資料來源：http://chinapost.com.tw/guidepost/topics/default.asp?id=4068&next=1&sub=14
HONESTY AND INTEGRITY
A wide range of prospective Father Christmases attended this year's three-day Santa School seminar. There were Santas in sunglasses, Santas in reindeer sweaters and Santas in T-shirts and jeans. There were Santas as young as 28 and Santas as old as 80. There were a few slender Santas, but most looked as if they had stepped out of a Christmas card, from their blue eyes and white beards to their big bellies. Several had traveled thousands of kilometers, including a Santa from Norway.
Some of the Santas were first-timers, but quite a few were, as Snider calls them, "returning alumni." Doug Dodge, a white-bearded Santa from the state of Massachusetts, was making his second trip to the Howard school. "It's an awesome responsibility. You've got to portray Santa with honesty and integrity," he said following a class on Santa storytelling.
Before that, Dodge and his classmates had filled a hotel conference room to hear a talk from an accountant on best tax practices, because, after all, Santa must also report his earnings to the government. Other topics included the history of Santa and resume writing.
Paul Headley, a business owner from the state of Indiana, came along with his Mrs. Claus. "You just learn something new every time you come here," said Headley, who makes Santa appearances back home at schools, senior centers and the occasional basketball game.
Valent, who is an engineer and executive at a construction company, first came to the nonprofit school as a student in the 1970s. His wife, Holly, now helps him run the school, which is about 160 kilometers north of the city of Detroit. "We've been given a great gift — to be allowed to portray the image of Santa Claus," Valent said shortly after giving the class a few pointers on interacting with children. "We can't teach people everything there is to know about Santa Claus in this short time, but we can throw out some ideas and develop their interests and hopefully they'll be thinking about these ideas for a long time."
Snider gets so much out of the experience that he has gone back a half-dozen times. "The heart of Santa resides in the Santa School in Midland," he said. "So we come back at often as we can for the fellowship, to compare notes and get ready for the new Christmas season."
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