Graduation Address

"Encaenia Address, Ceremony C." (19 May 2005). (UA Case 67, Box 3)

Your Honour, Mr. Chancellor, Mr. President, Honoured Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, and Graduating Students

As I walked in, I overheard someone say "I wonder how old he is?"

Let me help you.

You are looking at the results of a concentrated exercise program.

A focused nutritional program, along with good wine.

An active sex life and good tailoring and next week, all of these efforts will result in my 85th birthday.

I have had a wonderful life full of all the aggravations and pleasures you could imagine and I am not retired.

So today you graduate.

You have completed only one part of your education. I am sure you have heard that before and if you think that was tough, you are wrong.

The next part is the real learning but without the guidance of the wonderful teachers UNB provides. You now have to make use of that guidance. You are now on your own. You will be making the calls and if you are wrong, taking the falls.

I am sure you all would like to be leaders – it certainly is nice to be looking out at 400 future leaders. As leaders, you must be decisive and unswerving, people who work for or with you will appreciate your decisiveness. Those who set very high specific goals get better results.

We are lucky to live in an ever changing technological world and you reside in an idyllic setting. In Fredericton, because of today’s technology, you can run anything in the world from here and still be able to walk down to the St. John River and relax. You can fly/drive or use the train to physically go anywhere and when the strains of the big cities and big company pressures get to you, it will be nice to come home and run your business from here if you so decide.

As you go out into the competitive world, may I take the liberty of offering some thoughts.

1. Do Not be Afraid of Taking Risks. I recently published a book on how I got my degree at U.H.K. (University of Hard Knocks). I did not have the opportunity you have had, with good teachers and proper academic direction. My book indicates the risks I took. The success and failures but what it really says is "No Risk – No Reward." Remember – every day is not Christmas. You are going to have failures. If you don’t, then you haven’t tried something new.



2. Be Innovative. Just because something has always been done a certain way may be the reason you question why it can’t be done differently. Have the courage to stand up for what you think is right and be ready to defend your position.



3. Stop/Look/Listen. and Reflect. Above all, Listen, you will be surprised what you learn – many people talk but the ones who listen make progress.



4. Appreciate the opportunity life provides. It really is special. And remember life is more than work. Much more.
   
   I have always been suspicious of workaholics who simply are too busy to find time for family and friends. If your real interests end at the door of the office you are missing so much – not just for the balance we all need in our lives, not just in being part of your kids growing up, but for the time we all need to regenerate our ideas and enrich and widen our knowledge of life.



5. Identify Your Weaknesses – work on correcting them.



6. Think Globally/Go Everywhere/Observe/Identify the trends and patterns.



7. Change is Inevitable/On the walls of the conference room of our company. We have the words "Remember We Obsolete Ourselves Every Monday Morning." Speedy adaptability is essential to survival. You have to be ahead of change.
   
   In my book, I quote scientist and futurist Isaac Asimov who wrote: "It is change continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today. No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be. This in turn means that our statesmen, our businessmen, our everyman must take on a science fictional way of thinking." Believe me, when I was one of the first to build cable TV systems in Montreal, or to offer instant electronic quotes to stock markets, these products seemed like science fiction.



8. Get Involved in your community. Participate.



9. Don’t Be Afraid to Dream. Have a passion. It will fuel your life and may end up being your career.



10. Always Remember your university. I am sure they will be contacting you. Reminding you about how the successes you will achieve was made possible by UNB.

May you have the courage to follow your dreams – good luck. Thank you.