Gary Quehl and William Bergquist
[For the complete report on this project see The Sages among Us: Harnessing the Power of Civic Engagement, available as a link through the LPC Bookstore.]
In the four essays provided in this issue of Sage we continue the exploration (that we began in Issue Three and Four) of the central issue regarding Theory S: the civic engagements of the Sage 100. We will continue this exploration in Issue Six of Sage. In this fourth issue we explore the pluses and minuses of civic engagement for our emerging and senior sage leadership. Specifically, we investigate both the motivations associated with civic engagement for these men and women and the sacrifices being made by them on behalf of this engagement. What is the motivation and what are the sacrifices (if any)?
As we have done in previous issues, we also offer interviews with one of our emerging sage leaders and one of our senior sage leaders.
As we noted in Issue Four of Sage, it is not surprising that sage leaders of all ages continue to work in their favored civic organizations—because they derive great personal satisfaction and meaning from the experience. In this issue of Sage we drill down a little deeper and identify specific motivations associated with this work. We offer one essay on the motivations of emerging sage leaders and a second essay on the motivations of senior sage leaders. Sustained motivation is particularly important, given the sacrifices we have identified in the next two essay in this issue.
The Sacrifices of Effective Civic Engagement
The actual work of civic engagement and the dynamics of Theory S often require sacrifice for both the emerging and senior sages. In some cases, we find that there are minimal sacrifices (particularly among the senior sage leaders). In other cases, the sacrifices are great (especially for the younger, emerging sage leaders who often have to balance civic engagement with family and work obligations.) We offer one essay in which we address the sacrifices of emerging sage leaders and a second essay on the sacrifices of senior sage leaders.
Sage Leadership Interviews
As we have done in the four previous issues of Sage, we offer a more intimate and detailed portrait of two sage leaders who were interviewed for the project.
One of the interviews features Emerging Sage Leader, Katy Eckert. Katy has been a long term resident in Nevada County—her family having first built a cabin in the county when Katy was six years old. As an adult, Katy has been actively involved in health and human service programs. She has been particularly engaged in the process of mentoring.
The second interview is with senior sage leader, Hazel Shewell. While Katy has a long history in Nevada County, Hazel was born in England during the Second World War. She is involved in many different community projects, ranging from horse trails to musical programs and from working as a volunteer at Hospitality House to chairing the board of a theater in her community.