illiland's Men in Green, Again

ome time ago Baron Von Lodge was the head of a small country near Switzerland known as Lilliland.

When visitors came to Lilliland and walked around the town, they often noticed pairs of men in green jackets walking around. The men in green jackets were the idea of Lady Angela of Alpine Castle, the Baron’s fiancée. They became commonly known as the “Green Men.”

Lady Angela noticed that many visitors liked personal help in having certain areas of Lilliland pointed out to them. The purpose of the men in green was to direct visitors around the town. Almost like helpful tour guides.

To qualify as a man in green, they had to be at least seventy years of age, have a helpful, friendly disposition, and be familiar with Lilliland. For this position, they received a stipend and a free lunch pass to any of several restaurants.

The Green Men are looked upon with respect because they are knowledgeable and very good for business. People often want to have their pictures taken with them or have the Green Man take a picture of the visitors. The Green Men would help with a wheelchair, the elderly, or a baby carriage.

Once a month Lady Angela held an afternoon tea on the outdoor patio that overlooked the lake. All of the men in green were the guests of honor. The Baron and the Professor were often in attendance.

Sometimes visitors would offer suggestions to them and they passed the suggestions on to the Baron or the Professor. One such suggestion was to have all the store hours coordinated so that visitors never had to stand outside and wait because of the difference in one store’s operating hours.

Another suggestion was that stores should have a place for husbands to sit while their wives shopped. Another was to send purchases directly to the visitor’s hotel room at no charge, instead of carrying them all around town while doing further shopping. The tourists also liked the free band concerts held in the park band shell in the middle of town.

One visitor suggested a large cabin in the mountains be put aside especially for groups of people on a religious retreat.

The service of the men in green had proven itself invaluable asset for the hospitality program in Lilliland.

Lady Angela was reminded by Professor Hamblin that the idea was tried several years earlier and initially worked out fine until the women wanted to join the group, then all the men quit. “From now on,” Lady Angela assured them, “both men and women will be qualified if they are friendly and well informed about Lilliland.”