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This example makes also clear that just as we had presented this morning a differential approach to leadership in the local school and in the State department of education, so we find in the voluntary association different levels of functioning as between the local, the State, and the national associations.

In general, it might be said that national leadership needs to concern itself more with broad and at times abstract issues while the local leadership must be ready to adjust itself to what is often politely referred to as the reality situation, and must be prepared to compromise.

Yet, at last year's Convention of the Council for Exceptional Children, Dr. James T. Baldini, Chairman of the NARC Education Committee, made it quite clear in his paper "The Importance of Professional Standards as Viewed by a Parent and his Organization" that there are definite limits as to how far one can compromise with essential standards when he said: "We are firmly of the opinion that with retarded children poor educational programs do more harm than no programs at all, both to the children involved and to our efforts and yours to make educational opportunities available to all retarded."

This crucial problem of the development and maintenance of standards provides us with other good illustrations of the leadership role of the voluntary organization and the way in which it interacts with its professional counterparts. There are those in the professional group who, while quite accepting of the voluntary associations, none the less feel strongly that the area of standards is one which definitely should be the concern solely of the professional. Yet there is no use in developing standards unless they will be adopted as a matter of policy, and the leadership of the voluntary association can be very effective in bringing about the adoption of such policies.

Another point is that there are certain broad principles about the development and maintenance of standards which pertain to all professions and within the leadership of the voluntary association there may well be persons who can make technical contributions on that score.

The field of legislation is another area where constant interplay is necessary between the voluntary and the professional leadership. How well this can be achieved has been demonstrated by the performance of the Interagency Committee of the Council for Exceptional Children. Under the chairmanship of Dr. Leonard Mayo, this Committee has achieved a sound synthesis of the often divergent viewpoints of professional and voluntary groups by focusing on basic common goals and leaving room for individual differences.

The examples given so far in this paper could suggest that in general it is the voluntary organization which comes to the aid of the professional group. This conclusion, however, is only half true because it overlooks the vital role professional leaders can play in strengthening and keeping alive the voluntary effort. If the professional group understands and respects the contribution of the voluntary movement, it creates an atmosphere conducive to the recruitment of superior leadership. By the same token, a stimulating, open interchange between the two groups will keep alive the interest of the volunteer.

Voluntary associations and their leadership have become an indispensable part of American public life. Stephen Raushenbush sums this up well in his pamphlet, "The Challenge to the Alliance for Progress," published last year by the Public Affairs Institute in Washington:

"One of the great strengths of the American system is the grouping together of citizens to carry through necessary social tasks which are beyond the sphere of governmental agencies. In these voluntary groupings they watch over the education of their children, the growth of their communities, and heal some of the wounds inflicted by joblessness and dislocation. In the form of cooperatives they spread the sense of ownership and act as a watchdog against monopoly prices. In the form of labor unions they bring a sense of security against unfair treatment to millions of workers, and help protect their incomes, health and old age. All of these elements are vital and necessary parts of a functioning democracy. These groups embody the sense of civic responsibility. They are humanitarian in their purposes and democratic in their methods. The American system would hardly be the kindly operation that it is much of the time if these voluntary groupings of citizens were to falter and disappear."