Honoring a Legend: Roy Andes
We are thrilled to announce the first annual Punctilio of Honor Award, presented to Roy Andes. Roy's legal work in Montana, including his successful challenges to discounted grazing rates, has secured millions for Montana's schools and defined the legal standard for trust advocacy.
Here at Advocates for School Trust Lands, our mission is clear: to ensure school trust lands are managed with the utmost care and for the sole benefit of our public school children, both now and for generations to come. This isn't just about managing land; it's about upholding a sacred trust, a duty enshrined in law and principle, often described by the powerful phrase: "the punctilio of an honor the most sensitive." Judge Benjamin Cardozo first penned this eloquent expression in the landmark case Meinhard v. Salmon. Cardozo, in defining the responsibilities of a fiduciary, declared that trustees should be held to something far beyond the simple ethics of the marketplace.
“Not honesty alone, but the punctilio of an honor the most sensitive, is then the standard of behavior."
Trust Lands
What does this evocative statement mean for school trust lands? It means that states, as the trustees of these lands granted by the federal government, bear an uncompromising duty of loyalty to the beneficiaries – our public schools. This isn't a casual obligation; it demands the highest ethical standards and a single-minded focus on maximizing revenue for education.
This principle has been fiercely defended in Montana, most notably through the tireless work of attorney Roy Andes. Through his landmark legal battles, he championed the idea that the state's management of these lands must adhere to this exacting standard.
One of his suits, Montanans for Responsible Use of School Trust, successfully challenged state practices that undervalued trust land resources, such as below-market lease rates for private cabin sites and outdated valuations for easements. In that case, the Montana Supreme Court itself echoed Cardozo's sentiment, emphasizing the "undivided loyalty" required of a trustee and the necessity of acting with "the utmost good faith" to secure the "largest measure of legitimate and reasonable advantage" for the trust.
Roy Andes
Roy Andes' lifetime of work reinforces this crucial point. Whether fighting against discounted grazing rates that deprive schools of potential revenue or ensuring fair compensation for the use of trust land resources, the underlying principle remains the same: the state's duty is defined by "the punctilio of an honor the most sensitive."
This isn't merely legal jargon; it's a moral imperative. It means that every decision regarding school trust lands must be made solely to benefit students. There can be no room for self-interest, political expediency, or prioritizing other agendas when managing these vital assets.
In honor of Roy Andes' legal work in Montana and his influence as an emeritus Advocates for School Trust Lands board member, we are thrilled to announce the first annual Puntilio of Honor Award to be awarded to Roy Andes at our upcoming conference.
Roy Andes
Montana attorney and emeritus Advocates for School Trust Lands Board Member
CALL TO ACTION: Download your copy of Duties of States as Trustees of School Trust Lands, share it with your state government officials, or post it on your social media.
