Hello and welcome to the CIOBS blog.
I am sure that all potential Chartered Bankers and those studying for the related Diplomas will be aware that the results of the Spring diet are now available on this website.
I have reproduced the above news with the kind permission of Peter Moir.
His permission must be sought for any reproduction that takes place here at CIOBS!
This is an historic time as the examination format is changing and there will be no more fixed diets. Students will be able to sit the final examinations at a time that suits them. Examinations will be available on a weekly basis starting in September of this year.
Was there a tear in Peter's eye yesterday?
The start of this week saw an Apex 5 revision session taking place here at CIOBS. In fact the attendees were delighted due to the fact that I took the session on Monday with Raymond taking over on Tuesday.
Two for the price of one or was it buy one get one free?
You can make your mind up as to why the students were delighted!
Raymond is off on his travels again this afternoon - Look out Fife he is on his way. The last time he was in Fife the group was with him all the way, however, he managed to shake them off at the Kincardine Bridge.
I am sure it will be safe for him to return to the Kingdom today.
Talking of travel, I will be starting two weeks annual leave tomorrow. So no more blogging for me during that time.
I am sure that Raymond will keep you posted on all the joys and sorrows of CIOBS during my absence and he might even have some kind words.
Congratulations to those who have passed the examinations - I am sure that you will enjoy the celebrations.
And there's more. Our AGM takes places here at Drumsheugh later today.
I look forward to seeing some of our blogees in attendance.
Michael (Do we have an AGM every year?)
Thursday, 26 June 2008
Thursday, 19 June 2008
A Marvellous Night For a Moondance
Well here we are again and on a Thursday too! A very warm welcome to the CIOBS Blog.
That's us nearly at the end of another week and what an interesting week it has been. Your very own Raymond Brown has been out and about this week and his travels have taken him to Fife and Renfrewshire. He is very popular in both places. So much so that he is making return visits next week.
I have had a few enquiries this week regarding the results of the Chartered Banker and related Diploma examinations which took place recently. The scheduled date is 5th July. Results will be posted on our website on or about that date. Not long to go now and good luck to everyone involved.
Congratulations to my colleague Pamela Harrower who took part in last weekend's Moonwalk Edinburgh 2008. Pamela walked in aid of charity. Well done Pamela. Pamela did the full moon which covers a distance of 26.2 miles. The half moon is a distance of 13.1 miles funnily enough!
My spies tell me that a male member of the CIOBS staff was spotted in the Meadows area of Edinburgh at the end of the walk. Did he take part? What was he wearing? I think we should be told. Did he do the Full Moon or the Half Moon?
Today we have a delegation of members of The Beijing Financial Education Centre visiting us here at Drumsheugh Gardens. A warm welcome to you all on this sunny morning.
This week's Podcast is now available on this website and Inflation is very much to the fore. Don't blame me I only report what is going on!
A big thank you to the correspondent who raised the question of management speak this week and sent us some examples of the same.
"My least favourite business-speak term is not enough bandwidth. When an employee used this term to refuse an additional assignment, I realised I was completely 'out of the loop'."
I once had a boss who said, "You can't have your cake and eat it, so you have to step up to the plate and face the music." It was in that moment I knew I had to resign before somebody got badly hurt by a pencil.
"The latest that's stuck in my head is we are still optimistic things will feed through the sales and delivery pipeline (i.e.: we actually haven't sold anything to anyone yet but maybe we will one day)."
Do you use any of the above? Do you know someone who does? Maybe you have some more to add. Please let me know. All correspondence to michael@ciobs.org.uk
Michael (Pushing the envelope)
That's us nearly at the end of another week and what an interesting week it has been. Your very own Raymond Brown has been out and about this week and his travels have taken him to Fife and Renfrewshire. He is very popular in both places. So much so that he is making return visits next week.
I have had a few enquiries this week regarding the results of the Chartered Banker and related Diploma examinations which took place recently. The scheduled date is 5th July. Results will be posted on our website on or about that date. Not long to go now and good luck to everyone involved.
Congratulations to my colleague Pamela Harrower who took part in last weekend's Moonwalk Edinburgh 2008. Pamela walked in aid of charity. Well done Pamela. Pamela did the full moon which covers a distance of 26.2 miles. The half moon is a distance of 13.1 miles funnily enough!
My spies tell me that a male member of the CIOBS staff was spotted in the Meadows area of Edinburgh at the end of the walk. Did he take part? What was he wearing? I think we should be told. Did he do the Full Moon or the Half Moon?
Today we have a delegation of members of The Beijing Financial Education Centre visiting us here at Drumsheugh Gardens. A warm welcome to you all on this sunny morning.
This week's Podcast is now available on this website and Inflation is very much to the fore. Don't blame me I only report what is going on!
A big thank you to the correspondent who raised the question of management speak this week and sent us some examples of the same.
"My least favourite business-speak term is not enough bandwidth. When an employee used this term to refuse an additional assignment, I realised I was completely 'out of the loop'."
I once had a boss who said, "You can't have your cake and eat it, so you have to step up to the plate and face the music." It was in that moment I knew I had to resign before somebody got badly hurt by a pencil.
"The latest that's stuck in my head is we are still optimistic things will feed through the sales and delivery pipeline (i.e.: we actually haven't sold anything to anyone yet but maybe we will one day)."
Do you use any of the above? Do you know someone who does? Maybe you have some more to add. Please let me know. All correspondence to michael@ciobs.org.uk
Michael (Pushing the envelope)
Wednesday, 11 June 2008
An Informative Blog
Welcome to the CIOBS blog.I know it is Wednesday and this might confuse some of our regular readers, but hey, a change is as good as a rest – so why not a Wednesday blog.
Keeping with this theme, our weekly news podcast which is normally posted to the website on a Thursday has been posted a day earlier this week.
This is due to operational reasons.I will say nothing further on this one.
What I will say is that negative equity makes an appearance.This might be a new topic to some of our younger readers.
The podcast can be found here:
http://www.ciobs.org.uk/about/what_podcasts.cfm (This will require to be pasted into your browser - This is due to other operational reasons)
I have received the latest copy of the CIOBS magazine Scottish Banker this morning, the June/July edition and I am sure that it is on its way to all members as we speak. Some good stuff in there as always including the CIOBS annual report.
Anything happening with Chartered Banker this week Michael? Yes there is.
Mr. Raymond Brown can be heard in all his glory in a superb presentation explaining about some major changes to the qualification and it is especially applicable to those who will enrol after 1st August 2008.
You can hear the great man in full flight here:
http://cibsbreeze.ciobs.org.uk/chbanker2008 (Will require to be Pasted)
Further to last week’s mention there is now some news regarding the format of revision sessions for 2008/9
Details can be found here:
http://www.ciobs.org.uk/qualifications/downloads/Revision_Course_Timetable.pdf (Pasting required)
A lot of information there! And a bit of pasting too!
And finally……………….
A big thank you to one of our correspondents for the following tales from the banking world of yesteryear:
An Inspector Calls
The 'Inspector's team' descended unannounced to inspect branches' books.'Surprise' visits were impossible in the Western or Northern Isles. The ship's wireless operator would radio to Lochmaddy or Stornoway, that three 'Edinburgh' gentlemen – they always wore bowler hats and riding macs - were on board, giving banks time to prepare for their visitors...
Cause to smile
Inspectors often kept records of amusing branch correspondence...
"Her 18-year-old daughter has been associated with the pigs for the last few months - by physique and temperament she is well suited for this purpose." (Application for current account, Feb 1955)
"Farming will be more profitable from now on as she is selling her own milk…"
(Letter from a rural branch)
These may bring back some happy memories for some and indeed unhappy memories for others.
Michael (It must have been fun in the fifties!)
Keeping with this theme, our weekly news podcast which is normally posted to the website on a Thursday has been posted a day earlier this week.
This is due to operational reasons.I will say nothing further on this one.
What I will say is that negative equity makes an appearance.This might be a new topic to some of our younger readers.
The podcast can be found here:
http://www.ciobs.org.uk/about/what_podcasts.cfm (This will require to be pasted into your browser - This is due to other operational reasons)
I have received the latest copy of the CIOBS magazine Scottish Banker this morning, the June/July edition and I am sure that it is on its way to all members as we speak. Some good stuff in there as always including the CIOBS annual report.
Anything happening with Chartered Banker this week Michael? Yes there is.
Mr. Raymond Brown can be heard in all his glory in a superb presentation explaining about some major changes to the qualification and it is especially applicable to those who will enrol after 1st August 2008.
You can hear the great man in full flight here:
http://cibsbreeze.ciobs.org.uk/chbanker2008 (Will require to be Pasted)
Further to last week’s mention there is now some news regarding the format of revision sessions for 2008/9
Details can be found here:
http://www.ciobs.org.uk/qualifications/downloads/Revision_Course_Timetable.pdf (Pasting required)
A lot of information there! And a bit of pasting too!
And finally……………….
A big thank you to one of our correspondents for the following tales from the banking world of yesteryear:
An Inspector Calls
The 'Inspector's team' descended unannounced to inspect branches' books.'Surprise' visits were impossible in the Western or Northern Isles. The ship's wireless operator would radio to Lochmaddy or Stornoway, that three 'Edinburgh' gentlemen – they always wore bowler hats and riding macs - were on board, giving banks time to prepare for their visitors...
Cause to smile
Inspectors often kept records of amusing branch correspondence...
"Her 18-year-old daughter has been associated with the pigs for the last few months - by physique and temperament she is well suited for this purpose." (Application for current account, Feb 1955)
"Farming will be more profitable from now on as she is selling her own milk…"
(Letter from a rural branch)
These may bring back some happy memories for some and indeed unhappy memories for others.
Michael (It must have been fun in the fifties!)
Thursday, 5 June 2008
Congratulations
Hello to you all and a very warm welcome to the first blog of June.
How can I follow the great man’s blog from last week? It was everything that a blog should be. Informative, accurate and with a touch of the famous Brown humour.
My spies tell me that the great man did a fantastic job in his role as chairman last Tuesday. Will he be resting on his laurels? Hardly! I did rest on some laurels once. I can't recommend it, though.They are a lot spikier than they look.
John Swinney was delighted to get a mention last week of course – his office have contacted CIOBS and thanked us for the publicity.
I will be out and about today visiting Springburn Academy in the north east of Glasgow, where I will doing a bit of recruitment for the Schools Certificate in Financial Services.
This involves school students studying for a Certificate in guess what? Yes, you are absolutely correct – Financial Services.This qualification is most suitable for students who have aspirations (Sorry JS!) of a career in the Financial Services industry.
Did you know that the European Central Bank celebrated its 10th anniversary on 1st June?
This has got me reminiscing about the forerunner of the Euro, the European Currency Unit or ECU.
Do any of you remember this currency? It was a trading currency with no notes or coins ever being issued and was subsequently replaced by the Euro.
The 10th anniversary of the Euro is on 1st January 2009.
Where has the time gone?
Today, the single currency is used in an area that stretches from Cyprus to Ireland and from Portugal to Finland. More than half of all EU Member States have already adopted the euro.
All this Euro talk, the holiday season must be upon us.
Congratulations to Mr.Edward Bowen the oldest member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers in Scotland who celebrated his 100th birthday on 2nd June.
Mr. Bowen, joined Bank of Scotland as a 16-year old apprentice at Carnoustie branch, became a member of the permanent staff in 1928 and joined the Inspector's team in Edinburgh the following year. Between 1947-1968, he held branch management positions at Arbroath, Dundee and Aberdeen. He became training officer in 1969 and retired in 1972.
Here at Drumsheugh there is plenty going on as usual. Amongst other other things we are looking at the revision sessions for the new format Chartered Banker examinations. As students will be sitting examinations at various times throughout the year, changes will be happening and some of these will be radical! Watch this space.
Oh well I better get off my laurels and head for the north east of Glasgow.
Michael (Go west)
How can I follow the great man’s blog from last week? It was everything that a blog should be. Informative, accurate and with a touch of the famous Brown humour.
My spies tell me that the great man did a fantastic job in his role as chairman last Tuesday. Will he be resting on his laurels? Hardly! I did rest on some laurels once. I can't recommend it, though.They are a lot spikier than they look.
John Swinney was delighted to get a mention last week of course – his office have contacted CIOBS and thanked us for the publicity.
I will be out and about today visiting Springburn Academy in the north east of Glasgow, where I will doing a bit of recruitment for the Schools Certificate in Financial Services.
This involves school students studying for a Certificate in guess what? Yes, you are absolutely correct – Financial Services.This qualification is most suitable for students who have aspirations (Sorry JS!) of a career in the Financial Services industry.
Did you know that the European Central Bank celebrated its 10th anniversary on 1st June?
This has got me reminiscing about the forerunner of the Euro, the European Currency Unit or ECU.
Do any of you remember this currency? It was a trading currency with no notes or coins ever being issued and was subsequently replaced by the Euro.
The 10th anniversary of the Euro is on 1st January 2009.
Where has the time gone?
Today, the single currency is used in an area that stretches from Cyprus to Ireland and from Portugal to Finland. More than half of all EU Member States have already adopted the euro.
All this Euro talk, the holiday season must be upon us.
Congratulations to Mr.Edward Bowen the oldest member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers in Scotland who celebrated his 100th birthday on 2nd June.
Mr. Bowen, joined Bank of Scotland as a 16-year old apprentice at Carnoustie branch, became a member of the permanent staff in 1928 and joined the Inspector's team in Edinburgh the following year. Between 1947-1968, he held branch management positions at Arbroath, Dundee and Aberdeen. He became training officer in 1969 and retired in 1972.
Here at Drumsheugh there is plenty going on as usual. Amongst other other things we are looking at the revision sessions for the new format Chartered Banker examinations. As students will be sitting examinations at various times throughout the year, changes will be happening and some of these will be radical! Watch this space.
Oh well I better get off my laurels and head for the north east of Glasgow.
Michael (Go west)
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