President Hill's Closing Remarks

September 15, 2006

Brothers and sisters, after all of the planning and tremendous work that went into this convention, it’s hard to believe that it’s drawing to an end.

And it’s even harder to think about the next one.

But I want to say that right now we are planning to go to Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada for our 38th International Convention in 2011.

There are still a lot of details to work out, and things may change, but that’s the plan.

We’ve done great things together here over these past two weeks.

We’ve worked hard on the business of the Brotherhood.

We’ve been entertained and had a lot of fun.

We’ve done something else.

We’ve made IBEW history.

We could have shied from the tough questions and dodged the challenges.

But, together, we showed courage and made decisions that are going to set this Brotherhood on course for success, growth and strength.

We can’t leave that courage and spirit here in Cleveland.

We’ve got to take it back home, inspire others to follow and get ready to do the hard work it will take to build a better life for the working men and women of North America and our other territories.

And if we do that, brothers and sisters, then history will mark us as the generation that turned things around for the IBEW.

We should all remember this: what we do for ourselves dies with us.

What we do for others and for this Brotherhood will live forever.

Let’s go and carve out some immortality for our great union.

The 37th International Convention of the IBEW stands adjourned.

Thank you.

God bless you and have a safe trip home.