By David Daggett on 11/10/2008 7:52 AM

Post Election Hope And Promise

     Election day has now come and gone. We have all read all of the articles, and continue with our daily activities. Perhaps now is a good time to look at some lessons learned and look to the future with hope and promise.

      There are so many aspects to this past election that a complete treatise on the subject could be written. Let’s leave most of the opinions and analysis to the commentators and pundits. Instead, let’s focus briefly on a few seeds of thought and information that are lessons for us all.

      Participation – Last week’s elections set records for the highest amount of participation in history. This means the important right to vote is still valuable to our citizens. Further, it means that we all took an interest, listened to the issues, and were engaged in the process. Continued participation in our system will make our government even better in the future.

     Reconciliation - This season was long and tough and, at times, even nasty. However, immediately following it seems that our leaders immediately started mending relationships and putting the past behind them. With the difficult times we have coming, this reconciliation is necessary for us to successfully move forward.

     Unity – Now that the election is over there seem to be areas of unity. The main topic on everyone’s mind seems to be the economy. An election can’t decree a change in the economy. We all have to become united, work together, and do our own little parts in order to get through these troubled times.

     Example – After all was said and done, John McCain, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama all came forward with positive words, well wishes for one another, and messages of hope and promise for the future of our country.

     Hope and Promise - We have many present difficulties, and yet we are still the greatest nation on Earth, and have the richest history of preserved liberties and freedoms in the history of mankind. "O’ Beautiful for Spacious Skies" seem to be as true today as when it was written over a hundred years ago. The last verse is particularly fitting for our country today.

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam,
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self control,
Thy liberty in law.

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By David Daggett on 11/3/2008 6:54 AM

Our Valuable Right

~Please Vote~

     Election Day is this week. It seems like it has been a long campaign season, but one of the real positives is that it appears there are record turnouts in the number of people voting.

     The right to vote is one of the most important rights granted by our forefathers in the Constitution. The right to vote is so important that it is repeated in the 15th, 19th, 24th, and 26th Amendments to the Constitution of the United States. Further, our Supreme Court has recognized that the right to vote in a free and unimpaired fashion is a bedrock of our democracy.

     This political season has seen long, and at times more adversarial than we might like. However, at the same time it seems that people are more engaged in the process than ever before in our recent history. Predictions are for record turnouts. This high participation portends well for the future of our great nation.

     The right to vote is a patriotic duty that all of us are part of protecting now and for future generations. The right becomes a duty because if we don’t exercise that right, history has shown that rights can erode and ultimately be sacrificed. The right to vote is a unique hallmark of our free country so it is important for all of us to do our part in protecting that right.

     Voting also allows all of us to participate in the process. To truly participate, we need to be engaged. We need to study the issues and learn. This learning is part of our duty and perpetuates our ability to preserve our rights.

     Sometimes we take it for granted, and sometimes it sounds a bit corny, but we truly do live in a unique and great nation. When our forefathers founded the United States of America, it was a unique experience in the history of humankind. The right to vote is part of a fundamental difference that maintains and perpetuates the freedoms we all enjoy.

     Our Lewis & Daggett team encourages, in a non-partisan way, each individual to exercise their right to vote. Please be part of a process that helps maintain and preserve the liberties and freedoms we enjoy in this great country.

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By David Daggett on 10/20/2008 6:52 AM

Washing Hands Saves Lives

      Do we realize how important it is to wash our hands? Washing our hands is one of the most important germ fighting things we can do, and we should do it a number of times every day.

     Clean hands can prevent illness and save lives. Experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, recommend washing hands in warm water with soap for 20 seconds. Clean hands not only prevent you from getting sick, but also help prevent spreading germs from person to person.

     There has been a movement in our local hospitals over the past several years to follow proper hand hygiene guidelines. The result has been a large decrease in the number of preventable infections.

     Cold and flu season is now upon us. This is the time of year that germs spread at school and at work faster than at other times of the year. Washing hands is more important than ever for you and your family to stay healthy.

     When washing remember these tips:

• Be sure to wash the tops of your hands, as well as wrists and under nails,
• Wash hands frequently including before eating, of course,
• Before preparing food; after being in goods of people, shaking hands, etc.,
• After coughing, sneezing, and blowing your nose,
• After touching door knobs, public phones, touch screens, or any other public thing
• When a sink and soap are not available, use alcohol based anti-bacterial gel or wipes.

     Please help remind your children, family, and friends to wash their hand with warm water and soap frequently. To help you, we are providing as a courtesy a flyer you can post as a reminder. You can get a copy of the flyer by clicking here. Be sure to post the flyer where your children will see it, and take it to friends or loved ones who are in the hospital.

     Washing hands can help us all prevent illness, the spread of germs, and even saves lives! Join our Lewis and Daggett team in reminding our children, families, and co-workers of the importance of hand hygiene.

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By David Daggett on 9/29/2008 6:46 AM

Elementary Leadership

     All the recent news regarding the financial markets makes us think about our kids’ future, as well as our own. We recently attended a parents’ night at our kids’ school - actually, we went three times!

     Perhaps the most interesting part of the parents’ nights was a speech on developing children to reach their full potential. The lessons we heard apply to all of our organizations, pursuits, and even the financial markets.

     The presentation was artfully targeted to urge appropriate parenting leadership, which also seems to apply to leadership in general. The principles included a balance nurture, structure, and latitude. Providing all three principles becomes a difficult commitment in the face of challenges in our fast paced world but are essential for success.

     Nurture includes the desire of all people to be wanted and loved. Nurture is essential to give individuals a sense of belonging. Nurture is developed by showing love and respect, both directly and by example. This is an essential aspect in creating healthy people, organizations, and satisfying lives.

     Structure is the framework and expectations people have for their pursuits, responsibilities and ventures. Structure includes rules and guidelines that are required to be followed. It also includes process management protocols, as well as behavioral standards. Over time, structure becomes the values and culture of our organizations, and is reflected in all we do.

     Latitude is the freedom within the structure to use judgement to experiment and learn. Given this latitude people and organizations will have failures and setbacks. These are the areas for more growth and learning. If there are appropriate nurture and structure then the learning and growth are appreciated, accepted and raise performance to higher levels.

     Authoritative leadership within these three levels provides the best opportunities for future successes. Virtually every neurodevelopmental and psychological study supports these elements as building blocks for success.

     Balance between nurture, structure, and latitude is important. With the latest investment bank debacles it appears that the balance between structure and latitude were out of wack. We can imagine how nurture was probably out of balance too. Perhaps a few lessons in elementary leadership would benefit our political and financial leaders.

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By David Daggett on 9/1/2008 5:38 AM

Our Incredible Community

     This past week was a very moving one for Greensboro and Winston-Salem. The communities’ response to Matt Gfeller’s fatal injury in a high school football game was incredible, and became a reflection of all of us.

Double rainbow over Reynolds High School - Monday August 25

     Of course we hear and read about tragedies on a regular basis. But most of those are what we usually consider to be within the risks of life and are just "news." This incident was described by doctors and other experts as one in a million. It was completely unexpected. When the "one in a million" hits close, we all take it personally.

     The signs of care, support, and concern through all sectors of our community were striking. We were all one, and we were all in this together. We all were in this together because we all care. We certainly can never know how the Gfeller family really feels, but certainly they know that we care.

     It seems many different factions of our community felt this incident in their own ways. Our Lewis and Daggett team had personal contact with more than 14,000 high school students across the triad this past year in our Safe Sober Prom Night program. Each one of those young people are precious to us.

     On a personal note, I have known Lisa and Bob Gfeller for more than 20 years. They are fine, honorable, spiritual, happy, loving, good people. They too have shown us how to handle a tragedy with honor, class and grace.

     We can all be proud of our community. We care about each other. We pull together when we needed. We understand the importance of community support. And to the Gfellers, we will continue to be with you.

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By David Daggett on 8/25/2008 6:54 AM

A Pink Evening

      Saturday night was a special night at Ernie Shore Field for the Winston-Salem Warthogs and our community. It was "Pink in the Park" night,  a benefit for breast cancer research, and a celebration of    breast cancer survivors.

      Our Lewis and Daggett team had a large contingent in attendance, and we were a corporate sponsor of the event. A night at the ballpark is always a great time for family fun. Our group had a great time, and it appeared that everyone else did too.

      Members and supporters of our local Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation were a delight to work with. They had a true passion for the cause and put all their efforts into making the evening a success. Likewise, we were proud of the passion our L & D team displayed at the ballpark helping out and promoting the cause.

      Of course, pink was the color of the evening. We were struck by the number of men and women who wore pink to support the cause. The survivors group shared a commonality, a "never give up" attitude, and an appreciation for the event.

      The Warthogs organization did a terrific job of hosting the event and giving support to the cause. The players even wore pink jerseys! The whole event served as visible recognition of and support for the families, patients, and survivors of breast cancer.

      We were proud to be part of the event. Our staff even got me to wear a pink shirt for the first time! After all, it was for a good cause :-)!

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By David Daggett on 8/11/2008 6:51 AM

Always Finish!

     The Olympics are here and have started. We always enjoy watching the Olympics. Moreover, there are always lessons that we learn.

     With the games starting this past weekend I was reminded of an incredible story of "Finishing." Derek Redmond injured his hamstring during a heat for the 400-meter race in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. His father helped him from the ground then went on to help his son finish the race. He came in dead last, but he showed to all of us that finishing is important.

     When Derek's father reached his side, he said "I'm here, son, we'll finish together." In an interview after the race, Derek said "I wasn't doing it for the crowd, I was doing it for me. I'm the one who has to live with it. Whether people thought I was an idiot or a hero, I wanted to finish the race."

     Finishing is important, and sometimes we all need a little help. We try to always remember, and do that, here at Lewis and Daggett. More importantly, we are so proud of our clients who "Finish." We discussed Amazing People earlier this year. Diane and Grady stopped by this past week - they look great! They are using their computer more, and still have those great smiles. They certainly know how to "finish."

     We are fortunate to be able to work with people who are seriously injured, disabled, or hurt at work who still know how to finish. They, like Derek Redmond know that finishing is important, and have personal honor in knowing that they keep going.

     The Olympics are sure to be inspirational and exciting. We can’t wait to see the important lessons yet to be learned from this year’s Olympic games.

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By David Daggett on 7/21/2008 6:53 AM

Going Green

      It seems we are all looking for ways to save energy and help the environment. Although law firms don’t consume as large amounts of resources as some industries, at Lewis & Daggett we are continuing to try to do our part.

      Maybe you have seen part of our efforts around the Triad! Above is our L & D "Green" Errand Machine. We run a lot of errands and make a lot of public service and client convenience visits. Our hybrid vehicle saves on fuel, is fun, and helps remind others to try to be efficient.

      When we first looked into doing more toward Going Green, we wanted to focus on areas that have the biggest impact. Those areas include reducing our trips, saving electricity, and recycling.

      One thing that law firms use lots of is paper. We are truly a paper pushing business. For several years we have been recycling all of our used paper. We have an outside shredding and recycling service that comes twice a month to empty our five large recycling bins. Of course this also helps us keep confidential information confidential.

       We are also making a concerted effort to recycle cans and bottles. Again, in this areas there are dual purposes. We have found the children of our L & D team are often involved in recycling efforts to raise money for clubs, events, and causes. We are glad to be helping them along in their efforts.

      Certainly we all have a duty to help the future of our fuel resources and our environment. At L & D we are glad to be a small part in these efforts and look forward to future progressive opportunities and efficiencies. Won’t you join us?

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By David Daggett on 7/7/2008 6:05 AM

A Tribute

      This past week our Lewis & Daggett Team participated in a really special event. Wednesday evening was the 2^nd Annual Rusty Harpe Memorial Race at Caraway Speedway. It was an evening we will remember for a long time.

   

      Rusty Harpe was the driver of the #71 Late Model Stock Car at Caraway Speedway. He was tragically killed in a farming accident in January of 2007. Rusty’s father, Chip Harpe, put this race together, along with his wife Lynn and many family friends, to honor his son.

      Rusty was a much loved part of the racing community. The drivers, crew, and track support personnel are a tight-knit group who care about and support each other. Through Rusty and the whole Harpe family we were able share a experience a special bond with this community.

      All of us at Lewis & Daggett were proud to be part of this event since we are long time friends with the Harpe family, and I was personally acquainted with Rusty. We enjoyed a great evening, a fun family event, and a tribute to Rusty. We were honored just to be part of it.

      The evening was truly a memorable event and a special evening. The folks at the track treated us like family. The 35 of members of our Lewis and Daggett team who attended the race were proud that we could play a small part in such a special event.

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By David Daggett on 6/30/2008 6:48 AM

Independence Day

     July 4, 1776 was a day the changed the future of mankind. We tend to forget about that even on the annual 4^th of July celebration unless we stumble upon a reminder that reminds us just how important this date really is.

     Yesterday we heard a dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence while attending the oldest 4^th of July celebration in the country, right here locally in Bethabara. The reenactment was clear illustration of the high privilege it is to live in the home of the brave and the land of the free.

     The impact of our Independence literally changed the course for individual freedom and opportunity. It also places upon all of us an obligation to protect these treasures that we so dearly cherish, but all to often take for granted. At Lewis and Daggett we are proud to be part of protecting these values and fighting to assure their future.

     The 4^th of July is also a time for family fun. Please remember that the happiest of times can be turned to instant tragedy by drinking and driving. Some statistics indicate that 70% of all injuries a deaths from car accidents over the 4^th last summer were drinking and driving related. In addition, with the heat and the dry weather, remember to be cautious with fireworks and other outdoor activities that could be hazardous. Please be safe over the upcoming long weekend.

     Family fun is part of the July 4^th weekend. We wish you and your family a happy, safe 4^th of July holiday and long weekend.

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