‘Den mother' leads the pack

Justin D. Anderson
Daily Mail Staff



Friday January 26, 2007

It might not be gender-accurate, but call him "den mother." Delegate Larry Border doesn't mind.

It's a term of endearment to him. And it fits.

The Wood County Republican has for the last five years voluntarily taken freshman GOP lawmakers into his lair prior to the regular session and schooled them on their new jobs.

"My wife kind of questions it sometimes that she's married to a den mother," Border joked. "But she's very comfortable with that."

What started as an informal meeting with newly elected, confused delegates has now become one of Border's official roles.

Democratic House leadership has since followed Minority Whip Border's model and conducts a mass orientation for freshmen now.

Besides showing them where the bathrooms are, Border said his main job is making sure Republican freshmen have a future in the Legislature.

Holding only 28 of 100 seats, there's already a shortage of Republicans in the House.

"My number-one priority is to make sure they can be re-elected in two years and don't do anything stupid," Border said.

The 55-year-old full-time Parkersburg pharmacist and father of three said the guidance comes naturally to him.

Border graduated from West Virginia University's pharmacy school in 1975. While there, he had his first role as a shepherd when he was a chemistry lab assistant.

After he graduated and got a job at a drug store, the head of the school's chemistry department called and asked him if he would help new pharmacy grads get acquainted with the workplace.

So Border gave them jobs on a part-time basis.

After he was elected to the House, he got a call from the pharmacy school asking if he would be a preceptor for pharmacy students. That role would have had him mentor graduates who weren't yet licensed.

He couldn't do it. He had too much responsibility as a full-time pharmacist and a part-time lawmaker.

But he did agree to show pharmacy students around the Capitol.

For a month, he worked with them as their mentor in the Legislature, showing them the ropes of health care legislation.

"This is nothing new," Border said of his now being the "den mother."

And he hasn't forgotten how it was when he was a freshman delegate 17 years ago when he was floundering around.

"All of a sudden you've got all these people looking up to you," Border said of his first election to the House.

"Then you walk in the door and you're at the bottom of the totem pole. You realize how little you really know about how the system works."

The most important piece of information for any freshman delegate is to listen and generally keep quiet during floor sessions until you learn the game, Border said.

It's also crucial not to jump on a bill's bandwagon until you know its effects -- particularly on your home district.

"You don't want to commit to somebody until you get the full story," he said.

"One of the first things I tell them is that God gave you two ears and one mouth. Listen and learn and don't get up and say a lot on the floor. Learn for a while and get comfortable before you try to sway people."

Then there's the whole passing of the torch thing.

"The only thing I ask with the freshmen is just to provide guidance to the freshmen coming in next," Border said.

Senate Minority Leader Don Caruth, R-Mercer, actually gave Border his nickname.

Caruth was among the first informal class of 10 freshman delegates who found themselves sitting in Border's office five years ago.

"I think that in a letter, I'm not sure now when, but at some point in my communications, I referred to Larry as our ‘den mother,' " Caruth said. "That's a title that stuck based primarily on the esteem that we held Larry."

Caruth agreed with Border's hierarchy on what's important to know just coming in.

"The first week or several weeks that anyone comes to the Legislature, obviously the protocol on the floor is pretty important to try to avoid making a fool of yourself," Caruth said.

"Don't be so eager to take the floor just to hear yourself talk."

He recalled Border telling his group about dealing with special interest groups, staying ethical and distinguishing themselves as lawmakers.

Besides those things, Caruth said another byproduct of Border's guidance is that it made the group he came in with pretty tight knit. He believes those lawmakers that came in with him went on to become important GOP figures in the House.

Chris Wakim, a former Ohio County delegate, was in Caruth's group. Wakim went on to run against Alan B. Mollohan for Congress last year.

Caruth attributes the success to Border.

"And he's a good guy, to boot," Caruth said. "I think everybody on both sides of the aisle will agree he's a gentleman and a fine fellow."

Contact writer Justin D. Anderson at 348-4843.