Bob Glover’s Farewell Remarks, delivered on August 22, 2006 at The Pagoda, Norfolk, VA
Considering what remarks might be appropriate for this farewell I checked out a few historic examples. The most well-known and often quoted of course is that of our first President, George Washington. He had many great quotes and clearly a lot to say in that it was 10 pages single-spaced. Seeing that they just put out the deserts I don’t think that would work for this group tonight.
Then, a few decades later there was Lincoln’s farewell to his friends when he departed Springfield, Illinois, after being elected President. Lincoln said, “I now leave, not knowing when, or whether ever, I may return… “ Well, I hope that is not a good model for us -- as we’ve rented our house for just a few years (to a German naval officer – a submariner, in fact, hoping that if we get the big storm here while we are gone he can pump our basement).
A century or so later, President Harry Truman – keeping in his usual form -- gave a very short farewell -- where he said, “There is no job like it on the face of the Earth…” and I have often felt that – especially in my first few months as the CMC director when I was the only full time staffer.
Following Truman was President Eisenhower where he coined the phrase about the military – industrial complex . Ike said, “In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. Remarkable words coming from a 5-star General. Essentially, Ike framed the guns vs. butter question. Having volunteered and worked in the non-profit community for more than 15 years and having just completed 30 years in the Army and Army Reserves I can tell you that we now need to spend more on butter and less on guns.
But I really liked what Ronald Reagan had to say – and here was the guy who referred to the great satin and the evil empire and then later essentially befriended and came to greatly admire, his rival, Mikhail Gorbachev.
In Ronald Reagan’s farewell, he talked about how people referred to him with the nickname “The Great Communicator.’’ And that seems to make a nice fit with the whole idea of conflict resolution and mediation. However, Reagan said that he never thought it was his style or the words he used that made a difference: Rather it was the content and belief in principles.
And this is true for the Community Mediation Center. It is indeed the content of what the Center’s staff and volunteers do and the principles which guide them that translates into the community impact for which the Center has come to be known.
With a name like Community Mediation Center, one would likely conclude that the Center is in the mediation business. Well, that is just part of the story.
Let me tell you about three (3) Center initiatives that are having a significant community impact.
Over the past 3 years the Center has worked with area transitional housing and homeless shelters where our partners include For Kids, The Dwelling Place, Our House, Judeao Christian Outreach, Parc, Barrett Haven, and Second Chances. Led by Kim Hopwood, the Center staff, interns and volunteers provide small group training and individual Conflict Coaching. The impact is that single parents resolve specific problems and obstacles that help to restore family and work relationships.
Second, the Center offers first class training in a wide range of conflict resolution and mediation skills. This includes from learning how to be a mediator, teaching college students and residence life staff in conflict resolution skills and working with businesses and local government to train and design CR skills that will enhance and strengthen each of their organizations, congregations, families and communities. The Center’s goal is that every citizen in Hampton Roads can and should learn some form of CR skills.
The third initiative and possibly the most important area for all of our futures is the Center’s youth conflict resolution program. Led by Andrea Palmisano, this program teaches Youth Non-violence principles, helps schools and community programs set up Peer mediation, and & at-risk youth learn conflict resolution skills.
Perhaps you saw in the Saturday, Virginian-Pilot where a Norfolk judge had just sentenced a Lake Taylor HS student to 23 years (reduced from over 40) as he had shot and killed another student following an argument on school bus which carried over to their neighborhood.
Metal detectors and random searches are not the only answer. Clearly, we have much work to do!
All of us here tonight should discuss with our political leaders, school administrators, teachers and counselors so that teaching non-violence principles and conflict resolution skills become a high priority from the 1st grade straight through to graduation.
With its reliance on volunteers Community Mediation might seem like an inexpensive proposition. But to truly make a lasting impact the Center needs its talented staff and resources to reach hard to serve populations.
So, I urge all of you to continue to support this great effort of changing how we solve problems by continuing to provide the CMC with your time, your talents and your financial resources.
Thanks to the staff, for their incredible dedication and commitment to helping families restore relationships, for keeping two parents involved in the lives of their children, for preventing homelessness by helping someone who is less than a paycheck away from being on the street to and for teaching our youth non-violence and CR skills.
Having started as a volunteer, I know how clear it is that the Center’s volunteers are the heart of the Center. Just this past year volunteers contributed 2,500 hours equivalent to $ 124,000.
As Linda and I make final preparations for our departure (it is truly one huge to-do list) where on Sept 11th we fly from JFK (and that’s quite appropriate as he founded the Peace Corps) to Casablanca, Morocco where 99% are Muslims. So, Linda and I clearly see that as a very positive metaphor for a more hopeful future. I want to close by mentioning a few of the principles of non-violence and the benefits of learning conflict resolution skills. (Excerpted from work by Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi):
Shukran, Merci, Thank You!
Lloyd (the DJ), how about some more music and let’s enjoy some of those Moroccan desert
Resolving Conflicts | Building Relationships | Empowering People