ORIGINALLY WRITTEN DON RATZLAFF
Ted Russell and Bob Watson of Hillsboro and Harding Duerksen and Wade Dickerson of Goessel, outgoing members of the boards of education for USD 410 and USD 408, respectively, deserve a word of affirmation and gratitude as they vacate their positions at the end of this month. More than a list of specific individual achievements-which would be hard to itemize because boards tend to work as a team-these men have accomplished something else worth affirming: longevity in their public role.
Russell and Duerksen each served 20 years as board members, Watson 12 years and Dickerson, a relative beginner, served six. In an age of short-term commitments and limited attention spans, the significance of long-term involvement in public service grows ever richer-and rarer. And yet continuity is an invaluable asset for any board that oversees a complicated operation, be it a school system, city government or hospital. It simply takes time to be effective, to learn the ropes, to appreciate the depth of the struggle.
We recognize the danger of lauding long-term service, though. Doing so may discourage some folks from ever becoming involved in public causes because they feel they can’t-or won’t-commit themselves to an extended stay in any one assignment. We hope that doesn’t happen. A brief taste of public service can be helpful, too, if it whets an appetite for more-even if it’s in a different assignment than first attempted.
Without selfless volunteers, a community cannot survive, much less grow. We salute those who have put in their time for our sake.
