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Volunteers sat ready and waiting for people to register at the first non-youth oriented Together Aiken County meeting, which was held at Midland Valley High School.
Folks concerned about the future of Aiken County registered at the January 31 public idea gathering meeting of Together Aiken County.
A participant signs in at the registration table prior to the start of the meeting.
Aiken County Councilman Charles Barton and Aiken County Councilwoman LaWana McKenzie talked with Joan Wilson Donnelly, Aiken County Assistant County Administrator, before the meeting began.
People mill around prior to the start of the first non-youth public idea gathering meeting of Together Aiken County.
Aiken County Councilwoman LaWana McKenzie opened the January 31 Together Aiken County meeting. She referred in her opening comments about how our county pulls together during crises, such as following the recent train wreck in Graniteville.
The young man who led the Pledge of Allegiance and the minister who offered the invocation are shown talking with each other.
Debra Folk went over what is in the 'Idea Gathering Meeting Participant Kit' that each person is given when he or she registers. Each kit includes meeting details, workshop guidelines, and answers to two questions:- 'What happens to my Ideas?' and
- 'What can I do after this Meeting?'
Facilitator Stan Goodman wrote down ideas that participants shared during that portion of the Idea Gathering Meeting devoted to the 'recording of ideas'. On the far right side, you can see the camera from one of the local media who came to report on Together Aiken County.
Some facilitators worked in pairs to make sure that every idea brainstormed by meeting participants was recorded. Every idea recorded was preceded by a number in order to make it easy for group members to participate in the prioritization or ranking process.
Each person in each group was asked to select from all the ideas generated the five ideas that he or she considered most important and to rank them. Prioritization helps those who will implement the ideas have a place to start. Here, facilitator Stan Goodman shuffled the cards upon which his group ranked their 'Top 5' ideas.
Stan Goodman prepared to write down next to each idea number the ranking that each participant had placed on his or her 'Top 5' most important ideas.
The facilitator recorded the ranking of each idea as it was read. Here, group member LaWana McKenzie read the ranking that each participant in her group had assigned to his or her 'Top 5' ideas. When the rankings were added up, each group's priorities became obvious.
All four facilitators reported back to the whole group the 'Top 5' ideas of their respective small groups.
Public idea gathering meeting participants listened to the facilitators read the 'Top 5' ideas from their respective small groups.
Elected officials showed their commitment to the visioning process by participating in the public idea gathering meetings. Pictured here from left to right are Aiken County Public School Board member Larry Murphy, Aiken County Councilman Charles Barton, Aiken County Councilwoman LaWana McKenzie, Aiken County Councilman Eddie Butler, Mike Simons and Aiken County Councilman Scott Singer.
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