Conde, SD

The Horizons II program may be winding down but that hasn’t stopped the momentum here in Conde. A successful breadbaking and bead bracelet workshop was held Monday, June 19th with several youngsters taking home a loaf of homemade bread and many enjoying the art of making bead bracelets and necklaces. We are still working with the Conde City on improvements to the city park. Several women gathered in the evenings to donate time and talent to do some painting there and we hope that the new slide is installed soon. Our hardworking group with the help of others, have planned and prepared an area for the delivery of our stone welcome sign. We hope to have this project completed in time for guests coming to town for the Conde High All-school reunion. Another workshop is to be help on the 23rd for beginning wordworking and sewing. We will soon be planning for our graduation and an August “Fall Festival”. We hope to keep up the enthusiasm and inspire more citizens to join in the fun!!

Congratulations to Edith and the rest of the planning crew for organizing a successful clean-up day, we had some great volunteers. It is very inspiring to see community members of all ages working together. Also thanks to the ladies who prepared lunch. The afternoon proved to show community pride and I believe several city residents have acquired the clean-up fever. Keep it up Conde- you’re looking good.

Hello everyone! It is about time the grey haired old lady gets on board again to tell you of some of the activities. Believe the last time I was “on” I was highlighting the Mentoring workshop we were hosting. Well, snow cancellation and trying to pick other dates we did host it on May 4th…a Sunday and that kept several away but we had a good turnout. Our Extension Educator did an excellent job with the theme of “Tools for the Trade.” She had all of her tools on hand for table decorations, wore her tool belt that she conveniently used the pockets for cards for the program. We learned about Community Service as part of our program, civic engagement in how to get our children to be civic minded youth, positive youth development, program mentorship managment, positive guidance and discipline, parent as partners and what if bullying come up. The 5 to 6 hour seminar is not finished as we were all given a disc to have follow up and then upon completion we will each receive $25.00 for our organization or the new hat we couldn’t wait to purchase!!! We learned the difference between tattling and reporting, we worked in groups of the tools of the trade we were given in our packets. One of my favorite things was the parent backpacks. Wouldn’t it be fun to be able to leave the hospital with a new baby with a back pack of information on parenting skills, family activities, support and the list could just go on and on.
We will get into mentoring as we start summer activities for the children of the community. We have had a nice sign up for beginning woodworking, bread baking, making a beaded bracelet, beginning sewing and working with our pizza garden. We need to keep children busy and learning life skills that they can enjoy and make something with pride will give them some self esteem and maybe become entrepreneurs as we need to have a market for our hunters when they come in and what better way than to have the children of the community have things to sell. It should be a good summer of learning and fun. We have touched on a whole new segment of people who are so glad to help with the projects, too.

The ice cream social held Monday after the all school play was a great success thanks to Bev. The play cast and guests loved the ice cream sundaes and the donations received allowed the high school students to meet their estimated costs for the spring dance. Great idea Bev! We appreciate your time, talent and dedication to Horizons and the Conde community and school. Thank-you! Congratulations to the cast of ” Big Bad”. Your many hours of practice paid off as your performance was very entertaining-you all did a super job.

It has been a long winter; not a bad winter, but one we will remember that was cold enough to keep people in, dismal with a lack of sunshine many days to keep our mood less than joyous! So therefore, our Vision has had a slow start in Conde. However, we are moving forward to plan the Community Clean Up Day with a possible date of May 3rd as a beginning. The pamphlet put out by Kansas State University will be helpful for organization of the Day or days that we need for clean up of our town. The city has joined forces with Spink County for the possibility of removing “unwanteds” from the community. We have a new slide that has been purchased with Horizons and City Dollars for the City Park; the Men’s Club will do volunteer labor for that plus the City Insurance Company will be on hand to make sure everything is done to specification and safety. Speculation has it to look into the possibility of a Governor’s House now that we have the list of who has what for lots in town. The mentoring class with the Leadership of Cooperative Extension Service will be held on April 26th. So you see, we are getting a slow start but it takes alot of leg work, planning and talking to get evrything in order. That is what will keep us feeling not only good about spring coming but also about working with the many entities and people to make projects come together for the betterment of Conde: “A place to call home.”

Saturday, April 26th a Mentoring workshop will be held in Conde at the Community Center for all adults that wish to attend. Sign up is requested and contacting Bev Wright at (605-897-6536) will get you a fun day, a meal and $25.00 for yourself or your favorite organization.

The mentoring workshop is possible through a grant awarded to our Field Education Unit. Since mentoring was one of the projects Conde Horizons is working on, our town was chosen for the workshop.

The Extension Educators will be covering the following topics: 1.Community Service as part of your Youth/Mentorship Program. 2.Civic Engagement - Encouraging Civic-Minded Youth. 3.Positive Youth Development. 4.Program/Mentorship Management. 5. Positive Guidance & Discipline. 6.Parents as Parners. 6.What if bullying issues come up.

Come join us!

If the school should close Conde will be devistated! The many families being affected with loosing their jobs, kids having to travel so far to another school will lead to the possiblity of moving from our community. Therefore, we need the training of knowing how to Market what we have and the possibilities there might be for employment with new jobs here and elsewhere. That is why it was so enlightning to have so many interested in the seminar on Marketing. We are coming together and thanks to all who have shown interest in the program. Horizons could not have come at a better time! We are looking into the possibility of more housing, possibly some tax relief and have many ideas of contacting businesses in other towns for people who may need jobs. We have been told that the best place to star gaze in the whole state is north of Conde as it has a stretch that is void of fabricated light; wind energy is being looked into as is the expanding of our already well established hunting opportunities in the community.

In what ways is our community operating or working differently? The biggest thing is that people are starting to talk and wanting to work together. We are very fortunate to have a new Conde housing development owner from Aberdeen who has been most helpful in our endeavors for Horizons. His law degree backgound has been most helpful and we are so thankful for his genuine interest.

One of the structures that is being created is the pride for the town. We have, as an example, the mini golf course to be repaired. We are really working on ways to create responsibility for the privilege of having something like this in town. This spring we will again have our clean-up day and with the anticipation of the All School Reunion in June, we have a deadline to meet and that will keep us focused.

One of the biggest adversities we have found is that “it has always been done that way….” that has led us to a path of “getting by,” “uncertainty” and “non-progressive.” Now you throw that in with the possiblity of the school closing and the mood is very down and sullen. It is almost like we have given up! However, when one door closes, another opens. We have had such wonderful groups, young and old, probably rich but more than likely poorer than rich be continuous backers for the Horizons training and supportive for the activities. We had to forge ahead with the park project despite claims that insurance would not allow it. The insurance company has been contacted and will be with us to “fix” if necessary the old slide in the park and to help instruct for the setting up of the new slide that was purchased with Horizons and partnership of the city. What a wonderful partnership this will be as we have the Young Men’s club very willing to help and two good farmer welders that will be more than happy to help in any way they can. These are volunteers we had not thought about tapping and you don’t know until you ask!!! Now when spring comes we can go forth with renewed conviction that even old things can become new and new things can be done right with the help of the right people! Safety of the children is of utmost importance in park equipment. We solicited other information from Watertown Park and Recreation Office, met with the city council and contacted the afore mentioned people. Now, when Mother Nature lets spring “spring” we will be busy at the park!

Sunday, Feburary 24th several Conde Horizon members met at the community center to set some of our plans into action. Our strategic plan was reviewed, and updates on some of the projects were presented. There are alot of great ideas out there, lots of work to be done and only a few people to do it. Let’s try to get more people involved. Everyone is busy and time is limited but if we don’t step up and “do it” nothing will ever get done. Boost the morale in town, let’s show our pride and community spirit by all working together to better the life of Conde’s citizens.