IlEEI - newsandviews

by BOB McBRIEN executive vice president of the Lumber Merchonts Associotion of Northern Colifornio

fT'S NOT OFTEN that a trade association managing officer I ""r, attend two top-notch meetings in the same month, one on the East Coast and the other on the West Coast. But that's what happened in October and I'd like to share a few of the highlights with you.

The first meeting took place at Asilomar and was billed as LMA's third annual Top Management Seminar. Better billing might have been, "How to make more money and enjoy it." Four half-day programs all boiled down to one pertinent fact: that is, the only person who can improve you is you. And, if you want to compete successfully with those who are improving themselves, you better join the grouP'

You'll find a more detailed rundown on the Top Management Seminar elsewhere in this issue of The MerchanJ, but the real message I want to get across is that you should be at the fourth annual Top Manage- mentSeminar.

The second meeting was at Williamsburg, Virginia where the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association gathered for the annual fall session. It was announced here that national has a new executive vice president, Loren F. Dorman, of the National Forest Products Association. Loren is well versed in our business and has been working for us full time since Dec. I.

Another highlight .f th: tutiln"t i."ting was the refreshing attitude expressed and shown by our national officers. They have worked long and hard in recent months to resolve a tremendous number of problems facing the national. And in many instances, they haven't had much support from the troops.

This we believe is history. Now the association will move forward as a leader of those who wish to partake of its services, rather than a fire department that runs to put out inconsequential brush fires while someone is burning down the station house.

LMA president Art Masters, past-president Homer Hayward, treasurer Bob Butcher and myself left Virginia most satisfied that we are moving in the right direction. Now it's up to all of us to see that we continue in this direction despite the roadblocks which are certain to appear along the way.

lmportont Popers Preserved

The personal papers of Professor Emeritus Emanuel Fritz, leading authority on the redwoods, have been placed in the Ban' croft Library of the University of California for permanent preservation and scholarly research.

The gift was announced by Donald Coney, University Librarian who said that they constitute one of the most important primary sources of forest products, industry and forestry history for scholars and writers.