President's Report Fall 2023
Brandywine family,
In recent months I’ve had several occasions to recall the truth of this axiom: “Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans.” (The saying is often misattributed to John Lennon, but I’m reliably informed—by Google—that Allen Saunders, the cartoonist who wrote Mary Worth and Steve Roper comic strips, is the original source of this line.]
Now where was I? Oh yes--plans that don’t work out. . . . Well, as you may be aware, the Board of Brandywine Crucible elected Gary Sutton as the successor to Joe B. Cox and President of the organization effective this past June. As the summer months passed Gary was also discovering the personal truth of the adage above: health concerns were conspiring to limit his energy and capacity to handle the leadership of our organization. He submitted his resignation to the Board in August.
Meanwhile, I had been planning (“making other plans”) to work with Gary as BC’s Vice-President for a leisurely year or two, at the pleasure of the Board. Instead, upon Gary’s resignation the Board has asked me to assume the President’s position. Following some persuasion from Joe Cox and Gary Sutton, as well as other Board members, I have agreed to do so. The most persuasive arguments were the agreement from both of these gentlemen to walk with me, consult with me, and assist me in any way possible as we move forward with this organization that we all treasure.
A few weeks ago, I met with Joe, and Gary and Joeen, fittingly, in Lampasas, TX. We had a lovely lunch, discussed all things Brandywine, and wrapped by transferring three file boxes of material—the written record of the organization in the years that have preceded us—from the Suttons to me. As I’ve been browsing the archives, I’m impressed in an all new way by what Brandywine is, by the countless hours given by the leadership and the membership to make it a living, breathing thing of shared value.
And although “life” decided to change the plans we made last June, I’m joining with the Board to invite all Brandywine members to see where this next season will take us as an organization. We have long celebrated the strength and determination with which our Cox ancestors (and all the others) settled the Brandywine region, then spread out across this land of ours. It’s our turn now, to bring a similar focus and determination to celebrate and grow the Brandywine Crucible!
Steve Taylor
President (when I wasn’t planning on it!)
Brandywine Crucible, Inc.