James L. Britt, CPCU, CPCU Society 2007-2008 president, with Ethics Award Winner, Jeffrey J. Vigne, CPCU, AIC, CIC, Product Development Manager for CO-Operative Insurance Companies, Vermont Chapter (right)

Kudos to the Vermont Chapter!

It was recognized at this year's CPCU Society Leadership Summit in Orlando as having created the most unique approach to Ethics Awareness for 2008. On Friday, April 4th, the Chapter was awarded $100 and a commemorative certificate in a presentation attended by 2007-2008 CPCU Society President James L. Britt and the leaders of many other chapters.

What the Vermont Chapter did to earn this award was to arrange a presentation on ethics in history by Art Cohn, an elite diver and historian. Cohn emphasized that dealing with ethical questions is often a difficult exercise, because there may be disagreement on what is - or is not - proper behavior in a given set of circumstances. Ethics, he pointed out, are based on one's perspective - what looks "funny" to one person might seem appropriate to another. He used one of his own passions, underwater archeology, as an example. In finding artifacts - of which there are many in Lake Champlain - it is not always clear whether it is proper to disturb them, or what should properly be done with them. In part this is because there may be disagreement over who owns them - resulting in a frequently tense relationship between ethics and legality. In this murky area, Cohn offered a guiding light - treat others as you would like to be treated, or as you would treat a loved one.

Cohn's talk got his listeners thinking about the importance and complexity of ethical issues - just the result that the Ethics Awareness effort is intended to achieve!