COUNCIL DEVELOPMENT DISCUSSION – BOONVILLE
April 29, 2002
16 members present
Question 1: What
are the characteristics of an ideal council?
- Members
have a cross-section of interests; helpful to have someone who knows
what’s going on in all fields
- Participation:
80% ideal (of meetings)
- Identifies
needs of county; broad spectrum of different members from counties
- Sincerity
as council members; sincere in dealing with issues
- Commitment
to learning about what you’re doing and participating in as many meetings
as possible
- Diversity
on council
- Enthusiasm
; enjoy the job and be interested in topics
- Money
and cooperation from county commissioners so can set do what set out to do
- Attendance;
identifying needs; presenting knowledge of things related to council
- Someone
who can get others involved; soliciting input from community
- Representative
of community it serves; diverse in make-up in age, experience, etc.
Must be balanced.
- People
who are informed about what’s going on in community; informed about
what’s expected of them; what being a council member means
- Don’t
know; willingness to cooperate w. everybody for betterment of the community
- Representative
of people; ability to work w. people as a group
- Willingness
to participate
- Amen.
Someone who will run and interested in being on this thing.
Candidates must be interested in belonging and attending meetings.
- Diversity
of age, years of service, gender, interests; how to get good people on
council rests with nominating committee
- Buy-in
into UO/E mission; lifelong quality education for all
- At
meetings themselves, our council does well in staying on subject and getting
job done
- Visit
with extension staff at times other than council meetings; honest input for
evaluation
- Knowledgeable
and willingness to learn what ext. is and what council does
- We
are in elected positions; I consider it an honor; I’ve been elected to
serve the people in my county on this council; having people take
seriousness of it that we’re there to improve people’s lives in our
county
- Diversity:
the only big ext. we see program for is 4-H in Moniteau County; I guess I
think we need to involve the youth; they’re our future; we need their
input and bring them along; will take our place in the future
- I
spend time w. as underpaid lobbyist trying to keep program funded w. the
state; always ears that are
open; a bunch of people doesn’t want this program to go by the wayside;
state in dire straits this year
- Participate
as much as possible
- People
who will vote their opinion and not be swayed by majority; vote what they
think after hearing the evidence
- In
meetings must be able to speak freely amongst themselves; must agree to
disagree sometimes and work w. each other to accomplish what council needs
to do
- Pass,
pass, pass, pass, pass
- Pro-active
- Pass,
pass
- Pro-active;
people that are sensitive to a need, can ID what needs are in community
- Participate
in programs that council decides on
- Diversity:
job experience; not all sheep farmers, etc.
Question: What does an ideal ext.
council do?
·
Plan excellent programs
·
Be supportive of specialists
·
Be sure funding is available
·
Continue educating themselves
·
Continue to publicize the ext. programs so people know what
programs are available
·
Publicize council itself
·
Make decisions
·
Celebrate! What a
really fantastic ed. tool for lifelong learning this is – for everybody, not
just rich or poor, or black, or white or orange people – for everybody
·
Participate; separate committee or meetings, in programming
·
People get to know people in the county; attune to what’s going
on in the county
·
Share the work; often just a few do all the work
·
Get to know people on the council; know each other
·
Work towards betterment of the county-economically or otherwise
·
Ownership; council is theirs; ownership from every council member
·
Know now limited money supply is; (have to build a stadium if want
money)
·
Know how have to watch what programs we can afford and go with
those that serve the most people and don’t let anyone out
·
Know that it’s a bargain; how much money is stretched; nothing
in county more effective w. budget than ext. is
Does everyone know how council is
funded?
By evaluation in the county and by
state statute; steps in funding by assessed valuation
County council funds the office plus office supplies;
secretary or office manager; University provides salaries of specialists; some
equipment as shared expenses; University picks up benefit package for
secretaries; half-million from legislature several years ago
Overall UO/E budget, $52 million, about 13% from.
Councils; about 1/6 from counties
Question 2: What
advice or suggestions do you have about how councils move towards the ideal
council?
- Better
understanding of what responsibilities and expectations are by council
members and new/experienced staff
How many people when first got on
council got list of duties? Show of
hands.
- Don’t
wait until recruiting time to promote ext. but promote continuously; radio
station party line; person to person; find opportunities to promote so
people know what ext. is
- We
don’t a good job of marketing extension; people have no clue what ext. is,
what it does, what it offers; must spend effort and time and many need to
spend money to make money; make people aware of what we are and what we do;
why we exist
- Still
looking for notebook w. duties
- Nominating
committee is critical; get a name so have somebody to find the diversity;
person who is informed and will participate; get other names (not just those
they think of)
- Do
internal educational things; specialists’ reports were at end of meeting;
have them first; let specialists talk about their programs in the meetings
- Training
sessions; we had 2 different training sessions plus notebook re:
responsibilities; in meetings have a specialist come in from surrounding
counties to give a program about their area
- Who
gave the training? By CPD.
- Advertising
especially before elections; most radio stations will give free airtime;
newspaper to share what council about; training (Readers’ Digest version
for those we ask to run); people need to know where to go to get info.;
successful ext. council will have input toward web-based info.; University
has a web site; councils need own section; photos of their agents; beans
planted in the county; weather; where do I get parts for canning supplies?
Put out tulips? Post.
- Election
committee is the key; everybody contact someone to run – from the same
list; educate before people get on council
- Have
any of you seen the brochure? Trifold
– an invitation to … tear off … if you want to be considered, mail this
in. Explains ext.
responsibilities. Invites you
to be part of the organization. I
did ask people to run and sent brochure and then called them.
- Council
should set up goals to work towards as group; make them successful as a
group; don’t expect just a few people to work.
- Problem
when not enough money: answering machine system at ext. office; not fond of
answering machine; if have to wade thru thing to get to receptionist, not
helpful to those calling in; public must know you really care (like having
to diagnose yourself before picking a doctor)
- Goals
idea a good idea; specialists will do programs, like ROPES leadership;
retreat at beginning of council year to set goals and build bonds between
members; find out pressing issues for your county
- How
many people we would eliminate from running if we expect them to do all
these things? Have to know
person’s track record for attending meetings in your area; follow-through;
can’t bombard them w. everything you want them to know when recruiting
- Once
elected, you make a commitment to make so many meetings; carry out
responsibility in making decisions
- Training
and ongoing training; let people know about extension, not just for farmers
and 4-H kids but community as a whole
Suggestions for letting people
know?
Index card – message map; that
is neat; huge potential; we’re caught off-guard; ext. means something to
everyone differently; key points – improves people’s lives. Have source to
go from.
Letters to the editor
Radio spots
Ext. Week activities
Getting on radio programs; garden
show, talk shows
Make sure if you partner w.
others in community, make sure your name is recognized.
Whenever went to court w. Howard
County, why paper mentioned only 4-H? (Campaign
going on)
It’s so much more than 4-H;
having specialists talk on radio helps
Must have something like that to
get people to do lobbying for you and 4-H logical ones to do it.
4-H; people on our council who
are willing workers have 4-H background
Not true in my county
We’ve been trying hard to
involve others (other than 4-H)
No ext. office in Moniteau;
partners with Morgan; people know only about 4-H; we’re not marketing.
Only interest we have in our
county is through 4-H youth specialist; we never come to your meetings; maybe we
need to work closer together (Moniteau and XX)
4-H good at marketing themselves;
community service; 4-h markets through the kids; if kids involved, parents
involved (learn from other parts of the organization)
5 4-H clubs in Moniteau County
but no ext. office so that’s what’s in front for us.
4-H you think of clover
nationwide and statewide; UO/E logo is not national logo; need something
universal for extension.
Laptop w. message map on it – continuous feed of
information; target ag. 4-H, programs on laptop; sitting on counter running
continuously marketing programs in county.
Celebrating ext. week: Use
message map; each council member talk w. 10 people.
Open-ended PSAs for council;
start w. good copy and fill-ins for local use.
County commissioner candidate on
ext. council; call me and I will come and talk w. you about your concerns
(before elections)
Let candidates know we think ext.
is important.
Put tagline on things: Extension
… more than just farming or 4-H.
Information on the web; how do I
know what’s available: new council member list on the web.
Fund-raising tips from other
counties on the web.
Ext. publications: is there a
publication list on the web?
Does University Extension have
marketing program or is it left up to the councils?
How can we move towards the
ideal?
Don’t waste their time; we need to be dependable.
In Saline County, position vacancies open a long time.
When empty for a long time, people forget.
Budget crunch times can be creative for you because make you assess
what’s important. Fill positions
w. quality people.
Recruiting: Look at works in
progress – not just people who do everything else in the county.
Don’t just pick people everybody knows; bring them on and mentor them.
Use committees on council to
handle things outside of total council meetings. Committees play important role.
Training:
·
Everything (new person)
·
Training as agenda item on every agenda
·
Meet w. council at first meeting – why serving on council.
·
Mentoring program a good idea; old member w. new member
·
Agents good resource to tell what council does and how functions
·
Election to turn over few at a time
·
Council members as a whole need to understand programming
available through whole University – not just specialties of those
headquartered in county
·
I agree. What types
of programs are available? Example:
economic development programs, resources, classes available.
How to find that out?
·
Who’s your business specialist?
Classes tailored to county.
·
Spend more time picking up ideas from neighboring counties.
·
Two things; educating your community about what we are, who we
are, what we do. Educate before you
get people on the council. Need
money to do marketing; run as a business.
·
I’m multitasked; need training in short blips at ext. meetings
(not at home).
·
Ext. council talking about ext. week activities: IT training w.
other counties; let them set agenda (staff member)
Let one county see another working council.
·
How to read the budget and make sense of it.
Question 3: What are your preferred ways of learning more
about your extension council role and responsibilities?
- 20
minutes at each meeting (specific, boiled down to nuts and bolts;
specialists come to meeting telling what they do and programs they offer at
beginning of meeting
- Continual,
in-depth on occasion; starter thing when you’re new
- Bits
and pieces all along; keep educational wheel rolling
- I’ve
learned more from listening to agents talking about their programs
- Web
is a great way, but important to get people together, too – regional.
Good way to network and pick up phone if you know who you’re
talking to.
- At
our council meetings, specialists come to every meeting and give 5-minute
report; 1 specialist gives
20-minute report. (ones housed
in county; but 20-minute program open to others as well)
- Local
programs update: standing agenda item.
4-H, ag, B&I, HES, leadership; notebook: information about
who’s on council; specialists’ names and numbers; maps
- On
the job: you can only absorb so much; I’ve learned much tonight
- Plan
of work to council members; take index card and take items from POW to share
with others.
- 10
meetings, 2 hrs. a night = 20 hours/year for council; set out name plates;
folder w. work reports from staff in the county; invite in other staff
members sometimes; 15-20 minute segments; now ITV; cater to what council
wants.
- My
council said send nothing written; do it at the meeting.
Don’t have time to read
- Don’t
give every tiny statistic for every little thing; give us highlights of
things; use terminology we understand (UO/E)
- Initials
– terrible (MECCLC; use the name); give website of acronyms to all members
Question 4: What
do you see as the challenges to achieving the ideal council?
- Have
council members feel their voices are being heard and listened to higher up.
- That’s
part of it; invest time and work and hits and stump and lays under the dirt;
must know people you recruit into this; can’t be afraid to ask
- Funding.
When county budget is cut, trying to find funding is huge challenge.
- Getting
more people interested in council and being part of it.
- Funding.
- Having
people whoa re as excited about what’s going on as I am.
I’m resorting to chocolate next time.
It’s important; it’s making a difference.
Stomping out negativity.
- Council
will voice things they see re: needs but we have system guidelines must
follow and don’t always match up (staff)
- Finding
necessary funds for staff and replacing equipment
- Members
who have bone to pick; some get on and say it’s more than they really
wanted; or some say nothing is going on.
Getting new members involved, educated and working. Planting corn,
couldn’t get to meeting.
- Diversity:
Saline has Hispanic-speaking people but traditional roles, where ballots go
is farmers and 4-H people. Don’t
elect diverse people in council elections.
- Lack
of funds to do everything; what programs are going to be best for councils
behind sponsoring? Best benefit
for people? Can’t do
everything. When ext. dropped
after-school program, negative force for extension.
Don’t leave people feeling stranded.
- Important
for whole council who is being elected; replace yourself.
Get out of dungeon where we meet; get meeting room so can make eye
contact in a circle. See
who’s there and familiarize yourself w. who’s on the council.
- Some
counties would be glad to have a dungeon.
- Get
participation from county commissioners.
Take a program that extension offers. Getting ideal council is easy part; keeping them is
hard. Interesting meetings.
Everybody’s time is precious.
- Get
ourselves out to community and make it known we have a service and can do
some work for you for free.
- Get
people to serve as committee chairs. Get
people to serve on council.
- Do
something like this – meeting just devoted to brainstorming.
- Is
there a regulation vs. involving community people on committees?
Pull in a few people.
- Council
members serve as members of committees for Chamber of Commerce; we go to
them, too.
Question 5: What
do you enjoy or find satisfying about being a council member/
- Idea
that helping people in the community; have input on programs for the
community; hiring of new agents; rewarding to be involved in things tht make
a difference
- Hands
down: relationships with people in community that you would not have had
chance to develop otherwise.
- O.K.
- Me,
too.
- It’s
working w. the kids – 4-H is foremost for me. When you see difference it makes for kids involved,
it’s all worthwhile/
- Feel
like I’m making a difference. How I choose what I volunteer to do.
- We
have fun; it’s lots of work, but we have fun. Comments, feedback we get that we’re making a
difference.
- Getting
into a new area; something not familiar with.
- Like
working with people; enjoy making sound decisions; able to contribute to the
community. I try to be easy to
work with; not be negative; work it out (decisions)
- No
money from manufacturing area of Boonville; serving farmers all my career;
knowing what’s going on through the extension (counter sales manager); can
relate w. customers what extension can offer. Selfish deal: I get enjoyment out of plus business kick.
- What
would it be like wo University Extension?
I’m an educator, and this is lifelong learning and that’s what
learning is about; In
extension, it’s lifelong learning for everybody == newsletter, brochure,
website, info from the secretary; magnitude of way extension can impact our
lives is phenomenal. We take it
so for granted.
- Selfish
reason; father-in-law had been county agent; didn’t know what he did; lots
of learning for me. I found out
what is happening w. younger people; I sit and marvel and observe what’s
going on .. from specialists who don’t get paid near enough; leadership of
people on the councils; inspiring to be part of a group of people who are
doing something that matters.
- Imp.
To promote rural MO== to work with it.
If don’t find some answer, will lose extension and people will
hurt; satisfying to work w. rural America
- Volunteering
: everything bout ext. is very worthwhile; listening to programs and
learning new things; learning is our word for extension; lifelong learning
and I’m a lifelong learner.
What ext. or council activity,
event did you participate in and enjoy?
- I
like these kinds of events – sharing, networking. Plan of work was very interesting. We had meetings w. community and brought in 20-30 people
in community and what was needed, direction needed to go.
- Evening
together w. city and county people; promote 2-5 p.m. w. 6 different
educational sessions: wills, gardening, horticulture, etc.
50=minute sessions. 5-6
p.m. booths set up where business people pay $40 for right to a booth to
display products; 6 p.m. banquet for 2-300 people; awards and recognition of
people in community; entertainment; major thing for our county
- Town/Country
dinner in summer – potluck; farmers entertain town people on farms in
summer; felt really good about working together on something.
- Leadership
class that runs 3 weeks; Arrow Rock, Marshall, Sweet Springs.
Costs $100 for adults. Needs
of children in Saline County. 107
out of 114 counties in MO Kids Count data.
What are problems kids face in the county?
What to do to make life better?
- Art
(human development specialist in Cooper County) minorities working in
casinos; need programs
- I
enjoy what we’re doing tonight.
- Art
Schneider’s annual job evaluation.
- Town/Country
dinner and this tonight.
- Lobbying
from my council and sending e-mails I had networked with and letting them
know what’s going on; I felt empowered.
Power of e-mail; representative visited our council and said “I am
supporting you.” I felt I
made a difference.
- Working
with 4-H kids. People like this
that feel same way.
- Annual
farm tour in summertime. Many rural people don’t get into town frequently;
learn what’s going on in community == see elk, forage, terracing, cattle,
sheep, ponds
- We
meet at Fayette at 5 p.m. and tour 3 farms and meet at school or church
basement and women bring in food; Howard Cty Electric furnishes meal.
It’s fun.
- Ext.
Week activities. It’s a big
ball of fun. We get a chance to
be on radio for an hour for call-in; big splash in paper; open house; stuff
going on all week; picnic in summer w. council members; something in Nov.Dec
when we eat.
- Most
memorable – 4-H times.
- This
was fun.
- We
used to have an annual dinner to invite local and state politicians and
families to come; council members and families get together; pass out
awards; recognize achievements.
- Recently,
for us we lost a special council member and helping establish memorial to
that person.
- Memorable:
Painted our extension building one time and mostly ladies showed up to do
this.
Question 6: Are
there any other comments you would like to make about extension councils and
extension council development/training?
- Jan.
Fayette program w. learning sessions: Would it be possible to send
information to other county councils in the area?
- Committee
is far larger than the council made up of community members.
- So
important … blessed in Pettis County … commissioner is extension
oriented. Double blessed
because mayor is also on council.
