ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE COPYRIGHT 2013 RZEVANS
A board meeting was being held by the Parker Avenue State Bank, and president Aldred R. Kensington was presiding, "We have been doing fairly good gentlemen. Our customer base is gradually growing, our loan department is sharp and lean, customer investment accounts are expanding, and our own investments are at par performance. We present a dignified face in the public, and we are keeping pace with all the other banks in our area, with the exception of People's State Bank. I can't understand how they are growing so fast and still adhering to all the state regulations. What is happening over there?" asked Kensington. As he looked around the table he received no answer. "The president of Peoples is a man called Boots Randolph," said Kensington. As an after thought he added, "That doesn't sound very dignified at all." He again looked around the board and picked out on older man with a very receding hair line, "Harrington, you nose around and see what you can find out. There has to be an explanation." With that the board adjourned; it was understood that they would all meet again the next Tuesday.
That evening Kensington was conversing with his wife, "I declare, Thelma, I don't know what this Boots Randolph over at Peoples is doing that is attracting so many customers; he has even taken away some of ours.l"
"Well," Thelma said. ''I did hear that Dave Whittington was putting in a new parts house, and Peoples sent someone out to look things over and gave him the go-ahead on the spot. Did Dave come by to see your loan officers first?"
"Yes," said Kensington,"we reviewed his books, we got an appraisal of the land, and just to be on the safe side we asked him to persuade his father to cosign, since he has only been in business five years."
Thelma persisted, "Did someone from your office actually go out to the site with Dave?"
"No," said Kensington, "we thought we had enough information."
About that time the phone rang and Thelma answered. She told Kensington that Matthew, their eleven year old, was at the school gym and wanted to know if the bank would sponsor T shirts for the basketball team.
"Tell him no," said said her husband, "my goodness, what if they lost?"
It was Tuesday again and the bank board was in session. "Harrington," asked Kensington, "did you come up with any answers?"
Harrington stood up and said, 'It seems the whole bannking staff over there is involved with everything. This year they led the United Fund drive, they let the kids use part of the parking lot for fund raising car washes. I heard they just bought T shirts for both elementary school basketball teams, and Luke Simmonds, the vice president, was helping the other Lions Club members build Maybelline Waters a ramp for her wheel chair."
"I think there still must be something else going on," Kensington responded, "everyone keep your ears open." The boaard took care of some routine business, and then the meeting adjournned.
That evening Kensington was again lamenting the fact that Peoples was leading while the other banks were following. Thelma finally had enough and told him that he was a good man, and Parker Avenue was a good bank, but they were both too stiff, "You need to hire a good young man with some aggressive ideas to fill Heath's shoes when he retires next year," said Thelma.
It had been raining steadly for two days, and the water began to back up in certainspots where the drainage was slow. Kensington had promised Thelma that they would go to her mothers this Saturday, and he couldn't back out of it because of a little rain. They were almost out of the city when he hit a deep puddle, and as the car slowly died, he pulled it over to the right side of the road. The car refust to restart; he sat in the car seat exasperated, and was on the verge of using the cell phone to call for help when an old pickup pulled up behind them. A man of about fifty approached their car. He was dressed in work clothes, and as Kensington rolled down the window, the man said, "It was running alright until you hit that puddle, right?" Kensington said that was correct and that they were on their way to the wife's mothers but wouldn't be able to make it now
"Give me a few minutes and I'll get you going," the man said. He went back to his pickup and got out a small tool box. Kensington got out of the car with his umbrella and held it high, trying to cover both of them, as the man unscrewed the distributor cap. He returned to his truck and brought back a rag and started wiping out the distributor cap. He replaced the cap and asked Kensintgton to get in and try starting it again. The motor started right up and the man stood there in the rain, grinning."Told you so," he said, "I hope you folks have a fine day in spite of this rain."
Kensington tried to pay the man, but he wouldn't hear of it. "Sir, you certainly know your business, and I appreciate your help," said Kensington, " I wish I had a man like you on my team."
As Kensington drove away, he told Thelma that he forgot to ask the man's name. Thelma said, "Oh, I know his name; that's Boots Randolph. I met him at the school on Parents Day. He was there with his grandson."
A board meeting was being held by the Parker Avenue State Bank, and president Aldred R. Kensington was presiding, "We have been doing fairly good gentlemen. Our customer base is gradually growing, our loan department is sharp and lean, customer investment accounts are expanding, and our own investments are at par performance. We present a dignified face in the public, and we are keeping pace with all the other banks in our area, with the exception of People's State Bank. I can't understand how they are growing so fast and still adhering to all the state regulations. What is happening over there?" asked Kensington. As he looked around the table he received no answer. "The president of Peoples is a man called Boots Randolph," said Kensington. As an after thought he added, "That doesn't sound very dignified at all." He again looked around the board and picked out on older man with a very receding hair line, "Harrington, you nose around and see what you can find out. There has to be an explanation." With that the board adjourned; it was understood that they would all meet again the next Tuesday.
That evening Kensington was conversing with his wife, "I declare, Thelma, I don't know what this Boots Randolph over at Peoples is doing that is attracting so many customers; he has even taken away some of ours.l"
"Well," Thelma said. ''I did hear that Dave Whittington was putting in a new parts house, and Peoples sent someone out to look things over and gave him the go-ahead on the spot. Did Dave come by to see your loan officers first?"
"Yes," said Kensington,"we reviewed his books, we got an appraisal of the land, and just to be on the safe side we asked him to persuade his father to cosign, since he has only been in business five years."
Thelma persisted, "Did someone from your office actually go out to the site with Dave?"
"No," said Kensington, "we thought we had enough information."
About that time the phone rang and Thelma answered. She told Kensington that Matthew, their eleven year old, was at the school gym and wanted to know if the bank would sponsor T shirts for the basketball team.
"Tell him no," said said her husband, "my goodness, what if they lost?"
It was Tuesday again and the bank board was in session. "Harrington," asked Kensington, "did you come up with any answers?"
Harrington stood up and said, 'It seems the whole bannking staff over there is involved with everything. This year they led the United Fund drive, they let the kids use part of the parking lot for fund raising car washes. I heard they just bought T shirts for both elementary school basketball teams, and Luke Simmonds, the vice president, was helping the other Lions Club members build Maybelline Waters a ramp for her wheel chair."
"I think there still must be something else going on," Kensington responded, "everyone keep your ears open." The boaard took care of some routine business, and then the meeting adjournned.
That evening Kensington was again lamenting the fact that Peoples was leading while the other banks were following. Thelma finally had enough and told him that he was a good man, and Parker Avenue was a good bank, but they were both too stiff, "You need to hire a good young man with some aggressive ideas to fill Heath's shoes when he retires next year," said Thelma.
It had been raining steadly for two days, and the water began to back up in certainspots where the drainage was slow. Kensington had promised Thelma that they would go to her mothers this Saturday, and he couldn't back out of it because of a little rain. They were almost out of the city when he hit a deep puddle, and as the car slowly died, he pulled it over to the right side of the road. The car refust to restart; he sat in the car seat exasperated, and was on the verge of using the cell phone to call for help when an old pickup pulled up behind them. A man of about fifty approached their car. He was dressed in work clothes, and as Kensington rolled down the window, the man said, "It was running alright until you hit that puddle, right?" Kensington said that was correct and that they were on their way to the wife's mothers but wouldn't be able to make it now
"Give me a few minutes and I'll get you going," the man said. He went back to his pickup and got out a small tool box. Kensington got out of the car with his umbrella and held it high, trying to cover both of them, as the man unscrewed the distributor cap. He returned to his truck and brought back a rag and started wiping out the distributor cap. He replaced the cap and asked Kensintgton to get in and try starting it again. The motor started right up and the man stood there in the rain, grinning."Told you so," he said, "I hope you folks have a fine day in spite of this rain."
Kensington tried to pay the man, but he wouldn't hear of it. "Sir, you certainly know your business, and I appreciate your help," said Kensington, " I wish I had a man like you on my team."
As Kensington drove away, he told Thelma that he forgot to ask the man's name. Thelma said, "Oh, I know his name; that's Boots Randolph. I met him at the school on Parents Day. He was there with his grandson."