Cheshire Cat Photo Blog(...said the Cat: 'we're all mad here....')

It is characteristic of our American society that we place immensely talented individuals under the management of lackluster bureaucrats who perform their functions behind closed doors, and sometimes, in the dead of night. It is also characteristic of Myers-Briggs “thinking-judging” types, who comprise upward of 90% of executive management in corporations, that they are very reluctant to accept responsibility for the own actions and require scapegoats.

Last night, lackluster bureaucrats FIRED a truly great, LEGENDARY football coach, Joe Paterno of Penn State University, AFTER he had already agreed to retire. They also, perhaps more appropriately, fired the president of Penn State University.

Perhaps an even-more-appropriate action might be the resignation of the entire Board of Trustees.

I am certain that the Board felt the need to “do something” rather than present the image of being a group of impotent bureaucrats, which is probably a more accurate description. So… they needed a scapegoat, and they found TWO!

Paterno reported an incident of an assistant coach having intercourse with an approximately 10-year-old boy in 2002, as witnessed by a graduate assistant, to his bosses at Penn State, fulfilling his responsibilities under the law. CNN reports:

The graduate assistant reported the incident to Paterno, who in turn alerted Athletic Director Timothy Curley, Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly said earlier this week.

Kelly said the alleged failure of Curley and Gary Schultz, the university’s senior vice president for finance and business, to report abuse claims to authorities “likely allowed a child predator to continue to victimize children for many, many years.”

Instead of reporting the incident to authorities, Curley and Schultz banned Sandusky from having children from the charity he founded, Second Mile, visit the football building, Kelly said.

Was Paterno responsible? Or was his managment? (I REALLY can’t call them his superiors.)

According to Wikipedia:

Paterno, nicknamed “JoePa,” holds the record for the most victories by an FBS football coach with 409 and is the only FBS coach to reach 400 victories. He coached five undefeated teams that won major bowl games and, in 2007, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach.

So… why do we “turn over the keys” of our society to often-“faceless” bureaucrats, to run our institutions and to manage the TRULY GREAT? Is it because we do not want to perform those jobs OURSELVES nor do we want to have much interaction with the type of individual who DOES?

Can most of us NAME even ONE of the Board of Trustees of Penn State University or cite even ONE of their accomplishments?

I can’t.

So, as a public service, I looked up the names of the current Board of Trustees of Pennsylvania State University. The university Web site states:

Penn State’s 32-member Board of Trustees is composed of the following: Five trustees serve in an ex officio capacity by virtue of their position within the University or the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. They are the President of the University; the Governor of the Commonwealth; and the state secretaries of the departments of Agriculture; Education; and Conservation and Natural Resources. Six trustees are appointed by the Governor; nine trustees are elected by the alumni; six are elected by organized agricultural societies within the Commonwealth; and six are elected by the Board of Trustees representing business and industry endeavors.

Here is the current membership. I do not see one member who, in my humble opinion, is of the same caliber as Joe Paterno. I think that all of us deserve to know the names of the people who have, UNNECESSARILY, damaged the public image and memory of a truly great man. If they felt so bad, they could have resigned, themselves.

(Note added November 11, 2011: You can raise the number of SCAPEGOATS in this matter to THREE! CNN has reported that the original whistleblower, Mike McQueary, who reported the child molestation to Joe Paterno in 2002, has been placed on leave by Pennsylvania State University. The GOOD people continue to get pushed aside, but the BUREAUCRATS remain. As for the student rioting over the unjust firing of Joe Paterno – I believe that the students see the situation more CLEARLY than the bureaucrats who are merely engaged in damage control. It is clear from the news conference now underway that Penn State is concerned PRIMARILY with the flow of money from their wealthy alumni contributors.)

Current Membership

MEMBERS EX OFFICIO

THOMAS W. CORBETT, JR. *Governor, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
GRAHAM B. SPANIER President, The Pennsylvania State University (Secretary of the Board of Trustees)
GEORGE D. GREIG Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
RICHARD J. ALLAN Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
RONALD J. TOMALIS Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Education
Note: The date in parantheses following each name indicates the year in which the term will expire. Trustees appointed by the Governor serve until their successors have been appointed and confirmed.

APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR

ALVIN H. CLEMENS (2012) Past Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Provident
MARK H. DAMBLY (2014) President, Pennrose Properties, LLC
MICHAEL F. DiBERARDINIS (2012) Deputy Mayor for Environmental and Community Resources, City of Philadelphia; Commissioner, Department of Parks and Recreation
PETER A. KHOURY (2014) Undergraduate Student, The Pennsylvania State University
IRA M. LUBERT (2013) Chairman and Co-founder, Independence Capital Partners and Lubert Adler Partners  L.P.
PAUL H. SILVIS (2013) Head Coach, SilcoTek

ELECTED BY ALUMNI

MARIANNE E. ALEXANDER (2014) President Emerita of the Public Leadership Education Network and CEO of Big Spoon Enterprises
H. JESSE ARNELLE (2014) Attorney
STEPHANIE N. DEVINEY (2013) Attorney at Law, Fox Rothschild LLP
STEVE A. GARBAN (2013) Senior Vice President for Finance and Operations/Treasurer Emeritus, The Pennsylvania State University (Chairman of the Board of Trustees)
DAVID R. JONES (2012) Assistant Managing Editor (Retired), The New York Times
DAVID M. JOYNER (2012) Corporate Medical Director and Partner, Occupational Athletics Incorporated
JOEL N. MYERS (2014) President, AccuWeather, Incorporated
ANNE RILEY (2012) Teacher
PAUL V. SUHEY (2013) Orthopedic Surgeon, Martin & Suhey Orthopedics

ELECTED BY DELEGATES FROM AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES

KEITH W. ECKEL (2013) Sole Proprietor and President, Fred W. Eckel and Sons Farms, Incorporated
SAMUEL E. HAYES, JR. (2013)
BARRON L. HETHERINGTON (2012) Special Advisor to the Governor, PA Department of Agriculture; Owner, B & R Farms
BETSY E. HUBER (2014) Immediate Past Master, Pennsylvania State Grange
KEITH E. MASSER (2014) Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Sterman Masser, Incorporated
CARL T. SHAFFER (2012) President, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau

ELECTED BY BOARD REPRESENTING BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY

JAMES S. BROADHURST (2014) Chairman, Eat’n Park Hospitality Group, Incorporated
KENNETH C. FRAZIER (2012) President & Chief Executive Officer, Merck & Company, Incorporated
EDWARD R. HINTZ, JR. (2012) President, Hintz Capital Management, Incorporated
KAREN B. PEETZ (2013) Vice Chairman, CEO of Financial Markets and Treasury Services, Bank of New York Mellon
LINDA B. STRUMPF (2014) Retired Chief Investment Officer, The Helmsley Charitable Trust
JOHN P. SURMA (2013) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, United States Steel Corporation
(Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees)

EMERITI TRUSTEES

CHARLES C. BROSIUS Retired President, Marlboro Mushrooms
WALTER J. CONTI Retired Owner, Cross Keys Inn/Pipersville Inn
DONALD M. COOK, JR. Retired President, SEMCOR, Incorporated
MARIAN U. BARASH COPPERSMITH Retired Chairman of the Board, The Barash Group
ROBERT M. FREY Attorney-at-Law, Frey & Tiley, P.C.
J. LLOYD HUCK Retired Chairman of the Board, Merck and Company, Incorporated
EDWARD P. JUNKER III Retired Vice Chairman, PNC Bank Corporation
ROGER A. MADIGAN Retired State Senator, 23rd Senatorial District
ROBERT D. METZGAR Former President, North Penn Pipe & Supply, Incorporated
BARRY K. ROBINSON Attorney-at-Law
L. J. ROWELL, JR. Retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Provident Mutual Life Insurance
CECILE M. SPRINGER President, Springer Associates
HELEN D. WISE Former Deputy Chief of Staff for Programs and Secretary of the Cabinet, Governor’s Office
BOYD E. WOLFF Retired, Owner and Operator Wolfden Farms
QUENTIN E. WOOD Retired Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Quaker State Corporation
EDWARD P. ZEMPRELLI Attorney

-Bill at

Cheshire Cat Photo™ – “Your Guide to California’s Wonderland™”

You can view higher-resolution photos at the Cheshire Cat Photo™ Pro Gallery on Shutterfly™, where you can also order prints and gifts decorated with the photos of your choice from the gallery. The Cheshire Cat Photo Store on Zazzle® contains a wide variety of apparel and gifts decorated with our images of California. All locations are accessible from here. Be a “Facebook Fan” of Cheshire Cat Photo here! If you don’t see what you want or would be on our email list for updates, send us an email at info@cheshirecatphoto.com.