If you were wondering where the principals, superintendent and headmaster of our schools, executive directors and chief volunteer officers of local nonprofits, local business owners and town employees were the morning of March 4, chances are they were at the CLC YMCA.

The morning was facilitated by Y USA Resource Director Kellie Wardman for the purpose of gathering community leaders at the Y as it forges a new path of strengthening the foundations of community. Community leaders, along with Y staff and volunteers, worked together in communicating and brainstorming ways in which the CLC YMCA can further its work in youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.

“This gathering is also about asking and listening to others in our community about what they feel and believe our Y should be doing,” CLC YMCA CVO Dennis Anderson said.

From 7:30 to 8 a.m., participants enjoyed social time and breakfast and then were asked to move upstairs to their designated tables for the next hour and a half. Each table was carefully made up of community partners and representatives of each of the communities the YMCA serves. After hearing a Y impact story from CLC YMCA Tennis Pro, Cinda Holbach, table members were asked to answer and discuss five questions surrounding the following themes: seeking greater community impact; delivering our mission; living healthier; strengthening community; and bringing families together.

One last question was posed to respond to at the end of the gathering: "What organizations should be at the table for these kinds of conversations?” The list flowed!

CLC YMCA CEO Meagan Hamblett described the community forum as one component of the overall strategic planning process the CLC Y is currently going through.

“We are seventy-five percent of our way through the process which includes both board members and staff,” she said. “The information garnered at this community forum will be incorporated into the overall plan. We understand that it is only when the members of our community, most especially the decision makers and the opinion shapers understand the Y’s mission and all of the ways in which our YMCA gives back to our communities, our mission can really take action and have measurable impact.”

Next steps were shared with the group. On March 5 another strategic planning session was taking place. March 20 is a full board and staff retreat at Camp Kieve to work through the draft of the overall plan. After that, the plan goes to a board vote. In April and May, Y staff primarily and some volunteers will take the overall goals and objectives of plan and put working order to them. The how it will be accomplished, by when and by whom will take place at this time.

All attendees were invited to attend the Central Lincoln County YMCA’s 2015 Annual Meeting on Tuesday, April 28, 5:30-7 p.m., at the YMCA.

“This will be an impactful date in the history of the CLC YMCA, as it is here the strategic plan will be shared with Y members and the community at large,” Hamblett said.

Invitations will be in the mail the last week of March. In between now and then, an executive summary of the community forum is currently being drafted and will be shared with all community forum invitees.

Last and perhaps most important, Anderson and Hamblett recognize that the list of attendees was not 100 percent comprehensive despite best efforts at wanting to include all community leaders at the event. Therefore, they request anyone who did not receive an invitation to contact Meagan Hamblett at 207-563-9622 or mhamblett@clcymca.org to have contact information added for future events and correspondence.