Keep Adequate Records!!!!

This is a boring post, but I felt it necessary to write it anyway! I work in Records, not as in "Empire Records, open 'til midnight", I mean Government records, boring records, but IMPORTANT records!!! Every week, I get 3 or 4 calls from people asking for their school reports. Now, many of you reading this would be around my age and may or may not remember that most of our school reports were hand written...which would indicate that they were a one off document. Even if they weren't, it may come as a suprise to you that these records are not permanent and are destroyed after a given period of time (not having a General Disposal Schedule close at hand, I can't give you the exact figure). I guess, what I am trying to get at is, think twice before you ditch that pile of papers! If you decide to go to TAFE or Uni, join the armed forces or the police, they may want to see them and it is solely up to you to maintain these records!!!
It doesn't matter how dire your situation is, nobody is going to be able to make them appear if they have been destroyed. The amount of people that say "But I need them to join the Army!" when I tell them that school reports are the individuals responsibility, is amazingly high! These people think that by saying those words in a pleading voice, I'll be able to magically pull their entire school history from a secret drawer under my desk! Sorry folks, adequate records management is your responsibility!!!! Investing in an expandable file, is an investment in your future!!!! :-)

Now, just need to work out a way to get my manager to read my blog, then I might get a promotion for my passion on the topic!