128 THE COUNTY AGENT'S SERVICES 



Efforts at community betterment which stop at a single 

 or occasional meeting can seldom accomplish their full pur- 

 pose. Large and permanent values grow out of sustained 

 interest and continued effort. Much may be started in a 

 single meeting. Usually, however, real accomplishment 

 grows out of discussion over a considerable period and well 

 considered action by the people of the community on the 

 basis of their knowledge and desires maturely arrived at. 

 No means serves the end of permanent achievement in com- 

 munity life better than the regular club or local meeting. 

 Moreover, the effect of these meetings is cumulative. 



SOCIAL VALUES 



The social contact is invaluable. No county agent can 

 be very efficient without it. He must know the people with 

 whom he is .working, especially the leaders, in a personal 

 way. They must know him for his personal worth and 

 character. Without such personal contact in a social way 

 the value of personality is likely to be lost and this great 

 asset of leadership dissipated. Confidence may not be es- 

 tablished or retained if acquired. Certainly enthusiasm 

 cannot be developed. 



No county agents or local leaders ever know just how 

 valuable even the most casual personal contact may be. 

 So often a word of encouragement, a little information 

 given, an opinion expressed or a suggestion carelessly 

 dropped may prove to be the seed out of which great good 

 grows. No influence is more potent than the continued 

 impression of one strong personality upon another. One 

 has only to look about him to find everywhere ample evi- 

 dence of the truth of these observations. 



