Building on the success of 2007’s Leadership Plenty training class, the Chariton Chamber and Development Corporation is sponsoring a 2008 Leadership Plenty training class. The class will be open to anyone in the community, with special emphasis on recruiting leaders who work with low- and moderate-income clients or residents in the community. The Chamber will donate staff, meeting space and financial resources to sponsor the class.
The Leadership Development work group, a committee that grew out of our Chariton Listens/Horizons program, is sponsoring a Candidates’ Forum on Thursday May 29th at 7 p.m. at the Vredenburg Center in Chariton. All seven candidates for county supervisor listed on the June 3 primary ballots have been invited to take part. Moderator Ray Meyer will ask questions of the candidates, and audience members will have an opportunity to submit questions of their own.
On January 12, 2008 seven members of the Chariton community participated in a meeting held at Carpenter’s Hall. During the meeting the group learned about projects they could implement in their community to reduce poverty, evaluated their strengths and applied them to their needs, visited with other communities about their Horizons progress, and completed David Beurle’s “Ready, Set, Go” simulation
Participants in Study Circle conversations, led by Barbara Shelton and Greg Neer are developing plans to begin a Youth IDA program. The local banking and school community have been engaged in conversations to seek support. The next stage is to meet with experienced support organizations to develop the structure of the program. Iowa State University Extension will partner with the group to help with education for students and parents.
On October 29, our Horizons Leadership Action committee sponsored a Candidates’ Forum for the five candidates running for two City Council seats in Chariton. About 50 citizens, including several high school students, attended and submitted excellent questions for the candidates to address. The local newspaper ran a lengthy article and photo of the event and mentioned that it was sponsored by the Horizons program. Everyone in attendance agreed that it was a valuable exercise in democracy and a great way to promote citizen involvement in local government. Horizons leaders in the community were instrumental in recruiting two of the five candidates on the ballot this year.