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George H.W. Bush Presidential Records
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Speechwriting, White House Office of
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Speech File Draft Files
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American Society of Association Executives 3/6/90 [OA 4728]
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7
TRANSFER SHEET
BUSH PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS PROJECT
COLLECTION
Bush Presidential Records--
ACC.NO: 93-01
Office of Speechwriting--
Speech File - Drafts
The following material was withdrawn from this segment of the
collection and trasferred to the
AUDIOVISUAL COLLECTION
BOOK COLLECTION
MUSEUM COLLECTION
OTHER (SPECIFY: computer
)
DESCRIPTION: one computer diskette
SERIES
BOX NO.
Office of Speechwriting
Speech File - Drafts
49
FILE FOLDER TITLE:
[OA 4728]
American Society of Association Executives 3/6/90
TRANSFERRED BY:
DATE OF TRANSFER:
JGP
4/16/96
RECEIVED Nashil
DATE RECEIVED
4/16/96
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
March 6, 1990
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
IN ADDRESS TO THE SOCIETY
OF ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES
The Washington Convention Center
Washington, D.C.
2:12 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Neil, thank you, sir. Thank you all.
Thank you, Neil Milner, Chairman, for that warm welcome and challenge.
And Bill, the president, the other president here today -- thank you,
sir. (Laughter.) Let me just say I really am pleased and privileged
to be with this group of people that do so much.
You know, I really feel comfortable talking to this group
because most people think I've been free associating for years.
(Laughter.)
I heard that last year I accidentally caused panic among
your executive directors. They thought I pledged, no new faxes.
(Laughter.)
Believe it or not, there are still some Americans who don't
know what the "Association for Associations" is. That's why next week
they're doing a bit on you for T.V.'s "Unsolved Mysteries."
(Laughter.)
Because really only your organization is big enough and
broad enough to include the Leafy Greens Council and the Association of
Tongue Depressors. (Laughter.) That happens to be a fact.
But I guess it's only natural for the heads of
organizations like yours to get together themselves.
Some people think of our great country as a nation of
"rugged individualists" alone against the odds. And that is part of
the American tradition, but only a part. There's another tradition --
a tradition as old as America itself, as old as Pilgrims and the
Mayflower Compact, as old as the pioneers who settled the West. It's
the tradition that Tocqueville described more than 150 years ago, when
he came to America, observed the scenes and wrote that, "Americans of
all ages, all conditions, and all dispositions constantly form
associations."
That shouldn't surprise us, because the act of association
is nothing less than democracy in action: individuals translating
common interests into a common cause.
And you know, today we see the power of democracy -- and
isn't it an exciting time to be alive -- seeing this change in Eastern
Europe and in Managua, Nicaragua? (Applause.)
We see that power of democracy and we see fresh evidence
every day that the democratic ideal we cherish -- the idea we call
America -- is alive everywhere -- in the Revolution of 1989, that
brought down the Berlin Wall and brought freedom to Eastern Europe.
Here in our own hemisphere, in the great victories for democracy in
Panama and then again in Nicaragua. And millions of people, now
enjoying the freedoms that America has known for two centuries.
Here at home, we've got to see what these transforming
changes in the world mean for us. And those changes carry a challenge,
a challenge to us to find in our freedoms new ways to solve the
problems that threaten our society and our continued leadership in the
whole world community.
MORE
- 2 -
Look around at the problems we face: drug abuse, hunger,
homelessness, illiteracy, despair in our inner cities, the breakdown of
the family. There's a role, a critical role for government in finding
solutions, but we know government doesn't always have the answers. If
we could eliminate these problems, solve them once and for all with
more programs, more bureaucracy, these problems would have disappeared
a long time ago.
The fact is, government isn't the only organized entity out
there with the powers to change things, the power to make a difference.
Everyone in this room is well aware of the advantages of
association. But I don't know whether you are really aware of the full
extent of your own power. of the resources, the expertise, the
potential energy your organizations can bring to bear on these
problems. Your ability to help solve community problems.
I know most associations are already active in community
service, and I've heard about some of the wonderful work being done.
The Medical Association of Atlanta, working after hours to provide free
medical care to the homeless. By the Oregon Remodelers Association out
there in Portland, Oregon, in Project Pride, a program to do home
reapirs for the low-income elderly. By the Hotel Association of New
York, with its ongoing commitment to donate surplus food to feed the
hungry.
These are just three, just three, of countless community
service projects that your associations are engaged in. A commitment
of time and talent, mirrored in similar community efforts by millions
of Americans across the country. In fact, one study in 1988 found that
Americans who volunteered in formal organizations gave almost 15
billion hours valued at an estimated $150 billion.
Now, that's tremendous, but it's just the tip of the
iceberg. Just a fraction of all the good works we are capable of.
Because the fact is, coping with the problems we face is within our
power. There is no problem in America that is not being solved
somewhere. Think about it. The programs I've just mentioned: New
York, Atlanta, Portland, thousands more. Think about ways that your
organization, every one of your members can make this mission of
serving others your very own.
The story I want to tell you today -- a story that Martin
Luther King Jr. told in his speech he made the night before that
terrible day in Memphis, 22 years ago. It's a story about serving
others and the courage that takes. It's a familar story about the Good
Samaritan and the stranger he helped. But there's another part of the
story we don't always remember.
Before the Good Samaritan stopped that day, two other men
saw the injured stranger and passed him by. And Dr. King thought long
and hard about it, and he used to ask himself: Why didn't the others
stop to help? And Dr. King came up with some good reasons: They
didn't stop because they were too busy, had more important work waiting
in Jerusalem of far more consequence than helping one unfortunate man;
and so on they went.
And then one day, Martin Luther King put himself in their
shoes. At the age of 30, on his very first trip to the Holy Land, he
and his wife, Coretta, travelled that road from Jerusalem to Jericho.
And Dr. King saw the story of the Good Samaritan in a new light.
That road starts off more than 1000 feet above the sea
level and ends in Jericho 2000 feet below sea level. A twisting road,
full of blind curves. He imagined the road 2000 years ago, each curve
a perfect ambush for robbers. And at the moment, Dr. King realized why
the two men didn't stop. It had nothing to do with the reasons he had
imagined. They didn't stop because they were afraid.
The way Dr. King imagined it, one asked himself: if I stop
to help this man, what will happen to me?" And he went on about his
way. But then the Good Samaritan came along and he asked himself a
different question: If I don't stop to help this man, what will happen
MORE
- 3 -
to him? And he asked himself that question and he found the courage to
stop; the courage to help; the courage to serve.
So which question, then, do we ask ourselves? About going
down to the soup kitchen in that dangerous neighborhood. About
stopping on a dark street to help a homeless man. About reaching out
to those desperate kids out there kids who have no home life, who
are hooked on drugs, who live a nightmare we can't begin to imagine.
Doing any of these things isn't easy. Every one takes an act of
courage. But unlike the Good Samaritan, we don't have to act alone.
Each one of you understands the power of collective action -- how much
we can get done when we work together, pool our resources, combine our
talents.
And don't think it won't take courage. It's going to take
courage to go back to your member organizations, back to their CEOs and
Boards of Directors and suggest that they place community service at
the center of their agenda. It's going to take courage to insist that
community service has a place at the very heart of every organization.
It will take courage to make each one believe that from now on in
America, any definition of a successful life must include serving
others. But that's just exactly what I'm asking you to do.
Today, I want to lay down some challenges -- challenges to
associations all over America to take up community service. First,
build on a firm foundation. Find out what's working in your industry,
in your profession, in your community. Let your members know which
community service programs are most effective and, then, challenge them
to make those programs the blueprint for their own efforts.
Find new ways to use existing assets. I understand that
one of the ASAE's great strengths is its Allied Societies structure --
69 state and local organizations, thousands more association
executives. And I'm asking each of these allied societies to take the
lead in their community for solving social problems -- become what we
call "Points of Light action groups."
And second, set a target of 100 percent participation in
community service. Challenge your constituents to call on every
employee and member at every level of every organization -- from the
CEO on down to the newest hire -- to make community service their
personal mission.
And finally, a third challenge. Recognize those members
who are what I like to call Points of Light. I've belonged, as many of
you have, to many associations in my life and I know one of the things
you do best is to recognize outstanding performance. And SO I ask you
to turn the spotlight on community service -- in your newsletters, your
magazines, at your annual meetings -- on individuals who give 110
percent helping people in need, and on those organizations who
demonstrate 100 percent participation in community service.
I'm counting on you -- each one of you -- to take these
challenges to heart. People in this room represent thousands of
associations, organizations of all sorts and sizes. A combined
membership of 100 million Americans.
And so today, I'm asking you: Challenge that energy into
community service. Tap that power and transform a nation.
Once again, my thanks for all you are doing and all that
you're going to do. God bless you and God bless the United States of
America. Thank you all very, very much. (Applause.)
END
2:27 P.M. EST
McGroarty/Dooley
March 5, 1990
3:00 pm
[ASAE]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES
THE CONVENTION CENTER, WASHINGTON, D.C.
MARCH 6, 1990
2:00 P.M.
Thank you. [Introductory acknowledgements.] Bill Taylor,
President of ASAE. Neil Milner, Chairman. And to all the
association executives here today: it's my privilege to
[[ feel really comfor table tally to this
be here this afternoon.
8 cup because most people think I'ver been
I know some people are surprised to hear that there's an School
free associatic for
association for associations. / But I guess it's only natural for
the heads of organizations like yours to get together themselves.
Some people think of America as a nation of "rugged
individualists" -- alone, against the odds. And that is part of
the American tradition -- but only a part.
There's another tradition -- a tradition as old as America
itself. As old as Pilgrims and the Mayflower Compact -- as old
as the pioneers who settled the West. It's the tradition
Tocqueville described more than 150 years ago, when he wrote
that: "Americans of all ages, all conditions, and all
dispositions constantly form associations.
11
That shouldn't surprise us -- because the act of association
is nothing less than democracy in action: Individuals
translating common interests into a common cause.
But when it comes bmg ma tocal shills,
people say I've been free associating
for years
2
And you know, today we see the power of democracy in action
from Moscow to Managua. We see fresh evidence every day that the
democratic ideal we cherish -- the idea we call America -- is
alive everywhere. In the Revolution of '89, that brought down
the Berlin Wall -- and brought freedom to Eastern Europe. Here
in our own hemisphere, in the great victories for democracy in
Panama and Nicaragua. Millions of people, now enjoying the
freedoms America has known for two centuries.
Here at home, we've got to see what these transforming
changes in the world mean for us. And those changes carry a
challenge -- a challenge to us, to find in our freedoms new ways
to solve the problems that threaten our society and our continued
leadership in the world community.
Look around at the problems we face: Drug abuse. Hunger,
homelessness. Illiteracy. Despair in our inner cities. The
breakdown of the family. There's a role, a critical role, for
government in finding solutions -- but we know government doesn't
have all the answers. If we could eliminate these problems --
solve them once and for all -- with more programs, more
bureaucracy -- these problems would have disappeared long ago.
The fact is, government isn't the only organized entity out
there with the power to change things, the power to make a
difference. //
Everyone in this room is well aware of the advantages of
association. // But I don't know whether you are really aware
of the full extent of your power. of the resources -- the
3
expertise -- the potential energy -- your organizations can
command. Your ability to help solve community problems.
I know most associations are already active in community
service -- and I've heard about some of the wonderful work being
done. By the Medical Association of Atlanta -- working after-
hours to provide free medical care to the homeless. By the
Oregon Remodelers Association in Portland -- in Project Pride, a
program to do home repairs for low-income elderly. By the Hotel
Association of New York City -- with its ongoing commitment to
donate surplus food to feed the hungry.
These are just 3 of countless community service projects
your associations are engaged in. A priceless commitment of time
and talent, mirrored in similar community's efforts by millions
of Americans across the country. In fact, one study in 1988
found that Americans who volunteered in formal organizations gave
almost 15 billion hours valued at an estimated $150 billion.
That's tremendous -- but it's just the tip of the iceberg.
Just a fraction of all the good works we are capable of.
Because the fact is, coping with the problems we face is
within our power. There is no problem in America that is not
being solved somewhere. Think about that. The programs I've
just mentioned -- in New York, Atlanta, Portland, Oregon -- and
thousands more. Think about ways your organization -- every one
of your members -- can make this mission of serving others their
own.
//
4
There's a story I want to tell today -- a story Martin
Luther King, Jr. told in a speech he made the night before that
terrible day in Memphis 22 years ago. It's a story about serving
others -- and the courage that takes.
It's a familiar story -- about the Good Samaritan and the
stranger he helped. But there's another part of the story we
don't always remember. Before the Good Samaritan stopped that
day, two other men saw the injured stranger -- and passed him by.
Dr. King thought long and hard about it, and he used to ask
himself: Why didn't the others stop to help? Dr. King came up
with some good reasons. They didn't stop because they were too
busy. Had more important work waiting down in Jerusalem -- of
far more consequence than helping one unfortunate man. So on
they went.
Then one day Martin Luther King put himself in their shoes.
At the age of 30, on his first trip to the Holy Land, he and his
wife, Coretta, travelled that road from Jerusalem to Jericho --
and Dr. King saw the story of the Good Samaritan in a new light.
That road starts off more than 1000 feet above sea level,
and ends in Jericho 2000 feet below sea level. A twisting road.
Full of blind curves. He imagined the road 2000 years ago, each
curve a perfect ambush point for robbers. And at that moment,
Dr. King realized why the two men didn't stop. It had nothing to
do with the reasons he had imagined. They didn't stop -- because
they were afraid. //
5
The way Dr. King imagined it, one asked himself: "If I stop
to help this man, what will happen to me?" // And he went on
his way. //
But then the Good Samaritan came along, and asked himself a
different question: "If I don't stop to help this man -- what
will happen to him?" He asked himself that question -- and he
found the courage to stop. The courage to help. The courage to
serve. //
Which question do we ask ourselves -- about going down to
the soup kitchen in that dangerous neighborhood. About stopping
on a dark street to help a homeless man. About reaching out to
those desperate kids out there -- kids who have no home life,
who're hooked on drugs, who live a nightmare we can't begin to
imagine. // Doing any of these things isn't easy. Every one
takes an act of courage.
But unlike the Good Samaritan, we don't have to act alone.
Each one of you understands the power of collective action -- how
much we can get done when we work together. Pool our resources.
Combine our talents.
And don't think it won't take courage. // It's going to
take courage to go back to your Member organizations, back to
their CEOs and Boards of Directors and suggest that they place
community service at the center of their agenda. It's going to
take courage to insist that community service has a place -- at
the very heart of every organization. // It will take courage
to make each one believe that from now on in America any
6
definition of a successful life must include serving others. But
that's just what I'm asking you to do.
Today, I want to lay down some challenges -- challenges to
associations all over America to take up community service:
First, build on a firm foundation. Find out what's working
in your industry -- in your profession -- in your community. Let
your members know which community service programs are most
effective -- and challenge them to make them the blue-print for
their own efforts.
Find new ways to use existing assets. I understand that one
of the ASAE's great strengths is its Allied Societies structure -
- 69 state and local organizations, thousands more association
executives. I'm asking each of these Allied Societies to take
the lead in their community for solving social problems -- become
what we call "Points of Light action groups."
Second, set a target of 100% participation in community
service. Challenge your constituents to call on every employee
and member at every level of every organization -- from the CEO
on down to the newest hire -- to make community service their
personal mission. //
Finally, a third challenge. // Recognize those members who
are what I call Points of Light. I've belonged to many
associations in my life, and I know one of the things you do best
is to recognize outstanding performance. So I ask you to turn
the spotlight on community service -- in your newsletters and
magazines, at your annual meetings -- on individuals who give
7
110% helping people in need -- and on those organizations who
demonstrate 100 % participation in community service. 111
I'm counting on each one of you to take these challenges to
heart. People in this room represent thousands of associations,
organizations of all sorts and sizes. A combined membership of
100 million Americans. //
So today, I'm asking you: Channel that energy into
community service. Tap that power -- and transform a nation.
///
Once again, my thanks for all you've done -- and all that
you are going to do. God bless you -- and God bless the United
States of America.
# # #
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES
THE CONVENTION CENTER, WASHINGTON, D.C.
MARCH 6, 1990
2:00 P.M.
THANK YOU. BILL TAYLOR, PRESIDENT OF ASAE. NEIL
MILNER, CHAIRMAN. AND TO ALL THE ASSOCIATION
EXECUTIVES HERE TODAY: IT'S MY PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE
THIS AFTERNOON.
" YOU KNOW, I FEEL REALLY COMFORTABLE TALKING TO
THIS GROUP BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE THINK I'VE BEEN FREE
ASSOCIATING FOR YEARS. ))
" I HEARD THAT LAST YEAR I ACCIDENTALLY CAUSED
A
Directors
PANIC AMONG YOUR EXECUTIVE STAFF. THEY THOUGHT I
PLEDGED NO NEW FAXES! "
" BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THERE ARE STILL SOME
AMERICANS WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT THE "ASSOCIATION FOR
ASSOCIATIONS" IS. I UNDERSTAND NEXT WEEK THEY'RE DOING
A BIT ON YOU FOR T.V.'S "UNSOLVED MYSTERIES." "
" ONLY YOUR ORGANIZATION IS BIG ENOUGH AND BROAD
ENOUGH TO INCLUDE THE LEAFY GREENS COUNCIL AND THE
ASSOCIATION OF TONGUE DEPRESSORS. ))
- 2 -
BUT I GUESS IT'S ONLY NATURAL FOR THE HEADS OF
ORGANIZATIONS LIKE YOURS TO GET TOGETHER THEMSELVES.
SOME PEOPLE THINK OF AMERICA AS A NATION OF
"RUGGED INDIVIDUALISTS" -- ALONE, AGAINST THE ODDS.
AND THAT IS PART OF THE AMERICAN TRADITION -- BUT ONLY
A PART.
THERE'S ANOTHER TRADITION -- A TRADITION AS OLD AS
AMERICA ITSELF. AS OLD AS PILGRIMS AND THE MAYFLOWER
COMPACT -- AS OLD AS THE PIONEERS WHO SETTLED THE WEST.
IT'S THE TRADITION TOCQUEVILLE DESCRIBED MORE THAN 150
YEARS AGO, WHEN HE WROTE THAT: "AMERICANS OF ALL AGES,
ALL CONDITIONS, AND ALL DISPOSITIONS CONSTANTLY FORM
ASSOCIATIONS."
THAT SHOULDN'T SURPRISE US -- BECAUSE THE ACT OF
ASSOCIATION IS NOTHING LESS THAN DEMOCRACY IN ACTION:
INDIVIDUALS TRANSLATING COMMON INTERESTS INTO A COMMON
CAUSE.
- 3 -
AND YOU KNOW, TODAY WE SEE THE POWER OF DEMOCRACY
IN ACTION FROM MOSCOW TO MANAGUA. WE SEE FRESH
EVIDENCE EVERY DAY THAT THE DEMOCRATIC IDEAL WE CHERISH
-- THE IDEA WE CALL AMERICA -- IS ALIVE EVERYWHERE. IN
THE REVOLUTION OF '89, THAT BROUGHT DOWN THE BERLIN
WALL AND BROUGHT FREEDOM TO EASTERN EUROPE. HERE IN
OUR OWN HEMISPHERE, IN THE GREAT VICTORIES FOR
DEMOCRACY IN PANAMA AND NICARAGUA. MILLIONS OF PEOPLE,
NOW ENJOYING THE FREEDOMS AMERICA HAS KNOWN FOR TWO
CENTURIES.
HERE AT HOME, WE'VE GOT TO SEE WHAT THESE
TRANSFORMING CHANGES IN THE WORLD MEAN FOR US. AND
THOSE CHANGES CARRY A CHALLENGE -- A CHALLENGE TO US,
TO FIND IN OUR FREEDOMS NEW WAYS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS
THAT THREATEN OUR SOCIETY AND OUR CONTINUED LEADERSHIP
IN THE WORLD COMMUNITY.
- 4 -
LOOK AROUND AT THE PROBLEMS WE FACE: DRUG ABUSE.
HUNGER, HOMELESSNESS. ILLITERACY. DESPAIR IN OUR
INNER CITIES. THE BREAKDOWN OF THE FAMILY. THERE'S A
ROLE, A CRITICAL ROLE, FOR GOVERNMENT IN FINDING
SOLUTIONS -- BUT WE KNOW GOVERNMENT DOESN'T HAVE ALL
THE ANSWERS. IF WE COULD ELIMINATE THESE PROBLEMS --
SOLVE THEM ONCE AND FOR ALL -- WITH MORE PROGRAMS, MORE
BUREAUCRACY -- THESE PROBLEMS WOULD HAVE DISAPPEARED
LONG AGO.
THE FACT IS, GOVERNMENT ISN'T THE ONLY ORGANIZED
ENTITY OUT THERE WITH THE POWER TO CHANGE THINGS, THE
POWER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. //
EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM IS WELL AWARE OF THE
ADVANTAGES OF ASSOCIATION. // BUT I DON'T KNOW
WHETHER YOU ARE REALLY AWARE OF THE FULL EXTENT OF YOUR
POWER. OF THE RESOURCES -- THE EXPERTISE -- THE
POTENTIAL ENERGY -- YOUR ORGANIZATIONS CAN COMMAND.
YOUR ABILITY TO HELP SOLVE COMMUNITY PROBLEMS.
- 5 -
I KNOW MOST ASSOCIATIONS ARE ALREADY ACTIVE IN
COMMUNITY SERVICE -- AND I'VE HEARD ABOUT SOME OF THE
WONDERFUL WORK BEING DONE. BY THE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
OF ATLANTA -- WORKING AFTER-HOURS TO PROVIDE FREE
MEDICAL CARE TO THE HOMELESS. BY THE OREGON REMODELERS
ASSOCIATION IN PORTLAND -- IN PROJECT PRIDE, A PROGRAM
TO DO HOME REPAIRS FOR LOW-INCOME ELDERLY. BY THE
HOTEL ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK CITY -- WITH ITS ONGOING
COMMITMENT TO DONATE SURPLUS FOOD TO FEED THE HUNGRY.
THESE ARE JUST 3 OF COUNTLESS COMMUNITY SERVICE
PROJECTS YOUR ASSOCIATIONS ARE ENGAGED IN. A -PRICELESS
COMMITMENT OF TIME AND TALENT, MIRRORED IN SIMILAR
COMMUNITY EFFORTS BY MILLIONS OF AMERICANS ACROSS THE
COUNTRY. IN FACT, ONE STUDY IN 1988 FOUND THAT
AMERICANS WHO VOLUNTEERED IN FORMAL ORGANIZATIONS GAVE
ALMOST 15 BILLION HOURS VALUED AT AN ESTIMATED $150
BILLION.
THAT'S TREMENDOUS -- BUT IT'S JUST THE TIP OF THE
ICEBERG. JUST A FRACTION OF ALL THE GOOD WORKS WE ARE
CAPABLE OF.
- 6 -
BECAUSE THE FACT IS, COPING WITH THE PROBLEMS WE
FACE IS WITHIN OUR POWER. THERE IS NO PROBLEM IN
AMERICA THAT IS NOT BEING SOLVED SOMEWHERE. THINK
ABOUT THAT. THE PROGRAMS I'VE JUST MENTIONED -- IN NEW
YORK, ATLANTA, PORTLAND, OREGON -- AND THOUSANDS MORE.
THINK ABOUT WAYS YOUR ORGANIZATION -- EVERY ONE OF YOUR
MEMBERS -- CAN MAKE THIS MISSION OF SERVING OTHERS
THEIR OWN. //
THERE'S A STORY I WANT TO TELL TODAY -- A STORY
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. TOLD IN A SPEECH HE MADE THE
NIGHT BEFORE THAT TERRIBLE DAY IN MEMPHIS 22 YEARS AGO.
IT'S A STORY ABOUT SERVING OTHERS -- AND THE COURAGE
THAT TAKES.
- 7 -
IT'S A FAMILIAR STORY -- ABOUT THE GOOD SAMARITAN
AND THE STRANGER HE HELPED. BUT THERE'S ANOTHER PART
OF THE STORY WE DON'T ALWAYS REMEMBER. BEFORE THE GOOD
SAMARITAN STOPPED THAT DAY, TWO OTHER MEN SAW THE
INJURED STRANGER -- AND PASSED HIM BY. DR. KING
THOUGHT LONG AND HARD ABOUT IT, AND HE USED TO ASK
HIMSELF: WHY DIDN'T THE OTHERS STOP TO HELP? DR. KING
CAME UP WITH SOME GOOD REASONS. THEY DIDN'T STOP
BECAUSE THEY WERE TOO BUSY. HAD MORE IMPORTANT WORK
WAITING DOWN IN JERUSALEM -- OF FAR MORE CONSEQUENCE
THAN HELPING ONE UNFORTUNATE MAN. so ON THEY WENT.
THEN ONE DAY MARTIN LUTHER KING PUT HIMSELF IN
THEIR SHOES. AT THE AGE OF 30, ON HIS FIRST TRIP TO
THE HOLY LAND, HE AND HIS WIFE, CORETTA, TRAVELLED THAT
ROAD FROM JERUSALEM TO JERICHO -- AND DR. KING SAW THE
STORY OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN IN A NEW LIGHT.
- 8 -
THAT ROAD STARTS OFF MORE THAN 1000 FEET ABOVE SEA
LEVEL, AND ENDS IN JERICHO 2000 FEET BELOW SEA LEVEL.
A TWISTING ROAD. FULL OF BLIND CURVES. HE IMAGINED
THE ROAD 2000 YEARS AGO, EACH CURVE A PERFECT AMBUSH
POINT FOR ROBBERS. AND AT THAT MOMENT, DR. KING
REALIZED WHY THE TWO MEN DIDN'T STOP. IT HAD NOTHING
TO DO WITH THE REASONS HE HAD IMAGINED. THEY DIDN'T
STOP -- BECAUSE THEY WERE AFRAID. //
THE WAY DR. KING IMAGINED IT, ONE ASKED HIMSELF:
"IF I STOP TO HELP THIS MAN, WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ME?"
// AND HE WENT ON HIS WAY. //
BUT THEN THE GOOD SAMARITAN CAME ALONG, AND ASKED
HIMSELF A DIFFERENT QUESTION: "IF I DON'T STOP TO HELP
THIS MAN -- WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO HIM?" HE ASKED HIMSELF
THAT QUESTION -- AND HE FOUND THE COURAGE TO STOP. THE
COURAGE TO HELP. THE COURAGE TO SERVE. //
- 9 -
WHICH QUESTION DO WE ASK OURSELVES -- ABOUT GOING
DOWN TO THE SOUP KITCHEN IN THAT DANGEROUS
NEIGHBORHOOD. ABOUT STOPPING ON A DARK STREET TO HELP
A HOMELESS MAN. ABOUT REACHING OUT TO THOSE DESPERATE
KIDS OUT THERE -- KIDS WHO HAVE NO HOME LIFE, WHO'RE
HOOKED ON DRUGS, WHO LIVE A NIGHTMARE WE CAN'T BEGIN TO
IMAGINE. // DOING ANY OF THESE THINGS ISN'T EASY.
EVERY ONE TAKES AN ACT OF COURAGE.
BUT UNLIKE THE GOOD SAMARITAN, WE DON'T HAVE TO
ACT ALONE. EACH ONE OF YOU UNDERSTANDS THE POWER OF
COLLECTIVE ACTION -- HOW MUCH WE CAN GET DONE WHEN WE
WORK TOGETHER. POOL OUR RESOURCES. COMBINE OUR
TALENTS.
- 10 -
AND DON'T THINK IT WON'T TAKE COURAGE. // IT'S
GOING TO TAKE COURAGE TO GO BACK TO YOUR MEMBER
ORGANIZATIONS, BACK TO THEIR CEOS AND BOARDS OF
DIRECTORS AND SUGGEST THAT THEY PLACE COMMUNITY SERVICE
AT THE CENTER OF THEIR AGENDA. IT'S GOING TO TAKE
COURAGE TO INSIST THAT COMMUNITY SERVICE HAS A PLACE --
AT THE VERY HEART OF EVERY ORGANIZATION. // IT WILL
TAKE COURAGE TO MAKE EACH ONE BELIEVE THAT FROM NOW ON
IN AMERICA ANY DEFINITION OF A SUCCESSFUL LIFE MUST
INCLUDE SERVING OTHERS. BUT THAT'S JUST WHAT I'M
ASKING YOU TO DO.
TODAY, I WANT TO LAY DOWN SOME CHALLENGES --.
CHALLENGES TO ASSOCIATIONS ALL OVER AMERICA TO TAKE UP
COMMUNITY SERVICE:
FIRST, BUILD ON A FIRM FOUNDATION. FIND OUT
WHAT'S WORKING IN YOUR INDUSTRY -- IN YOUR PROFESSION
-- IN YOUR COMMUNITY. LET YOUR MEMBERS KNOW WHICH
COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAMS ARE MOST EFFECTIVE -- AND
Those Programs
CHALLENGE THEM TO MAKE THEM THE BLUE-PRINT FOR THEIR
OWN EFFORTS.
- 11 -
FIND NEW WAYS TO USE EXISTING ASSETS. I
UNDERSTAND THAT ONE OF THE ASAE'S GREAT STRENGTHS IS
ITS ALLIED SOCIETIES STRUCTURE -- 69 STATE AND LOCAL
ORGANIZATIONS, THOUSANDS MORE ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES.
I'M ASKING EACH OF THESE ALLIED SOCIETIES TO TAKE THE
LEAD IN THEIR COMMUNITY FOR SOLVING SOCIAL PROBLEMS --
BECOME WHAT WE CALL "POINTS OF LIGHT ACTION GROUPS."
SECOND, SET A TARGET OF 100% PARTICIPATION IN
COMMUNITY SERVICE. CHALLENGE YOUR CONSTITUENTS TO CALL
ON EVERY EMPLOYEE AND MEMBER AT EVERY LEVEL OF EVERY
ORGANIZATION -- FROM THE CEO ON DOWN TO THE NEWEST HIRE
-- TO MAKE COMMUNITY SERVICE THEIR PERSONAL MISSION.
//
- 12 -
FINALLY, A THIRD CHALLENGE. // RECOGNIZE THOSE
MEMBERS WHO ARE WHAT I CALL POINTS OF LIGHT. I'VE
BELONGED TO MANY ASSOCIATIONS IN MY LIFE, AND I KNOW
ONE OF THE THINGS YOU DO BEST IS TO RECOGNIZE
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE. SO I ASK YOU TO TURN THE
SPOTLIGHT ON COMMUNITY SERVICE IN YOUR NEWSLETTERS
AND MAGAZINES, AT YOUR ANNUAL MEETINGS -- ON
INDIVIDUALS WHO GIVE 110% HELPING PEOPLE IN NEED -- AND
ON THOSE ORGANIZATIONS WHO DEMONSTRATE 100 %
PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITY SERVICE. ///
I'M COUNTING ON EACH ONE OF YOU TO TAKE THESE
CHALLENGES TO HEART. PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM REPRESENT
THOUSANDS OF ASSOCIATIONS, ORGANIZATIONS OF ALL SORTS
AND SIZES. A COMBINED MEMBERSHIP OF 100 MILLION
AMERICANS. //
SO TODAY, I'M ASKING YOU: CHANNEL THAT ENERGY
INTO COMMUNITY SERVICE. TAP THAT POWER -- AND
TRANSFORM A NATION. ///
ONCE AGAIN, MY THANKS FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE -- AND
ALL THAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO. GOD BLESS YOU -- AND GOD
BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
# # #
McGroarty/Dooley
March 5, 1990
3:00 pm
[ASAE]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES
THE CONVENTION CENTER, WASHINGTON, D.C.
MARCH 6, 1990
2:00 P.M.
Thank you. Bill Taylor, President of ASAE. Neil Milner,
Chairman. And to all the association executives here today:
it's my privilege to be here this afternoon.
(( You know, I feel really comfortable talking to this group
because most people think I've been free associating for years.
))
(( I heard that last year I accidentally caused panic among
your executive staff. They thought I pledged NO NEW FAXES! ))
(( Believe it or not, there are still some Americans who
don't know what the "Association for Associations" is. I
understand next week they're doing a bit on you for t.v.'s
"Unsolved Mysteries. " ))
(( Only your organization is big enough and broad enough to
include the Leafy Greens Council and the Association of Tongue
Depressors. ))
But I guess it's only natural for the heads of organizations
like yours to get together themselves.
Some people think of America as a nation of "rugged
individualists" -- alone, against the odds. And that is part of
the American tradition -- but only a part.
2
There's another tradition -- a tradition as old as America
itself. As old as Pilgrims and the Mayflower Compact -- as old
as the pioneers who settled the West. It's the tradition
Tocqueville described more than 150 years ago, when he wrote
that: "Americans of all ages, all conditions, and all
dispositions constantly form associations."
That shouldn't surprise us -- because the act of association
is nothing less than democracy in action: Individuals
translating common interests into a common cause.
And you know, today we see the power of democracy in action
from Moscow to Managua. We see fresh evidence every day that the
democratic ideal we cherish -- the idea we call America -- is
alive everywhere. In the Revolution of '89, that brought down
the Berlin Wall -- and brought freedom to Eastern Europe. Here
in our own hemisphere, in the great victories for democracy in
Panama and Nicaragua. Millions of people, now enjoying the
freedoms America has known for two centuries.
Here at home, we've got to see what these transforming
changes in the world mean for us. And those changes carry a
challenge -- a challenge to us, to find in our freedoms new ways
to solve the problems that threaten our society and our continued
leadership in the world community.
Look around at the problems we face: Drug abuse. Hunger,
homelessness. Illiteracy. Despair in our inner cities. The
breakdown of the family. There's a role, a critical role, for
government in finding solutions -- but we know government doesn't
3
have all the answers. If we could eliminate these problems --
solve them once and for all -- with more programs, more
bureaucracy -- these problems would have disappeared long ago.
The fact is, government isn't the only organized entity out
there with the power to change things, the power to make a
difference. //
Everyone in this room is well aware of the advantages of
association. // But I don't know whether you are really aware
of the full extent of your power. Of the resources -- the
expertise -- the potential energy -- your organizations can
command. Your ability to help solve community problems.
I know most associations are already active in community
service -- and I've heard about some of the wonderful work being
done. By the Medical Association of Atlanta -- working after-
hours to provide free medical care to the homeless. By the
Oregon Remodelers Association in Portland -- in Project Pride, a
program to do home repairs for low-income elderly. By the Hotel
Association of New York City -- with its ongoing commitment to
donate surplus food to feed the hungry.
These are just 3 of countless community service projects
your associations are engaged in. A priceless commitment of time
and talent, mirrored in similar community's efforts by millions
of Americans across the country. In fact, one study in 1988
found that Americans who volunteered in formal organizations gave
almost 15 billion hours O valued at an estimated $150 billion.
4
That's tremendous -- but it's just the tip of the iceberg.
Just a fraction of all the good works we are capable of.
Because the fact is, coping with the problems we face is
within our power. There is no problem in America that is not
being solved somewhere. Think about that. The programs I've
just mentioned -- in New York, Atlanta, Portland, Oregon -- and
thousands more. Think about ways your organization -- every one
of your members -- can make this mission of serving others their your
own. //
There's a story I want to tell today -- a story Martin
Luther King, Jr. told in a speech he made the night before that
terrible day in Memphis 22 years ago. It's a story about serving
others -- and the courage that takes.
It's a familiar story -- about the Good Samaritan and the
stranger he helped. But there's another part of the story we
don't always remember. Before the Good Samaritan stopped that
day, two other men saw the injured stranger -- and passed him by.
Dr. King thought long and hard about it, and he used to ask
himself: Why didn't the others stop to help? Dr. King came up
with some good reasons. They didn't stop because they were too
busy. Had more important work waiting down & in Jerusalem -- of
far more consequence than helping one unfortunate man. So on
they went.
Then one day Martin Luther King put himself in their shoes.
At the age of 30, on his first trip to the Holy Land, he and his
5
wife, Coretta, travelled that road from Jerusalem to Jericho --
and Dr. King saw the story of the Good Samaritan in a new light.
That road starts off more than 1000 feet above sea level,
and ends in Jericho 2000 feet below sea level. A twisting road.
Full of blind curves. He imagined the road 2000 years ago, each
curve a perfect ambush point for robbers. And at that moment,
Dr. King realized why the two men didn't stop. It had nothing to
do with the reasons he had imagined. They didn't stop -- because
they were afraid. //
The way Dr. King imagined it, one asked himself: "If I stop
to help this man, what will happen to me?" // And he went on
his way. //
But then the Good Samaritan came along, and asked himself a
different question: "If I don't stop to help this man -- what
will happen to him?" He asked himself that question -- and he
found the courage to stop. The courage to help. The courage to
serve. //
Which question do we ask ourselves -- about going down to
the soup kitchen in that dangerous neighborhood. About stopping
on a dark street to help a homeless man. About reaching out to
those desperate kids out there -- kids who have no home life,
who're hooked on drugs, who live a nightmare we can't begin to
imagine. // Doing any of these things isn't easy. Every one
takes an act of courage.
But unlike the Good Samaritan, we don't have to act alone.
Each one of you understands the power of collective action -- how
6
much we can get done when we work together. Pool our resources.
Combine our talents.
And don't think it won't take courage. // It's going to
take courage to go back to your Member organizations, back to
their CEOs and Boards of Directors and suggest that they place
community service at the center of their agenda. It's going to
take courage to insist that community service has a place -- at
the very heart of every organization. // It will take courage
to make each one believe that from now on in America any
definition of a successful life must include serving others. But
that's just what I'm asking you to do.
Today, I want to lay down some challenges -- challenges to
associations all over America to take up community service:
First, build on a firm foundation. Find out what's working
in your industry -- in your profession -- in your community. Let
your members know which community service programs are most
effective -- and challenge them to make them the blue-print for
their own efforts.
Find new ways to use existing assets. I understand that one
of the ASAE's great strengths is its Allied Societies structure -
- 69 state and local organizations, thousands more association
executives. I'm asking each of these Allied Societies to take
the lead in their community for solving social problems -- become
what we call "Points of Light action groups."
Second, set a target of 100% participation in community
service. Challenge your constituents to call on every employee
7
and member at every level of every organization -- from the CEO
on down to the newest hire -- to make community service their
personal mission. //
Finally, a third challenge. // Recognize those members who
are what I call Points of Light. I've belonged to many
associations in my life, and I know one of the things you do best
is to recognize outstanding performance. So I ask you to turn
the spotlight on community service -- in your newsletters and
magazines, at your annual meetings -- on individuals who give
110% helping people in need -- and on those organizations who
demonstrate 100 % participation in community service. ///
I'm counting on each one of you to take these challenges to
heart. People in this room represent thousands of associations,
organizations of all sorts and sizes. A combined membership of
100 million Americans. 11
So today, I'm asking you: Channel that energy into
community service. Tap that power -- and transform a nation.
///
Once again, my thanks for all you've done -- and all that
you are going to do. God bless you -- and God bless the United
States of America.
# # #
Document No. 11888555
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
3/6/90
---
DATE:
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES
SUBJECT:
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
ROGICH
BATES
UNTERMEYER
CARD
ROGERS
CICCONI
WINSTON
DEMAREST
PINKERTON
FITZWATER
PETERSMEYER
GRAY
HAGIN
REMARKS:
The attached has been forwarded to the President.
RESPONSE:
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
March 5, 1990
1990 MAR 5 PM 4: 05
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
THROUGH:
CHRISS WINSTON cw
FROM:
DAN MCGROARTY Dmcr
SUBJECT:
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES
I. SUMMARY
On Tuesday, March 6, at 2:00 p.m. you will address the
American Society of Association Executives at the Convention
Center (15 min./teleprompter). Over 3000 association
executives are expected to attend.
II. DISCUSSION
This is the first time in its 70-year history that a
President has addressed this group -- the "association for
associations." ASAE represents over 8800 national, state
and local associations, serving more than 215 million people
and companies.
The remarks focus on community service. You recognize
the hard work many associations have already done in their
communities, but you also issue three challenges for them to
become even more involved. Their president is asked to
report their progress to you in six months.
# # #
McGroarty/Dooley
March 5, 1990
3:00 pm
[ASAE]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES
Dominos
THE CONVENTION CENTER, WASHINGTON, D.C.
MARCH 6, 1990
2:00 P.M.
in
Thank you. [Introductory acknowledgements.] Bill Taylor,
President of ASAE. Neil Milner, Chairman. And to all the
association executives here today: it's my privilege to
paic no new
be here this afternoon.
I know some people are surprised to hear that there's an
association for associations. / But I guess it's only natural for
the heads of organizations like yours to get together themselves.
ontho
Some people think of America as a nation of "rugged
individualists" -- alone, against the odds. And that is part of
subject
the American tradition -- but only a part.
There's another tradition -- a tradition as old as America
itself. As old as Pilgrims and the Mayflower Compact -- as old
as the pioneers who settled the West. It's the tradition
Tocqueville described more than 150 years ago, when he wrote
that: "Americans of all ages, all conditions, and all
dispositions constantly form associations."
That shouldn't surprise us -- because the act of association
is nothing less than democracy in action: Individuals
translating common interests into a common cause.
2
And you know, today we see the power of democracy in action
from Moscow to Managua. We see fresh evidence every day that the
democratic ideal we cherish -- the idea we call America -- is
alive everywhere. In the Revolution of '89, that brought down
the Berlin Wall -- and brought freedom to Eastern Europe. Here
in our own hemisphere, in the great victories for democracy in
Panama and Nicaragua. Millions of people, now enjoying the
freedoms America has known for two centuries.
Here at home, we've got to see what these transforming
changes in the world mean for us. And those changes carry a
challenge -- a challenge to us, to find in our freedoms new ways
to solve the problems that threaten our society and our continued
leadership in the world community.
Look around at the problems we face: Drug abuse. Hunger,
homelessness. Illiteracy. Despair in our inner cities. The
breakdown of the family. There's a role, a critical role, for
government in finding solutions -- but we know government doesn't
have all the answers. If we could eliminate these problems --
solve them once and for all -- with more programs, more
bureaucracy -- these problems would have disappeared long ago.
The fact is, government isn't the only organized entity out
there with the power to change things, the power to make a
difference. //
Everyone in this room is well aware of the advantages of
association. // But I don't know whether you are really aware
of the full extent of your power. of the resources -- the
3
expertise -- the potential energy -- your organizations can
command. Your ability to help solve community problems.
I know most associations are already active in community
service -- and I've heard about some of the wonderful work being
done. By the Medical Association of Atlanta -- working after-
hours to provide free medical care to the homeless. By the
Oregon Remodelers Association in Portland -- in Project Pride, a
program to do home repairs for low-income elderly. By the Hotel
Association of New York City -- with its ongoing commitment to
donate surplus food to feed the hungry.
These are just 3 of countless community service projects
your associations are engaged in. A priceless commitment of time
and talent.
That's tremendous -- but it's just the tip of the iceberg.
Just a fraction of all the good works we are capable of.
Because the fact is, coping with the problems we face is
within our power. There is no problem in America that is not
being solved somewhere. Think about that. The programs I've
just mentioned -- in New York, Atlanta, Portland, Oregon -- and
thousands more. Think about ways your organization -- every one
of your members -- can make this mission of serving others their
own. //
There's a story I want to tell today -- a story Martin
Luther King, Jr. told in a speech he made the night before that
terrible day in Memphis 22 years ago. It's a story about serving
others -- and the courage that takes.
4
It's a familiar story -- about the Good Samaritan and the
stranger he helped. But there's another part of the story we
don't always remember. Before the Good Samaritan stopped that
day, two other men saw the injured stranger -- and passed him by.
Dr. King thought long and hard about it, and he used to ask
himself: Why didn't the others stop to help? Dr. King came up
with some good reasons. They didn't stop because they were too
busy. Had more important work waiting down in Jerusalem -- of
far more consequence than helping one unfortunate man. So on
they went.
Then one day Martin Luther King put himself in their shoes.
At the age of 30, on his first trip to the Holy Land, he and his
wife, Coretta, travelled that road from Jerusalem to Jericho --
and Dr. King saw the story of the Good Samaritan in a new light.
That road starts off more than 1000 feet above sea level,
and ends in Jericho 2000 feet below sea level. A twisting road.
Full of blind curves. He imagined the road 2000 years ago, each
curve a perfect ambush point for robbers. And at that moment,
Dr. King realized why the two men didn't stop. It had nothing to
do with the reasons he had imagined. They didn't stop -- because
they were afraid. //
The way Dr. King imagined it, one asked himself: "If I stop
to help this man, what will happen to me?" // And he went on
his way. //
But then the Good Samaritan came along, and asked himself a
different question: "If I don't stop to help this man -- what
5
will happen to him?" He asked himself that question -- and he
found the courage to stop. The courage to help. The courage to
serve. //
Which question do we ask ourselves -- about going down to
the soup kitchen in that dangerous neighborhood. About stopping
on a dark street to help a homeless man. About reaching out to
those desperate kids out there -- kids who have no home life,
who're hooked on drugs, who live a nightmare we can't begin to
imagine. // Doing any of these things isn't easy. Every one
takes an act of courage.
But unlike the Good Samaritan, we don't have to act alone.
Each one of you understands the power of collective action -- how
much we can get done when we work together. Pool our resources.
Combine our talents.
And don't think it won't take courage. // It's going to
take courage to go back to your Member organizations, back to
their CEOs and Boards of Directors and suggest that they place
community service at the center of their agenda. It's going to
take courage to insist that community service has a place -- at
the very heart of every organization. // It will take courage
to make each one believe that from now on in America any
definition of a successful life must include serving others. But
that's just what I'm asking you to do.
Today, I want to lay down some challenges -- challenges to
associations all over America to take up community service:
6
First, build on a firm foundation. Find out what's working
in your industry -- in your profession -- in your community. Let
your members know which community service programs are most
effective -- and challenge them to make them the blue-print for
their own efforts.
Find new ways to use existing assets. I understand that one
of the ASAE's great strengths is its Allied Societies structure -
- 69 state and local organizations, thousands more association
executives. I'm asking each of these Allied Societies to take
the lead in their community for solving social problems -- become
what we call "Points of Light action groups."
Second, set a target of 100% participation in community
service. Challenge your constituents to call on every employee
and member at every level of every organization -- from the CEO
on down to the newest hire -- to make community service their
personal mission. //
Finally, a third challenge. // Recognize those members who
are what I call Points of Light. I've belonged to many
associations in my life, and I know one of the things you do best
is to recognize outstanding performance. So I ask you to turn
the spotlight on community service -- in your newsletters and
magazines, at your annual meetings -- on individuals who give
110% helping people in need -- and on those organizations who
demonstrate 100 % participation in community service. ///
I'm counting on each one of you to take these challenges to
heart. People in this room represent thousands of associations,
7
organizations of all sorts and sizes. A combined membership of
100 million Americans. 11
So today, I'm asking you: Channel that energy into
community service. Tap that power -- and transform a nation.
///
Once again, my thanks for all you've done -- and all that
you are going to do. God bless you -- and God bless the United
States of America.
# # #
Document No. 118885SS
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE: 3/2/90
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
3/2/90 6:00 PM
SUBJECT: PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
N/C
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
N/C
ROGICH
N/C
BATES
N/C
UNTERMEYER
CARD
ROGERS
CICCONI
WINSTON
DEMAREST
PINKERTON
FITZWATER
PETERSMEYER
GRAY
N/C
HAGIN
REMARKS:
Please forward any comments directly to Chriss Winston, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than 6:00 PM, TODAY, Friday, March 2, with a
copy to my office. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
McGroarty/Dooley
March 2, 1990
1990 MAR .2 AM 11: 51
11:00 am
[ASAE]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES
THE CONVENTION CENTER, WASHINGTON, D.C.
MARCH 6, 1990
2:00 P.M.
Thank you. [Introductory acknowledgements.] Bill Taylor,
President of ASAE. Neil Milner, Chairman. And to all the
association executives here today: it's my privilege to
be here this afternoon.
that
I know some people are surprised to hear there's an
association for associations. But I guess it's only natural for
the heads of organizations like yours to get together themselves.
Some people think of America as a nation of "rugged
individualists" -- alone, against the odds. And that is part of
the American tradition -- but only a part.
There's another tradition -- a tradition as old as America
itself. As old as Pilgrims and the Mayflower Compact -- as old
as the pioneers who settled the West. It's the tradition
Tocqueville described more than 150 years ago, when he wrote
that: "Americans of all ages, all conditions, and all
dispositions constantly form associations."
That shouldn't surprise us -- because the act of association
is nothing less than democracy in action: Individuals
translating common interests into a common cause.
2
And you know, today we see the power of democracy in action
from Moscow to Managua. We see fresh evidence every day that the
democratic ideal we cherish -- the idea we call America -- is
alive everywhere. In the Revolution of '89, that brought down
the Berlin Wall -- and brought freedom to Eastern Europe. Here
in our own hemisphere, in the great victories for democracy in
Panama and Nicaragua. Millions of people, now enjoying the
freedoms America has known for two centuries.
Here at home, we've got to see what these transforming
changes in the world mean for us. And those changes carry a
challenge -- a challenge to us, to find in our freedoms new ways
and our con tenued leadership
to solve the problems that threaten our society.
the world
community.
Look around at the problems we face: Drug abuse. Hunger,
Illiteracy.
homelessness. Despair in our inner cities. The breakdown of the
family. There's a role, a critical role, for government in
Pink
finding solutions -- but we know government doesn't have all the
usest
answers. If we could eliminate these problems -- solve them once
and for all -- with more programs, more bureaucracy -- they would
these these problenes
have disappeared long ago.
But what about each one of us -- what can we do? of course,
each one else's of us can help. Each one of us has the power to change
someone S life for the better. And yet we may feel -- as
individuals -- that in a larger sense, we're powerless to truly
solve these vast problems we face.
But the fact is, government isn't the only organized entity
the power tel a difference.
out there with the power to change things make things better.
3
And each of us isn't just an individual -- on our own, cut off
from everyone else. Each one of us belongs: each one of us is a
member, a colleague, a teammate -- part of some larger group.
The people we work with. The people we worship with. The people
our
who share our interests and ideals.
And together -- in association -- we have power. A strength
greater than the simple sum of America's separate individuals.
//
Everyone in this room is well aware of the advantages of
association. The difference it makes for your organizations --
the benefits it means for your members. But I don't know whether
you are really aware of the full extent of your power. of the
resources -- the expertise -- the potential energy -- your
organizations can command. your ability to help solve community problems.
most
I know many associations are already active in community
service -- and I've heard about some of the wonderful work being
done. By the Medical Association of Atlanta -- working after-
hours to provide free medical care to the homeless. By the
Oregon Remodelers Association in Portland -- in Project Pride, a
program to do home repairs for low-income elderly. By the Hotel
Association of New York City -- with its ongoing commitment to
surplus
donate unused, excess food to feed the hungry.
These are just 3 of countless community service projects
priceless
your associations are engaged in. A commitment of time and
talent worth billions of dollars each year
4
That's tremendous -- // but it's just the tip of the
iceberg. Just a fraction of all the good works we are capable
of.
Because the fact is, coping with the problems we face is
within our power. There is no problem in America that is not
being solved somewhere. Think about that. The programs I've
just mentioned -- in New York, Atlanta, Portland, Oregon -- and
thousands more. Think about ways your organization -- every one
of your members -- can make this mission of helping serving others their
own. //
There's a story I want to tell today -- a story Martin
Luther King, Jr. told in a speech he made the night before that
terrible day in Memphis 22 years ago. It's a story about helping serving
others -- and the courage that takes.
It's a familiar story -- about the Good Samaritan and the
stranger he helped. But there's another part of the story we
don't always remember. Before the Good Samaritan stopped that
day, two other men a Levite and a priest saw the injured
stranger -- and passed him by. //
Dr. King thought long and hard about it, and he used to ask
himself: Why didn't the Levite others and the Priest stop to help? Dr.
King came up with some good reasons. They didn't stop because
they were too busy. Had more important work waiting down in
Jerusalem -- of far more consequence than helping one unfortunate
man. So on they went.
5
Then one day Martin Luther King put himself in their shoes.
At the age of 30, on his first trip to the Holy Land, he and his wife,
Coretta,
travelled that road from Jericho to Jerusalem himself -- and saw
that story of the Good Samaritan in a new light.
That road starts off more than 1000 feet above sea level,
Jericho
and ends in Jerusalem 2000 feet below sea level. A twisting
road. Full of blind curves. He imagined the road 2000 years
ago, each curve a perfect ambush point for robbers. And at that
two men
moment, Dr. King realized why the Levite and the priest didn't
stop. It had nothing to do with the reasons he had imagined.
They didn't stop -- because they were afraid. //
one
The way Dr. King imagined it, the Levite asked himself: "If
I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?" // And he
went on his way. //
But then the Good Samaritan came along, and asked himself a
different question: "If I don't stop to help this man -- what
will happen to him?" He asked himself that question -- and he
found the courage to stop. The courage to help.
The courage to
serve
Which question do we ask ourselves -- about going down to
Soup
the food kitchen in that dangerous neighborhood. About stopping
on a dark street to help a homeless man. About reaching out to
those desperate kids out there -- kids who have no home life,
who're hooked on drugs, who live a nightmare we can't begin to
imagine. // Doing any of these things isn't easy. Every one
takes an act of courage.
6
But unlike the Good Samaritan, we don't have to act alone.
Each one of you understands the power of collective action -- how
much we can get done when we work together. Pool our resources.
Combine our talents.
And don't think it won't take courage. // It's going to
take courage to go back to your Member organizations, back to
their CEOs and Boards of Directors. and suggest that they put place
at the center of their
community service on their agenda. It's going to take courage to
insist that community service has a place -- at the very heart of
every organization. // But that's just what I'm asking you to
do.
Today, I want to lay down some challenges -- challenges to
associations all over America to take up community service:
[[3 CHALLENGES ....]]
People in this room represent thousands of associations,
Tens of thousands of organizations, of all sorts and sizes. A
combined membership of 100 million Americans. //
So today, I'm asking you: Channel that energy into
community service. Tap that power -- and transform a nation.
///
Once again, my thanks for all you've done -- and all that
you are going to do. God bless you -- and God bless the United
States of America.
# # #
It will take Caurage to make each one believe that
from now on in america any difinition of a
successful life must include serving 0 there.
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
March 2, 1990
MEMORANDUM FOR CHRISS WINSTON
FROM:
JIM PINKERTON
SUBJECT:
American Society of Assoc. Executives Draft
pg.1, par. 4, 3 "It's the tradition Tocqueville
described "
Tocqueville's myriad observations about Americans and
their love of associations always seem relevant and
current, especially, as here, in the Thousand Points of
Light sense.
2,1,1 " today we see the power of democracy in action
from Moscow to Managua."
"Moscow to Managua" is a mellifluent line, though at
this point in time it may be stretching it to make the
connection between Moscow and "democracy in action."
2,3,1 "Look around at all the problems we face: Drug
abuse. Hunger, homelessness. The breakdown of the
family. There's a role for government in finding
solutions
"
Here we suggest making the added point that we all agree
that the problems exist, and that the question now is what
works. Thus, we suggest inserting after "The breakdown of
the family," the following:
"We all acknowledge the problems. We all agree on the
goals. Let us turn our attention and our energy in
meeting those goals toward what works. Too often we have
become so interested in the particular methods by which we
intend to solve these problems that we forget about the
problems themselves. In our constant quest for a Kinder,
Gentler America, let us not be wedded to methods that have
constrained us in the past. If we could eliminate these
problems "
2,3,5 " with more bureaucracy."
We suggest adding the word
"bureaucracy."
###
SENT BY:Xerox Telecopier 7020 ; 3- 2-90 ; 6:59PM ;
2024562397-
2024566218:# 1
Document No. 118885SS
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE: 3/2/90
3/2/90 6:00 PM
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES
SUBJECT:
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
ROGICH
BATES
UNTERMEYER
CARD
ROGERS
CICCONI
WINSTON
DEMAREST
PINKERTON
FITZWATER
PETERSMEYER
GRAY
HAGIN
REMARKS:
Please forward any comments directly to Chriss Winston, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than 6:00 PM, TODAY, Friday, March 2, with a
copy to my office. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
No Comments
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
Document No. 118885SS
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE: 3/2/90
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
3/2/90 6:00 PM
SUBJECT: PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
ROGICH
BATES
UNTERMEYER
CARD
ROGERS
CICCONI
WINSTON
DEMAREST
PINKERTON
FITZWATER
PETERSMEYER
GRAY
HAGIN
REMARKS:
Please forward any comments directly to Chriss Winston, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than 6:00 PM, TODAY, Friday, March 2, with a
copy to my office. Thank you.
RESPONSE: no comment
00:9d FEBE 833 06
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
McGroarty/Dooley
March 2, 1990
1990 MAR -2 AM 11: 51
11:00 am
[ASAE]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES
THE CONVENTION CENTER, WASHINGTON, D.C.
MARCH 6, 1990
2:00 P.M.
Thank you. [Introductory acknowledgements.] Bill Taylor,
President of ASAE. Neil Milner, Chairman. And to all the
association executives here today: it's my privilege to
be here this afternoon.
I know some people are surprised to hear there's an
association for associations. But I guess it's only natural for
the heads of organizations like yours to get together themselves.
Some people think of America as a nation of "rugged
individualists" -- alone, against the odds. And that is part of
the American tradition -- but only a part.
There's another tradition -- a tradition as old as America
itself. As old as Pilgrims and the Mayflower Compact -- as old
as the pioneers who settled the West. It's the tradition
Tocqueville described more than 150 years ago, when he wrote
that: "Americans of all ages, all conditions, and all
dispositions constantly form associations."
That shouldn't surprise us -- because the act of association
is nothing less than democracy in action: Individuals
translating common interests into a common cause.
2
And you know, today we see the power of democracy in action
from Moscow to Managua. We see fresh evidence every day that the
democratic ideal we cherish -- the idea we call America -- is
alive everywhere. In the Revolution of '89, that brought down
the Berlin Wall -- and brought freedom to Eastern Europe. Here
in our own hemisphere, in the great victories for democracy in
Panama and Nicaragua. Millions of people, now enjoying the
freedoms America has known for two centuries.
Here at home, we've got to see what these transforming
changes in the world mean for us. And those changes carry a
challenge -- a challenge to us, to find in our freedoms new ways
to solve the problems that threaten our society.
Look around at the problems we face: Drug abuse. Hunger,
homelessness. Despair in our inner cities. The breakdown of the
family. There's a role, a critical role, for government in
finding solutions -- but we know government doesn't have all the
answers. If we could eliminate these problems -- solve them once
and for all -- with more programs, more bureaucracy -- they would
have disappeared long ago.
But what about each one of us -- what can we do? of course,
each one of us can help. Each one of us has the power to change
someone's life for the better. And yet we may feel -- as
individuals -- that in a larger sense, we're powerless to truly
solve these vast problems we face.
But the fact is, government isn't the only organized entity
out there with the power to change things, make things better.
3
And each of us isn't just an individual -- on our own, cut off
from everyone else. Each one of us belongs: each one of us is a
member, a colleague, a teammate -- part of some larger group.
The people we work with. The people we worship with. The people
who share our interests and ideals.
And together -- in association -- we have power. A strength
greater than the simple sum of America's separate individuals.
//
Everyone in this room is well aware of the advantages of
association. The difference it makes for your organizations --
the benefits it means for your members. But I don't know whether
you are really aware of the full extent of your power. of the
resources -- the expertise -- the potential energy -- your
organizations can command.
I know many associations are already active in community
service -- and I've heard about some of the wonderful work being
done. By the Medical Association of Atlanta -- working after-
hours to provide free medical care to the homeless. By the
Oregon Remodelers Association in Portland -- in Project Pride, a
program to do home repairs for low-income elderly. By the Hotel
Association of New York City -- with its ongoing commitment to
donate unused, excess food to feed the hungry.
These are just 3 of countless community service projects
your associations are engaged in. A commitment of time and
talent worth billions of dollars each year.
4
That's tremendous -- // but it's just the tip of the
iceberg. Just a fraction of all the good works we are capable
of.
Because the fact is, coping with the problems we face is
within our power. There is no problem in America that is not
being solved somewhere. Think about that. The programs I've
just mentioned -- in New York, Atlanta, Portland, Oregon -- and
thousands more. Think about ways your organization -- every one
of your members -- can make this mission of helping others their
own. //
There's a story I want to tell today -- a story Martin
Luther King, Jr. told in a speech he made the night before that
terrible day in Memphis 22 years ago. It's a story about helping
others -- and the courage that takes.
It's a familiar story -- about the Good Samaritan and the
stranger he helped. But there's another part of the story we
don't always remember. Before the Good Samaritan stopped that
day, two other men -- a Levite and a priest -- saw the injured
stranger -- and passed him by. //
Dr. King thought long and hard about it, and he used to ask
himself: Why didn't the Levite and the Priest stop to help? Dr.
King came up with some good reasons. They didn't stop because
they were too busy. Had more important work waiting down in
Jerusalem -- of far more consequence than helping one unfortunate
man. So on they went.
5
Then one day Martin Luther King put himself in their shoes.
At the age of 30, on his first trip to the Holy Land, he
travelled that road from Jericho to Jerusalem himself -- and saw
that story of the Good Samaritan in a new light.
That road starts off more than 1000 feet above sea level,
and ends in Jerusalem 2000 feet below sea level. A twisting
road. Full of blind curves. He imagined the road 2000 years
ago, each curve a perfect ambush point for robbers. And at that
moment, Dr. King realized why the Levite and the priest didn't
stop. It had nothing to do with the reasons he had imagined.
They didn't stop -- because they were afraid. //
The way Dr. King imagined it, the Levite asked himself: "If
I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?" // And he
went on his way. //
But then the Good Samaritan came along, and asked himself a
different question: "If I don't stop to help this man -- what
will happen to him?" He asked himself that question -- and he
found the courage to stop. The courage to help. //
Which question do we ask ourselves -- about going down to
the food kitchen in that dangerous neighborhood. About stopping
on a dark street to help a homeless man. About reaching out to
those desperate kids out there -- kids who have no home life,
who're hooked on drugs, who live a nightmare we can't begin to
imagine. // Doing any of these things isn't easy. Every one
takes an act of courage.
6
But unlike the Good Samaritan, we don't have to act alone.
Each one of you understands the power of collective action -- how
much we can get done when we work together. Pool our resources.
Combine our talents.
And don't think it won't take courage. // It's going to
take courage to go back to your Member organizations, back to
their CEOs and Boards of Directors and suggest that they put
community service on their agenda. It's going to take courage to
insist that community service has a place -- at the very heart of
every organization. // But that's just what I'm asking you to
do.
Today, I want to lay down some challenges -- challenges to
associations all over America to take up community service:
[[3 CHALLENGES ]]
People in this room represent thousands of associations.
Tens of thousands of organizations, of all sorts and sizes. A
combined membership of 100 million Americans. //
So today, I'm asking you: Channel that energy into
community service. Tap that power -- and transform a nation.
///
Once again, my thanks for all you've done -- and all that
you are going to do. God bless you -- and God bless the United
States of America.
# # #
Document No. 118885SS
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE: 3/2/90
3/2/90 6:00 PM
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
SUBJECT:
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
ROGICH
BATES
UNTERMEYER
CARD
ROGERS
CICCONI
WINSTON
DEMAREST
PINKERTON
FITZWATER
PETERSMEYER
GRAY
HAGIN
REMARKS:
Please forward any comments directly to Chriss Winston, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than 6:00 PM, TODAY, Friday, March 2, with a
copy to my office. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
nc. 3/2/90
Lt Sd FEBER 06
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
March 2, 1990
MEMORANDUM FOR CHRISS WINSTON
FROM:
ROGER B. PORTER RBP
SUBJECT:
Presidential Remarks: American Society of
Association Executives
We have reviewed the attached draft and have the following
comments:
Page 3, last line: add at the end: "and worth much more in
societal well-being that cannot be reduced to a dollar figure."
Page 4, line 6: The word "solved" may be somewhat
optimistic. I suggest that the word "addressed" be used instead.
CC: James W. Cicconi
90 FEB 30 P5: 48
Document No. 118885SS
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE: 3/2/90
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
3/2/90 6:00 PM
SUBJECT: PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
ROGICH
BATES
UNTERMEYER
CARD
ROGERS
CICCONI
WINSTON
DEMAREST
PINKERTON
FITZWATER
PETERSMEYER
GRAY
HAGIN
REMARKS:
Please forward any comments directly to Chriss Winston, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than 6:00 PM, TODAY, Friday, March 2, with a
copy to my office. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
McGroarty/Dooley
1990 MAR .2 AM II: 51
March 2, 1990
11:00 am
[ASAE]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES
THE CONVENTION CENTER, WASHINGTON, D.C.
MARCH 6, 1990
2:00 P.M.
Thank you. [Introductory acknowledgements.] Bill Taylor,
President of ASAE. Neil Milner, Chairman. And to all the
association executives here today: it's my privilege to
be here this afternoon.
I know some people are surprised to hear there's an
association for associations. But I guess it's only natural for
the heads of organizations like yours to get together themselves.
Some people think of America as a nation of "rugged
individualists" -- alone, against the odds. And that is part of
the American tradition -- but only a part.
There's another tradition -- a tradition as old as America
itself. As old as Pilgrims and the Mayflower Compact -- as old
as the pioneers who settled the West. It's the tradition
Tocqueville described more than 150 years ago, when he wrote
that: "Americans of all ages, all conditions, and all
dispositions constantly form associations."
That shouldn't surprise us -- because the act of association
is nothing less than democracy in action: Individuals
translating common interests into a common cause.
2
And you know, today we see the power of democracy in action
from Moscow to Managua. We see fresh evidence every day that the
democratic ideal we cherish -- the idea we call America -- is
alive everywhere. In the Revolution of '89, that brought down
the Berlin Wall -- and brought freedom to Eastern Europe. Here
in our own hemisphere, in the great victories for democracy in
Panama and Nicaragua. Millions of people, now enjoying the
freedoms America has known for two centuries.
Here at home, we've got to see what these transforming
changes in the world mean for us. And those changes carry a
challenge -- a challenge to us, to find in our freedoms new ways
to solve the problems that threaten our society.
Look around at the problems we face: Drug abuse. Hunger,
homelessness. Despair in our inner cities. The breakdown of the
family. There's a role, a critical role, for government in
finding solutions -- but we know government doesn't have all the
answers. If we could eliminate these problems -- solve them once
and for all -- with more programs, more bureaucracy -- they would
have disappeared long ago.
But what about each one of us -- what can we do? of course,
each one of us can help. Each one of us has the power to change
someone's life for the better. And yet we may feel -- as
individuals -- that in a larger sense, we're powerless to truly
solve these vast problems we face.
But the fact is, government isn't the only organized entity
out there with the power to change things, make things better.
3
And each of us isn't just an individual -- on our own, cut off
from everyone else. Each one of us belongs: each one of us is a
member, a colleague, a teammate -- part of some larger group.
The people we work with. The people we worship with. The people
who share our interests and ideals.
And together -- in association -- we have power. A strength
greater than the simple sum of America's separate individuals.
/
/
Everyone in this room is well aware of the advantages of
association. The difference it makes for your organizations --
the benefits it means for your members. But I don't know whether
you are really aware of the full extent of your power. of the
resources -- the expertise -- the potential energy -- your
organizations can command.
I know many associations are already active in community
service -- and I've heard about some of the wonderful work being
done. By the Medical Association of Atlanta -- working after-
hours to provide free medical care to the homeless. By the
Oregon Remodelers Association in Portland -- in Project Pride, a
program to do home repairs for low-income elderly. By the Hotel
Association of New York City -- with its ongoing commitment to
donate unused, excess food to feed the hungry.
These are just 3 of countless community service projects
your associations are engaged in. A commitment of time and
talent worth billions of dollars each year.
4
That's tremendous -- // but it's just the tip of the
iceberg. Just a fraction of all the good works we are capable
of.
Because the fact is, coping with the problems we face is
within our power. There is no problem in America that is not
being solved somewhere. Think about that. The programs I've
just mentioned -- in New York, Atlanta, Portland, Oregon -- and
thousands more. Think about ways your organization -- every one
of your members -- can make this mission of helping others their
own. 11
There's a story I want to tell today -- a story Martin
Luther King, Jr. told in a speech he made the night before that
terrible day in Memphis 22 years ago. It's a story about helping
others -- and the courage that takes.
It's a familiar story -- about the Good Samaritan and the
stranger he helped. But there's another part of the story we
don't always remember. Before the Good Samaritan stopped that
day, two other men -- a Levite and a priest -- saw the injured
stranger -- and passed him by. //
Dr. King thought long and hard about it, and he used to ask
himself: Why didn't the Levite and the Priest stop to help? Dr.
King came up with some good reasons. They didn't stop because
they were too busy. Had more important work waiting down in
Jerusalem -- of far more consequence than helping one unfortunate
man. So on they went.
5
Then one day Martin Luther King put himself in their shoes.
At the age of 30, on his first trip to the Holy Land, he
travelled that road from Jericho to Jerusalem himself -- and saw
that story of the Good Samaritan in a new light.
That road starts off more than 1000 feet above sea level,
and ends in Jerusalem 2000 feet below sea level. A twisting
road. Full of blind curves. He imagined the road 2000 years
ago, each curve a perfect ambush point for robbers. And at that
moment, Dr. King realized why the Levite and the priest didn't
stop. It had nothing to do with the reasons he had imagined.
They didn't stop -- because they were afraid. //
The way Dr. King imagined it, the Levite asked himself: "If
I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?" // And he
went on his way. //
But then the Good Samaritan came along, and asked himself a
different question: "If I don't stop to help this man -- what
will happen to him?" He asked himself that question -- and he
found the courage to stop. The courage to help. //
Which question do we ask ourselves -- about going down to
the food kitchen in that dangerous neighborhood. About stopping
on a dark street to help a homeless man. About reaching out to
those desperate kids out there -- kids who have no home life,
who're hooked on drugs, who live a nightmare we can't begin to
imagine. // Doing any of these things isn't easy. Every one
takes an act of courage.
6
But unlike the Good Samaritan, we don't have to act alone.
Each one of you understands the power of collective action -- how
much we can get done when we work together. Pool our resources.
Combine our talents.
And don't think it won't take courage. // It's going to
take courage to go back to your Member organizations, back to
their CEOs and Boards of Directors and suggest that they put
community service on their agenda. It's going to take courage to
insist that community service has a place -- at the very heart of
every organization. // But that's just what I'm asking you to
do.
Today, I want to lay down some challenges - -- challenges to
associations all over America to take up community service:
[[3 CHALLENGES ....]]
People in this room represent thousands of associations.
Tens of thousands of organizations, of all sorts and sizes. A
combined membership of 100 million Americans. //
So today, I'm asking you: Channel that energy into
community service. Tap that power -- and transform a nation.
///
Once again, my thanks for all you've done -- and all that
you are going to do. God bless you -- and God bless the United
States of America.
# # #
INSERT p.6
Point MADE of
I KNOW THAT THE ASSOCIATIONS OF AMERICA REFLECT EVERY FACET OF
OUR SOCIETY -- EVERY INDUSTRY, EVERY PROFESSION, EVERY CAUSE-
EWN
RELATED GROUP, AND EVERY CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION. YOUR REACH IS
UNBELIEVABLE.
I CHALLENGE YOU TO USE THIS REACH TO STIMULATE YOUR MEMBERS TO
UNDERTAKE SPECIFIC POINTS OF LIGHT INITIATIVES.
so MANY ARE EAGER TO GET INVOLVED BUT DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT TO
DO.
FIRST,
FIND OUT WHAT'S WORKING IN YOUR INDUSTRY -- IN YOUR PROFESSION --
IN YOUR COMMUNITY. LET YOUR MEMBERS KNOW THE PROGRAMS THAT HAVE
WORKED AND SEEM TO FIT YOUR GROUPS BEST.
CHALLENGE THEM TO EMULATE THESE PROGRAM OR BUILD TO COME ON UP THIS WITH OTHERS
common
BASE..
TO ADDRESS DRUG ABUSE, ILLITERACY, HOMELESSNESS, HUNGER, AIDS AND
THE OTHER SOCIAL ILLS OF OUR COUNTRY. CHALLENGE THEM TO GET
FIRST,
EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OR EMPLOYEE DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN SOME REGULAR
COMMUNITY SERVICE ACTIVITY, FROM THE C.E.O. TO THE NEWEST HIRE,
FROM THE HEAL OF THE GROUP TO THE MINWER
GOAL
FOR EVERY MEMBER INSTITUTION SHOULD BE 100% PARTICIPATION.
you
I'M ASKING ASAE TO MONITOR YOUR RESPONSE AND TO REPORT BACK TO ME
IN SIX MONTHS ON HOW THESE PROGRAMS ARE WORKING.
R
I HAVE BELONGED TO MANY ASSOCIATIONS IN MY LIFE AND I KNOW THAT
ONE OF THE THINGS YOU DO BEST IS TO RECOGNIZE OUTSTANDING
PERFORMANCE.
SECOND-)
THEREFORE, I AM ASKING YOU TO DEVELOP PROGRAMS WITHIN EACH OF
THE SHEELEND
YOUR ORGANIZATIONS TO RECOGNIZE THOSE MEMBERS WHO ARE MAKING THE
POINTS OF LIGHT MOVEMENT COME ALIVE.
CHALLEAGE.
THIS DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A COMPETITIVE SITUATION WHERE THERE ARE
WINNERS AND LOSERS. INSTEAD, LET'S RECOGNIZE ALL OF THEM FOR THE
WORK THEY'RE DOING.
NO
WINNERS &
PLEASE RECOGNIZE REGULARLY IN YOUR MAGAZINES AND NEWSLETTERS
THOSE GROUPS WITHIN YOUR MEMBERSHIP WHO ARE RESPONDING TO THIS
CALL. I'M ASKING BILL TAYLOR TO LET ME KNOW IN SIX MONTHS HOW
WE'RE DOING IN THE CREATIONS OF POINTS OF LIGHT ASSOCIATION
RECOGNITION PROGRAMS. THE FORM THESE RECOGNITION PROGRAMS TAKE
CAN BE BROAD AND VARIED. YOU COULD HONOR MEMBERS WHO CAN
DEMONSTRATE 100% PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITY SERVICE. OR MEMBERS
WHO USE THEIR DISTINCTIVE CAPABILITIES OR SPECIAL SKILLS TO SOLVE
SPECIFIC PROBLEMS, LIKE THE DOCTORS IN ATLANTA OR THE REMODELERS
IN PORTLAND OR THE HOTELS IN NEW YORK THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER.
OR YOU CAN HONOR MEMBERS WHO FOSTER A SERVICE CULTURE, WHERE
SERVICE IS VALUED IN MAKING HIRING, COMPENSATION AND PROMOTION
DECISIONS AND THOSE WHO SERVE ARE HONORED.
RECOGNIZED
AND FINALLY, I UNDERSTAND THAT ONE OF ASAE'S REAL ASSETS IS YOUR
ALLIED SOCIETIES STRUCTURE -- 68 LOCAL AND STATE ORGANIZATIONS
COMPRISING THOUSANDS OF ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES.
A MAJOR FOCUS OF OUR POINTS OF LIGHT INITIATIVE IS TO ESTABLISH
LOCAL ACTION GROUPS OF PEOPLE WHO POSSIBLY HAVE NEVER WORKED
TOGETHER BEFORE.
I'M ASKING THE ALLIED SOCIETIES OF ASAE TO TAKE THE LEADERSHIP IN
THEIR RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES TO BRING TOGETHER POINTS OF LIGHT
ACTION GROUPS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
BILL PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW THINGS ARE GOING WITH THE POINTS OF
LIGHT ACTION GROUPS AND THIS CHALLENGE SIX MONTHS FROM NOW.
THE THIRD
CHALLENGE
RESEARCH
McGroarty/Dooley
March 2, 1990
11:00 am
[ASAE]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES
THE CONVENTION CENTER, WASHINGTON, D.C.
MARCH 6, 1990
2:00 P.M.
Thank you. [Introductory acknowledgements.] Bill Taylor,
President of ASAE. Neil Milner, Chairman. And to all the
association executives here today: it's my privilege to
be here this afternoon.
I know some people are surprised to hear there's an
association for associations. But I guess it's only natural for
the heads of organizations like yours to get together themselves.
Some people think of America as a nation of "rugged
individualists" -- alone, against the odds. And that is part of
the American tradition -- but only a part.
There's another tradition -- a tradition as old as America
itself. As old as Pilgrims and the Mayflower Compact -- as old
as the pioneers who settled the West. It's the tradition
Tocqueville described more than 150 years ago, when he wrote
Alexis lequeville deville in
that: "Americans of all ages, all conditions, and all
Democracy
Americal.II
dispositions constantly form associations."
Ch. IV It the Use
That shouldn't surprise us -- because the act of
association
is nothing less than democracy in action: Individuals
which
translating common interests into a common cause.
Association, the of Public in
Civil hife"
2
And you know, today we see the power of democracy in action
from Moscow to Managua. We see fresh evidence every day that the
democratic ideal we cherish -- the idea we call America -- is
alive everywhere. In the Revolution of '89, that brought down
the Berlin Wall -- and brought freedom to Eastern Europe. Here
in our own hemisphere, in the great victories for democracy in
Panama and Nicaragua. Millions of people, now enjoying the
freedoms America has known for two centuries.
Here at home, we've got to see what these transforming
changes in the world mean for us. And those changes carry a
challenge -- a challenge to us, to find in our freedoms new ways
to solve the problems that threaten our society.
Look around at the problems we face: Drug abuse. Hunger,
homelessness. Despair in our inner cities. The breakdown of the
family. There's a role, a critical role, for government in
finding solutions -- but we know government doesn't have all the
answers. If we could eliminate these problems -- solve them once
and for all -- with more programs, more bureaucracy -- they would
have disappeared long ago.
But what about each one of us -- what can we do? of course,
each one of us can help. Each one of us has the power to change
someone's life for the better. And yet we may feel -- as
individuals -- that in a larger sense, we're powerless to truly
solve these vast problems we face.
But the fact is, government isn't the only organized entity
out there with the power to change things, make things better.
3
And each of us isn't just an individual -- on our own, cut off
from everyone else. Each one of us belongs: each one of us is a
member, a colleague, a teammate -- part of some larger group.
The people we work with. The people we worship with. The people
who share our interests and ideals.
And together -- in association -- we have power. A strength
greater than the simple sum of America's separate individuals.
//
Everyone in this room is well aware of the advantages of
association. The difference it makes for your organizations --
the benefits it means for your members. But I don't know whether
you are really aware of the full extent of your power. of the
resources -- the expertise -- the potential energy -- your
organizations can command.
most
I know many associations are already active in community
service -- and I've heard about some of the wonderful work being
Johnenberger 881-
done. By the Medical Association of Atlanta -- working after-
404 1020
hours to provide free medical care to the homeless. By the
claikkenbergerger Schenke
Oregon Remodelers Association in Portland -- in Project Pride, a
503/226 2721
program to do home repairs for low-income elderly. By the Hotel
Joan
Association of New York City -- with its ongoing commitment to
212/852-858
Golub
donate unused, excess food to feed the hungry.
These are just 3 of countless community service projects
your associations are engaged in. A commitment of time and
talent worth billions of dollars each year.
Associations The to
Valueof
American
The Hudson
Institute, & 1989
4
That's tremendous -- // but it's just the tip of the
iceberg. Just a fraction of all the good works we are capable
of.
Because the fact is, coping with the problems we face is
within our power. There is no problem in America that is not
being solved somewhere. Think about that. The programs I've
just mentioned -- in New York, Atlanta, Portland, Oregon -- and
thousands more. Think about ways your organization -- every one
of your members -- can make this mission of helping others their
own. //
Bishop
There's a story I want to tell today -- a story Martin
Charles the Mason in
Luther King, Jr. told in a speech he made the night before that
Memphis,
terrible day in Memphis 22 years ago. It's a story about helping
Tenn.
others -- and the courage that takes.
4/3/68
It's a familiar story -- about the Good Samaritan and the
stranger he helped. But there's another part of the story we
don't always remember. Before the Good Samaritan stopped that
day, two other men -- a Levite and a priest -- saw the injured
stranger -- and passed him by. //
Dr. King thought long and hard about it, and he used to ask
himself: Why didn't the Levite and the Priest stop to help? Dr.
King came up with some good reasons. They didn't stop because
they were too busy. Had more important work waiting down in
Jerusalem -- of far more consequence than helping one unfortunate
man. So on they went.
5
Then one day Martin Luther King put himself in their shoes.
At the age of 30, on his first trip to the Holy Land, he
travelled that road from Jericho to Jerusalem himself -- and saw
that story of the Good Samaritan in a new light.
That road starts off more than 1000 feet above sea level,
Jericho
and ends in Jerusalem 2000 feet below sea level. A twisting
?
road. Full of blind curves. He imagined the road 2000 years
ago, each curve a perfect ambush point for robbers. And at that
moment, Dr. King realized why the Levite and the priest didn't
stop. It had nothing to do with the reasons he had imagined.
They didn't stop -- because they were afraid. //
The way Dr. King imagined it, the Levite asked himself: "If
I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?" // And he
went on his way. //
But then the Good Samaritan came along, and asked himself a
different question: "If I don't stop to help this man -- what
will happen to him?" He asked himself that question -- and he
found the courage to stop. The courage to help. //
Which question do we ask ourselves -- about going down to
the food kitchen in that dangerous neighborhood. About stopping
on a dark street to help a homeless man. About reaching out to
those desperate kids out there -- kids who have no home life,
who're hooked on drugs, who live a nightmare we can't begin to
imagine. // Doing any of these things isn't easy. Every one
takes an act of courage.
6
But unlike the Good Samaritan, we don't have to act alone.
Each one of you understands the power of collective action -- how
much we can get done when we work together. Pool our resources.
Combine our talents.
And don't think it won't take courage. // It's going to
take courage to go back to your Member organizations, back to
their CEOs and Boards of Directors and suggest that they put
community service on their agenda. It's going to take courage to
2/3
insist that community service has a place -- at the very heart of
every organization. // But that's just what I'm asking you to
do.
Today, I want to lay down some challenges -- challenges to
associations all over America to take up community service:
[[3 CHALLENGES
]]
ations
People in this room represent thousands of associations.
Tens of thousands of organizations of all sorts and sizes. A
combined membership of 100 million Americans. //
So today, I'm asking you: Channel that energy into
community service. Tap that power -- and transform a nation.
///
Once again, my thanks for all you've done -- and all that
you are going to do. God bless you -- and God bless the United
States of America.
# # #
Dan
Pb. see m. 4-5 per
McGroarty/Dooley
J
an conversation.
March 2, 1990
1990 MAR -2 AM 11: 51
11:00 am
[ASAE]
John Jr.
Thanks,
s: AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES
THE CONVENTION CENTER, WASHINGTON, D.C.
MARCH 6, 1990
2:00 P.M.
Thank you. [Introductory acknowledgements. Bill Taylor,
President of ASAE. Neil Milner, Chairman. And to all the
association executives here today: it's my privilege to
be here this afternoon.
I know some people are surprised to hear there's an
association for associations. But I guess it's only natural for
the heads of organizations like yours to get together themselves.
Some people think of America as a nation of "rugged
individualists" -- alone, against the odds. And that is part of
the American tradition -- but only a part.
There's another tradition -- a tradition as old as America
itself. As old as Pilgrims and the Mayflower Compact -- as old
as the pioneers who settled the West. It's the tradition
Tocqueville described more than 150 years ago, when he wrote
that: "Americans of all ages, all conditions, and all
dispositions constantly form associations."
That shouldn't surprise us -- because the act of association
is nothing less than democracy in action: Individuals
translating common interests into a common cause.
2
And you know, today we see the power of democracy in action
from Moscow to Managua. We see fresh evidence every day that the
democratic ideal we cherish -- the idea we call America -- is
alive everywhere. In the Revolution of '89, that brought down
the Berlin Wall -- and brought freedom to Eastern Europe. Here
in our own hemisphere, in the great victories for democracy in
Panama and Nicaragua. Millions of people, now enjoying the
freedoms America has known for two centuries.
Here at home, we've got to see what these transforming
changes in the world mean for us. And those changes carry a
challenge -- a challenge to us, to find in our freedoms new ways
to solve the problems that threaten our society.
Look around at the problems we face: Drug abuse. Hunger,
homelessness. Despair in our inner cities. The breakdown of the
family. There's a role, a critical role, for government in
finding solutions -- but we know government doesn't have all the
answers. If we could eliminate these problems -- solve them once
and for all -- with more programs, more bureaucracy -- they would
have disappeared long ago.
But what about each one of us -- what can we do? of course,
each one of us can help. Each one of us has the power to change
someone's life for the better. And yet we may feel -- as
individuals -- that in a larger sense, we're powerless to truly
solve these vast problems we face.
But the fact is, government isn't the only organized entity
out there with the power to change things, make things better.
3
And each of us isn't just an individual -- on our own, cut off
from everyone else. Each one of us belongs: each one of us is a
member, a colleague, a teammate -- part of some larger group.
The people we work with. The people we worship with. The people
who share our interests and ideals.
And together -- in association -- we have power. A strength
greater than the simple sum of America's separate individuals.
Everyone in this room is well aware of the advantages of
association. The difference it makes for your organizations --
the benefits it means for your members. But I don't know whether
you are really aware of the full extent of your power. of the
resources -- the expertise -- the potential energy -- your
organizations can command.
I know many associations are already active in community
service -- and I've heard about some of the wonderful work being
done. By the Medical Association of Atlanta -- working after-
hours to provide free medical care to the homeless. By the
Oregon Remodelers Association in Portland -- in Project Pride, a
program to do home repairs for low-income elderly. By the Hotel
Association of New York City -- with its ongoing commitment to
donate unused, excess food to feed the hungry.
These are just 3 of countless community service projects
your associations are engaged in. A commitment of time and
talent worth billions of dollars each year.
4
That's tremendous -- // but it's just the tip of the
iceberg. Just a fraction of all the good works we are capable
of.
Because the fact is, coping with the problems we face is
within our power. There is no problem in America that is not
being solved somewhere. Think about that. The programs I've
just mentioned -- in New York, Atlanta, Portland, Oregon -- and
thousands more. Think about ways your organization -- every one
of your members -- can make this mission of helping others their
own. //
There's a story I want to tell today -- a story Martin
Luther King, Jr. told in a speech he made the night before that
terrible day in Memphis 22 years ago. It's a story about helping
others -- and the courage that takes.
It's a familiar story -- about the Good Samaritan and the
stranger he helped. But there's another part of the story we
don't always remember. Before the Good Samaritan stopped that
day, two other men
a
saw the injured
stranger -- and passed him by. //
Dr. King thought long and hard about it, and he used to ask
the others they
himself: Why didn't the Levite and the Priest stop to help? Dr.
King came up with some good reasons. They didn't stop because
they were too busy. Had more important work waiting down in
Jerusalem -- of far more consequence than helping one unfortunate
man. So on they went.
5
Then one day Martin Luther King put himself in their shoes.
At the age of 30, on his first trip to the Holy Land, he
travelled that road from Jericho to Jerusalem himself -- and saw
that story of the Good Samaritan in a new light.
That road starts off more than 1000 feet above sea level,
and ends in Jerusalem 2000 feet below sea level. A twisting
road. Full of blind curves. He imagined the road 2000 years
ago, each curve a perfect ambush point for robbers. And at that
moment, Dr. King realized why the Levite they and the priest didn't
stop. It had nothing to do with the reasons he had imagined.
They didn't stop -- because they were afraid. //
one
The way Dr. King imagined it, the Levite asked himself: "If
I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?" // And he
went on his way. //
But then the Good Samaritan came along, and asked himself a
different question: "If I don't stop to help this man -- what
will happen to him?" He asked himself that question -- and he
found the courage to stop. The courage to help. //
Which question do we ask ourselves -- about going down to
the food kitchen in that dangerous neighborhood. About stopping
on a dark street to help a homeless man. About reaching out to
those desperate kids out there -- kids who have no home life,
who're hooked on drugs, who live a nightmare we can't begin to
imagine. // Doing any of these things isn't easy. Every one
takes an act of courage.
6
But unlike the Good Samaritan, we don't have to act alone.
Each one of you understands the power of collective action -- how
much we can get done when we work together. Pool our resources.
Combine our talents.
And don't think it won't take courage. // It's going to
take courage to go back to your Member organizations, back to
their CEOs and Boards of Directors and suggest that they put
community service on their agenda. It's going to take courage to
insist that community service has a place -- at the very heart of
every organization. // But that's just what I'm asking you to
do.
Today, I want to lay down some challenges -- challenges to
associations all over America to take up community service:
[[3 CHALLENGES ....]]
People in this room represent thousands of associations.
Tens of thousands of organizations, of all sorts and sizes. A
combined membership of 100 million Americans. //
So today, I'm asking you: Channel that energy into
community service. Tap that power -- and transform a nation.
///
Once again, my thanks for all you've done -- and all that
you are going to do. God bless you -- and God bless the United
States of America.
# # #
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
March 2, 1990
MEMORANDUM FOR CHRISS WINSTON
DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR
COMMUNICATIONS
FROM:
ASSOCIATE COUNSEL TO THE PRESIDENT
JAY S. BYBEE job
SUBJECT:
Presidential Remarks: American Society of
Association Executives
Counsel's office has reviewed the above-referenced matter. We
have no legal objections.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this matter.
CC: James W. Cicconi
$1:50 08 833 06
Document No. 118885SS
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE: 3/2/90
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
3/2/90 6:00 PM
SUBJECT: PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
ROGICH
BATES
UNTERMEYER
CARD
ROGERS
CICCONI
WINSTON
DEMAREST
PINKERTON
FITZWATER
PETERSMEYER
GRAY
HAGIN
REMARKS:
Please forward any comments directly to Chriss Winston, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than 6:00 PM, TODAY, Friday, March 2, with a
copy to my office. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
OK
for Siy Rogeson
zz : Pd 00 833 06
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
McGroarty/Dooley
March 2, 1990
1990 MAR 2 AM 11: 51
11:00 am
[ASAE]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES
THE CONVENTION CENTER, WASHINGTON, D.C.
MARCH 6, 1990
2:00 P.M.
Thank you. [Introductory acknowledgements.] Bill Taylor,
President of ASAE. Neil Milner, Chairman. And to all the
association executives here today: it's my privilege to
be here this afternoon.
I know some people are surprised to hear there's an
association for associations. But I guess it's only natural for
the heads of organizations like yours to get together themselves.
Some people think of America as a nation of "rugged
individualists" -- alone, against the odds. And that is part of
the American tradition -- but only a part.
There's another tradition -- a tradition as old as America
itself. As old as Pilgrims and the Mayflower Compact -- as old
as the pioneers who settled the West. It's the tradition
Tocqueville described more than 150 years ago, when he wrote
that: "Americans of all ages, all conditions, and all
dispositions constantly form associations."
That shouldn't surprise us -- because the act of association
is nothing less than democracy in action: Individuals
translating common interests into a common cause.
2
And you know, today we see the power of democracy in action
from Moscow to Managua. We see fresh evidence every day that the
democratic ideal we cherish -- the idea we call America -- is
alive everywhere. In the Revolution of '89, that brought down
the Berlin Wall -- and brought freedom to Eastern Europe. Here
in our own hemisphere, in the great victories for democracy in
Panama and Nicaragua. Millions of people, now enjoying the
freedoms America has known for two centuries.
Here at home, we've got to see what these transforming
changes in the world mean for us. And those changes carry a
challenge -- a challenge to us, to find in our freedoms new ways
to solve the problems that threaten our society.
Look around at the problems we face: Drug abuse. Hunger,
homelessness. Despair in our inner cities. The breakdown of the
family. There's a role, a critical role, for government in
finding solutions -- but we know government doesn't have all the
answers. If we could eliminate these problems -- solve them once
and for all -- with more programs, more bureaucracy -- they would
have disappeared long ago.
But what about each one of us -- what can we do? of course,
each one of us can help. Each one of us has the power to change
someone's life for the better. And yet we may feel -- as
individuals -- that in a larger sense, we're powerless to truly
solve these vast problems we face.
But the fact is, government isn't the only organized entity
out there with the power to change things, make things better.
3
And each of us isn't just an individual -- on our own, cut off
from everyone else. Each one of us belongs: each one of us is a
member, a colleague, a teammate -- part of some larger group.
The people we work with. The people we worship with. The people
who share our interests and ideals.
And together -- in association -- we have power. A strength
greater than the simple sum of America's separate individuals.
//
Everyone in this room is well aware of the advantages of
association. The difference it makes for your organizations --
the benefits it means for your members. But I don't know whether
you are really aware of the full extent of your power. of the
resources -- the expertise -- the potential energy -- your
organizations can command.
I know many associations are already active in community
service -- and I've heard about some of the wonderful work being
done. By the Medical Association of Atlanta -- working after-
hours to provide free medical care to the homeless. By the
Oregon Remodelers Association in Portland -- in Project Pride, a
program to do home repairs for low-income elderly. By the Hotel
Association of New York City -- with its ongoing commitment to
donate unused, excess food to feed the hungry.
These are just 3 of countless community service projects
your associations are engaged in. A commitment of time and
talent worth billions of dollars each year.
4
That's tremendous -- // but it's just the tip of the
iceberg. Just a fraction of all the good works we are capable
of.
Because the fact is, coping with the problems we face is
within our power. There is no problem in America that is not
being solved somewhere. Think about that. The programs I've
just mentioned -- in New York, Atlanta, Portland, Oregon -- and
thousands more. Think about ways your organization -- every one
of your members -- can make this mission of helping others their
own. //
There's a story I want to tell today -- a story Martin
Luther King, Jr. told in a speech he made the night before that
terrible day in Memphis 22 years ago. It's a story about helping
others -- and the courage that takes.
It's a familiar story -- about the Good Samaritan and the
stranger he helped. But there's another part of the story we
don't always remember. Before the Good Samaritan stopped that
day, two other men -- a Levite and a priest -- saw the injured
stranger -- and passed him by. //
Dr. King thought long and hard about it, and he used to ask
himself: Why didn't the Levite and the Priest stop to help? Dr.
King came up with some good reasons. They didn't stop because
they were too busy. Had more important work waiting down in
Jerusalem -- of far more consequence than helping one unfortunate
man. So on they went.
5
Then one day Martin Luther King put himself in their shoes.
At the age of 30, on his first trip to the Holy Land, he
travelled that road from Jericho to Jerusalem himself -- and saw
that story of the Good Samaritan in a new light.
That road starts off more than 1000 feet above sea level,
and ends in Jerusalem 2000 feet below sea level. A twisting
road. Full of blind curves. He imagined the road 2000 years
ago, each curve a perfect ambush point for robbers. And at that
moment, Dr. King realized why the Levite and the priest didn't
stop. It had nothing to do with the reasons he had imagined.
They didn't stop -- because they were afraid. //
The way Dr. King imagined it, the Levite asked himself: "If
I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?" // And he
went on his way. //
But then the Good Samaritan came along, and asked himself a
different question: "If I don't stop to help this man -- what
will happen to him?" He asked himself that question -- and he
found the courage to stop. The courage to help. //
Which question do we ask ourselves -- about going down to
the food kitchen in that dangerous neighborhood. About stopping
on a dark street to help a homeless man. About reaching out to
those desperate kids out there -- kids who have no home life,
who're hooked on drugs, who live a nightmare we can't begin to
imagine. // Doing any of these things isn't easy. Every one
takes an act of courage.
6
But unlike the Good Samaritan, we don't have to act alone.
Each one of you understands the power of collective action -- how
much we can get done when we work together. Pool our resources.
Combine our talents.
And don't think it won't take courage. // It's going to
take courage to go back to your Member organizations, back to
their CEOs and Boards of Directors and suggest that they put
community service on their agenda. It's going to take courage to
insist that community service has a place -- at the very heart of
every organization. // But that's just what I'm asking you to
do.
Today, I want to lay down some challenges -- challenges to
associations all over America to take up community service:
[[3 CHALLENGES ....]]
People in this room represent thousands of associations.
Tens of thousands of organizations, of all sorts and sizes. A
combined membership of 100 million Americans. //
So today, I'm asking you: Channel that energy into
community service. Tap that power -- and transform a nation.
///
Once again, my thanks for all you've done -- and all that
you are going to do. God bless you -- and God bless the United
States of America.
# # #
Document No. 118885SS
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
1655
DATE: 3/2/90
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
3/2/90 6:00 PM
SUBJECT:
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
ROGICH
BATES
UNTERMEYER
CARD
ROGERS
CICCONI
WINSTON
DEMAREST
PINKERTON
FITZWATER
PETERSMEYER
GRAY
HAGIN
REMARKS:
Please forward any comments directly to Chriss Winston, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than 6:00 PM, TODAY, Friday, March 2, with a
copy to my office. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
March 2, 1990
TO: CHRISS WINSTON
NSC clears the Presidential remarks for the American Society of
Association Executives at the Convention Center on March 6.
Brent Scowcroft
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
CC: James W. Cicconi
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
90 FEB30 P 1 : 13
McGroarty/Dooley
March 2, 1990
1990 MAR 2 AH II: 51
11:00 am
[ASAE]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES
THE CONVENTION CENTER, WASHINGTON, D.C.
MARCH 6, 1990
2:00 P.M.
Thank you. [Introductory acknowledgements.] Bill Taylor,
President of ASAE. Neil Milner, Chairman. And to all the
association executives here today: it's my privilege to
be here this afternoon.
I know some people are surprised to hear there's an
association for associations. But I guess it's only natural for
the heads of organizations like yours to get together themselves.
Some people think of America as a nation of "rugged
individualists" -- alone, against the odds. And that is part of
the American tradition -- but only a part.
There's another tradition -- a tradition as old as America
itself. As old as Pilgrims and the Mayflower Compact -- as old
as the pioneers who settled the West. It's the tradition
Tocqueville described more than 150 years ago, when he wrote
that: "Americans of all ages, all conditions, and all
dispositions constantly form associations."
That shouldn't surprise us -- because the act of association
is nothing less than democracy in action: Individuals
translating common interests into a common cause.
2
And you know, today we see the power of democracy in action
from Moscow to Managua. We see fresh evidence every day that the
democratic ideal we cherish -- the idea we call America -- is
alive everywhere. In the Revolution of '89, that brought down
the Berlin Wall -- and brought freedom to Eastern Europe. Here
in our own hemisphere, in the great victories for democracy in
Panama and Nicaragua. Millions of people, now enjoying the
freedoms America has known for two centuries.
Here at home, we've got to see what these transforming
changes in the world mean for us. And those changes carry a
challenge -- a challenge to us, to find in our freedoms new ways
to solve the problems that threaten our society.
Look around at the problems we face: Drug abuse. Hunger,
homelessness. Despair in our inner cities. The breakdown of the
family. There's a role, a critical role, for government in
finding solutions -- but we know government doesn't have all the
answers. If we could eliminate these problems -- solve them once
and for all -- with more programs, more bureaucracy -- they would
have disappeared long ago.
But what about each one of us -- what can we do? of course,
each one of us can help. Each one of us has the power to change
someone's life for the better. And yet we may feel -- as
individuals -- that in a larger sense, we're powerless to truly
solve these vast problems we face.
But the fact is, government isn't the only organized entity
out there with the power to change things, make things better.
3
And each of us isn't just an individual -- on our own, cut off
from everyone else. Each one of us belongs: each one of us is a
member, a colleague, a teammate -- part of some larger group.
The people we work with. The people we worship with. The people
who share our interests and ideals.
And together -- in association -- we have power. A strength
greater than the simple sum of America's separate individuals.
//
Everyone in this room is well aware of the advantages of
association. The difference it makes for your organizations --
the benefits it means for your members. But I don't know whether
you are really aware of the full extent of your power. of the
resources -- the expertise -- the potential energy -- your
organizations can command.
I know many associations are already active in community
service -- and I've heard about some of the wonderful work being
done. By the Medical Association of Atlanta -- working after-
hours to provide free medical care to the homeless. By the
Oregon Remodelers Association in Portland -- in Project Pride, a
program to do home repairs for low-income elderly. By the Hotel
Association of New York City -- with its ongoing commitment to
donate unused, excess food to feed the hungry.
These are just 3 of countless community service projects
your associations are engaged in. A commitment of time and
talent worth billions of dollars each year.
4
That's tremendous -- // but it's just the tip of the
iceberg. Just a fraction of all the good works we are capable
of.
Because the fact is, coping with the problems we face is
within our power. There is no problem in America that is not
being solved somewhere. Think about that. The programs I've
just mentioned -- in New York, Atlanta, Portland, Oregon -- and
thousands more. Think about ways your organization -- every one
of your members -- can make this mission of helping others their
own. //
There's a story I want to tell today -- a story Martin
Luther King, Jr. told in a speech he made the night before that
terrible day in Memphis 22 years ago. It's a story about helping
others -- and the courage that takes.
It's a familiar story -- about the Good Samaritan and the
stranger he helped. But there's another part of the story we
don't always remember. Before the Good Samaritan stopped that
day, two other men -- a Levite and a priest -- saw the injured
stranger -- and passed him by. //
Dr. King thought long and hard about it, and he used to ask
himself: Why didn't the Levite and the Priest stop to help? Dr.
King came up with some good reasons. They didn't stop because
they were too busy. Had more important work waiting down in
Jerusalem -- of far more consequence than helping one unfortunate
man. So on they went.
5
Then one day Martin Luther King put himself in their shoes.
At the age of 30, on his first trip to the Holy Land, he
travelled that road from Jericho to Jerusalem himself -- and saw
that story of the Good Samaritan in a new light.
That road starts off more than 1000 feet above sea level,
if believe
and ends in Jerusalem 2000 feet below sea level. A twisting
road. Full of blind curves. He imagined the road 2000 years
below
ago, each curve a perfect ambush point for robbers. And at that
Dead sea The is.
moment, Dr. King realized why the Levite and the priest didn't
stop. It had nothing to do with the reasons he had imagined.
They didn't stop -- because they were afraid. //
The way Dr. King imagined it, the Levite asked himself: "If
I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?" // And he
went on his way. //
But then the Good Samaritan came along, and asked himself a
different question: "If I don't stop to help this man -- what
will happen to him?" He asked himself that question -- and he
found the courage to stop. The courage to help. //
Which question do we ask ourselves -- about going down to
the food kitchen in that dangerous neighborhood. About stopping
on a dark street to help a homeless man. About reaching out to
those desperate kids out there -- kids who have no home life,
who're hooked on drugs, who live a nightmare we can't begin to
imagine. // Doing any of these things isn't easy. Every one
takes an act of courage.
6
But unlike the Good Samaritan, we don't have to act alone.
Each one of you understands the power of collective action -- how
much we can get done when we work together. Pool our resources.
Combine our talents.
And don't think it won't take courage. // It's going to
take courage to go back to your Member organizations, back to
their CEOs and Boards of Directors and suggest that they put
community service on their agenda. It's going to take courage to
insist that community service has a place -- at the very heart of
every organization. // But that's just what I'm asking you to
do.
Today, I want to lay down some challenges -- challenges to
associations all over America to take up community service:
[[3 CHALLENGES ]]
People in this room represent thousands of associations.
Tens of thousands of organizations, of all sorts and sizes. A
combined membership of 100 million Americans. //
So today, I'm asking you: Channel that energy into
community service. Tap that power -- and transform a nation.
///
Once again, my thanks for all you've done -- and all that
you are going to do. God bless you -- and God bless the United
States of America.
# # #
PETERSMEYER
McGroarty/Dooley
March 2, 1990
11:00 am
[ASAE]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES
THE CONVENTION CENTER, WASHINGTON, D.C.
MARCH 6, 1990
2:00 P.M.
Thank you. [Introductory acknowledgements.] Bill Taylor,
President of ASAE. Neil Milner, Chairman. And to all the
association executives here today: it's my privilege to
be here this afternoon.
I know some people are surprised to hear that there's an
association for associations. But I guess it's only natural for
the heads of organizations like yours to get together themselves.
Some people think of America as a nation of "rugged
individualists" -- alone, against the odds. And that is part of
the American tradition -- but only a part.
There's another tradition -- a tradition as old as America
itself. As old as Pilgrims and the Mayflower Compact -- as old
as the pioneers who settled the West. It's the tradition
Tocqueville described more than 150 years ago, when he wrote
that: "Americans of all ages, all conditions, and all
dispositions constantly form associations."
That shouldn't surprise us -- because the act of association
is nothing less than democracy in action: Individuals
translating common interests into a common cause.
insepr
freedm for purpose
2
And you know, today we see the power of democracy in action
from Moscow to Managua. We see fresh evidence every day that the
democratic ideal we cherish -- the idea we call America -- is
alive everywhere. In the Revolution of '89, that brought down
the Berlin Wall -- and brought freedom to Eastern Europe. Here
in our own hemisphere, in the great victories for democracy in
Panama and Nicaragua. Millions of people, now enjoying the
freedoms America has known for two centuries.
Here at home, we've got to see what these transforming
changes in the world mean for us. And those changes carry a
challenge -- a challenge to us, to find in our freedoms new ways
to solve the problems that threaten our society.
Rand
entimed
Look around at the problems we face: Drug abuse. Hunger
leadership one of the
homelessness. Despair in our inner cities. The breakdown of the community
family There's a role, a critical role, for government in
finding solutions -- but we know government doesn't have all the
answers. If we could eliminate these problems -- solve them once
and for all -- with more programs, more bureaucracy
they would
Alliteracy
have disappeared long ago.
and
public
AIDS,
But what about each one of us -- what can we do? of course,
each one of us can help. Each one of us has the power to change
someone life for the better. And yet we may feel -- as
individuals -- that in a larger sense, we're powerless to truly
solve these vast problems we face.
But the fact is, government isn't the only organized entity
else's
out there with the power to change things, make things better.
(a difference
paur to
3
And each of us isn't just an individual -- on our own, cut off
from everyone else. Each one of us belongs: each one of us is a in
member, a colleague, a teammate -- part of some larger group.
The people we work with. The people Awe worship with. The people
who share our interests and nour ideals. L little whom
And together -- in association -- we have power. A strength
with
whom
greater than the simple sum of America's separate individuals.
your ability to help solve community
Everyone in this room is well aware of the advantages of problem,
association. The difference it makes for your organizations --
the benefits it means for your members. But I don't know whether
you are really aware of the full extent of your power. of the
resources -- the expertise -- the potential energy -- your
organizations can command.
I know many associations are already active in community
service -- and I've heard about some of the wonderful work being
done. By the Medical Association of Atlanta -- working after-
hours to provide free medical care to the homeless. By the
Oregon Remodelers Association in Portland -- in Project Pride, a
program to do home repairs for low-income elderly. By the Hotel
Association of New York City -- with its ongoing commitment to
donate unused, excess food to feed the hungry
pricelece
These are just 3 of countless community service projects
your associations are engaged in. A commitment of time and
in
talent worth billions of dellars each year.
Winch
surplus
4
That's tremendous -- // but it's just the tip of the
iceberg. Just a fraction of all the good works we are capable
of
performing
Because the fact is, coping with the problems we face is
within our power. There is no problem in America that is not
being solved somewhere. Think about that. The programs I've
just mentioned -- in New York, Atlanta, Portland, Oregon -- and
thousands more. Think about ways your organization -- every one
of your members -- can make this mission of helping others their
own. //
of histragic death
Serving
There's a story I want to tell today -- a story Martin
the
Luther King, Jr. told in a speech he made the night before that
terrible day in Memphis 22 years ago. It's a story about helping
others -- and the courage that takes.
(serning)
It's a familiar story -- about the Good Samaritan and the
stranger he helped. But there's another part of the story we
don't always remember. Before the Good Samaritan stopped that
day, two other men -- a Levite and a priest -- saw the injured
stranger -- and passed him by. //
Dr. King thought long and hard about it, and he used to ask
himself: Why didn't the Levite and the Priest stop to help? Dr.
King came up with some good reasons. They didn't stop because
they were too busy. Had more important work waiting down in
Jerusalem -- of far more consequence than helping one unfortunate
man. So on they went.
and his
5
wife
Coretta
Then one day Martin Luther King put himself in their shoes.
At the age of 30, on his first trip to the Holy Land, he
travelled that road from Jericho to Jerusalem himself -- and saw
that story of the Good Samaritan in a new light.
That road starts off more than 1000 feet above sea level,
and ends in Jerusalem 2000 feet below sea level. A twisting
road. Full of blind curves. He imagined the road 2000 years
ago, each curve a perfect ambush point for robbers. And at that
moment, Dr. King realized why the Levite and the priest didn't
stop. It had nothing to do with the reasons he had imagined.
the
They didn't stop -- because they were afraid.
priect
themselve
The way Dr. King imagined it, the Levite asked himself: "If
I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?" // And -he
their
went on his way. //
they
But then the Good Samaritan came along, and asked himself a
different question: "If I don't stop to help this man -- what
will happen to him?" He asked himself that question -- and he
found the courage to stop. The courage to help.
//
Which question do we ask ourselves -- about going down to
the food kitchen in that dangerous neighborhood. About stopping
on a dark street to help a homeless man. About reaching out to
those desperate kids out there -- kids who have no home life,
soup
who're hooked on drugs, who live a nightmare we can't begin to
imagine. // Doing any of these things isn't easy. Every one
takes an act of courage.
The cowage to serve,
6
But unlike the Good Samaritan, we don't have to act alone.
Each one of you understands the power of collective action -- how
much we can get done when we work together. Pool our resources.
Combine our talents at the centerf
And don't think it won't take courage. // It's going to
take courage to go back to your Member organizations, back to
place
their CEOs and Boards of Directors and suggest that they put
community service on their agenda. It's going to take courage to
insist that community service has a place -- at the very heart of
every organization. 111 But that's just what I'm asking you to
do.
CEE INSERT
make
Today, I want to lay down some challenges -- challenges to
associations all over America to take up community service:
[[3 CHALLENGES
]]
to
People in this room represent thousands of associations. the life
and work
Tens of thousands of organizations, of all sorts and sizes. A of
combined membership of 100 million Americans. //
So today, I'm asking you: Channel that energy into
each your of its
of association
member
community service. Tap that power -- and transform a nation.
///
Once again, my thanks for all you've done -- and all that
you are going to do. God bless you -- and God bless the United
States of America.
Frogly this forward
# # #
It full the encauge to mile each me
believe that from now an in America any definetion of -
successful life must include serving others.
cloacts
INSERT p.6
I KNOW THAT THE ASSOCIATIONS OF AMERICA REFLECT EVERY FACET OF
OUR SOCIETY -- EVERY INDUSTRY, EVERY PROFESSION, EVERY CAUSE-
RELATED GROUP, AND EVERY CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION. YOUR REACH IS
UNBELIEVABLE.
I CHALLENGE YOU TO USE THIS REACH TO STIMULATE YOUR MEMBERS TO
UNDERTAKE SPECIFIC POINTS OF LIGHT INITIATIVES.
so MANY ARE EAGER TO GET INVOLVED BUT DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT TO
DO.
FIND OUT WHAT'S WORKING IN YOUR INDUSTRY -- IN YOUR PROFESSION --
IN YOUR COMMUNITY. LET YOUR MEMBERS KNOW THE PROGRAMS THAT HAVE
WORKED AND SEEM TO FIT YOUR GROUPS BEST.
CHALLENGE THEM TO EMULATE THESE PROGRAM OR TO COME UP WITH OTHERS
TO ADDRESS DRUG ABUSE, ILLITERACY, HOMELESSNESS, HUNGER, AIDS AND
THE OTHER SOCIAL ILLS OF OUR COUNTRY. CHALLENGE THEM TO GET
EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OR EMPLOYEE DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN SOME REGULAR
COMMUNITY SERVICE ACTIVITY, FROM THE C.E.O. TO THE NEWEST HIRE,
FROM THE HEAD OF THE GROUP TO THE MOST JUNIOR MEMBER. THE GOAL
1ASIC
FOR EVERY MEMBER INSTITUTION SHOULD BE 100% PARTICIPATION.
you
I'M ASKING ASAE TO MONITOR YOUR RESPONSE AND TO REPORT BACK TO ME
IN SIX MONTHS ON HOW THESE PROGRAMS ARE WORKING.
₹
"I HAVE BELONGED TO MANY ASSOCIATIONS IN MY LIFE AND I KNOW THAT
ONE OF THE THINGS YOU DO BEST IS TO RECOGNIZE OUTSTANDING
PERFORMANCE.
THEREFORE, I AM ASKING YOU TO DEVELOP PROGRAMS WITHIN EACH OF
YOUR ORGANIZATIONS TO RECOGNIZE THOSE MEMBERS WHO ARE MAKING THE
POINTS OF LIGHT MOVEMENT COME ALIVE.
THIS DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A COMPETITIVE SITUATION WHERE THERE ARE
WINNERS AND LOSERS. INSTEAD, LET'S RECOGNIZE ALL OF THEM FOR THE
WORK THEY'RE DOING.
PLEASE RECOGNIZE REGULARLY IN YOUR MAGAZINES AND NEWSLETTERS
THOSE GROUPS WITHIN YOUR MEMBERSHIP WHO ARE RESPONDING TO THIS
CALL. I'M ASKING BILL TAYLOR TO LET ME KNOW IN SIX MONTHS HOW
WE'RE DOING IN THE CREATIONS OF POINTS OF LIGHT ASSOCIATION
RECOGNITION PROGRAMS. THE FORM THESE RECOGNITION PROGRAMS TAKE
CAN BE BROAD AND VARIED. YOU COULD HONOR MEMBERS WHO CAN
DEMONSTRATE 100% PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITY SERVICE. OR MEMBERS
WHO USE THEIR DISTINCTIVE CAPABILITIES OR SPECIAL SKILLS TO SOLVE
SPECIFIC PROBLEMS, LIKE THE DOCTORS IN ATLANTA OR THE REMODELERS
IN PORTLAND OR THE HOTELS IN NEW YORK THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER.
OR YOU CAN HONOR MEMBERS WHO FOSTER A SERVICE CULTURE, WHERE
SERVICE IS VALUED IN MAKING HIRING, COMPENSATION AND PROMOTION
DECISIONS AND THOSE WHO SERVE ARE HONORED.
RECOGNIZED
AND FINALLY, I UNDERSTAND THAT ONE OF ASAE'S REAL ASSETS IS YOUR
ALLIED SOCIETIES STRUCTURE -- 68 LOCAL AND STATE ORGANIZATIONS
COMPRISING THOUSANDS OF ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES.
A MAJOR FOCUS OF OUR POINTS OF LIGHT INITIATIVE IS TO ESTABLISH
LOCAL ACTION GROUPS OF PEOPLE WHO POSSIBLY HAVE NEVER WORKED
TOGETHER BEFORE.
I'M ASKING THE ALLIED SOCIETIES OF ASAE TO TAKE THE LEADERSHIP IN
THEIR RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES TO BRING TOGETHER POINTS OF LIGHT
ACTION GROUPS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
BILL PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW THINGS ARE GOING WITH THE POINTS OF
LIGHT ACTION GROUPS AND THIS CHALLENGE SIX MONTHS FROM NOW.
THE THIRD
CHALLENGE