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HE START of a new year is usually one of mixed feeling for most of us and I'm no exception.

I know that my feelings regarding a new year for my business is one of optimism and eagerness, particularly if the previous year was a gratifying experience. Add to that such items as new goals, new approaches to old problems, new areas, and the meeting of new customers, and I can hardly wait to get going.

Our LMA is now entering its fortieth year. As your president, my feeling is one of optimism and eagerness. We have just completed an outstanding year under the excellent guidance of past president Herb Eaton. Herb worked "hard and long" this past year to advance our influence in state and national politics, to insure success ofour new credit union, to see that established association programs developed and served our members well, and to help our staffand our individual members in a multitude of ways.

Working with Herb to attain the goals he set were our very fine staffand many of our members who served in guiding our credit union, our insurance trust, and other vital committees. So Herb, our thanks and appreciation are given to you, to our staff, and to our members who worked with you, to make our 39th year such a success.

I assure you that this year's "team" will maintain the momentum of our past year's "team." We have already formulated the program for our management seminar to be held at Asilomar on Jan. 1l-13, thanks to second v.p. Bruce Pohle. Bruce has secured Bob Curtis, the foremost security expert of our time, to speak to us on internal and external security. First v.p. Don McCann is already working on various aspects of our annual convention to be held on May ll-13, 1980, at Hotel del Coronado, San Diego.

Both our management seminar and our annual convention look as though they may be the best ever, so be sure to put the dates on your calendar.

One challenge now confronting us is a reevaluation and restructuring of our National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association.

The national association is very important to us all. We all recognize the great need for a solid national organization comprised of, ideally, every retail lumber and building material dealer in the nation. We need maximum participation in the legislative arena to fight legislation designed to make it difficult and expensive to operate our business.

Worthless Money

Real income of American workers has barely risen over the past 10 years, reports the Chamber of Commerce of the United States.

While average earnings rose almost 1007o over the decade, purchasing power grew by otrly lOVo. For every exta dollar in pay above 1968 earnings, 90 cents is virtually worthless.