[HoB/D] retirement

[Louie Crew <lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu>]

In my data base, I have records on 294 living TEC bishops.   151 (51%) of
those are active, 143 (49%) of those have resigned without taking on
Assistant or other "acting" positions.   That balance has held very close
to the same for my  profiles of the House of Bishop over the last decade.

I see nothing undignified about growing old or less sharp.   Some want to
prove they are not wearing down, however, and sometimes they are
inaccurate in their self-assessments of their continuing skill.   I
approve the mandatory retirement ages in our canons.

We have an abundance of competent younger folks, and we who are old ought
gracefully to welcome their leadership.     That is why I will not run
again after this, my sixth convention.  It does not make much sense to
call for participation by the young if we who are old refuse to get out of
the way to
help it to happen.

There are plenty of ways to access the wisdom and continuing skill of the
elderly:  they don't need to be in charge.

Louie , L1 Newark (72.5)


Louie Crew, 377 S. Harrison St., 12D, East Orange, NJ 07018 973-395-1068
http://queereye4lectionary.blogspot.com/  Queer Eye for the Lectionary