Interesting Characters • Ongoing Story
Why Character Matters
Character is the foundation of every right choice. It is the fuel for healthy relationships. It influences an individual and defines a community. Character strengthens business and helps the economy grow. It adds lasting value that affects every quality of life.
Character doesn’t happen by accident. It is defined by the core values we talk about, the choices we make, the stories we celebrate and the lives transformed by our healthy relationships with one another.
The Owasso Character Council works to strengthen the character of our community. Through strategic partnerships (with local families, faith, education, business and government) the Owasso Character Council provides resources and opportunities for individuals and organizations to discover and celebrate those qualities of character that make our community a great place to live.
A community is about more than just where we live. It’s about what we do together. When it comes to character, a community is strengthened when we all work from the same playbook, a common understanding of common values. The Owasso Character Council can provide your family or organization with the tools they need to strengthen our understanding and application of those core values, in your home, church, school, workplace and within our government.
It’s about casting in and calling out. We cast in character by helping one another understand the principles of good character, by talking about those things we value most and by celebrating those who get it right. It builds a common language with a common understanding so in those moments when our resolve is tested we can call out character. We can remind one another, this is the standard. When the choice is difficult when mistakes are made when things don’t go as expected character becomes the road map to help us stay on track or get back on track. We begin to make choices based on who we are rather than what is expedient in the moment.
Character matters. It doesn’t happen by accident, but by a deliberate decision to invest our time, attention and resources to strengthen those values that make our community great.
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The Beginning
In 2002, a small group of committed people came together with a belief that character strengthens a community. They began to look for ways to encourage one another and the people of our city to grow in character. Our city government, schools, churches, and businesses began to talk about one quality of character each month. You see these traits on banners all over town. They’re read at City Council Meetings and they’ve been part of every monthly Chamber Luncheon since 2002. On May 21, 2002, the Owasso City Council proclaimed Owasso a “City of Character” in cooperation with the International Association of Cities of Character.
Our Mission
The Owasso Character Council will strengthen Owasso residents, families, and the community as a whole by promoting excellence in character, helping Owasso to become known as a “City of Character.”
Therefore:
- We will strive to establish a community culture that encourages, recognizes, and rewards good character.
- We will encourage character awareness in every sector of the community (family, faith, education, business, and government) by focusing on the monthly Character Quality.
- We will strive to inspire excellence in character by modeling personal character growth.
For More Information
Contact Michele Dempster, Owasso Character Council Coordinator, 918-376-1535.