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Community leadership and citizen cooperation are the hallmarks of an outstanding program developed in Eureka California. This highly effective Endeavor was developed between community leaders and Toastmasters International
The program is designed like a wheel, presenting an absolute and complete circle of information, with each spoke of the wheel being a key person or organizational leader who is willing to be quoted, written about and available to help educate the public directly or indirectly. The purpose of the program is designed to create and publish a complete circle of education, informing members of the community of their rights and their obligations.
Most individuals are unaware of the rights and the power they have. We assist them by teaching them what that power is and how to use it safely and wisely. We provide them with details and support.
We address drug issues, landlord responsibilities, health and safety awareness, the aging citizen, pet responsibilities and more. Our wheel of education will provide the average citizen with information on how and what they can do to make things better, to inform them what is safe and what is not safe, to improve the quality of their lives and the safety and enjoyment of their homes and their communities.
Knowledge is empowerment. We, as citizens of the United States, have more power than is commonly realized. We need to know how to activate and use that power safely. We need wisdom from the leadership of those who serve us. They are making an enormous difference by being active participants, as spokes in the wheel of education that will roll us forward as a positive example for communities everywhere.
Our program began with a small circle of civic minded people and a lot of incentive.
Those on the ground floor of the project were;
Eureka Police Chief Garr Nielsen, Mary Kirby, Administrative Service Assistant
Police Captain Murl Harpam, Suzie Owsley, Information and Educational Officer
Sheriff Gary Philp
Rich Sommerville, editor of the Times Standard and
Two Area Governors from Toastmasters International, Rebecca Kimbel and Linda Thompson, were the first to meet for the projects development.
Why the Toastmasters? Because every organization is capable of doing it?s own speaking and writing for educating others about their particular contribution to the community and how to benefit through their services, but that may not be part of their job description or not the top priority of the use of their time. If and when educational needs exceed the convenience of any community based service organization, Toastmasters offer speakers and writers to educate the community on behalf of those who wish to use our services in any public format created for the benefit of the community.
All educational speeches and writings are taken directly from material provided by the organization for which we speak or write. More community organizations joined us even before our plans were completed. We have never stopped growing.
Our wheel of education provides the average citizen with knowledge. Knowledge is power. We teach how to use information and put power back into the hands of the people. We teach them how to take their neighborhoods back, do it safely and continue Keeping Our Neighborhoods Safe.
Every town, city or area has its own local ordinances and laws. Be sure you act on the local rules in your area. Information is available through your local community service organizations and individual public service officers may also be glad to provide it for you.
Eureka has set an example for other communities with this educational program. Keeping Our Neighborhoods Safe has been televised in Walnut Creek on channel 27 and in Eureka California on channel 12. These telecasts have been repeated often to promote community awareness.
Other benefits have been added in the form of many newspaper articles. Several have been written by Rebecca Kimbel Area Gov. Toastmasters International. She continues to speak, write, back and support Eureka?s community educational project.
Rebecca Kimbel © 2007
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