Passport fees that an applicant must pay depend on the type of service requested and how quickly the travel document is needed. That being the case, the cost of a passport can vary from to several hundred dollars. This article will provide you with a breakdown of the fees that you will need to pay in order to get a passport.

The application fee for a new passport book for an adult is 0. This is the same whether you are applying for the first-time or replacing for a lost, stolen or damaged one. The application fee for a new passport book for a minor is . Passport cards are less. Adults pay while the fee for a minor to get one is only .

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Both minors and adults must pay an execution fee of when submitting form DS-11. This is paid to the agent where the application is submitted. This can be at a local application acceptance facility or a regional agency. There is no execution fee when an adult applies for a passport renewal.

A fee of 0 is required of applicants who are unable to submit evidence of U.S. citizenship to request. This pays for a file search of an applicant's previous passport or Consular Report of Birth Abroad.

There are only 16 visa pages in a 24-page passport book. If you travel often, this may not be a sufficient number of visa pages to last the length of the passport's validity. You may be required to apply for additional pages. There is a fee of for this service.

Passports services for which there are no fees include a name change if the request is made within one year from the current passport's date of issuance. There is also no fee for if you need to apply to correct data errors in your travel document.

Applicants who need to have the passport application processed in 2 weeks or less can request expedited service. There is an additional fee for this service. Same day service is only available at regional agencies. You can submit the application in person or get a professional expediting service to do it for you if you live to far away or do not have the time.

The passport fees listed above are based on the most recent fee scale. The cost of most services was increased. Even so, the amount is less than the passport fees charged by many other countries. Consider this, a new passport for an adult costs only .13 a month over the 10-year validity of the passport.

There are hundreds of locations where Alabama residents can apply for a new U.S. passport. Passport acceptance facilities are located throughout the state, mostly in post offices or county government offices. The agent in these locations witnesses the signing of your application.

There is at least one acceptance facility in each of the following counties: Autauga, Baldwin, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Butler, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Choctaw, Clarke, Clay, Cleburne, Cofffee, Colber, Conecuh, Coosa, Covington, Crenshaw, Cullman, Dale, Dallas, De Kalb, Elmore, Escambia, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin, Geneva, Greene, Hale, Houston, Jackson, Jefferson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lee, Limestone, Macon, Madison, Marenga, Marion, Marshall, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Perry, Pickens, Randolph, Russell, Saint Clair, Shelby, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Wilcox and Winston.

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If you can't find a passport office in your county, check in one or more of the surrounding counties. Jefferson county has the highest number of acceptance facilities with at least seven. The state capital offers the following locations.

Downtown Station Post Office
135 Catoma Street
Montgomery, AL 36104

Montgomery Post Office
6701 Winton Blount Boulevard
General Mail Facility
Montgomery, AL 36119

You can request both regular or expedited processing of your application. Regular processing takes four to six weeks. Expedited passports are usually sent to you in two to three weeks.

If you need to get your passport faster because your departure date is nearing or you also need to obtain a travel visa, then you can apply for your new passport at the New Orleans passport agency that attends residents of Alabama. The address is as follows:

One Canal Place
365 Canal Street, Suite 1300
New Orleans, LA 70130-6508

You make the appointment by calling toll free 1-877-487-2778. Sometimes, it takes several attempts to get through. Once the appointment time and date is set, you should arrive at the regional agency a few minutes early with the completed application Form DS-11 and all the required documents, photos and payment. If everything is in order, you should walk out with your new passport in hand.

American citizens that live in Florida have three options when it comes to obtaining a new U.S. passport. They can apply at a local passport application acceptance facility, a regional agency or a professional expediting service. The location you choose will depend on a few factors. Let's look closer at each option.

Florida Passport Offices

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The first option, which takes the longest amount of time to process, is to apply at a Florida passport application acceptance facility. These facilities are most often located in local post offices but they can sometimes be found in public libraries or county clerk's offices.

Residents of Florida will find at least one passport office in each of the following counties: Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, Dade, De Soto, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Holmes, Indian River, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Saint Johns, Saint Lucie, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton, Washington.

There are a few counties that do not have a passport application acceptance facility. In this case, you need to look in neighboring counties. Dade County has the largest number of passport offices with at least forty-two. The state capital has three locations. Here is the address of a couple of these.

Leon County Clerk of Circuit Court
313 S Calhoun Street Suite 101
Tallahassee, FL 32301

Tallahassee Main Post Office
2800 S Adams Street
Tallahassee, FL 32301

Routine processing takes four to six weeks. Expedited service will get your application processed in two to three weeks. If you need to get your passport faster, then you will have to choose an alternative method.

Miami Passport Agency

Another location where Florida residents can apply for a new passport is the Miami Passport Agency. This regional agency attends American citizens who need to get their travel document in two weeks or less. Regional agencies process same day passports. The address is given below.

Omni Center
1501 Biscayne Boulevard
Suite 210
Miami, FL 3313

The first step to applying for expedited passport service at the Miami agency is to set up an appointment. You do this by calling 1-877-487-2778. During peak travel seasons, the line can become congested. It may take several attempts before you are able to schedule your appointment.

The regional agency is open from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm, Monday through Friday except for national holidays. They are not open on weekends.

You are encouraged to arrive a little early since you have to pass through the security check. You will then be directed to the appropriate room where you will take a number and wait to be called. When your number is shown, you direct yourself to the appropriate desk and submit the application form and supporting documents to the passport agent.

If all your documents are all accepted, you will be asked to return later to receive your passport. This will very likely be the same day. Problems with your documents can delay the process. To avoid this, it is important that you verify all the requirements and follow them carefully.

Professional Passport Expediting Services

Florida residents, who must get a passport quickly but cannot personally visit the Miami agency, can still obtain a passport in a hurry by applying through a professional expediter. Expediters are registered with regional agencies for the purpose of submitting applications for American citizens who cannot do it themselves.

While there are several expediting services that operate in Miami, it is good to choose one that has offices in other locations as well. The reason is that the regional passport agencies limit the number of same day passports that each expediter can request at each agency. Expediters that operate through several agencies can submit a larger volume of same day passport applications.

Expediters have been around for decades and are a great resource when you are in a bind and run the risk of having to cancel your trip.

There are hundreds of locations where Alabama residents can apply for a new U.S. passport. Passport acceptance facilities are located throughout the state, mostly in post offices or county government offices. The agent in these locations witnesses the signing of your application.

There is at least one acceptance facility in each of the following counties: Autauga, Baldwin, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Butler, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Choctaw, Clarke, Clay, Cleburne, Cofffee, Colber, Conecuh, Coosa, Covington, Crenshaw, Cullman, Dale, Dallas, De Kalb, Elmore, Escambia, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin, Geneva, Greene, Hale, Houston, Jackson, Jefferson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lee, Limestone, Macon, Madison, Marenga, Marion, Marshall, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Perry, Pickens, Randolph, Russell, Saint Clair, Shelby, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Wilcox and Winston.

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If you can't find a passport office in your county, check in one or more of the surrounding counties. Jefferson county has the highest number of acceptance facilities with at least seven. The state capital offers the following locations.

Downtown Station Post Office
135 Catoma Street
Montgomery, AL 36104

Montgomery Post Office
6701 Winton Blount Boulevard
General Mail Facility
Montgomery, AL 36119

You can request both regular or expedited processing of your application. Regular processing takes four to six weeks. Expedited passports are usually sent to you in two to three weeks.

If you need to get your passport faster because your departure date is nearing or you also need to obtain a travel visa, then you can apply for your new passport at the New Orleans passport agency that attends residents of Alabama. The address is as follows:

One Canal Place
365 Canal Street, Suite 1300
New Orleans, LA 70130-6508

You make the appointment by calling toll free 1-877-487-2778. Sometimes, it takes several attempts to get through. Once the appointment time and date is set, you should arrive at the regional agency a few minutes early with the completed application Form DS-11 and all the required documents, photos and payment. If everything is in order, you should walk out with your new passport in hand.

After you have set up real estate income and expense categories and also created classifications for tracking the properties you own, you will find it very easy to do your bookkeeping with Money. You just need to make sure that you use the appropriate real estate income category to categorize any rent checks you receive as deposits. And, similarly, you need to use the appropriate real estate expense category to record any checks you write or other account withdrawals that are made because of expenses associated with owning, operating, or maintaining the property.

The other point you need to remember is that you also need to classify income and expense transactions associated with a real estate property by providing the property classification when you record the transaction.

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A deposit transaction looks the same as any other deposit transaction. You enter the number, if needed, the date, the "from" information, the amount, the category (which is a real estate income category), and a memo description if needed. Note, however, that Money also provides a
Properties list box in the transaction entry area. After you have added a Properties classification, Money adds these boxes. To use them, simply click the box's button and select the property. For example, if you are recording a rent check from a tenant at a property for which you set up the classification "Rose Hill Manor," select the Rose Hill Manor property from the Properties list box.

Recording a rental expense works in the same way. The transaction entry form area includes a check number, the check date, the name of the individual or business you are paying, the category information (using real estate expense categories, of course), and a memo description. However, the transaction entry form area also provides Properties boxes that you use to identify the property for which the expense was incurred. If a check is written to pay some expense for the property "Kirkland Square," for example, this information is recorded by selecting the Kirkland Square entry from the Properties list box.

By using the appropriate real estate income and expense categories as well as classifications for each of the properties you own and manage, Money collects the data needed for producing reports that summarize the income, deductions, and cash flow by property. This information also lets you easily prepare any year-end income tax forms required of a real estate investor.

How do I keep track of outstanding rent payments?

Money doesn't provide the sophisticated accounts receivables features that are avail- able in full-blown business accounting programs. As a result, Money doesn't provide any formal tools for you to use for tracking the amounts that tenants owe you.

You can, however, create a recurring deposits transaction. If you create a recurring deposits transaction for each tenant payment you are owed, Money will remind you to record this deposit-say, at the rent due date. This reminder, in effect, will work as an accounts payable aging. In other words, if you are notified on the 10th of every month that you should record a check from one of the tenants in your Rose Hill Manor building, this reminder will alert you when you haven't been paid.

To set up a recurring deposits transaction, take the following steps:

1. Display the checking account register you usually use for recording real
estate income and expense information.

Click the Accounts & Bills link, and then select Account List. When Money dis-
plays the Pick An Account To Use window, double-click the name of the bank
account you use for this record keeping and checking activity.

2. Indicate that you want to set up a recurring deposit.

To tell Money that you want to set up a recurring deposit for some tenant rent
payment you expect to record every month, click the Deposit tab. Then click the Common Deposits button, choose Recurring Deposits, and then choose Create A New Recurring Deposit from the sub menu. Money then displays the Create New Scheduled Deposit dialog box.

3. Describe the tenant rent payment.

Describe the tenant rent check that you are owed. For example, when the dialog box asks "Who is this deposit from?", you answer by providing the tenant name. When the dialog box asks "How often does the deposit occur?", indicate that the deposit frequency is monthly because the tenant pays his rent monthly. When the dialog box asks for the total amount of the deposit, obviously, you enter the rent amount.

After you have provided this information, Money will prompt you to record the rent check each month, if you haven't already recorded it. This means that if Money prompts you to record a rent check, it is probably past due or at least due.

After you have set up real estate income and expense categories and also created classifications for tracking the properties you own, you will find it very easy to do your bookkeeping with Money. You just need to make sure that you use the appropriate real estate income category to categorize any rent checks you receive as deposits. And, similarly, you need to use the appropriate real estate expense category to record any checks you write or other account withdrawals that are made because of expenses associated with owning, operating, or maintaining the property.

The other point you need to remember is that you also need to classify income and expense transactions associated with a real estate property by providing the property classification when you record the transaction.

Manor

A deposit transaction looks the same as any other deposit transaction. You enter the number, if needed, the date, the "from" information, the amount, the category (which is a real estate income category), and a memo description if needed. Note, however, that Money also provides a
Properties list box in the transaction entry area. After you have added a Properties classification, Money adds these boxes. To use them, simply click the box's button and select the property. For example, if you are recording a rent check from a tenant at a property for which you set up the classification "Rose Hill Manor," select the Rose Hill Manor property from the Properties list box.

Recording a rental expense works in the same way. The transaction entry form area includes a check number, the check date, the name of the individual or business you are paying, the category information (using real estate expense categories, of course), and a memo description. However, the transaction entry form area also provides Properties boxes that you use to identify the property for which the expense was incurred. If a check is written to pay some expense for the property "Kirkland Square," for example, this information is recorded by selecting the Kirkland Square entry from the Properties list box.

By using the appropriate real estate income and expense categories as well as classifications for each of the properties you own and manage, Money collects the data needed for producing reports that summarize the income, deductions, and cash flow by property. This information also lets you easily prepare any year-end income tax forms required of a real estate investor.

How do I keep track of outstanding rent payments?

Money doesn't provide the sophisticated accounts receivables features that are avail- able in full-blown business accounting programs. As a result, Money doesn't provide any formal tools for you to use for tracking the amounts that tenants owe you.

You can, however, create a recurring deposits transaction. If you create a recurring deposits transaction for each tenant payment you are owed, Money will remind you to record this deposit-say, at the rent due date. This reminder, in effect, will work as an accounts payable aging. In other words, if you are notified on the 10th of every month that you should record a check from one of the tenants in your Rose Hill Manor building, this reminder will alert you when you haven't been paid.

To set up a recurring deposits transaction, take the following steps:

1. Display the checking account register you usually use for recording real
estate income and expense information.

Click the Accounts & Bills link, and then select Account List. When Money dis-
plays the Pick An Account To Use window, double-click the name of the bank
account you use for this record keeping and checking activity.

2. Indicate that you want to set up a recurring deposit.

To tell Money that you want to set up a recurring deposit for some tenant rent
payment you expect to record every month, click the Deposit tab. Then click the Common Deposits button, choose Recurring Deposits, and then choose Create A New Recurring Deposit from the sub menu. Money then displays the Create New Scheduled Deposit dialog box.

3. Describe the tenant rent payment.

Describe the tenant rent check that you are owed. For example, when the dialog box asks "Who is this deposit from?", you answer by providing the tenant name. When the dialog box asks "How often does the deposit occur?", indicate that the deposit frequency is monthly because the tenant pays his rent monthly. When the dialog box asks for the total amount of the deposit, obviously, you enter the rent amount.

After you have provided this information, Money will prompt you to record the rent check each month, if you haven't already recorded it. This means that if Money prompts you to record a rent check, it is probably past due or at least due.

Vacationing in Durham is fun and exciting, when it comes to a night out for fun or a quiet evening there are several Durham gay bars that can be visited. These are bars where the local gay community frequents and where the staff welcomes the visitor from out of town.

There is Annie's Bar, this is a pub like atmosphere where having a evening of socializing includes the local ales. It is also a bar that on the weekends has live events to liven up the pub for its patrons.

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Switch Bar is one of the weekend hotspots where music and dancing is on the list, along with drink specials. The local ales are available and many of the locals will be found at Switch Bar on weekends for a fun night out.

The Hallgarth Manor Country Hotel and Restaurant has a bar that is inviting and a perfect place for a quiet night out of drinks and conversation in a warm inviting place with a friendly staff.

Powerhouse is one of the Durham gay bars where live entertainment can be found, along with music and dancing. The bar holds different nights where a specific music genre is played and because it has so many changes weekly it keeps the bar fun and exciting not only to visitors, but also to the locals.

For the bar with a lot of excitement on weekends there is Gossip, this is a bar with a trendy atmosphere. There are DJ's and dancing, the bar has drink specials and during the week there is karaoke or other live entertainment for the patrons.

A multiple entry visa to India is available to travelers who wish to enter the country on more than one occasion during a specific period of time. The multiple entry tourist visas have validity of either 6 months or 10 years. The multiple entry business visas have validity of 1 year, 5 years and 10 years. This article will present the requirements needed for U.S. citizens who obtain a multiple entry visa to India.

India has modified visa requirements several times over the past few months. The most recent change requires applicants to submit a copy of either their birth certificate or school diploma. Applicants should not send original documents and the Indian consular service does not take responsibility for any original documents that are sent. Other requirements include a completed visa application, a valid passport and two passport-style photos. India will no longer accept visa applications in which the applicant is wearing glasses in the photo.

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Business visa applicants must also provide a business letter on company letterhead stating the nature of business to be conducted in India and the name of a reference in India. The letter also has to specify the validity and number of entries that the applicant is requesting. A sponsor letter from the organization in India must also be submitted. This, too, must be on company letterhead.

Travelers who are granted a multiple entry tourist visa to India are now required to wait two months between each visit. Anyone who wants to visit India before the two month gap is completed must request special permission from the respective Head of Mission. Requests are evaluated on a case-by-case basis and there is no guarantee that permission will be granted.

The US passport renewal fee was increased last year to 0. This was done after a thorough study of the process and costs involved. Note, this refers only to the application fee. It is only one you are required to pay when applying for a passport renewal. However, there are some optional fees and additional expenses that you may incur when getting your passport renewed. These will be discussed briefly.

Optional Passport Fees

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Overnight Delivery - The U.S. Department of State offers overnight delivery of renewed passports for those who wish to have their travel documents sent to them in a speedy manner. The cost of this service is only .72 at the time of writing.

File Search - Applicants who have lost the document which they previously submitted as evidence of United States citizenship, can include a written request for a file search with their application. This fee is 0. If your document was a birth certificate, you may want to consider applying for a certified copy through the vital records office of the state or county in which you were born. It would certainly be a lot less expensive. A problem arises when you need to get your passport renewed quickly. Not every county or state offers expedited services. Those that do not can sometimes take several weeks to issue a certified copy. If you cannot wait this long, a file search may be the best solution.

Expedited Service - Routine processing takes 4-6 weeks. If you need to renew your passport more quickly, you can pay the fee for expedited service. By doing this, you can get your travel document in up to 3 weeks if you submit the form by mail or as fast as the same day if you personally submit it at a regional agency.

Additional Expenses Related to Passport Renewals

Passport Photo - Only one picture is not required. Even so, you probably will not find a location that will make only one photo. For example, you will pay .99 at CVS for two pictures.

Postage and Handling - You are going to have to pay to mail your application, previously issued passport, photo and payment. The method you choose to do this will affect the amount you pay. The State Department recommends using a traceable delivery method. You can request signature or confirmation delivery. For fast delivery, you need to choose priority or express mail. Postage fees can run from a few dollars to upwards of , depending on where you live and the services you request.

Travel Expenses - Applicants who apply for expedited service at a regional processing center will have extra expenses. These might include transportation, parking, meals and, even, lodging. Of course, personal delivery of the application and supporting documents means you will not have any mail delivery fees.

Registered Expediter Services - Those who need to renew passports in less than two weeks but are unable to get to a regional agency can authorize a registered expediting service to submit the applications for them. Expediters charge a few for this service which ranges from approximately to get the renewal in about 10 days to 9 to have the application processed the same day.

As you can see, there are many more fees and expenses other than the passport renewal application fee that you might need to pay in order to get your travel document renewed. It will cost you more if you wait until the last minute and require the assistance of a professional service to get expedited passport renewal. Apply early so that your total expenses do not go far beyond the basic US passport renewal fee.

One of the requirements when applying for a new passport is that an authorized agent witnesses the signing of your application. This is done at a passport application acceptance facility.

There are more than 9,000 passport application acceptance facilities located throughout the United States. Of the thousands of facilities, the majority are located in post offices.

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Approximately 90% of the post offices that do passports have handicap access and about 80% of them have on-site passport photo capability.

The documents you need to take with you when you visit the post office include:

completed but unsigned passport form, evidence of citizenship, proof of identity, two passport photos, Social Security card.

Form DS-11: Application for a New Passport can either be downloaded online or you can get a copy at the post office.

There are two passport fees if you choose regular processing. The application fee is paid to the U.S. Department of State and is sent with your application and other required documents. The execution fee is paid to the authorized passport application acceptance agent at the post office.

An additional fee must be paid to the State Department if you request expedited services. Expediting your passport can diminish the processing time. Instead of 3 to 4 weeks, you can get your travel document in 2 to 3 weeks. It can take longer when there is a significant increase in application submissions.

Since no postal office actually processes passport applications, it is not the place to request emergency passport expediting in less than two weeks. This must be done either directly through a regional passport agency or a private expediting service.

Regional agencies are located in major cities throughout the United States such as Boston, Dallas and Los Angeles. Unlike submitting a passport application at a post office where you can just show up anytime during commercial hours, it is necessary to make an appointment at the regional passport agency. This is done by calling the automated appointment number: 1-877-487-2778.

If you need your passport in less than two weeks but are unable to visit a regional agency, you can apply through a professional passport expediting service. You still have to visit the post office to get your passport application adjudicated. However, instead of mailing it to the State Department, you send it to the expediter.

What Can Guinea pigs eat? This is a common question for anyone researching the animal and the care necessary to keep cavies (another name for guinea pigs) as pets.

To begin with cavies are herbivores, meaning they only eat vegetables, fruits, vegetation. You won't be feeding your new pet any meats, fats, dairy, or junk food. Unlike other animals who appear to enjoy the food cavies can't digest such items effectively causing you hundreds of dollars in vet bills.

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Given there are so many kinds of vegetation, here is the most common, and most healthy list of food a guinea pig can eat:
Timothy Hay - unlimited amounts should be constantly available Alfalfa Hay - for pregnant and nursing cavy moms, and their babies Dark Green Lettuces- escarole, green leaf lettuce, romaine, kale, spinach (alternate these weekly for best results, feeding the lettuce every couple of days) Carrots - daily each pig can have 1 baby carrot or the equivalent Pellets - again, offer an unlimited amount

What you should know about what your cavies can eat:

Guinea pigs will NOT overeat. They will eat continuously and must eat continuously because they metabolize food very quickly. They should not go hours without access to food. This pertains to water as well, they should always have more than enough water available to them, in water bottles.

Where to Buy Hay:

If the owner has more than one guinea pig, the cost of hay can add up quickly. Rescues and shelters often get second or third cut timothy hay from a local farm as it is much cheaper than in stores. In fact, on Craigslist, owners can find bales of hay (of 40-50 pounds) for as little as . One bale should last a long time in caring for the cavy, and it can double for bedding if you ever run out of your normal bedding option. Be sure to always offer more than enough hay as they love it, love to play in it, and will go through it quickly.

More About Pellets:

Normal pellets without any added seeds, or other bits are the best way to go for your pet. Often pet stores try to convince you that this other pellet food is premium, making you feel like you are doing better for your pet. Unfortunately, these different pieces are no more nutritional, and the added seeds and such can cause blockages in their intestinal tracks, costing you hundreds for surgery. There are two kinds of pellets that are particularly good for cavies, Oxbow and Kleenmama.

Salt & Mineral Wheels:

These are unnecessary for cavies health, they get enough from quality foods listed above. However, occasionally these can be offered just because they do enjoy them.

For almost seven hundred years between the ninth and sixteenth centuries knights were the lords of the battlefield, admired and respected for their abilities and their chivalry and courage. So how did a boy in these centuries become a knight?

Becoming a knight was a tradition that changed over the centuries of the middle ages and by around the sixteenth century, with the advent of gunpowder and firearms, had pretty much become just a symbolic title. But there was a commonly accepted normal route that a boy could take in his quest to become a knight during the height of the Middle Ages when knighthood was important.

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The Rule of Birthright

The first requirement for a boy to become a knight was the requirement of his heritage. Generally, only boys born to certain men were allowed the opportunity to become a knight. These requirements were usually that the boy be the son of a knight, Lord, a wealthy merchant, or someone who held title and position in the court of the king or a lord.

Where Training took place

Contrary to popular belief, the king did not usually train boys to become knights. This was the responsibility of the king's lords, barons and knights. Each of these men held stations, titles, lands and manors of his own. And it was to the lord's manor that the boy would go to train under the knight of the king.

Over the centuries of the Middle Ages what a knight was expected to do changed dramatically and chivalry did not come into the picture until the late middle ages. We will take a look at the traditional picture of what a knight learned in these later centuries.

Training Begins as a Page

At around the age of six or seven a boy, who was of noble lineage, would report to the local lord's castle or manor to begin his training as a knight. There he would learn a host of basic skills to make him a well-rounded and educated knight. He would learn the fundamentals of court life such as table manners, care and maintenance of armor and weapons, and how to care for a horse. He would also learn how to read and how to appreciate music or even play the lute. His training would begin in the martial arts with his learning how to hunt and how to hawk.

The Page Becomes A Squire

At around the age of thirteen, as the boy is starting to develop the body, mentality, strength and abilities of manhood he is promoted to squire. He is then assigned as the personal assistant to a knight and it is in this time that he focuses on the combat arms of knighthood. He would get intensive training in weapons, armor, tactics and mounted combat. Often times he was allowed to carry a small sword and shield with him as a symbol of his status as a squire or a "knight in training".

Becoming a knight - The Ceremony of Knighthood

The ceremony of becoming a knight was something that could often last several days and could include fasting or a Vigil where the knight would engage in prayer and contemplation for a day and a night or longer. Then there would often be elaborate feasts and hardy discussions with lords and knights about chivalry, courage, religion, and the nature of being a knight. During the actual knighting ceremony the knight would swear allegiance to God and to his lord and he would receive presents such as a sword, a pair of spurs, armor, and a cloak. At the end of the ceremony the king would tap the squire on the shoulders with the flat of a sword blade and he would become a knight.

In modern times we have a very romanticized view of what a knight was and for good reason. There is a certain mysterious aura around the idea of knighthood and it is well founded. It was a serious path that a boy embarked on and something that he spent his whole childhood striving for and his whole adult life improving. The life of a knight was a life of constant vigilance in combat and constant striving toward improvement in the eyes of others.