Christmas, like love, is one of those impossible words. Difficult to define, but glibly used, it seems to mean something different to everyone. For some it represents simply hard-sell and hokum; for others fun and festivities; and for still another group, ritual and regeneration. Some view its approach with dread. Others welcome it with joy. It is a hectic time, a noisy time, a peaceful time, and a quiet time all at the same time.

Yet if each of us took some time to contemplate the essential meaning of this holiday, I believe we would all agree that it is closely bound up with the words peace and brotherhood-two more "impossible" words, I grant you, but perhaps all the really important words are "impossible" in that sense.

And perhaps peace and brotherhood are impossible words in another sense. That is, perhaps they are, like perfection, ultimately unattainable. But despite this rather downheartening realization, one also recognizes that to give up the struggle for an ideal is to slip backward into apathy and despair.

Peace and brotherhood are, then, things which must be constantly and vigorously pursued. The current war in Viet Nam illustrates the validity of this to every American whether he be a hawk or a dove.

Nor need one look so far afield to see the ravages of battle. In fact we in the automotive fleet field need look no further than our own profession to see major and minor skirmishes on the horizon. Here we can find franchised automobile dealers sniping at their own manufacturers and openly attacking fleet, leasing, and daily-rental buyers.

Looking closer one can find mutual distrust and hostility between commercial fleet managers and the larger leasing and daily rental companies. In the leasing and daily-rental field, we can often see a self-destructive indifference on the part of the more powerful companies for the problems of their smaller, less fortunate counterparts. And finally, among the various associations that have been formed to solve the multiple problems of the many-faceted fleet field, even here one is aware of petty jealousies and suspicion.

If the automotive fleet profession is to grow and prosper at the astounding rate it has up to this time, it is now time for us to bring the spirit of Christmas (past, present, and future) into our dealings with one another. Whether one is a fleet manager, a VIP with a leasing or daily-rental company, a fleet sales manager, the corporate head of an automobile manufactures a service manager at a dealer, or the president of a fleet oriented association, now is the time to gather together in peace and brotherhood to gain our mutual goals.

To be specific: the franchised dealer should retain an open mind on fleet sales and learn to think in terms of gross profit per sale rather than gross profit per car; the manufacturer should devote more time to informing his dealers of the opportunities of fleet sales and should be more receptive to the dealer's problems with warranty and call-back work; the larger leasing and daily-rental companies should come to the aid of their smaller counterparts by taking a greater interest in the activities of such groups as CATRALA, AALA, NAFA, and AFLA. Fleet buyers should be more sympathetic to the tight- money problems of dealers and modernize and simplify their procedures; and fleet-minded associations should establish lines of communication between themselves and work toward their mutual goals.

These are only a few suggestions. Others will doubtless occur to each of you as you mull over this messaged. The poet W. H. Auden once said, "Wemust love one another or die." Perhaps that is too drastic a prophecy for those in the automotive fleet field. But unless we do work together in a spirit of harmony and brotherhood, we shall certainly not flourish as we have in the past. End of the Christmas sermon of yours truly,