July 19, 2006

Walpole Grange to Sponsor Extended Development Program for Future Town Leaders

By Charles C. Bingaman, Contributing Writer

            The Walpole Grange voted Tuesday evening to create and support a multi-month program beginning in the fall to recruit, train and support residents for possible future service in town boards and commissions as well as non-government leadership roles in the community.

            “Walpole needs a steady stream of developing leaders with training and exposure to how things work here to play leading roles in the town,” explained Grange President Kathy Yardley after the meeting,  “and key missions of the Grange nationally and locally are to help build strong communities and to teach leadership skills.  So, this is a ‘natural’ for us.”

            Yardley stressed that the Grange-sponsored Walpole Leadership Academy will be a non-partisan education and skills program designed to inform its participants about how Walpole institutions are actually run and financed and to teach essential techniques for public service and leadership. 

            According to Yardley, the next two months will be focused on lining up a few co-sponsoring organizations in Walpole, forming a steering committee and an advisory council, and recruiting a class of 12-18 participants in the inaugural program.  She expects that the steering committee will finalize the curriculum, a basic draft of which the Grange reviewed in its meeting, and invite leaders from the town to be instructors in the session beginning in October.

            Tentative plans call for a curriculum of two two-hour programs each month through April (with the exception of December) in which participants meet with selectmen, planning board members, zoning board members, the town clerk, the volunteer fire department members and other town leaders to learn about their work, the problems they deal with, how each group is financed and what opportunities exist for community service and leadership in each institution.  Some of the sessions will be in Walpole Town Hall, and a number of them will be on location throughout the community.

            According to Ms. Yardley, “We hope that, as a result of exposing a number of highly qualified town citizens to the leadership needs and opportunities in our town, some of them will decide to seek election or appointment to office.  Others, we hope, will put their talents and accumulating knowledge to work in non-governmental groups such as the PTA, the Friends of the Library, and other local organizations.”

            The Grange expects to charge a fee to be determined by the steering committee for the program participation but will also consider waiving the fee for qualified applicants who cannot afford to pay.

            Yardley noted that the Grange is contacting several other community organizations to see if they would be interested in partnering with it in planning and administering the program.  “And,” she noted, “I would be glad to speak with leaders of any not-for-profit community organizations that would like to be involved in the program.” 

            Yardley said that she expects to begin recruiting men and women for the initial class of the Walpole Leadership Academy in September but would welcome earlier inquiries by telephone at 756-3677 or at greyreiner@aol.com.

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