Our children and grandchildren have really just finished school and it is already time to be thinking of future school years. For some, they will head off to college, university or seminary. Others are planning on doing that at some point down the road. Most parents would understand the need to allow our children to be well trained for whatever vocation or ministry the Lord has for them.

It has recently been calculated that the average cost of education (including tuition, and room and board) will be over $64,000 by the year 2005, based on findings of the Education Finance Statistics Centre. For those who plan ahead and start when their children are young, a small monthly amount of $50 - $100 would accumulate and offset most of the cost. For those who don't plan ahead, the cost of $64,000 could more than double if the amount is borrowed and repaid over a long period of time.

So, what's a parent to do?

The first thing to do is to start planning now. By putting away a small amount regularly, it could become a considerable amount by the time it is needed. As part of this, start a Registered Education Savings Program for your children. It is a government program that allows you to defer taxes on this money and have these taxes paid by the student, usually resulting in little or no tax. Along with this, you can utilize the Canada Education Savings Grant where the Federal government provides up to 20% of the annual amount deposited (up to $400 per year per child). This can quickly add up and dramatically improve the situation.

In addition, you need to sit with your children at an appropriate time and work out the portion for which they will be responsible as they share of the cost. It has been shown that children are more interested in their education when they have contributed to the costs.

Summer's here. But are you ready for the next school year?

Napoleon's genius had been attributed to many things, but, above all, he was a superb natural leader of men. Like any wise leader he was aware that his own success would have been nothing had his men not been willing, even eager, to follow him. Obviously he could not know and personally inspire every man in his vast army, therefore he devised a simple technique for circumventing this difficulty. Before visiting a regiment he would call the colonel aside and ask for the name of a soldier who had served well in previous campaigns, but who had not been given the credit he deserved. The colonel would indicate such a man. Napoleon would then learn everything about him, where he was born, the names of his family, his exploits in battle, etc. Later, upon passing this man while reviewing the troops, and at a signal from the colonel, Napoleon would stop, single out the man, greet him warmly, ask about his family, compliment him on his bravery and loyalty, reminisce about old campaigns, then pin a medal on the grat eful soldier. The gesture worked. After the review, the other soldiers would remark, "You see, he knows us--he remembers. He knows our families. He knows we have served."

Bits & Pieces, October 17, 1991.

Habits are first cobwebs, then cables.

Spanish proverb.