There is a danger in...
Illustration
There is a danger in the "edifice complex." There were two fishermen pulling trophy-size fish which deserved mounting and display. That winter they dreamed about having a place where they could tie flies and tell fish stories through the long dark winter days. Others became interested in their project. By the end of the second winter they found a piece of property. Plans were drawn. The third summer was spent not fishing but clearing the land and building a club house, "We're doing this for the good of people who fish." A wonderful winter followed, swapping stories, tying flies and dreaming up ideas of how to promote fishing and how to get new members for the club. By-laws were written, officers elected, parties planned. It took lots of time. The leadership fished only twice all summer.
What a hurricane didn't do to the roof, a winter's snow did. Everyone pitched in to make repairs the next summen. Membership growth slowed. People who didn't know anything about fishing were allowed to join the club. New members had only to be willing to participate in work parties and pay dues. Within a few years there was hardly a fisherman in the club. An entreprenurial member developed a self-insurance plan. The membership formed a corporation, Fisher's Insurance. Fisher's built a large headquarters on a prominent interstate highway near an eastern city. It overlooked a meandering river, too polluted to sustain anything but algae. In the lobby of the building was a large aquarium filled with tropical fish. It was cleaned and serviced by a contractor because no one who worked at Fisher's knew anything about fish.
-- Bond
What a hurricane didn't do to the roof, a winter's snow did. Everyone pitched in to make repairs the next summen. Membership growth slowed. People who didn't know anything about fishing were allowed to join the club. New members had only to be willing to participate in work parties and pay dues. Within a few years there was hardly a fisherman in the club. An entreprenurial member developed a self-insurance plan. The membership formed a corporation, Fisher's Insurance. Fisher's built a large headquarters on a prominent interstate highway near an eastern city. It overlooked a meandering river, too polluted to sustain anything but algae. In the lobby of the building was a large aquarium filled with tropical fish. It was cleaned and serviced by a contractor because no one who worked at Fisher's knew anything about fish.
-- Bond
