MCB awards ten youths and adults each year for their leadership and involvement in community betterment. Each city participating in the MCB awards or MoCAP program is eligible to submit the names of one adult and one young person under the age of 18 to be considered for the Governor's Leadership Award. A panel of two judges analyzes essays and recommendation letters to determine ten honorees for each award. The nominees are judged based on leadership traits such as concern for others, setting a good example, consensus building, communications skills, ability to get things done, vision and several other criterion. While these awards provide recognition to our most deserving community leaders, their real importance is in reminding us that we all have a responsibility to work for the improvement of our communities.
Leadership comes in all shapes and sizes.
Many people lead by example while others are out spoken advocates. Regardless of our role or talents, we all can make a difference. Whether we volunteer at a local hospital or chair a committee to build a new community center, our contributions are important. The Missouri Community Betterment program has been making a difference in Missouri for 36 years as the oldest, continuous state-sponsored community improvement program in the nation. MCB accomplishes it goals primarily by lending technical assistance to communities, by officially recognizing participating cities and towns and by awarding those that excel in the program.