January/February 2000

Leaving The World A Better Place

Cleveland, Ohio, America, and the world lost a true treasure recently. An American original, Irving Stone, founder and builder of the American Greetings Corporation, passed away at age 90. Can you imagine 85 years with one company? Yes, that’s what I said—85 years.

Irving started working—pulling the wagon selling greeting cards, when he was 5 years old as the first employee of his father, Jacob Sapirstein. At age 9, because of his father’s illness, Irving took the company and ran it when otherwise it would have failed for lack of anyone to step in. After his recovery, Irving’s father asked him, at age 9, how much money Irving had saved. Irving told him, and his father offered to sell him stock in his new fledgling company. Irving gave him all his money and became the first shareholder, other than his Dad, of the American Greetings Corporation. It is 81 years later, and through his heartfelt work and great leadership, Irving Stone has built a family-run company with a soul that provides a wonderful workplace for its thousands of employees. He has built the company to a Fortune 300 status in excess of $2.2 billion in sales.

All of those are great accomplishments, but what makes this man so unique in American business history is his longevity and the constancy of values that he practiced for a lifetime. I had the privilege of learning from this man since the age of 7; so, for the last 52 years, through listening to my father, who was his personal secretary at one time, and through a personal friendship over the last 30 years that brought us together once or twice a year, I have gleaned the wisdom and have been inspired by this one-of-a-kind gentleman. When someone is as fortunate as me to have known personally people like Sam Walton and Irving Stone, it becomes almost a right and a responsibility to share this wisdom with others.

There are many wonderful stories that encompass the life of Irving Stone, but I think one more than any other captures my heart, and it is the one I would like to share with our Duck Tales™ readers. I had the privilege of attending his eulogy at the Green Road Synagogue recently given by three rabbis. Several years ago, Irving traveled to visit his father in Miami with one of the rabbis. On the return home from their visit, Irving learned at the airport that they had been bumped from their seats. He was told that the next plane would not leave for three hours so he could wait or he could pay extra from the two remaining first-class seats on his scheduled flight. True to his values of watching his pennies and refusing things that he saw as superfluous, Irving decided to wait the three hours rather than spend the extra money on something unnecessary. Two days later that same man called the rabbi and invited him to lunch in Cleveland. He drove him by a beautiful six-acre estate on Green Road in South Euclid and asked the rabbi, “Do you think this would make a good location for a Jewish middle school for our students?” The rabbi’s answer was, “Yes, it’s a beautiful estate and it would make a wonderful location and site for a new school.” With that, Irving said, “Fine, I think so, too,” and handed over a deed that he had already purchased to give the rabbi to use as the site to build a new school. Irving knew where to use his wealth.

May we always remember the lessons learned in our childhood. For me, it’s values that included a bologna sandwich and a glass of milk; and, as true with Irving, it’s taking the blessings that this world has given and sharing it in education to help make a better world for others. I hope that all of us can learn and derive inspiration from people such as Irving Stone. It was a personal delight to have him call me and say, “Jackie, Jackie, c’mon down and let’s have lunch.” It was an opportunity I never refused. Some of the fondest memories of my business career lie in those meetings in his office and in the constant cards that I would receive with wonderful heartfelt notes of wisdom and encouragement to help in the building of my own business.

Irving Stone was a true American original—a never-to-be-forgotten human being whose legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of the tens of thousands of people that he touched. May he rest in peace. I hope that all of us can learn and derive inspiration from people such as Irving Stone.

From the Heart
How do you teach the true meaning of generosity to today’s children? Some cynics say it’s nearly impossible. But the Duck ® knows better. The spirit of giving starts early in a person’s life, as it surely did in Irving Stone’s life. In other words, teach them while they’re young. In one Wisconsin school, children have learned the true meaning of sacrifice. When one young girl saw pictures of homeless children sleeping on cots, she asked her mother where the children’s toys were. “Honey, they don’t have any toys,” was the mother’s reply.

Stunned, the first grader decided to give away some of her favorite possessions—Beanie Babies—to the children. She was so committed to her task that she persuaded her classmates to join in. The first grade class at Wildwood Elementary came up with more than 200 Beanie Babies for needy children—all on their own. How can we teach generosity and sacrifice on such a level? Experts offer this advice:

Teach by example. Children learn to be generous when they’ve witnessed someone being generous to them.
Talk to them. Talk to children about why it’s easy to give away something you don’t want, but difficult to part with things that are important to you.
Create a system of giving. Generosity comes with practice. When giving children an allowance, have them set aside a portion for charity. Make it a point to regularly donate the money to a worthy cause.
Include them in decisions. Talk about the different charitable organizations you consider donating to and have your children help you decide which are most worthy or in need of help.

Family Affair
Volunteering once was dominant among well-to-do women, who had time and money to devote to the community. Today, it’s a family affair, and the trend is growing every day. More and more families now make volunteering part of their everyday lives. What better way to teach children the importance of giving? But the volunteering not only benefits the community, it also allows families to spend more time with each other. And communities and nonprofit agencies across the country are reaping the benefits.

While shelters and food banks once saw families volunteer primarily during the holidays, they now enjoy their helping hands year-round. Families say volunteering gives them the opportunity to spend more quality time with their children and instill a spirit of generosity in their kids. Volunteer coordinators say when parents volunteer, they are setting an invaluable example for their children. “If kids see their parents volunteer, then they will, too,” says one volunteer director.

Children who regularly volunteer have better grades, are less likely to use drugs, and have higher self-esteem, according to experts. Parents who do not have custody of their children say volunteering allows them a better way to communicate with their children. And many parents say that while they may be the ones to initiate volunteer work, their children soon become the engines of change, finding more ways and more people to help.

A Contented Nation
How happy are we? A recent poll finds that two-thirds of Americans say they are very happy, rating themselves an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the happiest. One-fifth of Americans rate themselves a perfect 10, while the average rating is a high 7.8. You might say so much happiness is no surprise, given the country’s strong economy, low unemployment rate, and healthy stock market. But Americans polled say material wealth has little to do with happiness. The major contributors to happiness, they say, are good health, a strong faith, and loving family and friends. Here are some other findings:

“Extremely happy” people are more active and sociable than others. They visit places of worship more often, have more “romantic moments,” work out more often, volunteer more in their community, and meditate, pray, or read religious writings more often.
Younger isn’t necessarily better. Childhood and the teen years are not the happiest times of life for most people. Most Americans say they are happiest at their current age. In fact, happiness tends to increase with age.
Faith is imperative. After health, religion is the next most important indicator of happiness. Religion provides a sense of purpose and a warm, caring environment that people draw from for emotional well-being.
Part-time workers and retirees are happier than full-time workers. Anyone with a full-time job and family knows that the stress associated with trying to balance the two can detract from happiness.

What’s Your New Year’s Resolution?
If you didn’t make one this year, let the Duck® offer a suggestion: Volunteer in a local organization. Find something that you are passionate about and get involved. Americans’ involvement in community activities has dropped dramatically in the last 25 years. What are we doing instead of volunteering in our communities? We’re sitting in front of the TV set. The average American spends 40 percent of his or her free time watching television. That’s right—40 percent! What kind of message does that send to our children?

Just imagine what we could accomplish if we turned off television sets across the country. For information on volunteer activities in your community, contact your local branch of the United Way. Or, for Internet surfers, log on to www.helping.org, where you can search for volunteer activities within your community.

Sincerely, Your Friend
Manco T. Duck