Forging the Future:  "There Is A Hole In The Boat"

       To God be the glory.  First of all, I would like to thank Grand Sire Pressley for inviting me
here to speak on forging the future.  That’s the theme I’ve been asked to speak on, but the topic I would like to talk about is entitled, “There is a Hole in the Boat.”  I know it’s late in the evening, but if you could just join with me and turn to your neighbor and say, “Neighbor there is a hole in the boat.”  I don’t want anyone to miss that.  If you don’t mind, turn to your other neighbor and say, “Neighbor there is a hole in the boat.” 

Thank you.

About a year ago I was at a partnership retreat in Rayburn, Texas; and the managing partner asked me, “Do you want to go crappie fishing in the morning?” 

       And I said, “Sure.”  Even though I don’t fish, I was trying to keep the spirit of camaraderie.  And I wake up the next morning, I go down to the lake, and there were boats at the dock of the lake, and I didn’t understand that.  What I did not understand is I had agreed to get on a boat and go into the middle of the lake.  But I complied.  I went out to the middle of the lake.  I caught my first fish.  I felt great because I was now a fisherman.  I set my bait back out and, as I was waiting for my next fish, I looked down and I realized that there was water inside of the boat.  I immediately became alarmed.  I told you I’m not a fisherman and certainly no boatsman, but I did know that water did not belong inside the boat. 

       I bring that to your attention because I think when we talk about forging the future of the fraternity, we need to recognize as a society, as people, as a fraternity, that there is a hole in our boat.  How do we know that?

Well, when I look and I hear people talk about how racism is gone and prejudice is a thing of the past and there is no need for affirmative action, I would submit to you there is a hole in our boat.  The fact that we go to banks and we ask for loans and the loan rates for us are higher than for others; that’s because there is a hole in the boat. 

We go to insurance companies and the insurance companies deny us coverage, not because we can’t afford the premiums but because we’re in a certain zip code; that’s because there is a hole in the boat.  The reason we have thirteen percent drug use in America and seventy-four percent of the people sent to prison for drug arrest are ours is because there is a hole.  What do we do about that?  I’m glad you asked.  First of all, we have to recognize there is a hole in the boat.  That’s Step No. 1, accepting the fact that there is a hole.  Step No. 2 is we’ve got to understand that we’re all in the boat together.  You know, when I was on that boat and I saw that there was water in the bottom of it, I really wasn’t concerned whether or not the hole was in the front or the back, the left or the right.  And I don’t think anyone else in that boat really was concerned either because they understood we were all in the boat together, and whether the water was at the front or in the back, if we didn’t address the situation, eventually we would all be sunk.

When I look at our community, our society and maybe even sometimes this fraternity, I see us getting caught up with that west side versus east side, north versus south, lawyers versus doctors, Republicans versus Democrats, Omarosa versus Kwame divisiveness.  We’ve got to understand that we are all in this boat together. 

       And whether or not they’re attacking affirmative action at the University of Michigan, we need to address that down in Texas.  Whether or not there’s racial profiling in Texas, it’s something that needs to be addressed in California.

If there’s an AIDS epidemic on the East Coast, that’s something we all should be concerned about.  Even though it may not hit us today, we’re all in danger. And if we don’t address the hole in the boat, we’re all going down together. 

So what do we do about it?  Again, I’m glad you asked.  First of all, we plug the hole.  That’s very simple.  That seems like a no-brainer.  We’ve got to call a spade a spade; if it’s wrong, it’s wrong.  Whether or not they’re Republican or Democrat, if they don’t support our views, it’s wrong, it’s wrong.  How do we take care of plugging the hole?  I suggest we speak out for those things that are not accorded to us.  Once we plug the hole, we have to bail the excess water. 

That’s very important.  If you plug the hole and you leave the water in the boat, that doesn’t mean the boat will sink, but it does hamper its progress. 

I believe as a society, as a community, and even as a fraternity, if we’re going to forge the future, we have got to bail the excess water.  How do we bail the excess water?  First of all, obviously, by voting.  We have to start speaking out.  We vote those people out who don’t support our views.  Secondly, we have to get everyone who has the opportunity to bail to bail their water.  Now how do we do that?  Well, you know, I’m just amazed.  My first Grand Boule was in New Orleans, and I was just amazed at the magnitude of the people in this fraternity.  I was in awe of the dignitaries that I was speaking with.

As you heard in the opening remarks introducing me, I have three kids; and it would be such a great honor for me in years to come to be able to sit down with Caleb, Joshua and Taryn and tell them, you know, I was a part of a great group of men, powerful, prominent, prestigious, on top of the world.  But I’m scared of the question.  But what have they done to protect my future?  Because if I don’t have something to tell them, my question is what really have we assembled for? 

My suggestion to you is that we do something.  We had the opportunity with the University of Michigan to be the only, as I understand, social organization to support the affirmative action program.  And I understand we’re somewhat of a quiet organization, but there is a hole in the boat.  We need to bail the excess water, and sometimes bailing excess water means we need to speak out against those things when they’re attacking affirmative action.  Bailing excess water means we need to address the racial profiling that’s occurring in our country.

A lot of people say, “You know, James, you don’t understand who I am.  I’m the president and CEO and I’m a diplomat and I’m on top of the world.”  That just means your bucket is bigger than mine.  It might take me ten scoops, but it would only take you one scoop.  So I understand that it is because of your astuteness that you have obtained greatness and you now have a big bucket.  So I’m going to ask you that you dip your big bucket in the boat and help us bail some water if we’re going to forge the future.  We need everyone to help us start bailing water.

I’m going to ask for a commitment.  I’m standing here.  I’m telling you that I’m willing to help forge the future of this fraternity and I’m willing to bail some excess water.  My question to you, Archons who are out there, are you willing to bail the water?

I need to know.  Grand Sire Pressley needs to know.  Grand Sire Archon Teamer needs to know.  If you’re willing to bail the water, I ask that you stand on your feet and tell somebody.  Make it a statement tonight that I will roll up my sleeves and bail water.  I’m asking for that commitment right now.  Turn to somebody and tell them, “I will bail the water.”  Turn to somebody else, give them a high five and say, “I will bail the water.”  We’ve got Archousai here tonight, some of whom have buckets bigger than ours.  If you’re willing to bail water, stand on your feet and tell somebody.  Tell an Archon, tell another Archousa, “I will bail the water.”  And if you get tired of bailing, stand still because the book I serve says
“They who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.”

 

To God be the Glory.

 

Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Inc.