When Gerard Swope assembled GE's key business thinkers on Association Island in Lake Ontario, he proposed forming a Society that would be their own, separate and independent of the General Electric organization, where any question could be asked and would be answered. To paraphrase Mr. Swope, I would like this Society to be just as critical, just as radical as they feel circumstances demand. If its people have the spirit of adventure to try even unheard things, the Company would either make progress or go broke, and the older of us would try our best to keep it from going broke.
Well, it's pretty obvious that the company did not go broke. And The Elfun Society has been asked and asking questions for 80 years. The story of Elfun reads like a world history book, riding and surviving the waves of the decades, through the Depression, a World War, every imaginable economy and unimaginable growth in scientific, medical and electronic breakthroughs. That spirit of adventure grew pioneers in business, and changed the face of corporate structure forever.
In the 1980's, challenged by CEO Jack Welch, Elfun evolved from its traditional social role, adopting a commitment to volunteerism, community service and communication. Today, GE Volunteers encourages all current and retired employees to keep the volunteer spirit alive.
As you can see, The Elfun Society plants tiny seeds that grow into strong, self supporting trees - elm trees, of course - and the seeds that are being sown today, the responses to each new challenge, will become tomorrow's industry standards. This is the Elfun legacy.
