The Winslow mail., 1912-08-17
Community Building

III zens 10 improve various phases Of
r6e social ironment-industria
q oI.omic, polirica' material aud spiri.
tuaI II rs, in short, an effort to make
LIFE better and more prosperous The
rning c iii be done; il has been done and
is being done by the scores Of towns
throughout the Unned ST ates; and il
: .u.d be dor4 by all No object could
be more worth While.
But. needless to say, the thing is not
ensr:the result does not follow on the
III re expression Of a desire. great
deni of fcooperatiye effort is required
and a great deal Of deter minstion, patti
eateand foresight. The social environ
melt of a town is great and mighty
thing; il is by all odds the greatest and
mightiest thing in the town, and is not
easily moved or altered To set about
altering it is task compal able tc
building an Egyptian pyramid, and
similar principles of management must
prevail.
The first essential is plan, a knewl
edge of what is desirable for the COM
munity to set out after and bring about.
Does it want to invite new industries!
Does it want to establish building and
loan association? Does it want to en-
courage home buying and oppose the
mail order evil? Does it want to i'm
prove the municipal facilities, such as
electric lights, water works, sewage,
car lines, pavements etc? Does it want
TO improve the municipal government
aud clean up politics? Does it want to
secure new railroad station or a
branch line? Does it want to beautify
the town and improve its public spirit!
Does it want to start a commercial
Out of the mulifarious variety Of things
which can be done to develop ccm-
munity, just which and how many does
it desire to undertake? This matter
should be decided quite defnitly, be-
cause there can be no efficient. self-de-
termined developments unless the par
ticipants know what they are working
for. Otherwise there will be much
well-intentioned effort in conflicting
directions and the result will be little
better than nothing. One plan that falls
somewhat short of perfection is better
than half dozen faultless ones, provided
there is agreement on the one and con-
fiict among the others.
Having decided on plan, the next
step is to choose body of active work
ers and put some one in authority. 1t
will Kot be difficult to find number of
community developers in anv town
when the prospective benefits, as meas
urd by the experience of other progress
sive towns, are submitted to their con-
sideration. The commercial and mer.
camille interests are always willing to
entert ain proposition looking toward
greater prosperity, and will be enthu-
siastic recruits to the cause. The bank
ers and professional men will also be
inclined to lend willing ear. The for
nation of body of boosters" will in
deed be the easiest feature of the un.
dertaking. With regard to placing some
one in authority, the best man should
of course be chosen, if possible; but
whether he be the best man or not, it
is of prime Importance that he have
full authority. Here again, one moder-
ately capable and conscientious man
is more serviceable than several dis
putatious geniuses Too many fine and
worthy plans come to nought because.
there is Il lack of central authority.
and each subordinate factor begins to
do things bis own way, with consequent
friction and disruption.
1t was assumed in the beginning that
the development idea had taken hold
of but q com paritively few members of
the communicative thinkers and lead
ers The enlightened few with whom
most reforms aud progressive movements
generally start They communicated
tue project to a larger circle as outlined
above. The next step is to inform the
whole community. man, woman and
child, of what is about to be undertak-
en-. Tell them about it again and again
until they know it as well as the multi
plication table and the alphabet. The
foundation and buttress and keystone
of the whole scheme is popularity. No
great community reform can be brought
about without the knowledge and COOP
GRAFTON Of all.
Right here the most important fact
or of the whole problem enters in-the
creation of a spirit of popular enthusi-
asm and cooperation. Without it, moth
ing very important or extensive can be
effected. AS stated at the outset, COM
munity development is an effert to i'm.