Momentum is important

Momentum is important to a community because it means movement is taking place. The worst thing, in my view, that can happen to a vibrant community is to allow "status quo" to become the goal. Complacency is a contagious virus. Complacency has few symptoms. Complacency can even provide a type of feeling well that can mask the sickness until so much damage has been done that it takes major intervention to get the community back on a healthy track.

Communities with a lot of activies that are ongoing may suffer from growth pains and may even have some stress and strain as the programs are implemented. Those who have spent time in the gym or on the practice fields understand this condition in the adage, "no pain, no gain."

In the Hartsville community we are beginning to see some momentum building. Just yesterday, Senator Joe Biden brought his Presidential campaign bid to our Coker College. While those in larger communities see this as little to nothing, for a town of 7,500 in a wider community of about 40,000, a candidate stopping by is noteworthy. It is also appreciated. Senator Biden treated Hartsville as he would have treated Columbia, Greenville or Charleston and those in Hartsville, on all parts of the political spectrum, appreciated his contribution to the national debate. Later this month William Raspberry of the Washington Post will be in Hartsville as part of statewide education conference investigating poverty and education. That March 30 event will be discussing a topic crucial to the ongoing question of improving education, not only in South Carolina but throughout the nation.

While on important events that demonstrate momentum, the Coker College Center for Leadership and several other organizations are investigating the question of gang activity in the Darlington County area. Gang activity is not all that prominent an issue and the meetings that are going to be held, with noted community authorities including Stedman Graham and Ron Carter, are to draw some attention to the question before the issue becomes an out-of-control problem.

"Imagine and Act for the Public Good" is the underlying theme of The Harwood Institute, an organization dedicated to helping communities re-engage their citizenry. Richard Hawood, founder of The Harwood Institute, will be in Hartsville on March 28 and 29 to talk about his views, findings and ideas on re-engaging citizens in the well-being of their communities. His public speech will be March 29 at Davidson Hall on the Coker College beginning at 5:30 p.m.

For a small community, there is quite a bit going on in Hartsville, SC. This note did not even discuss RENOFEST, which is a Bluegrass Music Festival that has become one of the mainstay events bringing Bluegrass fans from many states to this town March 23, 24 and 25.

Mostly it is the little events that provide the momentum but it is leadership that must be envisioning those events and bringing them to reality. Communities need their citizens to be involved in all types of momentum-creating events. Get involved!