the nurturing kind-a tribute to Henley F. Gabeau's work with the RRCAby Julia EmmonsAt the RRCA Convention this past spring, the annual business meeting was rolling to a close. As is so often the case, it had been a tranquil meeting: no ruffled feathers, no testy exchanges. As it headed to adjournment, longtime RRCA Executive Director Henley Gabeau asked to make an announcement; it would take no more than four minutes, she said, about the time the young middle-distance phenom, Alan Webb, takes to run a mile. Henley then announced her resignation. Over 20 years of extraordinary service to the RRCA thus came to a close in less than 240 seconds. Many of us wept in startled sadness. As those close to the RRCA during the years of Henley's involvement know, she is the very symbol of the organization; her personal qualities are the ones that make the RRCA so successful. In stark contrast to many other sports-affiliated groups, the RRCA is a positive force. It has rarely been split in warring factions, for the most part keeping its eye firmly on its mission to serve running clubs big and small throughout the United States. It hosts programs that serve members, from children's running through the Roads Scholars for America's elite runners, and has acted as the sport's spokesperson when needed. It is a comforting organization, there to serve all who call. This positive, caring tone has largely come from Henley herself. Over two decades Henley has served the club and its ideals, first as president and then as its first and only executive director. Under her guidance, the RRCA established its first permanent office, grew from 380 clubs to the present 700; and increased its budget from a modest $135,000 to well over a million and a half dollars. She has also played an important national role, actively representing the RRCA with USA Track and Field, the sport's governing body. Despite her stature in the sport, Henley has remained untouched by her prominence. All who know her well are in awe of her essential goodness, integrity and generosity of heart. Hers would be the hand to pick up the stunned baby sparrow and return it to the nest, hers the cup passed to the fellow runner though she too is thirsty. It thus always struck me as strange that her dog of choice is a rottweiler. Surely, given her gentle nature, Henley would give dogroom only to the sunniest of breeds, a spaniel perhaps, or a basset hound. But Henley's much-loved dog, whose picture graced her desk alongside those of daughters Robin and Lucy, was Daisy, a dark, sturdy animal with a grumpy mien, who I always felt had an eye on my ankle. "She's just loveable," Henley would avow. Yeah, sure. The tears we shed at Henley's announcement were, of course, selfish ones. The RRCA will carry on under new leadership; it will be fine, but just not the same. We mourn the passing on of the beloved familiar, and aren't quite ready for the untried new. Henley, herself, heads off to new horizons, her work at the RRCA largely done. For those of us who love her dearly, we are assured that horizon will continue to include us and, of course, a rottweiler. __________
"To survive in this business a long
time, you have to both appreciate and respect the business and
be appreciated and respected by those in the business. Henley
is an example of both as she gave so much of herself to our sport.
However, I believe when you give, you receive even more in return,
so I am sure that Henley leaves with a wealth of good feelings
and feelings of satisfaction given her invaluable contributions." "Henley is leaving the RRCA office
in its best-ever shape and in her best possible way. She leaves
us wishing she weren't going but knowing that her innovations
will live on for decades to come." "It's hard even to imagine the RRCA
without Henley. We've all grown up together in the sport with
Henley always a part of it, as a beginner, as a fast competitor,
as a race organizer, as a feisty champion of women's rights and
as an administrator who took the club to level after level and
made it more and more nationally significant. Her work in communications
and women's safety is particularly outstanding, and some of the
work that she has been doing lately will only really blossom after
she leaves-such as the Roads Scholars program." "Henley helped the RRCA become a larger,
more visible, more effective organization, one with an ever-expanding
array of materials, programs and services for runners and running
clubs. She also helped create a warm, open tone for how the RRCA
does business, and I know members have always appreciated that.
Her contribution to the RRCA's success has been enormous, and
we all hope she continues to offer guidance to the organization
in the years ahead." "Henley has been not only a voice for
the RRCA, but a driving force in building meaningful relationships
with sponsors and running clubs across the country. She has given
endless energy and commitment to significant causes in our sport
and has indeed raised the bar for the RRCA." "It was Henley who was the spark and
engine for the formation in 1976 of the Washington [DC] RunHers,
the area's first all women's running club. It was Henley who cheered
me on through the founding and early fumbling years of Moving
Comfort. It makes complete sense that the Henley I first became
friends with so long ago went on to become a central, leading
figure in the RRCA. What could have been more natural for her-and
more fortunate for the sport?"
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