Santa Goes to School!
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Santa Alan and his Mrs Claus report that the School4Santas training aboard the Island Princess cruise ship was a very "in-depth" school covering not only the basics, but many other subjects.
Santa goes to School? It is true. There are special schools for Santas (and Mrs. Claus, elves, and other Santa's helpers, too)! Alan and Kathy Burgess, residents of Golden Hills, recently attended a very special school aboard the Island Princess cruise ship, and received their degrees in "Santaclausology." Following the Santa Cruise 2014, they also took a land tour of Alaska, Denali National Park, Fairbanks and the wonderful little town of North Pole, Alaska.
Hundreds of Santa's and a few Mrs. Claus have begun their preparations for the 2014 Holiday Season by attending the two-day "School 4 Santas," presented by the International University of Santa Claus™, IUSC. Over 2,900 have attended the school in the past ten years.
A part-time, volunteer Santa for over 40 years, Alan learned there is more to being Santa, than just wearing a Red Suit and sitting in a chair. During the special two-day school he learned a great deal about "The Business of Santa Claus." Subjects covered included the day to day details of being Santa, plus the necessary elements of safety and today's protocols of working with and handling children.
While stationed near Adana, Turkey in 1974, Alan served as the official Santa for the American military families stationed at the Incirlik Common Defense Installation. Following an early morning flight in an F-4 "Phantom" jet with its "nose" painted red, Santa Alan landed on the flight line and was greeted by the wing commander who helped Santa from the fighter jet and into a waiting horse-drawn carriage that took him to a large hanger, wherein virtually every child on the installation were waiting to sit on Santa's lap for photos and the opportunity to make their Christmas wishes known. Mrs. Claus reports he held nearly 2,000 on his lap that morning!
Santa Alan and his Mrs Claus report that the School4Santas training aboard the Island Princess cruise ship was a very "in-depth" school covering not only the basics, but many other subjects.
"We learned a great deal including how to work with special needs children and their families, the history of Santa Claus, proper grooming and appearance, how to maintain a proper Santa wardrobe, and much, much more."
Other subjects covered at the school included making appearances at special events, parties, parades, tree lightings, home visits, entertainment & presentation styles, and the basic business aspects of being a Santa.
At the completion of the School all graduates received a BSC, "Bachelor of Santa Claus" Diploma, conferring a degree in Santaclausology. And they instantly became members of the school's alumni association, "The Red Suit Society."
The school is presented by Santa Tim Connaghan, Chancellor of IUSC, who is celebrating his 47th year as a Santa. Santa Tim has appeared at thousands of events, on television shows including the Today Show, Deal or No Deal, the Hollywood Christmas Parade, Dr. Phil, the Tonight Show, and in advertising and commercials for such clients as Oreos, Sears, Target, J.C. Penney, HoneyBaked Ham, Planter's, Ritz Crackers, Kraft, Old Navy, and the Hallmark Channel. He also operates the nation's largest Santa employment agency, RealSantas.com, which has placed as many as 700 Santas during one Holiday season.
School4Santas is presented by The International University of Santa Claus™ and is the only Santa School that travels to different cities. Schools have also been presented in Canada, Europe and each year aboard a select Princess Cruise. Each summer hundreds of Santas attend these schools, which will visit 10 to 12 cities each year. Over 2,900 Santas and Mrs. Clauses have attended the School and it is the largest annual Santa Training School in the World.
Want to contact this great local couple for the holidays? ajb1946@gmail.com or 661-823-9923.
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For more information on IUSC, School4Santas, RealSantas.com or The Red Suit Society, please visit our main web site at http://thekringlegroup.com For more information on Santa Tim, visit: http://SantaHollywood.com
