Practically everyone in the executive staff at the Philadelphia headquarters office of the Eastern Pennsylvania affiliate of a national voluntary organization is shocked by the news. Bill Evans, the Executive Director, has sent in his letter of resignation. It arrived, without warning, at the office of the Chair of the Board by registered mail on Monday, February $7.$ By Wednesday, Bill has not dropped by the office to explain. His personal effects are still scattered throughout his desk, his galoshes lie at the foot of his clothes tree, and the huge greeting card he received from his staff on his $40$th birthday is still gaily decorating his credenza.

The board chair does some quick backtracking on Wednesday, February $9,$ to try to understand the reason for the sudden resignation. The formal record provides some clues about Bill's action of February $7.$ This was his fifth position in affiliates for the national organization. His family had made their fourth long$-$distance move about seven months before when he took the job as ED in Philadelphia. He was in the Atlanta area for five years previously and had received two solid promotions with the affiliate there, achieving the position of Assistant Director of Operations. He has come a long way and many have predicted he could go much higher if he wished$--$ perhaps to Director of the National Organization.

A few discreet inquiries among Bill's close acquaintances in the agency provide some illuminating details. His wife and four children$--$ ages $17,15,13$ and almost $7--$ were settled deeply into their suburban community outside Atlanta and reacted poorly to the news of another possible move. Bill looked forward to the opportunity to finally achieve the position of Executive Director and was considering the fact that the job would give him a larger salary at a time when his children were about to begin college, but he had very mixed feelings about leaving Atlanta. He was coach of a Little League team there, his membership in the local Catholic church was fulfilling, and he was a Big Brother to a local teen$--$ a relationship he wanted to maintain. Perhaps most important, his Atlanta job permitted him to spend more time with his wife and family. The Evanses lived close to Bill's office, so he spent little time commuting. In addition, no one was very concerned when Bill left work early on those days when his wife wanted him around the house.

He was in a position in Atlanta, though, that there was no possibility of advancement or higher salary. That affiliate had a policy of never hiring the ED from within the agency, so if he were to move up$,$ he'd have to move on$.$ When the position in Philadelphia was advertised, he submitted his resume after a considerable period of indecision. But the promotion, the higher salary and the promise of still bigger things became compelling. When the call came for the interview, the Philadelphia agency flew Bill up to talk to him and show him what this agency did and how they did it$.$ Bill was impressed with the way the agency was run and was enthusiastic about what he could do to make it better. On the way home, Bill thought that if the Philadelphia agency selected him, his family would be able to adjust because the salary and benefits were so much better than what he had in Atlanta. When the call came, the Evans family left for Philadelphia.

Things quickly went from bad to worse for the Evanses. Their youngest, a son, had the most immediate reaction. He began to experience nightmares just before leaving for Philadelphia in August. The nightmares continued for several months and intensified enough to make the boy's first full year at school a major trial for him. The nightmares became less of a problem over time, but his adjustment to school was difficult and his academic progress remained unsatisfactory. He was placed in the slowest reading group in his new school, although he had done above average schoolwork in Atlanta.

The two oldest children, girls aged $17$ and $15,$ also seemed to react strongly to the move. Their relationship with their mother had been uneven for several years, but suddenly it turned tempestuous. Changing high schools seemed a major factor, and both girls resented not being able to graduate with "their class." The older girl also left behind a steady boyfriend, the captain of his high school basketball team.

Bill often became the pawn in the blustery encounters between the girls and his wife. Both his daughters and his wife competitively sought to gain his good favors, and even when he succeeded in not committing himself to one side or the other, tears and pouting tended to follow. Bill felt caught in the middle.

Bill's wife, Arlene, experienced the greatest adjustment problems. At first, the excitement of buying a new, and more expensive, house kept her going. But that experience soon palled. The Evanses went in over their head for the brick house they finally settled on within commuting distance from