President ’ s Message from page 5
I walked the twenty paces across the hallway and said : ME : “ Excuse me , Governor .” THE ROOMMATE : ( Rising with the confidence of a man who may be broke but was not broken and looking me in the eye .) “ Yes Sir ?” ME : “ I ’ m Charlie Beckham . I clerked for Judge Woodward a few years ago . We used to talk on the phone some when I was clerking for the Judge . I saw you over here and I wanted to introduce myself .” GOVERNOR CONNALLY : ( Not quite remembering who I was , but with the ease of a Texas politician and looking a little relieved .) “ Well yes , Charlie , I remember you . You must be a practicing lawyer now . Are you here for my case ?”
ME : “ No sir . I ’ m here for a different matter . I just wanted to say Hello .”
We continued talking for a few more minutes until Governor Connally ’ s lawyer and others showed up to do their business . I went about mine .
I was reminded that day , and have remembered ever since , that debtors are not Rogues , Rascals and Rattlesnakes but sometimes folks of integrity , honesty and virtue who have fallen on tough times . Despite the circumstances we need to treat all folks we meet in bankruptcy with civility and professionalism .
In the Governor ’ s bankruptcy , an auctioneer was hired to auction off the possessions that the Governor and Mrs . Connally had acquired over a lifetime . Knowing that the market value of their property would be enhanced by their personal presence , Mrs . Connally and the former Governor of Texas , the former Secretary of the Navy , the former Secretary of the Treasury attended the auction in person to verify the provenance of many of the items . The crowd was robust and the auction in January of 1988 netted far more than expected . The Governor and Mrs . Connally chatted with many of the bidders about the items being sold . The proceeds of the auction didn ’ t wipe out millions of dollars of debt but showed how all debtors can move forward to a fresh start . And it reminds us to not label our clients or our adversaries as Rogues , Rascals or Rattlesnakes until we get to know them a little bit better in hard times .
From
the Foundation continued from page 6
If you have any questions about what you have given in the past , all you need to do is look under your profile on our website , and you will see your giving history . Jenny , Vince Lazar , your Circuit Leaders and I are available to answer your questions , so don ’ t hesitate to ask .
And with that , I will sign off and wish you a happy holiday season as we move into the holiday season filled with Hanukkah , Christmas , and New Year ’ s Day !
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