Community is a Major Part of What Makes Us Human

Although my blog posts typically focus on some aspect of social media, a recent “real-world” experience that allowed me to sense a true spirit of community has inspired me to devote this week’s blog to the importance of community.

Last week I had the privilege of talking about public speaking to the High Plains 4-H Club. While I sincerely hope that the approximately 20 kids and their parents who attended benefited from the comments I made, what I received was of equal value – a renewed appreciation of the importance of being part of a community.

When I Googled “definition of a community” I found:

1. A group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.
2. A feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests and goals.

It is the second definition that resonated so strongly for me throughout my evening with this delightful community of young people and their families.

Before I continue, let me tell you a bit about 4-H:

According to Wikipedia: “4-H is a global network of youth organizations whose mission is to ‘engage youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development.’ 4-H organizations exist in 50 countries around the world.

The 4-H name represents four personal development areas – head, heart, hands and health…The goal of 4-H is to develop citizenship, leadership, responsibility and life skills of youth through experiential learning programs and a positive youth development approach. The organization has over 6.5 million members in the US, from ages 5-21 in approximately 90,000 clubs.”

To find out more about 4-H go to http://www.4-h.org/.

Why the High Plains 4-H Club is a Community

• Communities require the devotion, dedication, and inspiration of genuine leaders: Tracey Feist and Melissa Douez have been providing that type of leadership to this club for four years. In one short evening, I glimpsed the planning, time, and guidance they put into this club.
• Communities require active participation of their members: The students in this club eagerly jumped into the impromptu speaking activities Tracey and Melissa had prepared for them.
• Communities require respect between and among members: During my presentation and throughout the impromptu member speeches, everyone paid attention and was respectful to whoever was speaking.
• Communities require a feeling of fellowship: Throughout the evening, but especially during the time spent mingling before and after the official meeting, I sensed a true spirit of fellowship and fun. The kids, their parents, and the group’s leaders, truly enjoyed each other’s company.

Community can be found both off and on line, and being part of one is an essential aspect of what makes us human.

How About You?

What does community mean to you? What attributes of community are the most important to you and what draws you to be part of a community?

About Joyce

Joyce Feustel helps people, especially those age 50 and up, to become more comfortable using social media, especially Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Twitter.

She works with business owners, nonprofit organizations, retired people, consultants, and many others. Find her at www.boomerssocialmediatutor.com.