Bush's Brother Neil Pushes Volunteerism

October 25, 2002

President Bush's younger brother Neil was in Tucson Thursday to promote volunteerism, suggesting that schoolchildren be made to volunteer as part of school curriculum.

Neil Bush, 47, an educational products developer, spoke at the Volunteer Center of Tucson's Spirit of Service award ceremony, which honored four local businesses for their contributions to the community.

"I think people can change the world one person at a time," Bush said, urging residents to become more involved in meeting community needs. "I think it's pretty typical of parents and adults to volunteer at the holidays to drop off toys for kids and at Thanksgiving to serve food in food lines, but I don't think we've inculcated into the culture the need for every citizen to give something back."

Bush suggested that schools start requiring some volunteer element as part of the curriculum. "If you turn a kid on to helping his or her fellow human beings, it has a lasting effect on that child."

Bush likened it to going to church as a youngster. As a child, he didn't necessarily think it was fun or relevant, but his parents made him go, and over time it became part of a routine that he said he follows to this day.

"I'd rather kids go out and fill a societal need than sit in a boring classroom where they're not learning anything, or they're out doing drugs or having sex at an early age. Let them get out there and see some hardship instead," he said.

On a more personal note, Bush said he can't help but be interested in politics with his father and two older brothers so deeply enmeshed - Jeb Bush is governor of Florida - but said he likes his privacy too much and is too plain-spoken to be a politician.

He is critical, for example, of the education system, which he says relies far too heavily on a one-size-fits-all approach.

Four years ago, the former merchant banker launched Ignite! - an educational publishing company in Austin, Texas. The courseware uses music, animation and videos in an attempt to stimulate students bored with standard textbooks. Bush met with Tucson Unified School District officials during his visit to "plant the seeds" of his business here as well.

Bush was dyslexic as a child and said his mother was told he would never graduate high school, which he did.

"I have scarred memories of sitting in classrooms and not knowing what was going on," he recalled.

His own son, now 16 and a successful student, struggled in middle school with teachers who wanted to label him with an attention-deficit disorder and put him on Ritalin.

"I believe we overlabel and overdrug children today in the United States," he said, explaining why he shifted focus from banking to children.

The third son of former President George Bush, Neil Bush serves on the national board of directors of the Points of Light Foundation launched by his father.

Bush said he's often asked what it's like to be in his family. He said he always admired his father, so it was fairly easy to process when he became president.

He jokes that he has more trouble with his brother. "I could tell stories, which I won't," he said. "Honestly, though, I have much respect for how he's assumed his responsibilities."

He jokes that even his oldest daughter is more famous than he is. The modeling career of Lauren Bush, still a teen-ager, has taken off recently, particularly after she won a contract with Tommy Hilfiger.

Ellen Hargis, president of the Volunteer Center of Tucson, said Tucsonans have increased volunteerism in response to the Sept. 11 attack of last year, but said that while more people are volunteering, there has been a slight drop in overall volunteer hours.

Southwest Gas Corp. was recognized because 35 percent of its employees volunteer for projects from staffing an animal sanctuary to working on playgrounds and hosting career days.

A.F. Sterling Homes was honored because it takes on three volunteer projects each year, including a summer food drive and helping build a home for a needy family.

Pioneer Plumbing was cited for joining with Southwest Gas to fix up a home for an elderly woman caring for her terminally ill daughter, replacing every water pipe in the house, the gas lines and even the sewer line under the floor.

Chestnut Construction Corp., the fourth company honored, gives paid time off for employees to participate in community events, on top of the time and financial support it loaned to two dozen local charities.