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"A group
becomes a team when each member is sure enough of
himself and his contribution to praise the skills
of others."
- Norman G. Shidle
When I was honored last
June to be installed as President of our Association,
I accepted this important leadership position with
the emphasis that I was a humble, proud and grateful
country lawyer from Prescott. Humble in the sense,
that I was certainly most undeserving, as I have stood
on the shoulders of giants all of my personal and
professional life. Proud in the sense, that I am extremely
privileged to be a member of this great profession
and Association. And I am grateful to so many folks
who have sacrificed their time and talents before
and during this year to make this wonderful honor
possible.
As I embarked on this
year, I compared the President's Gavel to the baton
received by a runner in an endless relay. As I near
the completion of my leg of this race, I have come
to appreciate how true the saying is that "the
journey is greater than the inn." Permit me to
relate some observations about this journey which
I feel compelled to share with you.
One of my thoughts is
addressed by Frank Sanitate in his book-"Don't
Go to Work Unless Its Fun." Sanitate is one of
our featured speakers at our Annual Meeting, and I
know you will enjoy his advice on time management
and eliminating stress from your work.
Sanitate reminds us
that corporations are not really "an organization."
The "Arkansas Bar Association" is just a
shorthand way of describing a group of lawyers who
have assembled together to accomplish a common purpose
and goal. Sanitate emphasizes that the key to excellence
in such an organization is the commitment to excellence
by each member. The starting point for achievement
of excellence in such an organization is the commitment
by each individual to his or her own satisfaction.
Most people believe
that satisfaction comes from being able to feel that
you make a difference. Sanitate states that making
a difference depends on three essential conditions:
first, you must feel as if you are contributing to
your team, the team must produce results and finally
the results must make a difference.
From my perspective,
our "group of lawyers" known as the Arkansas
Bar Association is an excellent team consisting of
five members. One member is our excellent staff; the
second member is our outstanding group of leaders;
and a third member of this team is our supportive
membership. All three of these groups help the Association
make a difference.
A photograph of our
dedicated staff with their names and years of service
appears on the page opposite this article. I urge
you to take time from your busy schedules to thank
each of them for the outstanding job they do on behalf
of our Association. Each person on our staff is essential
in helping our team accomplish its mission to make
a difference to our members and society as a whole.
The second member of
our team is our outstanding group of leaders selected
by our members. This group consists of the Chairman
of our Board of Governors, Nate Coulter, whose insight
is invaluable to the President; the Annual Meeting
Chair, Jim Julian, who with the staff's help has another
great meeting on tap; the Board of Governors and House
of Delegates who give of their time, talents and money
to make important decisions and provide guidance to
the leadership of the Association; the chairs and
members of the many committees, sections and task
forces of the Association who work on special projects;
and finally the President-Elect, Jim Sprott, and President-Elect
Designee, Rick Ramsay, who serve to assist the President
to generate ideas and insure the Association is heading
in the proper direction to accomplish its mission.
As President, I want to thank the entire staff, and
all of these leaders for their outstanding work this
past year.
The most important point
to remember about the third member of our team-the
membership of our Association-is that it is also voluntary.
Many of us do not realize that most states have mandatory
Bars, thus membership recruitment is not a goal, responsibility
or concern of those associations.
Robert Putnam in his
best selling book "Bowling Alone" indicated
"during the last third of the 20th century formal
membership in organizations in general has edged downward
by perhaps 10-20 percent. Most important, active involvement
in clubs and other voluntary associations has collapsed
at an astonishing rate..." Society is shifting
away from support through organizations to a more
individual approach.
With this backdrop,
it is significant that our voluntary Association continues
to thrive and increase membership each year. We are
on a record setting pace to exceed 4,900 members this
year. Such a development is in large part attributable
to our dedicated staff and the Membership Development
Committee capably chaired this year by Jeffrey Ellis.
It is also a tribute to Arkansas lawyers, who recognize
the importance of a strong united Bar Association
as a powerful force for our profession.
Through the donation
of their time, talents and money, our members demonstrate
their dedication and commitment to the continual improvement
of our great and noble profession. In other words,
our outstanding members choose to have an organization
that strives to make a difference in the lives of
lawyers and society as a whole.
As I mentioned there
are five members of this team to support each annual
leg of the endless relay for a President. The other
two members are the law firm and family of each President.
The leadership path of our Association requires not
just one year, but three years of your time and energy.
Thus, any member who accepts this responsibility must
share the sacrifice with his family and his law firm.
Certainly, my year as
President has been no exception. My sincere gratitude
is extended to the lawyers and staff of my law firm
who have helped me "keep the balls in the air"
in my practice while I was attending to the affairs
of the Association. Additionally, without the sacrifices,
support and commitment of my wife, Judy, I would not
have been able to perform my duties as President.
Of course, the hallmark
of any team is how well it ran the race. Here is a
part of our track record for this Bar year:
(1) The Lawyer Community
Legacy Award was implemented; (2) The Case Summary
research tool was created; (3) The Jury Improvement
Task Force will be recommending legislation and rules
soon; (4) Our Capital Campaign raised over $2.1 million
dollars for our new Bar Center; (5) This Spring we
will commence construction on our new Bar Center;
(6) With the help of the Professionalism Task Force
we studied the issue of Professional Liability Insurance
Disclosure; (7) Our Sustaining Membership held steady
while we engaged in an intensive Capital Campaign;
(8) We restructured our Commission on Diversity and
initiated new diversity programs; (9) We established
a Task Force to study the erosion of the attorney/client
privilege; (10) The Association contributed disaster
assistance funds to the Mississippi Bar and Louisiana
Bar; (11) Our leadership attended Town Hall meetings
with the Access to Justice Commission to explore more
meaningful ways to provide legal services to the needy;
(12) Our Mock Trial Committee, chaired by Michelle
Cauley, had another great year with the finals to
appear on AETN; (13) The Task Force to Study Rules
on Judicial Discipline and Disability, chaired by
Bob Cearley, will propose new rules in the Fall; and
(14) Our Editorial Handbook Committee will complete
the new Debtor/Creditor Handbook and the revised Senior
Citizen Handbook. Obviously, space will not permit
me to continue, but clearly our team had a fruitful
year.
From our youth to adulthood,
we all remember various heroes at different stages
of our lives. Whether it was sports, history, or our
profession we all found someone to admire. Many believe
we are witnessing the end of this hero worship as
part of our western culture.
However, most of us
still have heroes. They are just not public figures.
Many feel that our selection of heroes, like the manner
in which we spend our money, is reflective of who
we are. It tells us something about ourselves, and
we need our heroes to exemplify who we are and who
we wish to be.
Perhaps, Harrison Salisbury,
author of "Heroes of My Time", captured
my true sentiments. He described heroes as ordinary
people doing extraordinary deeds every day. It is
in this vein that I characterize my new found heroes.
For without the support of all five members of this
team, a President cannot successfully complete his
or her leadership leg in the endless relay for our
Association.
All of these team members
share unselfishly to sacrifice for the benefit of
our Association and profession. They symbolize what
our great and noble profession should be. Certainly,
they have inspired me to excel, and as I return to
my country law practice, I am encouraged and satisfied
that our Association does make a difference.
When the leadership
baton is passed at the end of this Bar year, President-Elect,
Jim Sprott, with his experience and enthusiasm will
assume the role of President. I know Jim will have
a great year, and both Jim and Jan will serve as excellent
ambassadors for our Association. We wish them well
on their journey!
Judy and I have enjoyed
sharing the past three years with you, and we thank
you again for allowing us the honor and privilege
of serving you.•
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