An open letter to High School Juniors in Birmingham, The City of Bloomfield Hills, Beverly Hills, and Bingham Farms.

Dear eligible student thinking of applying for the student representative position on the Baldwin Library Board.

First off, I should tell you it wasn't the sort of we did in my day. Of course I am not exactly sure what we did in my day.  It was in Ohio and in those days The Ohio State University took everyone who graduated from an Ohio High School. They didn't say they’d keep you but as my father  said  at least it  “got you in the door” which as he explained many times was  “half the battle”. Later I learned he was right on both counts. He also liked to stress the fact that  in the real world nobody knows you.  You have to show them something. Like what? Like Moxie the old man said.
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Moxie is a New England soft drink which  had quite a vogue in the roaring twenties.   It was a favorite of  then President Calvin Coolidge (a former Mayor of Boston)  and later endorsed by Red Sox  slugger Ted Williams.

In today’s world applying to be the Baldwin Library Student Representative takes Moxie. 

So does writing the President of the United States. In college one of our classmates did just that. He wrote  that the anti war protesters of our era weren't indicative of all students. President Nixon interested in a photo op invited him to the White House. The kid went at his own expense and got local Columbus Ohio media coverage. That did not make him popular with his fellow students but today he  is the Governor of the State of Ohio. 

If you have any interest in city government, or politics this great opportunity and one that will get you in the door, give you chance to show your stuff, and serve you well in the future. The Baldwin Library benefits four communities and the importance of that can't be overstated.

How many applicants will the Baldwin Library receive  ? This may be on the low end,  but offhand, I would guess less than number of area  High School Juniors who will write the President of the United  States this year. In the  past contract community students  and Birmingham students have both fared well in the selection process.