I have to admit, I don't keep up on the intimate happenings down in Atlanta as much as I probably should. But I read something that disturbed me today. UPS has appointed some doctor to the Board and that got me thinking. Back when I started, in the early days of Jim Kelley, most of the Committee came from inside the company. Many of them, including Jim, were drivers with a great knowledge of the business and what we do because they lived it. That seems to be missing in our company's leadership as of the last 5 or so years. I understand that because we want to expand into the medical field we need to have someone with that expertise, but still it doesn't feel right. It seems that we are chasing the dollar signs rather than honoring the legacy that got us through all those years including the depression and made us successful over the long term. During department meeting we still start the meetings with a policy reading and discussion and yet with every one read it seems there are examples I can think of where it wasn't honored and the policies never seemed more irrelevant. I have noticed that Management uses the word "Partner" less and less over the years. When benefits get a bit worse or the MIP changes or education benefits are cut, I hear "well that is what other companies do". It does bother me when these things happen. It suggests that loyalty is a one way street, which is not the definition of a "Partner". I don't know, maybe it's me.