pleased with the way it all went ahead. All the workers were pleasant and courteous and the company delivered what it promised in the time stated. We have already recommended Oeco to other people and will continue to do so.
Mrs Norman
I would like to let you know how pleased we are with the work carried out by your construction team. In a word they were excellent. Not only was their workmanship to a very high standard but the way in which each team member conducted themselves was truly outstanding. Their aim to please and to ensure our satisfaction was self evident at all times.
Mr & Mrs Booker
Greater Manchester
Just writing to let you know how pleased we are with our new garden office... We are delighted with the extra space.... The whole team were nothing short of superb and a credit to your company name! Everybody that has seen our garden room has been very impressed.
Mr Collins
Many thanks for an excellent job, your team who carried out this project were good to work with which achieved a great result.... delighted in the excellent standard of workmanship.
Mr & Mrs Sharp


text:
Your Cat, Your Life
The Scoop
Cat News, Politics
Meow-Out-Loud Humor
Cat Chic
Gear and Glam
Your cat loves a clean toilet -- don't we all? Catster's singing Cat Lady, Sarah Donner, explains why.
Cat Breeds
Foods & Treats
Health & Care
Behavior & Training
Cats & Cleaning
Cat of the Day
Photo Comments (3)
Photo Comments
Photo Comments (4)
Photo Comments (1)
Thank you all my furriends for the wonderful Christmas gifts and holiday greetings. I'm proud to be your furriend!
So my newest thing is to go and sleep under the bed in the spare bedroom all day. It's so dark and quiet under there that I just pass out for the day. The unfortunate side effect is that I am all rested up for an evening of shinanigans. This conflicts with Mom's ideas about what should happen at night and have hence forth been banned from the spare bedroom during the day. Do you really think this is fair? *pout*
Wow, little me, a daily diary pick. I've just barely started and there I am on diary central. I guess little kitten mews can be heard, thanks HQ!
Copyright © I-5 Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved.
Visit Dogster


text:
Re: Apocalyista Nouveau
Wonderful work! Good luck!
Re: Iris Nouveau
Re: Plight of the Breakfast Egg
Oh man, I am going to comment on this every day. Day one, vote for this shirt.
Didn't this design already win the Nouveau derby?
Re: we're not unreasonable
I mean no one's going to eat your eyes.
I want this shirt so much... Soooo much!!
Re: Going for a Moonlight Dip
I love this design :3
Re: The REAL Bonsai Tree
A collab with Evan Ferstenfeld aka frickinawesome.
We hope you like it
jimiyo wrote:cute cotton candy character. why is it holding a lightning bolt and pooping mist?
:p aww don't pick on him - you'll make him cry!
Re: Cyber Pirate
This might be my favorite of all your wonderful designs. GMV
Re: Chopsticks
I was very happy to see this shirt back. It makes me smile.
Re: The Game Is A-foot!
It is no mystery how much I want this shirt.
Re: No Quarter Given
Another great design! GMV
Re: Astronomical Geography
Great design! GMV
Re: A most civilized game of world domination
I HAVE to have this!!!
On a lighter colour V neck shirt. I have too many black.
Re: Trees by Joyce Kilmer
I see ninja trees :^O)
airframeas wrote:I still want this one sooooo bad!
Same here! +1
Re: Game of Chairs
Re: I see dead people (Resub)
Cant beleive this isnt doing better , it is a fantastic shirt in many ways, hope to see it printed somewhere else. Congrats guys! +1
Re: Universal Fun
Loved it the first time , loved again!, great shirt. +1
burnapaperzach wrote:this is so great expo!
Thanks mate! (o;
Must have this, it's gorgeous!!!
Re: How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I adore this! Good luck to you; I'd love to see it go into production.
Is it rude or hilarious to give one to my vegetarian friends?
plainyoghurt wrote:Didn't this design already win the Nouveau derby?
There were two red heads with guns and biocontamination themes on that derby. This is the other one.
3rd place with 607 votes.
Apocalyista Nouveau
6th place with 506 votes
irishfireherself wrote:I adore this! Good luck to you; I'd love to see it go into production.
Is it rude or hilarious to give one to my vegetarian friends?
NO X's for eyes, I call it cute.
Re: Chronically Late Like a Wizard
I really love this one!
Re: I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
Poor little sad cloud has my vote.
Re: When I Grow Up
adorable! I hope this shirt prints!
Re: Arrrrrrctopus!
This one is just fantastic. GMV for sure.
Re: Goodbye Earth
I don't remember this first time this was up. Anyone remember the original theme? It's got my vote regardless, but I'm just curious.
Re: Mr. Cosmos
I want to hug him.
Re: That is not dead which can eternal lie...
Love love love it, +1
Day two, eggs, much like this shirt, are even better on the second day.
Re: Our Own Dam Place
so nice!
i like one! $$
Re: So close, So far
love concept
Collaborate or die!, said the education administrator.
Re: Undecided
Re: Steampunk
Anyone heard anything about sneak peaking at next weeks derby???
View All →


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Concerned Women for America: A Case Study
by Steven Gardiner, Research Director, Coalition for Human Dignity
"Homosexuals expect society to embrace their immoral way of life. Worse yet, they are looking for new recruits!" - Beverly LaHaye, Concerned Women for America 5/92
Concerned Women for America
1015 Fifteenth St. N.W., Suite 1100
Washington, D.C. 20005
Phone: (202) 488-7000
Fax: (202) 488-0806
501(c)3 - Concerned Women for America Legal Defense Foundation
501(c)4 - Concerned Women for America, Inc.
Founded in 1979 by Beverly LaHaye, the wife of fundamentalist Baptist minister and Moral Majority co-founder Tim LaHaye, Concerned Women for America (CWA) is the largest Christian Right organization targeted at women. CWA representatives claim that it is the largest women's organization in the country. Membership estimates vary widely, from 350,000 to 750,000--depending on who's counting--but with a monthly newsletter (Family Voice) that is mailed to 200,000 subscribers, a daily syndicated radio show ("Beverly LaHaye Live") that reaches upwards of 350,000 people on twenty-eight stations nationwide, an annual budget of $10 million and what may be the most effective multi-issue, grassroots lobbying network in existence, Concerned Women for America is a force to be reckoned with.
While CWA has sought to portray itself as something of a "ladies auxiliary" to the efforts of male-led Christian Right organizations, the reality is rather different. LaHaye makes this abundantly clear in her 1984 book, Who But a Woman? (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers) in which she argues that women have a special role to play in pushing the "pro-family" agenda forward. The story LaHaye tells about her political awakening and the origins of Concerned Women for America offers an idea of what this "special role" might be:
The year was 1978. Dutiful wife Beverly was lounging with her husband Tim in their San Diego living room, watching the evening news. Barbara Walters was interviewing feminist leader Betty Friedan. Friedan made the claim that her views represented those of a great many American women. LaHaye jumped up and declared, "Betty Friedan doesn't speak for me and I bet she doesn't speak for the majority of women in this country." It was then that she decided something had to be done to prevent feminists from destroying the family and the nation. She called a meeting, uncertain if anyone would show up. When twelve hundred women filled the hall, LaHaye concluded that "the majority of women out there don't agree with Betty Friedan and the ERA." (Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women by Susan Faludi, [New York: Crown Publishers, 1991], p. 247-248).
Though CWA is a multi-issue organization, its "special role" in the Christian Right has been that of an exemplary foil to the women's movement: the good, pro-family, "spirit-controlled" women, who, in LaHaye's words, are "truly liberated" because they are "totally submissive" to their husbands (The Spirit Controlled Woman, [Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 1976], p. 71). CWA activists, though they may appear to be showing dangerous signs of independence, are in fact doing the will of their husbands and their Christian duty to promote pro-family values.
The Structure
Concerned Women for America, like most new Right institutions, is not one but, at least for tax purposes, two groups: Concerned Women for America Education and Legal Defense Foundation, a federal income-tax exempt 501(c)3 charitable organization confined to non-partisan, non- political grassroots lobbying; and Concerned Women for America, Inc., a 501(c)4 income-tax exempt corporation that can engage in non-partisan lobbying; e.g. in favor or opposition to a particular bill or ballot measure. The major difference between the two sorts of groups is that donations to a 501(c)3 organization are tax deductible, whereas donations to a 501(c)4 are not.
CWA national headquarters are located in Washington, D.C. and employ some 25 full-time staff people. In principle, and for the most part in fact, the national office controls not just CWA's philosophical direction, but directly instructs local chapters on which specific issues to act on --- although the local chapters maintain some autonomy with respect to addressing local issues.
How it Works
The well-known phrase "kitchen table activist" has its origins in a pamphlet entitled "How to Lobby From Your Kitchen Table," distributed by CWA beginning in the early years of the Reagan Administration. Borrowing a structure common in the fundamentalist/evangelical world from which most of the Concerned Women are drawn, the basic CWA unit is a "prayer chain." In the case of Concerned Women for America, a "prayer chain" does more than pray. Seven individuals, including a prayer leader, form a prayer group; seven such groups form the chain; and seven chains form a local chapter of CWA which is run under the direction of a chapter leader. Each chapter thus consists of fifty members. Chapters are under the direction of a regional director who reports to the national CWA headquarters. (Spiritual Warfare by Sara Diamond [Boston, South End Press, 1989]; see also "Kitchen Table Activists" in Interchange Report, by Kris Jacobs, Winter/Spring 1985).
Ideally, action directives come from CWA headquarters in the form of "Special Messages" from President LaHaye. When an important "pro-family" issue--e.g. abortion legislation, funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, or gay rights--is about to come before Congress, CWA activates its "535 Program" (435 Representatives and 100 Senators). The program instructs all CWA members to drop an avalanche of letters and phone calls to legislators and public officials at both their Capitol Hill and home offices. The effects of such efficient organizing can be devastating as thousands of letters and phone calls bombard Capitol Hill in a matter of days. Legislators in both houses and in both parties, particularly those who depend on conservative support, know that a "wrong" vote on one of these hot issues will come back to haunt them at the next election. Even centrist legislators are affected by the deluge, regardless of their own opinions on an issue: the safest political position is often with the majority of the activists, as opposed to the majority of citizens or voters. They may not expect the support of the CWA crowd, but they definitely don't want to be targeted by them as a special enemy in the next election.
Though it is clear from the results that the Concerned Women chapter/prayer chain network does work, closer examination reveals an organization that is not quite as tightly organized as it pretends to be. For example, a call to the national office in Washington, D.C., asking for information about local chapters in the state of Oregon produced a claim that no active CWA chapters existed in Oregon at the time (February, 1993), and the suggestion that the caller might contact the district coordinator and con sider starting an Oregon Chapter.
Further inquiries with local Christian Right groups, however, eventually produced the name of a local Concerned Women organizer. This local CWA leader, one Beth Augee, a former legislative aide from Salem, Oregon, indicated a looser structure, focused more on the state legislature than on Congress and working with other Christian Right groups, particularly Eagle Forum, the other major Christian Right women's organization. When asked about the work of CWA locally in a recent interview (February 11, 1993), Augee responded:
For example, last period there was a child pornography or child abuse or what was it child pornography bill [before the legislature]. We got hold of ballot statistics, circulated the information, informed legislators, etc. We also work on issues like "No Special Rights" for homosexuals, what's been called the "gag rule" on abortion, and sex education in the schools.
Augee's version of the group structure, although not disagreeing with the official version, does come across as somewhat less grandiose, reflecting, no doubt, the difference between the organization as it appears on paper and how it actually works on the ground. In her words: "The group is made of Tprayer action chapters' formed around geographical areas, focused on writing letters and keeping track of legislative issues." She added that between legislative sessions they focus on "education of ourselves and others." This is not to say that CWA isn't effective; the results speak for themselves. Rather it suggests that the strict hierarchy CWA would like is difficult to maintain and the work that goes into a CWA mobilization likely involves more than just activating the chapter/prayer chains. In fact, many more people receive action alerts who have never been part of a prayer chain. This suggests that in addition to the chapter/prayer chain structure, there is also a good deal of direct mail that goes out from CWA headquarters to produce the waves of mail received around extremely hot issues such as Supreme Court nominations, NEA funding, or the proposed Executive Order ending the ban on gays and lesbians in the military. What are they so worried about? Though the focus of CWA has always been the women's movement, they are also active in opposing sex education, gay rights, drug and alcohol education, funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, and, of course, the Freedom of Choice Act. Until recently, LaHaye and CWA also spent a good deal of time fretting about communists. But apart from these issue positions, CWA is part of the Christian Right effort to change the way we structure our entire society; they are part of the effort to infiltrate and influence secular institutions of all sorts in an attempt to remake them in the image of their Biblical morality. As LaHaye put it in an interview with Ms. Magazine, "Yes, religion and politics do mix. America is a nation based on biblical principles. Christian values dominate our government. The test of those values is the Bible. Politicians who do not use the Bible to guide their public and private lives do not belong in office" (Feb. 1987). Feminist Propoganda? A case study in CWA organizing Perhaps the best way to understand the local impact of Concerned Women for America organizing is to look briefly at a case in point. In Arizona, the Governor's Office of Women's Services scheduled a forum in the city of Phoenix on March 8, 1992, in honor of International Women's Day. The panel of speakers for the event was composed of feminist activists and scholars. The Arizona regional CWA office saw this as a threat and mobilized. Cathy Herrod, CWA regional director for Arizona, sent letters to Governor Symington, several key legislators, and the Office of Women's Services. The IWD committee capitulated to pressure and agreed to include "pro-family" speakers on the panel. At the same time, the local Phoenix chapter hastily put together an exhibit at the event, distributing action alerts asking people to write to the Governor and state legislators, urging them to scrutinize the use of tax dollars to promote feminist propaganda (Family Voice, April 1992, p.26). Earthshaking results obviously do not always come about as the direct effect of CWA organizing. In the Phoenix case, only a single event was affected, and only by being altered to accommodate additional speakers and points of view. However, this is misleading. The fact that CWA was able to gain a hearing in the bastion of their enemies is of far less importance than two key victories: 1) the ease with which the governor's office and Office of Women's Services capitulated--before CWA had a chance to mobilize its prayer chains and letter writing campaigns, and 2) the effects of the aftermath of the event and the challenge to the very existence of the Office of Women's Services. It is with exactly this type of small, easily overlooked victory that successful political movements are built. Far away from the scrutiny of a Presidential election or high-profile piece of legislation, local institutions: school boards, libraries, hospitals, citizens' commissions, neighborhood associations and precinct-level political organs are the key battlegrounds in grassroots organizing. Each victory legitimizes the agenda of the victorious group, forcing allies and opponents alike to accommodate themselves to the demonstrated power of a group like CWA. Conclusion The politics of Concerned Women for America are the politics of reaction. Though the Christian Right might have emerged in reaction to any number of social movements of the last thirty years, CWA is inconceivable without the women's movement. Though its agenda goes beyond anti-feminism and CWA is thoroughly involved in the struggles of the Christian Right, it is impossible to understand CWA's "special role" in the movement without understanding its position as the right wing foil to feminism. Taking cues from the rest of the movement, CWA has developed its own pro-active rhetoric pro-family, pro-life, pro-chastity, etc. This does not change the underlying reality. At the same time, since the bottom line is political power, CWA has jumped into the middle of the current anti-gay backlash for example, leading a successful effort to stop a City of Boston ordinance which would have extended family leave benefits to gay and lesbian partners of municipal employees. They are, in short, willing to work on issues that will be effective organizing tools for their ultimate political ends.
Last modified 2006-08-28 03:10 PM