Notes from Pawley's - "Dear, the azaleas are beautiful"

The third seminar of the Liberty Fellowship was the last week of September 2005 at Pawley's Island. Below are notes from the week.

A woman in the seminar who had been a senior executive in a major corporation related a wonderful story. In her mid 30s, she had recently been hired as the Vice President of Planning. A male board member in his 80s came up to her at a reception and asked what she did with the company. "I'm the Vice President of Planning," she told him. "Dear, the azaleas are beautiful," he replied.

He thought she said the Vice President of Planting. This should be a word of caution to guys about the biases women face too often in having the same credibility as men.

I enjoyed hearing the story, because the woman who related it clearly enjoyed telling it. At a time of too much bitterness and hostility, it's nice when people can laugh at themselves and their circumstances.

Then walking along the beach early the next morning, it dawned on me what a wonderful job that would be - the Vice President of Planting - the person that plants things that bloom and become beautiful.

Reflecting further, it dawned on me that Hayne Hipp created the Liberty Fellowship to make Vice Presidents of Planting out of the fellows - people inspired to serve their community through leadership that empowers others to bloom and accomplish great things.

The Vice President of Planting. I like that. It's something we should all aspire to be.