The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce recently delivered their November 2008 SOUTH CAROLINA BUSINESS magazine. The magazine is crammed with business statistics and business news and stories on people making a difference in South Carolina.
Harris DeLoach has been named the South Carolina 2008 Business Leader of the Year and there is a great portrait (page 52) by photographer Pat Crawford and interesting, readable article about Harris' career. We came to Hartsville very close to the same time back in the early 1970s and I got to know Harris when he was city attorney and I was covering the City news as a reporter for THE HARTSVILLE MESSENGER. My career moved to Sonoco in 1979 and Harris joined the company in a full-time capacity in 1986. He had been doing the legal work for the company since he arrived in Hartsville. He moved from being the lawyer to being a business operator. I worked for Harris when he had a couple of his Sonoco positions and always enjoyed the work. And, he was a major factor in my joining The Byerly Foundation.(disclaimers over)So, from pretty much first-hand knowledge, I can attest that the current chairman and CEO of Sonoco has been involved in a wide variety of activities in the community as well as making a significant difference in the operations he headed at Sonoco. The Business Leader of the Year is well deserved and it would be great if there were a line of people like Harris who were lining up to do work affecting the public good. I don't see enough of those people on the horizon.
The philosophy that I have watched Harris live is embodied in the quote from his commencement speech to Lander University's Class of 2008,which is quoted in the story: "You came to Lander as seekers of knowledge...If you haven't already done so, find a cause you are passionate about. Make a pledge to devote your own personal resources to service projects. Infuse your time, money and energy into building communities and doing good works."
Harris is one of those Leaders (community builders)who understands how much can be accomplished when it does not matter who gets the credit. He understands the need for collaboration, cooperation and commitment. He has been a catalytic force in Hartsville, at Sonoco, in the South Carolina and within industry to push for solutions through those three Cs. He not only understands leadership, he is a leader and the Hartsville community has been better because he chose to move here in back in the early 70s.
I think you will enjoy the story by Stefanie Caraviello if you can find a copy of South Carolina Business pages 52, 54, 55 and 56.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Hartsville First - Do good for yourself
According to the HARTSVILLE MESSENGER, page 5A of the November 19 edition, the City Council passed a resolution on November 10 encouraging citizens to shop in Hartsville and support our local merchants. Mayor Holt noted, "When you shop here, you're supporting your community, you're supporting Hartsville. You really are selling Hartsville." It was good to read that the Council added their clout to this message because one of the key, crucial audiences for the continuing Selling Hartsville initiative is those of us who live in the area. We have to continue reminding ourselves what a treasure we have the authentic retail community that is the Hartsville downtown.
In that same issue of the newspaper, there was a report on the dwindling funds within the city and one of the sources of city revenue continues to be the business license fees. Retail merchants need our patronage to be competitive and they need our patronage to stay in business. As Hartsvillians, we need them to stay in business because a robust, central, core shopping area is one of those strengths that differentiates Hartsville from so many other communities of a similar size. Times are tough and times are going to get tougher and one way to join in easing some of the difficulty is to "Shop at Home."
This Thursday night in downtown Hartsville is the traditional Merchants' Holiday Open House, which begins at 5 p.m. This would be a great time to see what is available and "expect pleasant surprises."
The back page of this same Hartsville Messenger has a calendar showing some of the things special about Hartsville but the list is even longer than on this schedule.
** On Thanksgiving the YMCA does the Annual Turkey Trot at 8 a.m.
** On December 4 is the Christmas Shoppe at Black Creek Arts (through the sixth)
** This Sunday night, November 23 at 7:30 p.m. the Coker Chamber Singers at Coker
** December 6 is the Hartsville Christmas parade and the Good Living Marketplace
We can all participate in building community and sometimes it can be a great deal of fun, extremely convenient, and really satisfying.
In that same issue of the newspaper, there was a report on the dwindling funds within the city and one of the sources of city revenue continues to be the business license fees. Retail merchants need our patronage to be competitive and they need our patronage to stay in business. As Hartsvillians, we need them to stay in business because a robust, central, core shopping area is one of those strengths that differentiates Hartsville from so many other communities of a similar size. Times are tough and times are going to get tougher and one way to join in easing some of the difficulty is to "Shop at Home."
This Thursday night in downtown Hartsville is the traditional Merchants' Holiday Open House, which begins at 5 p.m. This would be a great time to see what is available and "expect pleasant surprises."
The back page of this same Hartsville Messenger has a calendar showing some of the things special about Hartsville but the list is even longer than on this schedule.
** On Thanksgiving the YMCA does the Annual Turkey Trot at 8 a.m.
** On December 4 is the Christmas Shoppe at Black Creek Arts (through the sixth)
** This Sunday night, November 23 at 7:30 p.m. the Coker Chamber Singers at Coker
** December 6 is the Hartsville Christmas parade and the Good Living Marketplace
We can all participate in building community and sometimes it can be a great deal of fun, extremely convenient, and really satisfying.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Building Community for Public Good
This afternoon I was reading the Smart Communities blog and noticed a link that took me to a PDF discussion from the National Council on Citizenship on Civic Life after the election. It seems to me this booklet would make an excellent text for a "Community Conversation" on the question of where to we go from here in building community.
In line with what was in the Smart Communities blog, Rich Harwood is talking in his blog about the need for generating both Hope and Empathy as we go forward in what seem to be some of the darkest days (and I don't mean coming of winter) that many of us have seen. I am thinking it is always the right time to talk about community building and to discuss what we mean by the public good but we all know that the cocoons we have woven over the past several years are not going to unravel quickly. It is going to be the process of conversation that will help many emerge from these cocoons to answer the call of community. If any would like to get a conversation going with this booklet as a foundation, please let me know. I will help arrange!
In line with what was in the Smart Communities blog, Rich Harwood is talking in his blog about the need for generating both Hope and Empathy as we go forward in what seem to be some of the darkest days (and I don't mean coming of winter) that many of us have seen. I am thinking it is always the right time to talk about community building and to discuss what we mean by the public good but we all know that the cocoons we have woven over the past several years are not going to unravel quickly. It is going to be the process of conversation that will help many emerge from these cocoons to answer the call of community. If any would like to get a conversation going with this booklet as a foundation, please let me know. I will help arrange!
What is going on with the economy?
Dr. Tim Koch and Mike Ayotte, a community bank president from Morganton, NC, were at Coker College on Monday afternoon giving their assessment of how we got to where we are in our current economic woes. The event was sponsored by a community bank based in Hartsville, Heritage Community Bank as a community service. It is too bad we did not have more community members and others there because this is one of the most dynamic presentations I have seen in quite some time. The two presenters have obviously shared the platform previously and they had complementary styles even when they had opinions that did not mesh. Dr. Koch is the Chair of the Finance Department at the University of South Carolina. He came to the presentation from an academic/research perspective. Mr. Ayotte approached the subject from the perspective of a banker who has been successful during these stressful time and who is not wanting what he considers an incompetent government trying to run his business.
I am writing about this presentation in this Community Thinking blog because it was a community service provided by Heritage that in my opinion was a tremendous service. Also, there was a very strong message coming from the speakers about the importance of Community banks and that was an interesting perspective. It was not all that long ago that community banks were one of the major funders of community-building projects.
This was an interesting presentation and just for starters, what role do you think a company called Goldman Sachs plays in the current bailout tactics?
I am writing about this presentation in this Community Thinking blog because it was a community service provided by Heritage that in my opinion was a tremendous service. Also, there was a very strong message coming from the speakers about the importance of Community banks and that was an interesting perspective. It was not all that long ago that community banks were one of the major funders of community-building projects.
This was an interesting presentation and just for starters, what role do you think a company called Goldman Sachs plays in the current bailout tactics?
Monday, November 10, 2008
Happy Birthday Marines
November 10th is the birthday of the United States Marine Corps. Okay, so maybe you have to have been a Marine to care but for 233 years members of the Corps have been one of the major defensive strengths of our nation.
A look at the traditions of the Marine Corps will give you some models for community building. There are not ex Marines, only former Marines. Semper Fi! One possible tradition that is more like a value is that the Marine Corps is about the mission. A plan, resources to execute the plan (always in short supply), and most importantly Marines, who bring that plan to life.
A look at the traditions of the Marine Corps will give you some models for community building. There are not ex Marines, only former Marines. Semper Fi! One possible tradition that is more like a value is that the Marine Corps is about the mission. A plan, resources to execute the plan (always in short supply), and most importantly Marines, who bring that plan to life.
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Carolina Lunch and Breakfast
Carolina Lunch only serves breakfast. You pretty much have to be from Hartsville -- or a very regular visitor -- to know that fact. From the Selling Hartsville perspective, we would probably call this one of the "Pleasant Surprises" that you will find around this community.
This Saturday morning, about 7:15, it looked like just about every seat in Carolina Lunch was occupied and there were people coming and there were people going. Carolina Lunch for breakfast was a happening place. As I drove by and saw some of the people it reminded me of the little things that make such strong connections in a community. If you want to know the latest of what people are thinking in Hartsville, you probably want to stop in to Carolina Lunch and overhear conversations. It is the center of talk and while facts might need to be checked, it is certainly where you can find the pulse of the day. Talking to Hartsvillian visitors to their town, you will often find that one of the highlights of their time home visiting is a nostalgic trip with their father(sometimes mother)to Carolina Lunch for breakfast. Besides a trip back to Church on Sunday morning, I am wondering what other touch points might be part of a return visit to our Community.
Now there are other places people meet for their first get-togethers of the day, it just so happens that Carolina Lunch is the place I have passed daily for a lot of years and the one that always seems open for coffee just after 5 a.m.
This Saturday morning, about 7:15, it looked like just about every seat in Carolina Lunch was occupied and there were people coming and there were people going. Carolina Lunch for breakfast was a happening place. As I drove by and saw some of the people it reminded me of the little things that make such strong connections in a community. If you want to know the latest of what people are thinking in Hartsville, you probably want to stop in to Carolina Lunch and overhear conversations. It is the center of talk and while facts might need to be checked, it is certainly where you can find the pulse of the day. Talking to Hartsvillian visitors to their town, you will often find that one of the highlights of their time home visiting is a nostalgic trip with their father(sometimes mother)to Carolina Lunch for breakfast. Besides a trip back to Church on Sunday morning, I am wondering what other touch points might be part of a return visit to our Community.
Now there are other places people meet for their first get-togethers of the day, it just so happens that Carolina Lunch is the place I have passed daily for a lot of years and the one that always seems open for coffee just after 5 a.m.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
It is all about people -- Harwood on this election
We write and talk a lot about community building on this community thinking blog and I keep the words of Rich Harwood close by because I find that his macro approach to our micro communities seems to be a very solid foundation for discussion starting. Today, in his blog, Rich talks about Senator Obama's grandmother and the true humanity represented by the idea that she succumbed to cancer on the last day of this presidential campaign. I hope you will read this Harwood column because it really does pack a lot wisdom.
Here are a few lines that I think pertain to the ideas and actions in our small, dynamic cosmopolitan piece of the world we call Hartsville, SC:
From Richard Harwood: "It is easy for people to get pushed aside in our politics and public life. Our strength is gauged by how we outfox our opponents, or can get funding for our efforts, or gain publicity. Sure, each of these is needed at different times. But they are not what our efforts are about.
If want to make progress, any kind of progress, then we must return a greater sense of humanity in our politics and public life. We need to see and hear each other again. We need to resist mechanistic responses that deny people's ability to truly engage and express their aspirations and concerns. We need empathy -- not sympathy that asks us to take up each other's cause, but a willingness to understand a different perspective and to welcome different insights. We need to be willing to think about the common good, and not just own good."
Community building is about building so that other are included, and I think you will find it much better said in Rich's November 4 blog. Let me know what you think of it.
Here are a few lines that I think pertain to the ideas and actions in our small, dynamic cosmopolitan piece of the world we call Hartsville, SC:
From Richard Harwood: "It is easy for people to get pushed aside in our politics and public life. Our strength is gauged by how we outfox our opponents, or can get funding for our efforts, or gain publicity. Sure, each of these is needed at different times. But they are not what our efforts are about.
If want to make progress, any kind of progress, then we must return a greater sense of humanity in our politics and public life. We need to see and hear each other again. We need to resist mechanistic responses that deny people's ability to truly engage and express their aspirations and concerns. We need empathy -- not sympathy that asks us to take up each other's cause, but a willingness to understand a different perspective and to welcome different insights. We need to be willing to think about the common good, and not just own good."
Community building is about building so that other are included, and I think you will find it much better said in Rich's November 4 blog. Let me know what you think of it.
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