Skeeter brings brevity to TPA board meetings

Marshall Day
TPA President 2006-07
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A small handful of us were fortunate enough back on Dec. 17 to make it to the Jasper area for a retirement party of sorts for former Jasper Newsboy publisher and Texas Press Association past president Willis Webb.

We kind of invited ourselves, but were welcomed warmly and treated very well by Beaumont Enterprise publisher Aubrey Webb (no relation to Willis) and Enterprise assistant to the publisher David Pero, who gave us a little time at the microphone to say a few words to and about Willis.

We’ve known Willis for a number of years and have spent much of our time with him picking his brain on a wide variety of things. We also have sat and enjoyed a multitude of stories that, hopefully, will find their way into a book that Willis will write. Seeing Willis retire left us hoping he would not make himself scarce, but continue to be a part of this thing that, because of him, has come to be known as The Brotherhood of Newspapers.

That’s one phrase that will forever be associated with Willis. Another thing is the Skeeter Mosbey Award.

For those of you unfamiliar with this award, it came from the mind of Willis Webb based on a real-life happening years ago. Now it is a part of the semi-annual board meetings of the Texas Press Association, and has been for several years.

For history’s sake, and for those board members to come, I’ll explain about Skeeter Mosbey.

Seems like Skeeter, a man of few words, was wrapping up his year as president of the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce. As the story goes, it came time for Skeeter to give his annual report about what happened during his administration. Skeeter steps to the microphone, clears his throat, leans over and says: “You ain’t never done a damn thing and you’re not ever gonna do a damn thing.”

And he promptly sat down. Shortest annual report in the annals of chamberism.

Well, the Skeeter Mosbey Award became a part of the TPA board meetings about four or five years ago when, unbeknownst to the members of the board, a stopwatch was being used to time the members who were giving various reports. At the conclusion, the first Skeeter Mosbey award winner was named.

Now we all know that the three top things on a newspaper person’s Like-It List are a free meal, an award and a captive audience.

Since that first time, board meetings have become considerably shorter, despite the fact there is a captive audience for each of the speakers.

It’s things like this that are woven into the fabric of the Texas Press Association that make it such an interesting group with a unique history. And we’re glad to be a part of it.

See ya at the midwinter conference in Houston!