b"newerroofers.EdwinCarlson o fRockforda~ly servedasthenext Presiden_t.,bri.r.gir,gtot heofficeextensiveknowledgea:-.dperha,sthemost energe t:i c'first ladytheMRCA hashad .Soft -s.,;oke:i!:'.:.':dedicatedRayJohnsonof Tulsanextheldoffi ce,followedby3ill Stei:.=:tzofSout:-1Bend,Indiana . Mr .SteinmetzhadlongservedtheM.RCAin man:.,:::a?acitiesa.1dwastheonly .inantoholdthePresidencyofth2M after s2:::vingasPresidentofNRCA. ?CA 1976sawanotherfirst.Th2/-!RCAfir.ally hadamountainmanfromMontan2. in office .JohnBradfordofBillingsb2came~eadoftheorganizationhe hadjoinedtofindtheanswertomoderndayr ~o:ingpro~lerns.Inreturn, heservedit well.Thisyear'sPresidentis ~- 3.Padon,Jr.ofOmaha . Liketheothersbeforehim,hehasearnedthatofficebyyearsofservice totheH?CAasBoardMemberandofficer. Allofthepastpresident s ,thepresentc~a,andthoseofthefuture obtainthat officeonlythroughhardworkandatruededicationtoservingtheAssociation.Thatserviceinvolvess;;-:;:ralyearsandaquitesu::is tantial outlayofpersonalfinances .Wearefortunatethatt hecaliber of menwhohaveservedovertheyearsasoffice=sandBoardMer.ibershas beenexceptionally high.AsfortheExecut ive 3ranch,Mr.LyonsandMr. Whittierhaveprovidedthehighestqualitylee~ership.Upontheoccasion of Mr.Lyonssteppi ngdown,hepassedthetorchtoMr.W'.:littier,who promptlyburnthimself.butwithalittle bu:-::ointmentJim hasheldt he torchsteadyandis continuinguninterrupteds-.:::.dancetotheM A. RCCHAPTi::rl.4 A part ofthesuccesso ft heAssociation =- alsobeattributedt o ~st thetruefriendshipandfellowshipthat exist withi nthe organi zation. ManyoftheContractorsgivelargecredittotb.eM.t:/.CAforhelpingthem achievefinancialsuccessintheindustry.Scsehavegonesofarasto saythat withoutthe Associationtheyfili ghthavelost their co~panies. Regardless,mostspeak warmlyofthefrie~dshipstheyhavemade throughtheir mernbershi9withotherContracto=s.TheMRCAhasmeantmuch tomany,butit is not withoutfault.thislargeandinvolving . ~iythi::g t hismanypeoplei sboundt ohavesomefrictic~.Perhapsthelargestpoint ofdissensioni nvolvesthegrowthbothin t e~of membershipandboundary lines.Manyfeelthisgrowthis necessaryfo=progressbut others,particularlythose whofoundedt heorganization,f2eltha tt hisgrowthisnot only badbut dangerous .Theyfeeltheveryreasonforthefounding- to haveanorganizat iontomeetandsolvetheprc~lemsofaparticulararea-isbeingundermi ned.Theyfurtherstatethat t.'!eHRCAi sindangerof becominganothernationalorganization andlosi~gits mostvaluableasset-that ofbeingagrassroots organization. Thepuqiose ofthisbookle tandthefort:-,- bookisnot .tojudge =oming onewayortheother butto presentfairlythe ~istory ofthe M Aandt he RCvi ewsofthose whomadet hat History. Regardlessofanyfaultsthe11RCAmayhave,those whobelong.to: i t areproudtobeapart ofit,thoughfewwill ~eluckyenoughtoexperienc2 thepridethat cam t oMilt(Olie)Olsonthro, hisl ongnembership. e:;:-, Writes~~- Olsoninans~ertoaquestion~airesenttohim: (Theyalwayscal led rneOlieandpleasepri~tthisin aSwedish Dialect.) -10-"