WHITMIRE — Many minds worked together as one for a Cultivating Community, Better Together discussion held this week at Whitmire’s Community Center with members of Whitmire Town Council, community members and others throughout Newberry County.
“The title pretty much speaks for itself,” Whitmire Mayor Billy Hollingsworth said of the Tuesday event. “We as a group of people can make our community as well as Newberry County a better place. I’m honored for Whitmire to host this training today.”
The event was facilitated by Charles Weathers of theweathersgroup. Weathers separated the group into smaller groups, encouraging people who may not know each other to find common ground.
The purpose of Tuesday’s discussion was to recognize the limitations and challenges the town of Whitmire may have, but to remain solution oriented.
“We are not here today to say we’ve never done it that way before,” Weathers said. “We’re not allowed to say that.”
Community engagement and motivation for engagement were two topics Weathers brought forward to the group for discussion.
While everyone in the room has to work with people and through people for their job, Weathers encouraged those in attendance to not do things “for people,” but rather with them and through them.
“You do things with people and for people,” Weathers said. “You get people to own up to it together.”
To get Newberry County residents working together and towns moving forward, Weathers said it is not just a police chief or mayor who has to be motivated. It is everyone.
“You have to be enthusiastic about it, getting people involved,” said Theresa Halfacre.
Hollingworth said the town put a major emphasis in February on cleaning up and making Whitmire a cleaner place to live, involving public safety and trying to draw anv interest in bringing businesses to the town.
“We’ve had a good response and people are doing well,” Hollingsworth said.
County Councilman Scott Cain said that understanding and having a knowledge of what is going on in the community is important.
Weathers reminded the group that Sea Pro coming to Whitmire is a big win for the town and can be used as leverage to get other industry in the town.
Framework for engagement
Setting the framework for engagement will be an important component for the town of Whitmire and for Newberry County as a whole, Weathers said.
“What does Whitmire look like in the year 2035?” he asked.
A common vision for Whitmire included attracting a demographic of young people ages 18 to 25, getting them to give back to the community and engaging in social and civic activities.
Hollingsworth said of the 1,441 population reported in 2010, 405 of those are under the age of 18.
Values the town wants to have collectively include an open community, deliberate communication, customer service, a small-town feel and community pride.
Weathers facilitated a community SWOT analysis — Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats — with the group.
Strengths included community compassion, good people and determination, while weaknesses were the town’s website, taking advantages of economic opportunities and a lack of recreational activities for youth.
Opportunities included Sea Pro, the town’s golf course and the activities afforded by the Sumter National Forest. Threats included a resistance to moving forward, changing and complacency.
“There are some goals in here,” Weathers said. “We’re creating a narrative for you to build on today.”
For Whitmire’s future, common responses included keeping the community involved and being consistent. Those in attendance agreed they needed to stop denying the problems and being resistant to change. In the future, the town plans to have quarterly meetings and reach out to others for partnerships.
Weathers said his overall reaction was positive and that he saw sparks for new ideas and connectivity.
Hollingsworth said there was a good crowd and good participation. He said it was a step in the right direction.
“This event helped create unity and allowing for one mind in Whitmire,” he said.