Šio darbo metu buvo ištirta ir įvertinta buvusių bebrų patvankų vietose ir ant bebrų trobelių susiformavusi augalija, jos pokyčiai laike priklausomai nuo apleistų bebraviečių amžiaus. Taip pat bebrų pievų augalija buvo palyginta su sąlyginai natūralių šlapių pievų augalija. Transformuotų bebrų buveinių fitocenozių tyrimai atlikti 2007 – 2010 metų liepos – rugsėjo mėnesiais palei Sąvalkos upelį (Vilniaus r., Nemenčinės apylinkės, Pailgės km.) esančiose trijose apleistose bebrų ir trijose natūraliose šlapiose pievose, o 21 bebrų trobelės augalija buvo tiriama Vilniaus, Molėtų ir Širvintų rajonuose. Pievose pagal Braun-Blanquet metodiką buvo aprašyti 48 (4 m2 kiekvienas) tiriamieji laukeliai, o ant bebrų trobelių 21 (vid. 10 m2 kiekvienas). Jie leido nustatyti tirtų augimviečių floristinę sudėtį, identifikuoti ir aprašyti augalų bendrijas, nustatyti ekologinius augalų poreikius bei įvertinti apleistų bebrų pievų augalijos pokyčius priklausomai nuo bebraviečių amžiaus. Apleistose bebrų pievose išskirtos 113 induočių augalų rūšių, natūraliose šlapiose pievose – 109, o ant bebrų trobelių 104. Apleistose bebrų pievose formuojasi įvairios augalų bendrijos, tačiau tirtose pievose dažniausios buvo Molinio-Arrhenatheretea elatioris R. Tx. 1937 klasei priklausančios bendrijos. pagal Ellenberg’o skalę vertinti augalų ekologiniai poreikiai apleistose bebravietėse, natūraliose šlapiose pievose ir ant bebrų trobelių iš esmės yra panašūs. Visose tirtose buveinėse vyravo mezofitai. Tačiau yra... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The work presents exploration and evaluation of the data on the vegetation which forms on beaver lodges and in abandoned beaver meadows and its alteration in time. Likewise, comparison of the abandoned beaver meadows phytocenoses with the plant communities of naturally flooded meadows is presented. Research on meadows phytocenoses occured in 2007 – 2008, each year explorations were holding from July till August, in Sąvalka stream valleys (East Lithuania). Three abandoned beaver meadows and three naturally flooded meadows were explored. Botanical composition of plants communities was determined using Braun-Blanquet method (Braun-Blanquet, 1964), took 48 squares, each 4 m2, in six meadows and 21 squares on beaver lodges, each 10 m2 , and evaluating all plant species from them. The scale of H. Ellenberg (2001) was used to decide plants species attachment to hydrological regime, soil reaction, and trophical features of abodes. Coefficients of Sörensen and Jaccard (Dombois-Mueller, Ellenberg, 1974) were used to express floristical similarity of communities. In abandoned beaver meadows 109 plant species were identified meanwhile in naturally flooded meadows – 100; 104 plant species were identified on beaver lodges. Various phytocenoses are formed in beaver meadows, however, communities belonging to the Cl. Molinio-Arrhenatheretea elatioris R. Tx. 1937 are the most frequent. In comparison with naturally flooded meadows, phytocenoses of beaver meadows are distinguished by the... [to full text]

Historians, in considering Freemasonry in the eighteenth century, have tended to define it in political terms, as an expression of enlightened sociability and of the secular public sphere that supposedly paved the way for modern democracy. A close examination of the lodges in Newport and Providence, Rhode Island, between 1749 and 1804, disproves these received notions. It finds that, contrary to scholarly perception, Freemasonry was deeply religious and fervently committed to myth and ritual. Freemasonry in this period was not tied to any one social class, but rather the Fraternity attracted a wide array of mobile, deracinated young men, such as mariners, merchants, soldiers, and actors, and while it was religiously heterogeneous, the Fraternity maintained a close relationship with the Anglican Church. The appeal of Masonry to young men in Atlantic port towns was primarily emotional, offering lasting social bonds amidst the constant upheaval of the eighteenth century, as well as a ritually demarcated refuge from the patriarchal responsibilities of the male gender. Masonry celebrated the holiness of kingship in its myths and symbols; far from hotbeds of revolution, the lodges were haunted by the Jacobite movement, which was firmly royalist and traditionalist. Its main political impact in Anglo-America came in the aftermath of independence, when Masonic art and rhetoric helped to carve out a sphere of sacred institutions and loyalties—such as the Constitution, the Navy, the judiciary, and the figure of George Washington—that purportedly stood above partisan politics, and hence could take the place of the overthrown monarch. Far from proto-democratic, Freemasonry appealed to men’s longing for the unity and stability of a restored Biblical kingdom; the lodges operated largely by social deference and suppressed internal politicking. The Masons summed up their mission in their repeated toasts in the 1790s that prayed, “May universal Masonry be the only universal monarchy.”

M.Sc. (Environmental Management) / The tourism industry is one of the fastest growing industries worldwide and its role as a fundamental contributor to the economic sector cannot be understated. However, this growth has led to an increase in negative environmental impacts. The success of tourism rests on the quality of the natural environment where it has been developed. Therefore should the natural environment and its resources be damaged or destroyed, the very resource that attracted tourists is destroyed, and the tourism industry will eventually collapse. The worldwide drive toward sustainable development and the growth in environmental awareness has placed pressure on tourism ventures to measure and mitigate their environmental impacts. This study was initiated to investigate the current sustainable performance of two safari camps owned by Wilderness Safaris. The primary reason for selecting these specific camps, relates to the fact that they are situated on the boarder of one of the most sensitive environments on earth the Namib Desert, and therefore demand effective management in order to ensure environmental degradation is prevented. The study engaged in the development of a list of sustainable tourism issues and their associated indicators, to assess the current sustainability of the two camps. The research also aimed to formulate baseline data for future comparisons. The camp's current sustainability was determined by applying the selected sustainability indicators, to assess the camp's environmental, social and economic impacts on the surrounding biophysical and socio-economic environments. A cross-case analysis was then conducted comparing the results of each camps performance. The results were also compared to the company's group environmental minimum standards. This was done to provide Wilderness Safaris with an external verification of their camps current sustainable performance and to provide baseline data for future comparisons. The chosen set of sustainable tourism indicators provided a time and cost-effective means of assessing the current sustainable performance of the two camps. Site specific recommendations were made for each camp to improve their sustainable performance. Future studies conducted by Wilderness Safaris can use this study as a benchmark to compare the sustainable performance of their camps. In addition this study can also be used as a benchmark for comparisons by other tourism ventures in other developing countries around the world. The study contributes to the academic body of knowledge in the field of study surrounding the application of sustainable tourism indicators to measure and operationalize sustainable development of tourism ventures. Conclusions recounting the sustainable performance of the two camps are made as well as recommendations for further research.

Thesis (M.Arch.)--University of Detroit Mercy, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 84-85).

Marketing communications is regarded as a common function of all Web sites, even if this is not the express objective of the site. As no previous research specifically considered these issues, this study examined the extent to which lodges graded by the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa effectively use their Web sites as online marketing communications tools. A content analysis was used to investigate the Web sites of graded lodges according to a list of evaluation criteria based on the elements of the marketing communications mix (i.e., advertising, sales promotion, public relations, direct marketing and personal selling). A number of specific online marketing communications techniques that could be employed in a tourism firm’s Web site were identified from an extensive literature review for each element of the marketing communications mix. The extent to which these specific techniques were employed in the Web sites of the graded lodges was then determined. The findings show that the graded lodges are not using their Web sites effectively as online marketing communications tools for communications with their target audiences. Comparisons were also made between the three, four and five star lodges to determine whether differences were present in their Web sites based on their star grading. Overall, the lodges did not differ much in terms of the online marketing communications techniques that they employed and only slight differences existed. The main recommendation for this study is that the managers of South African graded lodges include as many of the 30 online marketing communications techniques investigated as possible in their Web sites. This study was limited as it only focused on lodges that have been graded by the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa and the findings cannot be generalised to all South African lodges or to other types of accommodation establishments. Potential reasons for the inclusion/exclusion of these techniques, whether the lodges maintain their Web sites themselves, what specific techniques Web site visitors regard as important and the fact that the researcher was the only coder of the sites were also limitations of this study that could be overcome in future research. Copyright / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Marketing Management / MCom / Unrestricted

Créée le 5 novembre 1913, la Grande Loge Nationale Indépendante et Régulière (GLNIR) occupe une place particulière dans le paysage maçonnique français. En effet, à la différence du Grand Orient de France et de la Grande Loge de France fortement impliqués dans les problèmes de société, elle s’attache essentiellement à la formation morale de ses membres à partir d’une approche symbolique. L’accent sera plus particulièrement mis sur les points suivants : - la notion de « régularité maçonnique » définie par la Grande Loge Unie d’Angleterre. - les raisons de l’absence d’une Grande Loge « régulière » en France, malgré la création de deux Ateliers francophones à Londres. - l’évolution de la Loge anglophone « « Anglo-Saxon Lodge » n°343, créée en 1899 par des Maçons anglais et américains au sein de la Grande Loge de France, non reconnue également par Londres bien qu’elle exige de ses membres la croyance au « Grand Architecte de l’Univers ». - l’influence méconnue du courant maçonnique spiritualiste du lyonnais Jean Bricaud. - l’échec de Ribaucourt et de sa Loge « Le Centre des Amis » conduits à former cette nouvelle structure en raison de l’opposition du Grand Orient de France à la présence d’un rite chrétien, le Régime Écossais Rectifié. - la création de Loges militaires anglaises et le non ralliement escompté d’autres Ateliers du Grand Orient de France pendant la Première Guerre Mondiale. - la spécificité de la GLNIR (prépondérance britannique, problèmes de conscience des francs-maçons catholiques, évolution de ses 34 Ateliers et rôle pionnier de ses deux Loges de recherches). - les relations avec la Grande Loge Unie d’Angleterre et les autres Grandes Loges « régulières » et l’impact de la Déclaration de 1929 définissant strictement les principes de la « Régularité ». / Founded on November 5th 1913, the Regular National Grand Lodge of France plays a specific role in French Freemasonry. Indeed, unlike the Grand Orient of France and the Grand Lodge of France which are strongly committed to social issues, it focuses on the moral formation of its members and has a a symbolical approach. The following points will be emphasized: - the notion of “Masonic Regularity” defined by the United Grand Lodge of England ; - the reasons for the absence of a “regular” Grand Lodge in France in spite of the foundation of two French speaking lodges in London ; - the evolution of the English speaking Lodge “Anglo-Saxon” n°343 founded in 1899 by several English and American Masons under the Jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of France but not recognized by London although it required its members to believe in the Great Architect of the Universe ; - the underestimated influence of the spiritualist Masonic current of Jean Bricaud, the mason from Lyon; - the failure of Bro. De Ribaucourt and his Lodge “Centre des Amis” to form this new structure because of the opposition of the Grand Orient of France to the presence of a Christian Rite: the Rectified Scottish Rite ; - the setting of British Military Lodges and the failure to rally several other Lodges of the Grand Orient of France during World War I ; - the specificity of the Regular National Grand Lodge of France (British predominance, the moral qualms of catholic Freemasons and the pioneer role of its two Lodges of Research) ; - the relations with the United Grand Lodge of England and the other “Regular” Grand Lodges, and the impact of the Declaration of 1929 promulgating the Basic Principles for Grand Lodge Recognition.

City of Edinburgh Museums and Galleries hold a substantial collection of artefacts and record books donated in 1909 by the office bearers of the Royal Ancient Order of St Crispin. This organisation was the final reincarnation of the Royal St Crispin Society established around 1817. From 1932 the display of a selection of these objects erroneously attributed their provenance to the Incorporation of Cordiners of Canongate with no interpretation of the meaning and use of this regalia. The association of shoemakers (cordiners in Scotland) with St Crispin their patron saint remained such that at least until the early twentieth century a shoemaker was popularly called a ‘Crispin' and collectively ‘sons of Crispin'. In medieval Scotland cordiners maintained altars to St Crispin and his brother St Crispianus and their cult can be traced to France in the sixth century. In the late sixteenth century an English rewriting of the legend achieved immediate popularity and St Crispin's Day continued to be remembered in England throughout the seventeenth century. Journeymen shoemakers in Scotland in the early eighteenth century commemorated their patron with processions; and the appellation ‘St Crispin Society' appeared in 1763. This thesis investigates the longevity of the shoemakers' attachment to St Crispin prior to the nineteenth century and analyses the origin, creation, organisation, development and demise of the Royal St Crispin Society and the network of lodges it created in Scotland in the period 1817-1909. Although showing the influence of freemasonry, the Royal St Crispin Society devised and practised rituals based on shoemaking legends and traditions. An interpretation of these rituals is given as well as an examination of the celebration of the saint's day and the organisation and significance of King Crispin processions. The interconnection of St Crispin artefacts and archival material held by Scottish museums and archives is demonstrated throughout the thesis.

This research is presented in three sections. Section 1 presents the research report in an academic paper format. Section 2 provides a comprehensive literature review and Section 3 describes the research methodology and methods employed during the research. The tourism industry is the fastest growing sector within the South African Economy, with over 2.6 million foreign tourists visiting South Africa each year. Wildlife, landscapes and scenery are cited as the primary attractions for visiting the country, with over 45 percent of tourists visiting at least one wildlife or nature reserve during their stay in South Africa (Kerley et al., 2011:2). Sixty percent of those tourists travelled for leisure purposes, with 643,883 of the tourists utilising safari lodge accommodation during their visit (Ruggles-Brise, 2013). The Eastern Cape achieved 3.1 percent; of those tourist arrivals, with a bed-night contribution of 734,339, compared to the 16.8 percent (1.9million) and 10.5 percent (1.07million) for Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces respectively (Ruggles-Brise, 2013). The Eastern Cape lodges represent less than half the bed-nights achieved by Mpumalanga and Limpopo lodges. Due to the number of possible bed-nights available to lodges in the Eastern Cape, it is increasingly important for individual lodges to provide a unique experience, in order to be competitive in attracting guests (Saayman, 2013:81). This was used form part of the foundation to this research in determining the marketability of three lodges in the Eastern Cape, which was derived from the attractiveness of the lodges, determined by guests visiting the lodges. This research follows on from four previous surveys commissioned by INDALO, the Eastern Cape Private Nature Reserve Association in 2004 Sims-Castley et al. 2004), 2006 (Langholz et al., 2006), 2008 (Snowball et al., 2008) and 2011 (Kerley et al., 2011). Part of the research was to identify the main attractions of the reserves. These previous surveys provided a foundation for this research to follow on investigating guest motivations for visiting the three sample lodges and to determine visitor perception of poaching and whether it would impact their motivations for visiting the reserve. In order to address the goals of the research qualitative data was gathered during survey interviews conducted at the three sampled reserves. Seventy five (75) guests were interviewed, equally over the three reserves. Quantitative data was also gathered during the interview surveys, utilising Likert scale questions, prompting guests to choose their top attractions, from which basic descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data being able to determine possible trends amongst respondents and lodges. Results verified guest motivations from the previous surveys, confirming that game viewing, especially the “Big 5” remained the most important attraction for visitors to the reserves while the availability of natural scenery and landscape, high end accommodation and service, the proximity to the garden route and being located in a malaria free area were also see as attractive attributes of the lodges as per the previous surveys. Where the gap in the research was indicated based on guests perception of poaching and whether it would impact their motivations for visit these lodges, impacting that lodges marketability (attractiveness). Results indicated that if they were unable to view the iconic ‘Big Five’ at the reserve due to the extent of poaching. Respondents indicated that the impact would likely and very likely impact their decision to choose the reserves over another reserve that could. Indicating the potential impact that poaching would have on lodges if they were to lose their iconic species which would spell the loss in attractiveness and therefore marketability.

This thesis explores the interface between community development via tourism and the field of development communication vis-à-vis a case study of the community-owned and privatelyoperated !Xaus Lodge in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The research is informed by Critical Indigenous Qualitative Research that employs interpretive research practices that aim to be ethical, transformative, participatory and committed to dialogue. The study valorises the voices of all lodge stakeholders analysing their expectations and how they negotiate the processes involved in the establishment and operations of the lodge. As a longitudinal study from 2006 until 2011 it focuses on the processes involved in transforming a failed poverty alleviation-built tourism asset into a commercial product with a range of benefits for the community partners. The processes involved are studied and shaped via participatory action research. This thesis generates a generalised public-private-community lodge partnership development communication model based on the findings of the !Xaus Lodge case study. The analysis of !Xaus Lodge is guided by development communication principles and practice such as the Communication for Participatory Development (CFPD) model, as well as the notion of pro-poor tourism (PPT). The applicability of these policies, approaches and models is problematised highlighting the complexity of development on the ground, particularly with indigenous and local communities. This study sets out the importance of cultural relativity in development projects whereby possible differences in the stakeholders‟ history, epistemology and ontology should be taken into consideration if a project is to negotiate both the demands of commercial viability as well as the symbolic and spiritual needs of the community partners. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

La franc-maçonnerie spéculative s’est répandue en Europe de l’ouest durant tout leXVIIIe. Bien que les Constitutions d’Anderson interdisent catégoriquement l’admission des femmes dans les loges maçonniques, il s’avère que des femmes furent initiées en France et en Allemagne. La présente étude part du constat que nous sommes confrontés à un double phénomène en ce qui concerne la franc-maçonnerie et les femmes. D’un côté leur exclusion formelle des loges instituées pour les hommes dotées de règlements délivrés par leurs obédiences respectives. D’un autre côté l’existence prouvée de l’initiation des femmes dans des loges maçonniques. L’organisation de ces loges nous renvoie immédiatement à d’autres constats. Plusieurs questions se posent d’emblée. Quelles sont les raisons précises de cette exclusion et d’où tirent-elles leur origine? La définition de la femme fut-elle la même dans les sociétés anglaise, française et allemandes du XVIIIe siècle ? Si l’on parvient à identifier les causes, pourrons nous établir si elles sont intrinsèques à la franc-maçonnerie ou plutôt liées à la délimitation entre sphère publique et privée ? Enfin comment expliquer dès lors que cette exclusion ait pu être dépassée et contournée et qu’un modèle d’intégration des femmes ait pu être inventé? Dans une première partie la recherche repose sur les mentalités existantes dans les trois pays au vu des paroles des francs-maçons au sujet des femmes. Dans la deuxième partie sont analysés avec détail les arguments qui ont justifié l’exclusion des femmes de la franc-maçonnerie. La troisième partie est accordée aux loges féminines. Une attention particulière est apportée aux discours prononcés dans les loges féminines ainsi qu’aux différents rituels utilisés. Les sources à l’appui sont principalement des sources primaires, tels que des ouvrages du XVIIIe siècle, les articles de presse, mais aussi les chansons et les poèmes. / Freemasonry spread throughout Europe in the eighteenth century. Although the Constitutions of Anderson barred women from membership right from the beginning, women were initiated in France and Germany. The present research starts from the observation that we are confronted to a double phenomenon. On the one hand the formal exclusion from male lodges according to the regulations of the Grand Lodges. On the other hand the proved existence of the initiation of women in masonic lodges. The organization of these lodges suggests other remarks and several issues have arisen. What are the precise reasons of this exclusion and what are its origins? Are women defined in the same way in England, France and Germany? If we can identify the reasons of this exclusion, are they intrinsic to freemasonry itself or rather linked to the definition of the public and private spheres? How can we explain that these rules of exclusion could be overcome and that a model of integration be invented? In the first part of this study the research is based on the mentalities existing in the three different societies with regard to the freemasons’ opinions on women. The second part is analysing the arguments brought forward to justify women’s exclusion from freemasonry. The third part deals with women's lodges and particular attention is given to the speeches delivered in these lodges as well as to the rituals in use. The documentation consists mostly in primary sources, such as books published in the eighteenth century, press articles, but also masonic songs and poems.