My 2nd Apology to  Neumann

I was trying hard to keep school board members civil to one another and I wanted to set a good example. I had already short-changed Dorothy Neumann once and I was apologizing to her for a second incident.

Dorothy had expressed interest in attending the National School Board Association meeting in New Orleans. I discouraged her from going by suggesting that the public might be critical if too many of us went on this "junket"  (At lest that's what the public usually calls them) I was particularly sensitive to this because the debt had hung heavily over the previous school board and no had been attending the conventions for fear of public criticism.

I had decided to attend in this my 3rd year as a board member. I was now Chairman and that helped me to justify the expense but when four members in all signed up to go I anticipated more criticism. Dorothy decided not to be the fifth attendee.

I got a lot out of the convention. I met a wide variety of board members and found out about important similarities and differences between different school systems across the nation. It gave me a global perspective or, to use another metaphor, helped me see the forest for the trees.