Faith, SD

Please comment on these questions to help us determine our goals.

8. Sustaining action and creating structural change around leadershipWhat is your community’s plan for maintaining a strong community leadership system?

How can your community sustain the changes it has already made in its leadership?

What structural changes have been made in how the community does its work/makes decisions?

What structural changes have been made so that your community leadership sustains partnerships with others?

12. Sustaining action and creating structural change around communityHow will your community make decisions about seeking further resources to support its plans?

Is a system in place to seek, receive, monitor and report on new resources to support community work?

Is a system in place to maintain contact with, or to continue to work with other communities? With your Delivery Organization? In other partnerships?

What new resources have been secured to assist the work of the community?

A couple people from the Horizons group attended a seminar in Philip recently that looked at how small communities can market or brand their community.  Dr. Milan Wall from the Heartland Center in Nebraska presented some very useful information on taking the assets your community has and building on them to solidify our future.  He showed some success stories and tried to related those examples to things pertinent to each community.   The idea is to build on things your community has - be it the Stock Show and Rodeo, the SUE exhibit, our new Community Center, the Western Lifestyle, or a multitude of other assets we have and show them off to the world.  Creating success with current assets will carry over and fuel successes for other things the community wants or needs.  One thing that we came away with was that you can even market your people and the lifestyle and that is something we have - good people and a wonderful lifestyle.  Faith is a respected community and has always been know as a community of “Can Do” people and that is a tremendous asset!   Meetings like these seem to remind you of what we really have - I would challenge everyone to take a moment to think about what we really do have (which is alot) and then maybe think of how we can use those things to our advantage and fuel more things.  Every person in our community can be our best promoter - if asked about Faith are you a promoter??  Or do you say nothing is going on and things are doom and gloom?? If you think nothing is going on then you’ve ignored the requests to attend Chamber meetings, Council meetings, Fire Dept, Stock Show, Church functions, School Board, etc. etc. etc…., you’ve missed the youth athletic events held 3, 4, or five nights a week and you missed the One Act plan just presented.  Take 2 minutes and look at what we really have(email if you need suggestions, we’ve made a LONG list) and the next time someone asks about Faith really tell them what’s here and what we have - be just as proud of being from Faith as Faith is of having you!!!!!!

Committees from the Faith Chamber of Commerce and the Faith Volunteer Fire Dept. met on Monday night the 24th to start getting ready for this years Demolition Derby to be held on Saturday June 14th. Discussion was held on the amount of added prize money, which organization will be responsible for which aspects and so on - mostly just a brainstorming session to get things rolling. There are still some things that have to be finalized before anything is set in stone, but we’ll be keeping you posted. The committee must go to a City Council meeting as well as a Faith Stock Show meeting to ask permission to use the arena and coordinate scheduling. We’re anticipating a larger turn out of spectators this year with the “SUE” exhibit being here, so we want to make sure all the i’s are dotted and t’s crossed. Working with the Stock Show Assoc. and the 4-H Rodeo to properly prepare the arena before and after the Derby will be key, particularly this year since the 4-H rodeo is being held the weekend after Father’s Day and the arena will need to be put back in tip top shape.  Any idea’s, thoughts, suggestions, or volunteers are welcome - contact the Chamber or the Fire Dept!

The Faith Student Council held its 2nd Annual Kickball Tournament on March 18th at the Faith Community Center.  Seven teams were entered and ready to play.  This years champions were named, “Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner”  It is a double-elimination tournament where anyone in the high school or staff are eligible to play. Several parents and community members also attended to cheer on their favorite team. It was a fun night for everyone!

The Kids Easter Egg Hunt will be held Saturday March 22nd at 11am in the Faith City Park. The age divisons are 0-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-9, 10-12. Some of the prizes that you might find in an egg include Uncirculated Set of Quarters, $5.00 Cash, Italian Soda, John Deer Sound Keys, Jump Rope, Barnyard Card Game, Kids Workshop Bird Club House, Crossword Puzzle, Personal Pizza’s, Lip Balm, Jack in the Box, 3-D Foam Art Set, Spiderman Card Game, Monopoly Card Game, Artist Set and great candy. Everyone is invited particpate and join in the fun, it is said the maybe the Easter Bunny might stop in and help the youth the eggs.

On Saturday, April 5, 2008, the Faith High School will host its prom.  Each year, we also have a post prom party afterwards for the students.  This helps keep a safe, drug and alchohol free environment for the students and still have a full night of fun!

 We are contacting you, the businesses and citizens to ask for sponsorship for this activity.  We appreciate either cash donations or prizes.  The cash donations are used to purchase additional prizes for the students, provide food, and entertainment for the evening.

 If you are willing to donate to this worthwhile event, please drop your cash donations or prizes off at Farmers State Bank, PO Box 187 Faith, SD 57626.  The checks can be made out to Post Prom Committee.

Thank you so much for your time and consideration.  Please feel free to call Donella Elshere at 788-2812, or Famers State Bank at 967-2191 and ask for Donella or Teresa if you have any questions.

Since the weather was sooo snowy on Monday February 11th (and we’re not complaining) all of the festivities were cancelled.  However, we still need to open the Fitness Center.  So, we have rescheduled the opening for February 20th.  More details to follow.  Sorry for any inconveniences.

We are getting excited!! The fitness center will have the ribbon cutting at 4:00 PM Monday, February 11!! We are pleased to say that a majority of the equipment donated came from the Hills area!! People came forward after seeing our article in the Rapid City Journal. Eight pieces of very heavy equipment was donated by the Rapid City Christian School!! It is wonderful when communities help out other communities in need!!

On January 29th, several Horizon’s II members and various volunteers gathered to unload and carry up many stairs, several large pieces of equipment donated to the new fitness center.  A comment from one of the volunteers was, “it was 5,000 lbs of rukus.”  The fitness center will be located above the police department in Faith, in the old city office.  The Grand Opening will be on February 11th.

Tonight, January 30th, at 5:00 p.m. we are going to have a set-up work night for the fitness center. We are asking anyone in the community to show up at the fitness center that is interested in helping set-up the fitness center. We have lots of equipment and a TV that was donated by the school to haul up the stairs. There will also be taco soup for supper for everyone that helps. If everyone would please pass the word so that we can get a much help as possible.