Remarks at the Northern Texas Panhandle Lion's Club Dinner in Amarillo

In the many years that I was privileged to represent my congressional district in the State of Michigan, one of the favorite annual groups that I had the opportunity to discuss the difficulties, the problems, the prospects, the optimism about Washington was the Grand Rapids Lion's Club. After I had done that for 25 years they finally made me an honorary member. [Laughter]

I have two brothers who are members of the Lion's Club, so the Ford family feels pretty close to all of you. I know what the Lion's International stands for. You have great objectives. You have wonderful programs and policies at the local level. I can tell you from personal experience--and I have spoken to many Lion's Clubs--you have outstanding people who believe right, do things right, and get things done.

So, let me just say to you it has been a great day and a half to be in the State of Texas. We started in San Antonio, went to Dallas and to El Paso, we are here in Amarillo, and we are going down to Canyon. We will get home, I guess, about 2:30 Palm Sunday morning.

But it has been a great experience. I have been in Texas a good many years. But I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to meet so many people in this 2-day period and to stop here and see all of you.

We will do our best as President. We hope we have a friend or two in the State of Texas, because we think our policies both domestically and internationally are good for America and good for the country and good for all of you and good for the world as a whole. And we will do our very best to maintain that record.

Thank you so much.