visioning-words.docvisioning-words.doc
At the October 6 Visioning Event, participants listed ideas of what they would like to see in our community. In developing the community visioning statement, the Steering Committee has listed each of those comments. The full list of ideas suggested at the event are included on the above link.
results-of-1981-community-survey.doc
As part of researching community development projects that occurred in White Sulphur Springs prior to Horizons, the Steering Committee located survey results from a 1981 Community Survey. Many of the issues identified in 1981 (prior to the closure of the mills) are consistent with the issues identified in the 2007 study circles and visioning survey processes. A copy of the survey results can be found at the above link.
The Horizons Steering Committee hosted an ice cream social for 71 youth of Roy Swanson Elementary School on Friday, November 9. The youth developed visioning banners depicting their desires for the future of White Sulphur Springs. These banners were posted throughout the school gym and youth discussed their visions while enjoying ice cream and cookies. Common themes of the youth visions were clean up the community, increase opportuntities for youth activities, and adding shopping. Teachers and steering committee members discussed these ideas with youth and enjoyed seeing the community from a different perspective. A clean place to live ranked Number 1 in the elementary school visioning process.
These banners were previously posted at the Horizons Visioning Event. The ice cream social was a way to hear more from the youth and to thank the kids for their participation. Special thanks to teacher, Darci Shane, for coordinating this event!
The Horizons Steering Committee is working with the Meagher County Community Foundation to restructure the Foundation’s board and to provide a place for Horizons Action Planning work to be carried out in the long term. As part of that work, the steering committee submitted a grant request for $2,000 to the Montana Community Foundation. If awarded, this grant will provide operational expenses to help the board get up and running. Funds from the Northwest Area Foundation (the funder of Horizons) have been pledged as match. Of the $2,000 operational grant request, funds have been requested for Directors and Officers Insurance, accounting services, marketing dollars, and an independent financial review (which is standard operating practice for non-profit organizations.) This grant would help to off-set some of these expenses, so that other monies might be spent on action plan implementation!
On October 6, over 200 residents of Meagher County gathered to celebrate the community and to envision the future. This event was part of the Horizons Across Montana program and was the kickoff event to a “community visioning and action” phase.
The event was coordinated by the Meagher County Horizons Steering Committee and was held at the shop of Nicole and Shane Sereday. Ed and Bev Fryer cooked steaks through a pitchfork fondue. Community members were able to eat, dance to the music of Erik Ray, and talk about the possible future of our community. Two representatives from CTA Architects out of Bozeman helped to envision the future of the community by drawing out the ideas that people had for White Sulphur Springs. The overarching comment was that this event was important in that it brought our community together and many suggestions were made that a similar event be conducted annually. Further, participants identified that our community does not want alter the way of life, but instead wishes to enhance the great things that already exist here.
Horizons began in Meagher County last October. The program, established by the Northwest Area Foundation in partnership with MSU Extension, consisted of many phases. The first phase required that five members of the community attend “spotlight” sessions to learn about the program. The next threshold requirement was that we needed to have at least 30 people participate in Study Circles, discussion groups that took place over the course of seven weeks this winter. Meagher County had over 60 people participate in Study Circles. Our next threshold was to have 25 people complete LeadershipPlenty training. Meagher County met that threshold. The final threshold was to have at least 15 percent of the community participate in establishing a vision for our community. Through a pre-visioning event, a survey, the visioning event, and the elementary school children drawing out their visions, we more than doubled the number of people required to meet our threshold. Now, the process moves into community visioning and action, where specific steps for building our community’s capacity and planning for the future are identified.