Opinion: Rural communities need younger residents to become leaders, but some changes may have to come first

Calendars and contact information
can be shared multiple ways.

Older Americans often dominate positions in local government and social circles that influence a rural area's civic activism. While it benefits the "Old Guard" to remain active, their resistance to inviting a younger, more "techy" cohort of residents into their ranks has led to a decline in community engagement and volunteerism, writes Donna Kallner in her opinion piece for The Daily Yonder. 

"Rural communities need younger people to step up into leadership roles in local government, volunteer organizations, churches, schools, and families," Kallner explains. "But too often those younger people run up against ways of doing things. . . .The Old Guard in the other group shuts down any idea or strategy that isn’t a legacy from the 20th century. . . . And then people moan about how you can’t get anyone to volunteer, or run for office, or call to engage."

Kallner encourages more senior members of rural communities to develop relationships with younger residents that welcome, respect, and promote their voices and contributions -- even if that means changing the way things "have always been done" and using some technology to lighten everyone's loads. A few of her lightly edited suggestions are shared below.

Respect everyone's time. Show up on time, knowing what needs to be accomplished and get to it. That’s baseline respect for people who, in order to be there, have made child care arrangements, rushed from work with maybe a bun-and-run for supper, and still have to clear snow from their driveways when they get home. 

Be open to using technology. Today’s cell phones put remarkable tools in our pockets. Tools like calendar apps with a handy, customizable feature called Notifications that can give a heads up the evening before and/or day of an event or when a task needs to be done. Trying to be respectful of other people’s time? Set repeating alarms for monthly meetings to sound early enough to get there on time. 

Share contact information, courtesy and grace. A text group can alert a dozen people before they even leave home when a power outage or plumbing issue closes the coffee shop where you expected to meet. . . . Especially if you’re an event organizer, be sure to share and re-post your cell number. Remember to check your messages and voice mail so you can relay information to those unable to attend.