Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Leaders graduate, new group inducted, introduced

It was graduation night for the Class of 2006 Leadership Nevada County, Tuesday, Dec. 13.

The event, held at the Hamilton-Blakely Senior Adult Center, began with the four teams describing what they did as community projects, something required for graduation.

Pat McCullough, spokesman for team one, said they raised money for signs to be put up when the walking trail is built near the Nevada County Health Unit. They named it the Johnson/Hale Walking Trail.

Charity Lowdermilk spoke for team two, saying they originally thought it would be a good idea to put new signs up on the outskirts of Prescott, but found out the Arkansas Highway Department is hard to deal with. We changed our plan at the 11th hour and decided to plant trees in the park.

The team raised money and bought the trees at a reduced price, then found out they had to remove some dead trees first. This was done and seven sawtooth oak trees were planted.

Team three got off to a late start, according to spokesman Elaine King, who said one member had twins, literally. After working on a number of ideas, the team decided to restore signs in two historic locations in the county  at the old Oak Grove Gym and the Carolina Church.

According to spokesman Jerry Beck, there was doubt, initially, team four could come up with an idea, but it came up with 25-30. The team decided on a beautification project and manufactured and installed bluebird houses in and around Prescott.

Donnie Crain, Executive Director of the Prescott-Nevada County Economic Development Office, was the MC for the night. He said the Class of 2006 would have some big shoes to fill, but a good group has been lined up.

Joe Waldrum, director of the Organizational, Staff and Leadership Development Department of the UA Cooperative Extension Service, was the keynote speaker. He opened his talk saying leadership programs are vital in keeping communities alive.

He said it is important to get new blood and new ideas out, otherwise there is little change. Leadership programs promote new ideas, leadership and new blood.

He read three different things to illustrate his points. The first was the poem The Bridgebuilder by William Allen Dromgoole. Its theme was an old man building a bridge across a chasm for future generations. Another was a quote from Theodore Roosevelt, with the third, the Rules for Being Human.

The first step in becoming a leader, he said, is admitting the desire to be a leader. You have been exposed to the virus of leadership.

The worst thing that can happen, Waldrum said, is no one tries to solve any problems, nothing gets done, people get mad, things get worse and the community loses money. Or, he continued, someone could try something, it doesnt work, people get mad, things get worse and the community loses money. But, he concluded, the best that can happen is someone tries something, it works, people arent mad, things get better and the community makes money. Most things happen in the middle.

You need to be willing to try, he said. Persistence is the key.

He urged the graduates not let their newly earned skills go stale, but turn their energies and skills into something positive and help the community. He suggested going to the elected officials and asking how to help, but reminded the class when something new is begun, its scary.

The graduates were presented plaques. They were: Shunna Austin, Jerry Beck, Matt Burnside, Naomi Butler, Jake Cornelius, Claudette Harris, Morris Irvin, Karen Jobe, Elaine King, Tim Loe, Charity Lowdermilk, Pat McCullough, Rainna McGuire and Lynn Vanderveer.

The Class of 2006 was introduced as well. They are: Vera Austin, Sandra Browning, Carla Christopher, Judy Duke, Tony Hamilton, Debbie Henderson, Nick Hibbs, Charles Ledbetter, Barbara Lowdermilk, Art Menard, Donald Mixon, Dana Stone and Karen Taylor.