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| All About De Leon | P & M Festival | D. H. S. | Toward 2000 |
What happens next rest solely on the shoulders of the people of De Leon. Remember, it is important to put first things first. Develop your plan. Involve the entire community, determine what you want your community to be, create a vision statement, set your goals, and determine the strategies you will. use to accomplish these goals. As you identify the action steps you will take, be sure to set a time line and actually assign the task to a person or a group. This will be the key to your success. Be sure to evaluate each step, correct your course as necessary by making the needed adjustments, and be sure your plan is a living document - not just a lot of paper collecting dust on a shelf somewhere.
As you can see, this is going to require a lot of leadership, beginning with the elected leaders and including the entire community. It is very important to implement a leadership program as soon as possible to maximize your opportunity for success. However, don't let this slow you down; you have adequate leadership and enthusiasm to start immediately. Be sure to advertise widely throughout the community, and celebrate your accomplishments frequently. This will build interest, commitment, and momentum.
Remember to be patient. Some of the things you will want to accomplish can happen quickly; others will take time, and still others will take longer. This is when the plan really pays off by keeping your community focused, identifying how far you have come, and providing the stimulus to keep moving forward. The future of De Leon is in your hands. Make De Leon what you want it to be!
The Texas Rural Development Council will continue to be here as a resource for you, and we hope you will call on us anytime you feel the need. Ronnie Boston is serving as the primary support to De Leon for the implementation of the recommendations of the TRDC Resource Team. This way you will have a ready resource close at hand.
