LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: LEADERSHIP CAPE FOSTERS VISION AND COOPERATION

To the editor:

On behalf of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's Leadership Cape Girardeau 2000 program, we would like to express our appreciation to the Southeast Missourian for the outstanding coverage of our monthly programs and leadership projects. Leadership Cape was developed to meet the following goals to help build and integrate Cape Girardeau's emerging leaders into the community's mainstream:

* Provide valuable and interesting information about Cape Girardeau and the surrounding area.

* Create unique opportunities for dialogue and rapport between the participants and existing community leaders.

* Stimulate and increase the level of commitment and participation in the community.

* Build an esprit de corps among class members for working together on present and future community projects.

Class participants are grouped in project teams and are encouraged to analyze and identify community issues and concerns for further research or consideration.

Members spent numerous volunteer hours researching, developing and presenting community leadership concepts, some of which have already been implemented.

In response to a previous letter to the editor and to a recent editorial, the purpose of the program is to identify, motivate and develop emerging leaders. While we can appreciate the desire not to duplicate existing programs or re-create previous community projects, our focus is not on research. Our focus in on creating visionary leaders who are committed to working together for the benefit of our community. It was not the intent of the leadership team addressing the mentoring program to recommend the development of a new mentoring program, but to encourage the coordination of existing mentoring programs within our community.

Again, we congratulate the Leadership Cape Class of 2000 on the development of five outstanding community projects: Facing Tomorrow Today (youth mentoring), Youth Action 2000, family aquatics center, Cape community calendar (may be viewed at www.semissourian.com) and Cape Girardeau Area Volunteer Center.

DON K. RHODES

KATHRYN J. SWAN

Co-chairmen

Leadership Cape Girardeau

Cape Girardeau