The Coolidge examiner., 1940-02-22
Pinkley's
Address


me the mirage or the dream of all
the Southwestern Monuments per-
sonnel getting together and sitting
down where we could talk over our
problems and try to find how to do
our work in the best possible way.
That time is now here and
with it comes great RESPONSE
bility on your shoulders and on
mine. If this meeting should
end with no great amount of
good done; if we should go
home with no more informa-
tion or esprit than we had
when we came together; if we
cannot build in the next three
days a better team spirit; then
must sit down and write the
Chief that my plans and
dreams of the last 20 years are
shattered; that we have vast
ed several hundred dollars of
our funds in coming together
and that our whole theory of
the SouthWes stern Monuments
administration has been wrong
through all these years.
The idea behind our organiZa-
tion has been that 27 individual
areas, each struggling along in its
own individual way, each using it's
own plan, each meeting its own
problems as they arise; can be
welded into one compact group
where every man will have bene-
fit of the experience of every other
man to start with when a problem
arises and the same mistake need
not be made 81 different times.
We also have a very definite
theory that national parks and ma
tional monuments are different
types of areas, and, because of this
require different type
of handling which can better be
done by a man and a group of men
specialized in monument needs.
If these basic propositions be
true, then there has existed for
many years a need that we who
deal exclusively with monuments
should get together and go over
our common problem, working out
the best methods of dealing with
the various angles and phases of
our work.
The present moment in the
elimination of long years of
absolute belief in and hope for
just such meeting as we have
now opened.
We want to make it clear at the
start that this meeting is not call
ed for the same purpose, nor will
it operate the same as the superin-
tendent's conference which meets
from year to year. The name,
school of instruction" was given
with some forethought and repre-
sents the purpose of the meeting.
You are here to learn.
We have long hoped that some
day we could have a handbook for
custodians. We plan some day to
get out a book which will become
the textbook by which a new Gus
todian can become thoroughly IA
miliar with all the details of his
position whether or not he may
have had "breaking in" period at
headquarters. This dream, as you
know, has never been realized. We
have simply never been able to
find the time to do it.
For lack of such a handbook
many things are being done in the
field which should not be done, and
a lot of things are being left un-
done which by all means should be
done. We want to talk over with
you in the next few days a few of
these things. AS proof that we do
not contemplate a one-sided con-
versation you will note that we
have, in our tentative program,
left liberal time for your questions
and arguments and we want you to
utilize this time to the full.
need hardly tell you that
we want no "yes" men in this
meeting and that you need pull
no punches; and knowing you
as do ! am not much afraid
of any of you on either score,
am just telling you this so
you will feel at home and be
your usual selves In the argu-
ments.
My personal greeting goes to the
park service wives who are pres
ent, and l am sincerely glad to see