Social Ecology
(From Aaron's Scott talk to the community at the closing ceremony in 1999.)

I am the Sociology Master's student working with the Design Team in Cotter. For the past eight weeks, I have been interviewing various people of your community, attempting to get a better understanding of what changes Cotter might benefit from socially.

Now, of course, no one wants to be told how to lead his or her life or what they need to change about themselves or their community. That is not my goal tonight.

My goal is to give you some things to think about as citizens of a community. A community that is looking toward physical and economic change. I want to speak to you about the future social ecology of your community. What I mean by "social ecology" is the relationships of people to their social environment. These relationships are what we have come to call "institutions."

There are five institutions of human life that are of utmost importance to pay attention to in any society, or for our purposes, any community. These institutions are: Family, Church, School, Media and Government.

Each of these institutions plays a particular role in the development of a person, on the small level, and of a community, on a larger level. But keep in mind, these institutions are made up of people. They do not remain without people involved in them. At the same time, they can either serve us or hurt us.

After spending eight weeks here in Cotter, I became concerned about the health of these institutions.

You might ask yourselves the following questions and think about your first impressions of each institution.

· How does my government, my local media, my local school, my church, and my family improve my community?

· How is my local school, church or family working to change Cotter for the better?

· What am I doing, as an individual, to make these institutions better and more responsible to the community they are part of?

· What do I personally think about these institutions? Are these thoughts accurate?

Remember, you are the government. You are the family. You are the church. You are the media. And you are the school. But . . . only in your relationships with the rest of the community. The responsibility of the social health of Cotter lies in your hands. The less you have a hand in deciding what is good for your community, the more someone else will decide for you. 

When it comes to getting something accomplished, my father has taught me that there are three principles to keep in mind: 
· CONVICTION, a strong belief in what you are trying to accomplish
· COMMITMENT, dedication to that belief or goal no matter what, and
· SACRIFICE, giving up what you want now to achieve a goal more worthwhile in the long run. 

But these words are empty without a guiding moral.

I'm sure the kids at Columbine High School in Colorado had all three of these principles. But their overall moral was corrupt. And so their actions became corrupt. These three principles have got to include an overall guiding force. That force should be "to accomplish that which benefits more than just myself." Our moral guide, then, should be "the common good."

I'm sure many of you are saying, "Well, thanks a lot. You're a real help. Can you be any more vague, Aaron?"

Yes, I can be more vague, and I will. The common good is what you, as a community, decide it to be. I cannot tell you what the common good is for Cotter; only you can find this out. I will tell you one thing, though. Only through a negotiation of the values of the past and the values of the present, the values of men and the values of women, the values of work and school and the values of home, the values of neighbor and neighbor will you achieve your community's common good. And all of this starts with the willingness to communicate with one another. The best place to start communicating . . . is in your institutions: Family, Church, School, Media and Government.

We can design and redesign your town, the future Cotter. But Cotter is not only buildings and land. Cotter is people. You can make Cotter a great  community and a prosperous community. But you must also keep it a good community - A decent city - A socially healthy environment for future generations - A community not only with a mind, but also with a heart and a helping hand. When all is said and done, to truly say that Cotter is a success, you must accomplish both. It is only by becoming involved in your institutions and working toward the "common good" that you can achieve both. It all starts when you enter the discussion.

There's a lot of work to be done. And I'm glad to see so many of you here tonight willing to be a part of that.

Thank You.

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