Success in our country in 2010 must include more women.

I have been doing a bit of thinking about all the overspending that has occurred. Let me see, we have the bail out of the some to the largest banks in America, the automobile industry, and who can forget the deluxe severance pay gifted to the former North Dakota Blue Cross executive, Michael Unhjem -over a million dollars. That, coupled with the fact that 13 member board of Blue Cross receive a mere $30,000 each for their time.

Let us think just for a second about who the big spenders are who have caused a lot of commotion in America – MEN! Yes, most of the above situations have men in charge. Just the other day I heard a gentlemen say, “No one can go through money like my Vivian.” I thought to myself, “Well buddy, take a good look at some of our top executives and your wife’s spending will easily fit into a thimble.”

I have personally known women who can stretch a pound of hamburger to feed their seven kids plus Uncle Herb’s and Aunt Millie’s bounding family unit who just pulled into the driveway unannounced! She has just weeded the garden, she is bending over to help dear Susie with her doll, supper is on the stove, and she is eight months pregnant! These are the women who wear multitasking as bracelets, earrings and when needed – belts. Shining through loud and clear is their own stern sense of responsibility; they knew the clustered pearls and orange blossoms on their wedding day would lead to this! Women have a keen sense of being able to stay on task even when the laundry and dishes loom like skyscrapers. Let us gather up these gals and put them in charge of our lending institutions. After all, they have worn the same wool coat to Christmas Eve services for the last 30 years-and they still look good!

Women who have dressers full of recycled wrapping paper (and use it) need to be in charge of the automotive industry! They, for years, have pressed out wrinkles and turned out packages that look like Faberge eggs! These are the same women who can very effectively hide Halloween and Christmas candy easily behind the rolled oats and reveal it for the celebration unopened! Let us redecorate these sagging industries with women who feel a good splurge is putting new ribbon on 25-year-old wrapping paper! Who knows – when they get to digging around in the back sheds of Detroit, they may come up with an attractive way to use all those discarded Edsel grills.

Let us consider all the boards women have made successful: church boards, music booster boards, art league, 4-H, auxiliary boards – and all without pay! It is also important to note that while serving on many of these boards, they provided their own lunch. The extremely efficient ones brought delicious hot coffee in a red and plaid thermos! Let us gather these women and move them into places of service at North Dakota Blue Cross. Believe me, they would not be giving compensation to board members. Rather, one of them would say, “Let us be grateful for our policy holders. As a token of appreciation each month, we will automatically put their names into a drawing for $100.00!” These women are smart, and they know small contributions can profoundly be beneficial to the future. They realize this lucrative opportunity sends forth a message – “count your blessings.” It expresses to all policyholders in a very fair way how important they are. Wise will be the CEO who trusts the judgment of women who know how to stretch the dollar, recycle, and serve the many masses of our needing world.

Repnow is a

Rugby resident.