Speaking to Southeastern Council of Foundations

For the past two or three days I have been in Tupelo, MS, with members of the Southeastern Council of Foundations. Spoke twice, first on two case studies on family dynamics; then on leadership, using a passage from Amy Kass's, Giving Well, Doing Good. The leadership conversation to me was particularly interesting. People opened up to talk about diversity, social justice, civic dialogue, differences between Southern and Northern attitudes to wealth, and how we can maintain our respective cultural heritages within a plural society, in which we would disagree, ideally, both passionately and with respect for our shared humanity. A participant brought up King Lear, most of those present admitted to having read it, and off we went talking about the Fool and how truth is best spoken to power. I made new friends, enjoyed great hospitality, and hope they will forgive me my excesses here at Gifthub. (Fools live on, even now, in expectation of the Restoration.)