Farewell

[Robert Pries <robertpries@embarqmail.com>]

I wish to express a farewell to THE BOARD as I leave as a director. Since THE
BOARD really is a constantly changing entity with every year four directors
coming and four going there are several directors who are new and several that
are no longer on the board that were there during my term. But to all I say
thank you for serving and allowing me to serve. Few understand the amount of
work that many of the directors put into this job.



B 

When I came to the board 5 years ago I was filling a position of a director
who left so I did not serve a full 6 years. Nonetheless I thought surely 5
years was enough to get us out of the hole we were in. Today we are still in
the hole, but I think we can finally see a way out. The erosion of our
membership has been constant over 16 years and I think The Board was in denial
when I came. Partly because the prevailing view was that every plant
organization was failing. I hope I have dispelled that myth. Yes only a few
had been prospering and even those had occasionally down turns. But the more I
have studied the problem, the more optimistic I am over the possibilities.
Unfortunately possibilities are only a promise that without hard-work, and
change cannot be realized. It is often too easy to just do what we have been
doing. I know of no area that can not be improved. We must examine what we
think is good and make it better. THE BOARD is charged with the well-being of
the society. I wish it the luck, the intelligence, and the energy to make the
society great again.



B 

Being off the board, I may be less active. But Judy has asked me to stay with
some of my duties. Remember when I show discouragement with THE BOARD, I still
respect the individuals that serve. I will try to celebrate when THE BOARD
solves a problem, but I do not apologize that I will always be thinking of
where we can be, not where we are.

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