The Mena weekly star., 1916-05-18
The Characteristics of
 a Community Builder

using as his text the 18th verse of the Fourth Chapter Of Nehemiah: For the builders. everyone had his sword euirded by his side, and so builded The text is taken from the history which tells the story of the rebuilding of the walls of Jeru- salem, and the story details the diff faculties and obstacles that were overcome ln this task. The follow ing is the sermon in short form;
 Lowell has said. No man Is born in the world whose work is nor torn with him Everyone is given Q talent and an opportunity and will. in eternl- ty answer to his Creator for the use made of them. Tn giving the talent and opportunity it was intended that they should be used for constructive and not destructive purposes. it may be excnsable for the cohblestouc t0 become a stumbling block, but never for him who walks on Ii.
 In every community we find the sg kresStVe, constructive fellow. who at one time becomes the backbone of tho community; and sad. but true. we find a few who pull back. or at least refuse to push IL is this fellow that the community could well afford to pack in a goodsbox and ship to Klondike paying all carriage charges. The spirit of the age demands the aggressive constructive fellow, and he who loiters by the way will soon find himself far in the rear of the army of progress
 The Community fSnaeissr.
 Let us paint word picture of the community builder and then, with barred head we stand back and view him. He stands four square to every wind that blows and is a Godsend to any community. Viewed negatively, he Is not community knocker. We have few men in every locality whose avocation IS knocking. It is a wonder to the writer that the Lord has not made more carpenters and black smiths, and fewer preachers lawyers doctors and merchants. for some of us are so good at knocking We ought to have hammer and a shop in which to use it Surely we would be experts. If 1t rains, it rains too much; if the sun shines, it Is too hot; if it is cloudy, the sun will never shine again, if the community undertakes any inl- provement 1t Is not done intelligently. or at the proper time In fact. he is the community knockef This fellow Is not community builder and can never be until he changes his conduct.
 The merchants in certain western town discovered the fact that they had number of men of this brand in their town and soon grew tired of their con t3nual knocking They went to a car
  large beam of timber and make us q great hammer. Paint it with the black est paint you can get and give us q hurry-up job" When the order was Billed these merchants announced that an d certain day they would have the biggest funeral that the town had ever witnessed The day arriving, they secured the hearse team and draped a farm wagon and hired as many rigs as possible for the procession. They "A 4f IA .sA marched through the town to the farther end This procession was wit messed by 10000 citizens, and wnsn it reached the city limits. at spot where large grave had been dug. they pro- cecded to a formal burial of the great hammer. This was an amusing inct- dent, but a lesson some people in that town win not forget in years to come. The community knocker is not u com snunity builder
 The Community Drone.
 Every community has. like the bee hive. number of drones. They believe that something ought to be done, but are not ready to help. They are too busy with their own affairs to give any time to community interests. Look into the avocntion of the drone and you will usually find his occupation to be yarn spinning--a good occupation for our modern wooden mills--and giv- ing iustruction--a good occupation for the school teacher When it comes to the constructive work of the commit nity he is never willing to lay hold of the pick or shovel This fellow right iy belongs to the invalid class and ought to be sent to hospital for an operation.
 The Community Grafter.
 This fellow Is very enthusiastic about community interests so long as he is within reach of tho community cotfer. You approach him with proposition 5n the Interest of a better town aud be at once asks what VIII it mean 10 me- You tell him t Is for the com munitr but he insists on knowing what he win get out of t. and f lt does not afford him an opportunity 70 make a few dollars he win not support fhe undertaking. He reminds Ns Of the mistietoe-it win not grow in the soil You might spend a lifetime try ing to get it to grow there, hut you would not succeed it ts parasite and grows only where it can suck life cut of some living tree So with the community grafter. he win not assist in community building unless h. can draw some personal gain from the in- ferests of the community.
 Community Builder Man of Vision
 The community builder is man of vision He can look into the future and see there better conditions 1T he is a farmer he can see Sis farm srans-  and better machinery with which to work IT he Is 8 merchant he cen see his stock Of goods improved and more 10 the taste and more suitable to the needs of his customers. He is a man of vision Gru can see large hinss fe he done We become so enErusscd tn ouf personal Interests that wa are biind 70 the community needs Mena needs more mem of vision--mer who can see a more attractive town, hatfer morals and the fnfl utilization Of oMr natural Advantages which will ocean greater town. This man ls not fuere- K d dreamer for in the neNt place he Is a man Of faith.
 Community Builder Man of Faith.
 He believes in folks and he believes in things He Is convinced tha his vision like an Alexander's yisioh of world empire. may become a reality. So many of us admit that certain things would be beneficial 10 the com munitv and ought to be done. but We are doubtful Of the possibility of them ever being done. Gods commenitv builder is a man of faith liSe Nehe- milan of old. Men everywhere We're crying. ft can't be done. but the de- fermined spirit of Nehemiah accomp- llshed the work. and then tho doubtAr said it's fine This man of faith is Godsend 10 any community When in the darkest hour of the Revolution. the father of our country was con fronted with a dlsheartened army men who had lost faith---he called them to him and said "Strip me of she suffering and deiected remnant of my army; give me but banner and 4.. IA