Remarks on Greeting Officials of the United States Jaycees.

DICK, it is a great privilege and pleasure to not only talk with you but have the opportunity of saying a few words to your various State presidents and your executive group. First, let me congratulate a Michigander who has done pretty well this last year. We are proud of Dick.

Because of my long association with the Jaycees, going back to about 1941 or '42 and continuing after the war when I returned and became again active in the Grand Rapids organization, I am proud of the fact that I had that exposure. I am very proud of the record of the Jaycees over a long period of time.

What are you, the 56th national president? I think that is a real fine track record--that for 56 years the Jaycees have made a great contribution to local communities, to the various States, and also to the national.

I know you have got some excellent projects this year--Project Mainstream, which I think is one that will be very helpful in trying to do things at the local level in a meaningful way. And the project of getting involved with the U.S. I fully support and hope that it will not only get all of you involved but each of the 7,000 chapters or thereabouts that you have throughout the United States.

I can see out in this group here that we have a number of future political leaders. I hope you have excellent judgment on which political party you join. [Laughter] But I will leave that up to your own individual decision. The last thing I would want to do is seek to influence it. [Laughter]

I recall very vividly the many opportunities I had to speak to the Jaycees in my home area, the opportunities from time to time that I had to get together with the Jaycees at the State level, and of course, probably the greatest experience I had was the opportunity to attend your meeting in San Diego in 1974. That was a tremendous convention, and I thank you all for the very warm welcome that I had on that occasion.

I think you can see from the words that I have said that I have great affection and admiration for the Jaycees, and I have had it, I have it now, and I wish you well in the future.

And if you would like, we have got a few extra minutes this morning. If you would like to come through the Oval Office, we would be very honored if you would do so, and perhaps we can take individual pictures at that time.

Thank you very much.