Ideas discovered during study circle phase:
- Town newspaper/ bulletin, weekly?
- More community fundraising
- Advertising community events on South hill and Colfax and Pullman, day cares, assisted living centers, etc
- Make Community events truly community events, encompassing men as well as women and children.
- Unique shops: quilt, tea, etc
- Don’t rely on government services, community step up
- Ways to make Rosalia more business friendly * address public policy to address empty buildings, utilizing buildings on main street, publicizing incubator model in Whitman county.
- Bring in more people to visit : Promote hunting, birds, etc
- Get more people off highway to stop (find out DOT regs)
A Vision for our Community:
- Friendly, teamwork, caring, growth, pleasant, involved, spiritual, visionary, own football team, inclusive, prosperous, optimistic, welcoming, social able, diversity, informed, respected, happy children sounds, safe, town pride
Rosalia Struggles:
- Closure of Grocery Store, Some Naysayer, Competition between towns, town politics, lack of services, retail opportunities, not a lot of entertainment, lack of jobs, isolated, no fast food places, no drug stores, hardware stores, expensive to shop here,
Action Ideas: - Wellness (activities, events, outreach)
- Clean up John Wayne Trail
- Catching the Vision
- Tourism
- Continuing Adult Education
- Contract with oil company to have “keep full services”
- Improve Community Communication
- Save and increase Jobs
- Recreation programs for youth and adults
- Elderly Transportation
- Welcome baskets & committee with a resource list and gift certificates from local businesses
- Community Garden/ Farmers Market
- Town Clean-up
- Community Computer Canter
- Community Center
(bold lettering were the areas that received the top number of dots/votes)
Action Forum December 16, 2008
LEADERSHIP PLENTY:
Leadership Core Values: Access, Availability, Assets
Session 1:
Finding Leaders Within
OBJECTIVES:
1. To connect prior community experiences with the desire to participate as leaders
2. To recognize individuals’ leadership skills as part of the “plenty” in Leadership Plenty
3. To understand the need to balance personal reflection and community action.
Searching for Community Leaders: Looking Within
· Leaders possess all sorts of skills- from all walks of life
· Communities need “plenty of leaders”
· Communities of Leadership Plenty
· Plenty of People with untapped talent who want to contribute
· Strengthen Leadership-> New ways of thinking-> New patterns of behavior-> New outcomes
· Asset Thinking
· No Lack of leadership
Activity:
Action Sandwiches (Hope, Fear, Passion, Role, Time, Money, Fact, Reality) results:
Jobs
: Passion, feel that our schools are not teaching our kids social skills, people skills, to get jobs
: Going to take at least 3 years for this to improve
: Fear that lack of jobs so people will work out of town and young people will leave and not come back
: Hope a new grocery store with a pharmacy
: $ Loans and Grants are out there
: Role is to give others a chance
: Fact is there is little communication in Rosalia
: Reality is Team Work by Everyone is needed
JW Trail
: Hope John Wayne Trail gets started
: Fear that it won’t open, ready 2 go!
: Passion to get the word out, about it
: Role that it’s used appropriately
: Time OPENED
: $ for support and maintenance
: Fact User friendly for all ages
: Reality: job gets done and we stay within budget
Communication
: Reality, Realistic goal: a group could be in charge of relaying information between the school, city hall, out-of-city-limit residents, churches, and businesses. These people would follow through with an information exchange.
: Fact Communication is needed to bring a community together
: $Need money for postage, paper, printing, supplies, and machinery, construction costs, availability, future grant, no known current funding
: Time about 2 months to develop, a week to create and distribute, and lifelong maintenance
: Role, as a facilitator in keeping the communication flowing to all members of the community
: Passion; we think people want to know what’s going on and we want them to be able to get the information they want
: Fear; community will become worse with small groups not working together
: Hope; a communication system that will reach every household in the community, such as a weekly newspaper or a community bulletin board, etc.
Recreation
(missing from flip charts?)
Activity: Reflect upon your River of Life results
1) What Skills helped you Navigate the river? Behaviors?
a. Blind, flexible, faith, family, experience, take responsibility, believe in self, learn from mistakes, buoyancy
2) Which Skills do you share with traditional Leaders?
a. Experience, encouragement, get the job done, determination, focus, looking ahead
3) How we use these skills to build community leadership?
a. Teaching others, communication, provide knowledge, work together, believe in them, recruit and mentor
In what different ways are people from all walks of life working to improve community?
* Commitment, talking about it, focus, faith, bring in resources to get community going, planning and finishing the plan, participation
Module 2
Goals:
1. Identifying untapped leadership
2. Recognizing Community Assets
3. Mobilizing Organizations and associations
· Ask yourself:
What does it mean to look at our community through its assets rather than its deficits?
How do we discover undervalued assets in teams and in the greater community?
Create: group Profiles including family experiences, neighborhood involvement, roles played in religious, PTO, and Civic organizations, understanding different cultures, job experience, Education in and out of the classroom, major accomplishments, etc.
Skills/assets/leadership abilities/ profile of whole group:
Tutoring, volunteering, care giving, transportation, understanding bridging cultures, management experience and leadership, job seeker training, encouragement, grant regulation and research networking, Job scout “eye”, Good listening skills, visionary, committee experience, multimedia promotion, good at writing, camping, horsemanship, motorcycle, hiking, bicycles, yard work, landscaping, machine operator, backhoe, tractor, public and environmental health, grant writing, office mgt, public relations, concrete work, fence building, roofing, carpentry, chemical and pesticide application, plumbing, electrical, fundraising, city councilman, president, chairman, city planning, chair member, service club member, block parties, security at events, lions club, clean up, horizons, fall festivals, sports, Sunday school teacher, CPR/first aid, conflict resolution, verbal judo, child development, fire prevention, military, office assistant, editor, food svs, housing, community activities, kids, commitment, marriage, family siblings, public speaking, life experience, cultural interaction, monthly publication, education, social skills, fund raising, job interviewing, diverse ways of communicating…to name a few!
Community Assets:
· Mechanics, construction, electrical, accounting, teachers, performing Arts Ctr, Chamber, Lions Club, Daycare, Food bank, Assembly0, Food Baskets, Park and Pool, Palouse Byways, Culture, Safe, Surviving, Clean, Active, Caring, Friendly, Active, Growing, Slow Paced, Good Schools, Believe, Communicate, Positive, Social, good values, less traffic, inexpensive housing, quiet, less pollution, great place to raise kids, look out for each others kids and elders in the community, pat’s books, people feel like they can make a difference, men’s fellowship/breakfast, Coffee and More, low crime rate, swimming pool, city Park, library, churches, Medical Clinic, Child Care, ELC, Great School, Service Organizations, Gift/flower shop, Coffee Shop, Restaurant, Gas/fuel available, Feet Store, Centrally Located, Recreational Opportunity, 3 Banks, Non Profit Organizations, Air Port, Seasonal Festivities, Bar/ Liquor Store, Post office, Dentist, Fire Dept, CPA, Lawyer, Friendly People, Steptoe Battlefield, Art- Budding Rose, Texaco Project, Motorcycle Rally, Battle Days, Riggs Cemetery, (2) Adopt a Highways, Performing Arts Center, Rosalia Museum, Grannies Thrift shop, and much more!
Why are you part of this organization?
- Part of a community
- Part of what’s going on
- Give back
- Don’t want the town to die out
- Flourish rural lifestyle
- Get involved, know people, help
- To learn
- To get back on track and get our kids to come back
- Find potential
- New business attract more people
- How we make it grow
- Grant writing
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Thoughts on:
Communication: Styles, mail, internet, email, word of mouth, blog, funding, participation, volunteers, distribution, reader board, lack of communication, perception, gossip, various outlets, newsletter-local, “internet group” web site, boards (cork in businesses, sign), highway signage, “we are here”, flyers, mailings, talking, listening, taking note of assets, partnership, one body, consistency, working together, repetitiveness, multi media, “spot light” like at car sales for special events, school reader board updates as indicator of school wins and communication from school, business with a scrolling sign like at Tekoa- announcing community events.
Jobs: Business friendly environment, low interest rates, community friendly environment, great schools, building available, advertising, port of Whitman, Job communication (job board, job coaches) attract business, funding, more jobs=more revenue for community, and more communication, money in town, new people/kids, diversity, less commute time=more family time, working local through home-based business, all commercial spaces filled, encourage local spending, “save fuel, shop at home” campaign, find ways to advertise Rosalia outside of Rosalia (Sr. Centers, youth field trips, etc) Increase tax base, sustainable community, teach water harvesting, teach local job skills (resume, interview)
John Wayne Trail: Clean up, land owner cooperation, maintained, access, monitor/police, volunteers, time, advertising, use, youth programs, WWW.com, tie in w/scenic byways, Walk, hike, camping?, nature trails (teaching), historic signage, trail head??, accessibility (how do we get there), are there “facilities” on the trail?, garbage?, maintenance, shelter, building skills, rental area, tourism, repair area, Alternatives for motor bikes, family activities and community health campaign, nature study walks, star gazing/nocturnal animal studies, interpretive sign, investigate rails to trails grant money, work closely w Chamber of commerce.
Recreation: pool and park, JW trail, youth activities, motorcycle guys, bicycle, horse back riders, rodeo, 4H, community garden, events, sports, bluegrass festival, carnival, fair, science camp, family/open gym, bowling alley, horse shoes, exercise gym, city BBQ’s, Roller-skating, skateboard/bike park, Keep youth involved, families working together, money, establish different needs/interests, exercise, play fairly=fun not competitive, organization, involvement, aqua aerobics at pool, sports tournament, fitness center, community recreational, fun runs, day camps, kids bike rally, fall festival, city Olympics, demolition derby.
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Establishing Leadership:
Work together, support, communication, organized, accountability, Followers
Emerging Leadership:
Attitude, Fresh Ideas, Motivated, Communication, Experience, Respect
Module 3 Managing Groups for Results 3-1-2009
Objectives:
1. To recognize our backgrounds and experiences and to understand the effect this has on working groups
2. To learn the predictable stages of group development
3. To develop ways of communication that makes group dynamics work effectively for community change.
1. How were participants in the meeting of similar of different backgrounds and experiences
2. How might these similarities and differences have influences the way people participated in the scenario
3. What did you observe about the background and experience of individuals who seemed to have the most influence, status, or control in the scenario and these who seemed to have the least?
Form a group based on differences:
- What is it like to focus on the differences that exist among people
- How naturally inclined are we to make generalizations about people based on what they read (or how they dress, talk, behave, etc)
- What are some of the dangers in assuming we understand our similarities or differences?
Key Points:
Our different backgrounds and life experiences can affect:
- Individual behaviors in a group
- How we treat others
- Our expectations for the group
Forming: Orientation Stage
Storming: Conflict Stage
Norming: Structure Stage
Performing: Work Stage
We are focusing on Challenges associated with working in groups
Module 4
Objectives:
1. Identify Purposes for holding meetings
2. Acknowledge conflict and tension as an integral part of group work
3. Identify techniques for facilitation productive meetings that accomplish group purposes.
Reasons for meetings: Motivate people to become interested in the issues and stay involved, Communicate organizational values and people and issues, contribute to the achievement of community goals.
Nuts and Bolts of a Meeting:
Agenda, Stakeholder participation, ground rules, written records, facilitator and decision-making.
Process People: “we try harder”
- Setting up group norms
- Ensuring group participation
- Clarifying perspectives
- Facilitating for fairness
Product People: “just do it”
- Initiating a course of action
- Defining, delegating, developing,
- Promoting decision making
- Celebrating accomplishments
Types of meetings:
Prioritizing Options: examples from the group - CoAg safety meeting, AD Council RUMC, Horizons
Obtaining agreement on ideas/negotiating consensus: examples from group- PEF Fairboard, Town Council, Horizons, Advisory Board Committee, Class, Chamber.
Getting acquainted and sharing ideas or perspectives: examples from group- Youth Group (Jr high) Lions Club, Horizons, Senior Citizens Luncheon, Dr Seuss Read Across America, Church, and D.A.R.
Identifying possibilities for working together: Examples from group- Battle Days Committee, Horizons, Fire Dept Meetings, Men’s Breakfast, Safety/Insurance,
Brain Storming for action items:
Jobs: Take any Victorian house of old church building and set up a teahouse, which would require servers and food prep people. Teahouses can attract visitors from a wide area. Town newspaper (hire an editor) or work with school and make it a class, Multimedia presentations promoting Rosalia, Quilting, knitting store, dollar store, Set up Saturday training sessions for those who can train in job skills, to meet with anyone who wants to learn a skill, work from home (computer), Have weekly or biweekly meeting in surrounding issue, True high-speed communication center, develop small 1-2 man jobs that are home based or could be parts assembly, Certain recreations such as bowling alley may create jobs, Convince Flying J to put in a truck stop, more jobs to keep people in town, create new businesses or have a reason for new business to come to area, contact manufacturing companies and/or call centers and let them know we have commercial space available and workers available, Community Center with Bingo, kids workshops/ day camps, computer room, adult ed.
John Wayne Train: Give people a reason for wanting to walk on trail i.e.: railroad artifacts, plants, step toe battle artifacts, release lions and tigers, popular photography article about step toe butte, written by a photographer from Arizona, ask for help, talk to school about working with students, community service, organize a trail clean-up, Get volunteers (phone tree, Whitman co prisoners) Reward volunteers with a BBQ after working their booties off, Study on what needs to be done, Promote health benefits (stress and daily walks), all year long recreation?, trail markers and maps of trail, post new signs advertising Rosalia’s business/food, designate parking, create web site, have a walk tour of the trails as it is now and a sign at end of walk with a notice of what needs to be done, have a picnic area the trail and discuss the positives of improving the trail, install toilets, educate people about location and history and purpose to get them interested, on arbor Day have school, churches, and other civic organizations focus for the week on the trail in art, science, composition, sermons, and address to groups to raise awareness, bike trailer for shuttle, resting benches, shuttle, youth camps, who owns trail and who is legally liable, bike racks, bed and breakfast, copy the Hiawatha trail/lookout pass, parking lot, mile markers, DOT reflectors, historical marker, improvement on surface, park and bike. Walk area, exercise stations, cycle-a-thon; create memorabilia, gift shop,
Communication: Reader board, resource center, weekly newsletter, build partnerships with other organizations and towns, coordinate a food bank-a community garden and supply foods, meals on wheels, grocery supply and delivery system, pride in community, actively listen as well as talk, train people how to effectively communicate, bulletin board with info, Newsletter, or school paper or printed item to inform community of happenings that is sent home or at businesses, email list, town directory, especially for new residents, community board, help people learn who is who in community, visit Rosalia brochures in Spokane hotels, sr centers. Phone tree, Newspaper, Northwest Profile on TV,
Recreation: Sports clubs listed, bingo nights, organize rec. for all ages and families, Referb park and pool, tennis courts, hold fun events for kids and adults, develop small 9 hole golf course like St. Johns, science camp in the Park, narrow to a few positive activities, indoor community hall for entertainment, work with budding rose, local churches, to establish an after school program, advertise and get a group of people together who want to participate, state a softball league, form a recreation committee under the parks board (softball tourney, basketball tourney, sack races, tricycle races, family fun day), baton race, Frisbee golf,
GROUP Module 5 3-15-2009
Objectives:
1. To recognize conflict and learn about its causes
2. to look at conflict as an integral part of making decisions
3. To develop strategies to manage conflict and to move forward with group work
Conflict Resolution Strategies: Avoidance, diffusion, power intervention, negotiation
Conflict Consensus: Acknowledge (that conflict exists); Identify the root causes (of the problem you are addressing); Identify common concerns and SHARED VALUES!
Discussion of conflict amongst the group:
Causes of Conflict: Differences (personalities, religion, culture, etc), limited resources, lack of clarity, knowledge/ education, pride, different goals, schedule, alcohol, change, poor communication, age.
Conflict does not have to equal confrontation
Group identified positives:
Learn to work together, clarification, get to the bottom of things, identify all options, broadens perspectives, can promote compromise
Group identified negatives:
Polarizes, divides people, becomes confrontational, people stop listening, point fingers, ruin relationships, creates distrust, stops action (diverts us from our goal), grows and consumes, lack of cooperation.
Making Group Decisions
· Autocratic: One person decides for the whole group
i. Pros: quick, simple, one person to blame, les conflict
ii. Cons: One person to blame, lack of discussion, lack of options, less cohesiveness, lack of ownership, bully, lack of general consensus, burnt out.
· The Few: The Few decide for the whole group, usually it is assumed that the few are experts and can make the decision for the group
i. Pros: Often an educated decision, usually quick, tighter accountability, better efficiency (or control)
ii. Cons: may set up conflict (rebellion), why didn’t they think of this? Who are they to tell us what to do? , May leave out varied perspectives, possibly less buy-in (few volunteers), who gives the decision makers their authority.
· Consensus Building: Conflicting individuals to identify common concerns & develop solutions that will be mutually beneficial. Based on communication & compromise.
i. Pros: Address Everybody Concerns, everybody wins, united front, less conflict created, well thought out, everybody has a say
ii. Cons: Slow, takes time, compromise project, more costly, more complicated, the scope of the project may change,
· Majority Rule: The group votes and the proposal/decision with the most votes win.
i. Pros: moving progress of decision making, make more people happy, clear understanding of the decision making process
ii. Cons: Not always get what you want, individual voices rarely heard, create more controversy, more enemies.
Conflict Resolution Strategies
*Avoidance: There is not a problem
*Refusal to Compromise: This is made, I deserve it
* Power Intervention: If you can’t divide it, I will
*Negotiation: What do we really want?
MODULE 6 Building Strategic Partnerships
ACTIVITY:
1) I can usually answer a question about….
2) I’ve always wanted to ask a question about…
What does Rosalia community have to contribute to a partnership? – Participants, wisdom, high-speed internet, available commercial property, local volunteer fire department.
What do we have to gain? - Higher standard of living (not money), tax revenue which =’s better streets, better water, better schools, A reason to stay in Rosalia, City community growth, more employment.
John Wayne Trail:
1. What do we want to do?
2. Keep first projects simple and possible
3. Do our plans to fit into the Chamber of Commerce vision
4. Will the State Parks people permit our projects?
Possible problems: No Plan, turf Problems, not currently accessible
Partnership-Who and Why?: Chamber of Com- already involved
State Parks- They own it and the law.
Differing Views?: State park says they own it, Chamber says they already have plans for it
How will we begin to address the problem? : Get all interested groups and state parks communicating.
POSSIBLE PARTNERS:
- WA state parks, Tourism Board, DOT Scenic Byways, boarding land owners, John Wayne’s family/descendants, centennial trail group, John Wayne Trail Riders, Spokane Bicycle Club and other rider associations, horse back riding associations, arts organizations (printers, photographers, etc) Historical societies, Established trail organizations (like Hiawatha trail), construction companies, Materials manufacturers, Boy/Girl Scouts and other youth organizations, Religious organizations, County commissioner, Us Forestry Service, Health/Wellness/Recreation
Communication:
Possible problems: Lack of it with each other
Partnership-Who and Why?: Everybody, Chamber because they are the first to process and convey the information and they are the first line of communication for the community
Differing Views?: Deriving the proper form of communication device, such as reader boards, local newspaper, Channel 3, WOM
How will we begin to address the problem? : Determining a general consensus or majority rule.
Problems: Lack of it with each other
POSSIBLE PARTNERS: CoAg, School, papers, DOT, KHQ(news and radio), Business Owners, City (website, reader board), Park board and other boards, library, scouts, Lions Club, Granny’s, Masons, Shriners, Churches, Chamber of Commerce, Realtors, WSU, Seniors, City internet access WiFi.
-Ways to Reach Policy Makers
* Appeal to their passion and find commonalities, represent yourself in numbers, keep your friends close and enemies closer, give your idea away so it becomes their idea, create a win/win situation.
What is needed to create and sustain effective partnerships?
-mutual benefit, good communication, energy, state objectives and goals, quality partnerships, willing participants, balance/compromise, show progress, future strategy, empowerment/ownership, create realistic goals.
Visioning Barbeque
-Create a Vision
Dream Big, but realistic and obtainable
No Set Dollar Amount, remember realistic!!
- Set yourself up for Success
-IT”S OUR COMMUNITY< visioning=" Get">
