Dave Penney’s inaugural column as TEI president begins with his paying homage to the “selfless enterprise” that the Institute’s founders exhibited in 1944 when they gathered in New York City to discuss whether to organize what we now know as Tax Executives Institute. Dave’s term was new to me, but it encapsulates the essence of the Theodore Roosevelt quotation that adorns the table of contents of every issue of The Tax Executive since 1989:
Every man owes some of his time to the upbuilding of the profession to which he belongs.
(Before 1989, the quotation was on the front page of TEI News, the Institute’s bimonthly newsletter.)
“Selfless enterprise” does not mean that the member will not benefit personally or professionally from getting involved, but that he or she is not motivated primarily by “what’s in it for me.” When TEI’s Board of Directors adopted the Institute’s Social Responsibility Initiative four years ago, it invoked a different, but conceptually similar term: “enlightened self-interest.” That term has been defined as a philosophy in ethics that states that persons who act to further the interests of others (or the interests of the group or groups to which they belong) ultimately serve their own self-interest or, in the business sphere, that you can do well by doing good. That TEI has followed this credo for nearly seven decades is something all members have benefitted from — and can be proud of.
An interesting fact about the Theodore Roosevelt quotation: Despite Bartlett’s, Wikipedia, and Internet-based search engines, TEI has never been able to establish its provenance. Coincidentally, just as Dave submitted his column containing the term “selfless enterprise,” a listserv message from the American Society of Association Executives hit my inbox and may have provided the answer. The questioner asked about “the Roosevelt quote about associations.” Several ASAE members responded, but none offered up the TEI version. It seems that the reason we couldn’t confirm the accuracy of the quotation was that, as pithy as Teddy (“Talk Softly and Carry a Big Stick”) Roosevelt could be, his actual quotation is nothing like what TEI has ascribed to him.
Thus, although the quotation provided by the ASAE uses the word “man” (instead of the more inclusive, 21st Century friendly “individual” or “person”), it does not speak to people’s “upbuilding the profession” to which they belong. (Alas, the only publications in which we can find this term are, uh, those published by TEI.) Instead, it more expansively proclaims:
“Every man owes part of his time and money to the business or industry to which he is engaged. No man has a moral right to withhold his support from an organization that is striving to improve the conditions within his sphere.”
(Just because you can’t prove something doesn’t mean it isn’t true, of course, but we are evaluating whether to retire the apocryphal TR epigram.)
Whether the “upbuilding the profession” quotation is accurate but undocumented) or whether one of TEI’s early leaders sought to shorten — and, hence, “improve” — the 26th
President’s words, I do not know. What I do know is that there are aspects of the longer quotation that speak perhaps more effectively to what has become TEI’s mission in
2011: the reference to the moral obligation “to improve the conditions within [the] sphere” in which TEI members operate. Whether the sphere is that “tax world” generally or
the network of 7,000 members that constitute the Institute, the leaders and countless members of TEI work every day to improve it.
Many members, moreover, when they leave the workaday world of business taxation. Hence, associate members in several chapters not only continue to attend chapter meetings, but volunteer to manage the registration desk or CPE process for their chapter. Other members use the flexibility (and time) accorded by retirement to do even more than they did while working. One such member is Tom Wcisel of TEI’s Chicago Chapter. Tom worked at McDonald’s Corporation from 1981 until his retirement earlier this year. He was an active member of both the chapter and the Institute’s IRS Administrative Affairs Committee, and TEI’s staff had the pleasure of working with him on a number of projects, including the IRS Audits and Appeals
Seminar, the Institute’s government liaison meetings, and — significantly — our Social Responsibility Initiative.
I had the occasion to talk with Tom a few weeks ago, and I asked him what was keeping him busy in retirement. His answer was so inspiring that I imposed upon him to commit it to writing. What follows is his description of one portion of what he’s done in terms of “improving the sphere”:
Prior to leaving McDonald’s, I approached a local food pantry (Loaves & Fishes) with the idea that of coordinating a VITA tax program, under its auspices, to help underprivileged people file their income taxes for the upcoming tax season. The group’s Board of Directors approved the concept and I had a sponsor organization where I could start an IRS VITA program. As a bit of background, Loaves & Fishes has a program called “Pathways to Empowerment” whereby it helps underprivileged individuals empower themselves to a better life. This VITA program represents a step in that direction, although they have many other initiatives underway.
I didn’t quite know how to market this VITA program or to recruit and enroll volunteers in the program, or what to expect from the clientele that would utilize the program.
That being said, I approached the local churches and synagogues that supported the food pantry and asked if they would put something in their publications for volunteers.
Our slogan was “If you give us your Time, we’ll develop your Talents, for an Experience that you’ll Treasure.” We had two orientation meetings during which we describe the
program and had an initial response of 18 to 20 individuals of whom 10 to 12 committed to become certified VITA tax preparers. We had 4 housewives, 2 retirees, 1 fireman, 3
accounting professionals, 1 person from the IRS, and 2 individuals from McDonald’s tax department (Karen Iacobazzi and Ainsley Sumlin). All of these individuals became
certified, and once they became comfortable with the IRS Taxwise software, they became a very energetic and dedicated VITA tax team.
We were open for tax preparation on both Friday and Saturday for 4 hours each day, and we e-filed approximately 160 returns and another 20 or so amended or prior years’
returns (which were outside the program guidelines). We probably could have prepared another 100 returns, but the clientele was not there; we hope, it will expand in 2012.
Our goal is to prepare 350 returns next year, and we plan to add a Thursday-night time slot to our program.
In the past when I worked on VITA tax preparation, we basically handled low income individuals who had W-2 income and 1099 self-employment income. These individuals
qualified for EITC and Child Tax Credits and their returns were fairly easy to complete and they were happy to get their tax refunds. In 2011 we saw a number of individuals
that met the VITA qualifications (AGI of less than $50,000), but also people who were recently became unemployed, etc., and couldn’t afford to pay a tax preparation firm to
file their tax returns. It was a little heartbreaking to see these individuals reaching out for tax assistance and trying to cope with hardships they hadn’t felt before. We
were happy to help, but our hearts went out to them.
The IRS gave us a lot of assistance in setting up our VITA program and our volunteers did a tremendous job. Loaves & Fishes provided us computers and great accommodations
for our tax preparation. A lot of things came together for us, and frankly I’m still in disbelief of what we were able to accomplish. I’m now in the process of recruiting
volunteers for next year, and I think I pretty much have a part-time/full time endeavor.
It’s great to be able to use my skillset to give back to both our and neighboring
communities helping people file their tax returns. The effort is well worth the smiles and thank yous that you get in return.
I am sure there are many other members — retired or still working — that have stories as fulfilling and worthwhile as Tom Wcisel’s. Please share yours. In doing so, you will
inspire others to follow in your footsteps (and demonstrate that loaves and fishes are not the only things that can multiply miraculously) and prove (once again) the power of
giving back.