Thanks to Hunter Baker, I was able to attend this event last night, along with a couple of Oglethorpe students.

Here are a few thoughts, in no particular order. First, the Georgia Family Council is a polished professional organization that does good work, not only in the state legislative arena, but in the trenches dealing with genuine social problems (divorce and absent fathers). Second, Jim Daly, the President and CEO of Focus on the Family, is an interesting choice as successor to Dr. James Dobson. Much of his experience with FOF is in the international arena, where, he observed, it’s often easier to work on issues of family and fatherhood with pragmatic Chinese and South African leaders than it is with Western Europeans and Canadians. In addition, Daly himself is the product of a highly dysfunctional family; he feels and understands in his bones the problem his organization is addressing.

Third, silent auctions raise more money when you serve something stronger than iced tea to the bidders. (I know this from experience.) Fourth, my Oglethorpe guests acquitted themselves very well in conversations with grown-ups.

Finally, there was at least one NLT reader in the room, indeed at my table (and it wasn’t Hunter or his lovely wife). The internet is a wonderful thing.