 The President of the United States. Thank you very much. Please be seated. Secretary Pierce, ladies and gentlemen, we're delighted to have all of you here today because this is the last formal event involving the Advisory Council on Private Sector Initiatives. And I want to begin by expressing my deep personal gratitude to each of you for being a part of this tremendously important history-making event. And a special word of thanks is in order to Bob Galvin, the Advisory Council Chairman, to Bill Taylor and the Citation Program sponsors who made these awards, or this awards program possible, and to John Fallon and the New York Stock Exchange. I know words like history-making or historic get thrown around a lot in this city, but let me assure you that in this case those words are more than just Washington puffery. Some of you have heard me talk about Detokeville's reflections on 19th century America and his astonishment at the extent to which Americans made their society work, not by relying on government, but by helping each other. You all know that this tradition, one of the driving engines of social progress in the country was in serious jeopardy some years ago when the idea took hold that the only way to handle a social problem was a huge new federal spending program, an army of functionaries and consultants to administer it. And it was very successful for the bureaucrats. Government bureaucracy reached gargantuan size and because nothing stifles initiative and imagination like bureaucracy, America's self-help tradition lost much of its force and energy. But any modern-day Detokeville looking over America would see a return now to that tradition and a revival of the idea which all of you embody. The compassion with ingenuity works. That the American people are anxious and ready to help each other. They just need to be asked. I hope you'll forgive me if I tell a little story but I think there's a special pertinence about some of these things. Back in my early days in radio every studio had a sound effects man and he had a kind of a wagon there on wheels he'd bring in for dramatic presentations and so forth and he had experimented with all the things that you could do to make sounds that otherwise you couldn't get on radio. For example, he had, I know in our own studio, half coconut shells with which he would beat on his chest and you would have a horse galloping and then he had plenty of cellophane that he could crackle and crinkle and that was a raging fire things were going on. Well, one day we had a play that called for water falling on a board and he got to work. The headphones on and to listen and all during the rehearsals he was working. He tried rice on a drum. He tried peas on a piece of cardboard. I recall he tried everything and nothing would give him the sound of water on a board and then you know what? He tried water on a board and it sounded just like water on a board. Well, in a way then that's what all of you have done the simple and obvious thing that somehow had been forgotten. You just went to people you asked them to lend a hand and discovered that that's just the question they needed to hear and because you did you've helped change America. Your projects have ranged from child safety awareness to food banks job training, neighborhood revitalization and scores of other programs in art, ecology and education and services for the elderly. I like that last one particularly. There is a grassroots movement out there that just can't be stopped. Earlier this week Tom Evans and his education committee sponsored a symposium on partnerships in education. Close to 500 people came to Washington to talk about creative ways for business and schools to work together and because of your efforts the New York Stock Exchange has identified private sector initiatives as an issue of great importance to corporate America and co-hosted this morning's symposium on excellence in private sector initiatives. In addition to being here today for this awards program there is special significant in that it is flag day and later I'll be out at Fort McHenry to salute the stars and stripes. Flags have always symbolized important characteristics of the American people. The stars and stripes for independence and the World War II E flag for excellence. And now as you look around here in the Rose Garden you see the C flag a symbol of private sector initiative that says we can and we care. Thousands of these flags are flying around the country reflecting the ingenuity and compassion of people in organizations that are putting something back into their communities. It's the reason we have three mics every time they see me come out here and some flies over. I want to thank each of the winners for their enormous commitment and dedication and patriotism. I think you all know that I could go on at some length about your achievements. Safeway stores put pictures of missing children on their shopping bags and within two weeks two of the eight children were found. Last year over 5,600 hours of instruction time were donated to the schools that ARCO employees have adopted. B. Dalton Bookseller has launched a four-year national literacy initiative already involving 375 communities and 30,000 volunteers. Through LISC, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Bank America Foundation has financed 27 different rehabilitation projects in distressed areas. Last year the members of the South Shore Chamber of Commerce provided jobs for over 1,000 juvenile offenders that earned over $350,000 that was paid back to victims in restitution. And through its youth leadership program, Westinghouse Broadcasting and Cable Incorporated recognize outstanding high school seniors and exemplify the innate will to win. But the list goes on. I wish there were time to mention the contributions of everyone. I couldn't possibly do that, but what I can do is thank you, not just for myself, but as president for the millions of Americans who, if they had the chance, would want to personally express their gratitude to you. You've made a difference for your country and for millions of your countrymen. You've helped renew and enrich America by awakening one of our oldest and most noble traditions. And now, given this marvelous start, I can't help but feel that our work has just begun. The challenge is before us to make better use of all our resources. We can only do this by working together. No one sector can do it alone. The crystal tetrahedons that I am awarding today symbolize how the fusion on the private, public and non-private sectors can form a solid base. Only by working together and finding some private solutions to public problems can we restore the strong balance needed for the future health of our nation. Our country is great because it is built on principles of self-reliance, opportunity, innovation, and compassion for the others. Private sector initiatives embody this spirit and are a vital part of the nation's character. To each of you here today who've taken a leadership role in helping to meet our challenge, I thank you and all of America thanks you. God bless you all. Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, the American Society of Association Executives is honored to administer the president's program for private sector initiatives. The presidential citations and awards presented here today will not only recognize existing voluntary efforts, but will encourage other groups to become more involved in the future. The successful program has been a team effort. ASAE expresses thanks to the American Business Conference, the Chamber of Commerce of the United States, the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Independent Sector, the National Association of Manufacturers, the National Federation of Independent Business, and Volunteer the National Center for their assistance. And also we extend our thanks to the public relations firm and the volunteers for their significant help. Again, we congratulate the 70 citation winners for their outstanding efforts to reach out and lend a helping hand in their respective communities. And now we are proud to present the Crystal Tetrahedron donated by Steuben Glass and inscribed with the presidential seal to 30 companies and associations that epitomize the truly American spirit of volunteerism and community action. Mr. President, to bring off the list of award winners in alphabetical order is the American Advertising Federation Howard Bell Accepting the American Automobile Association James B. Creel President Accepting the American Bar Association John C. Shepherd President Accepting the American Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican Republic Frank Ranieri Vice President Accepting the American Forest Institute and American Forest Foundation Bernal Roberts Chairman Accepting the American Institute of Architects R. Bruce Patti President Accepting the American Society of Association Executives Bernard J. Imming Chairman of the Board Accepting Arkansas Power and Light Company Jerry L. Maldon President Accepting the Atlantic Richfield Company Karen Neal Coordinator Joint Education Project Accepting B. Dalton Bookseller and Dayton Hudson Foundation John Swinson Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Accepting Bonco Popular de Puerto Rico Rafael Carrion Chairman and CEO Accepting Bank America Foundation Edward F. Trusky Executive Director of the Foundation Accepting Better Business Bureau of Central and Eastern Iowa and the Community Dispute Settlement Center Incorporated Jerry Poffenberger President of the Bureau Accepting Chevron USA Incorporated J. R. Gray President Accepting Dallas Chamber of Commerce John Johnson Chairman of the Board Accepting a dual award to Exxon Company USA and Shell Oil Company Randall Meyer President Accepting for Exxon John Bookout President Accepting for Shell General Telephone Company of California Jim J. Parish Vice President Accepting Grato Lawrence Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce Santo El Bonacorso President Accepting Hallmark Cards Incorporated William Hall Assistant to the President Accepting Hawthorne Melody Incorporated Walter R. Woodbury President Accepting Mobile Oil Corporation Alan E. Murray President Accepting Ogilvie and Mather Marcia Cooper Senior Vice President Accepting The Quaker Oats Company Frank J. Morgan President and Chief Operating Officer Accepting Safeway Stores James A. Rowland President Accepting Security Pacific National Bank George F. Moody President Accepting South Shore Chamber of Commerce of Quincy, Massachusetts Peter F. O'Donnell O'Connell President Accepting The Stroud Wright Corporation Arnold Hyatt Chairman of the Board and President Accepting Tenneco Oil Ralph Cunningham President Accepting The Trailways Corporation Roger P. Rydell Vice President of Public Relations Accepting Westing House Broadcasting and Cable Incorporated Daniel L. Ritchie Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer Accepting Mr. President, our award recipients for 1985