Choosing Civility In Howard County

In many communities, the lack of good manners and civility sparks complaints and frustration.  In Howard County Maryland, it sparked a Civility Movement that has been growing in scope and influence since its official launch in 2007. 

From their Choose Civility Symposium the first week in October, 2011, to the multi-faceted and ongoing Choose Civility campaign and partnerships across neighborhoods, schools, businesses and civic organizations, the quest for a responsible, bully-free community has caught on in a big way.   One of the motivators behind the action is Valerie J. Gross, President and CEO of the Howard County Library System in Howard County, Maryland, who Purple America interviewed for our first Values-In-Action profile. 

For Gross, the libraries are the heart of the movement, both the catalyst and the epicenter.  “It fits within our mission to deliver high quality education for all ages, and since everybody is our customer, from schools to our alliance partners, it made sense for the library systems to take the lead.”    

The program is most visible out and about with the car magnets they give away at the libraries.  The “Choose Civility” magnets have even spawned tongue-in-cheek imitators from “Choose senility” to “Choose civility or else!!&*#.”  “We have a sense of humor about it,” says Gross, “and the accidental success of the bumper magnets (with over 65,000 distributed in the community) has lead to a greater visibility for the website, the civility themed classes like ‘Kindness Counts’ and even the Rotary Club banners that are on display in the school gym. 

Embracing civility as a community grows in impact as alliance partners in the Howard County area join in, including Howard Community College, Girl Scouts of Central Maryland, The Civility Initiative at Johns Hopkins and Howard County Rotary Clubs, among many other government and private organizations and businesses.  The wide range of Civility events and activities offer opportunities for all residents to participate and reap the benefits of increased civility across the community on every level. 

The Choose Civility Awards culminates this week with the recognition of ten individuals who have made notable achievements in demonstrating Howard County’s 15 Principles of Civility.  Even sports are an opportunity for Howard County residents to consider how to incorporate civility and kindness. 

“We designed the program so it would take off,” says Gross.  “We have chapters in other areas now, and that’s wonderful, it expands, bolsters and strengthens the vision.”  And based on people’s stories that are documented on Howard County’s video podcast and social network, and letters to the Editor, Valerie Gross is confident that Civility is on people’s minds more now.

“It’s taken off so well and been such a big success and we didn’t know why at first.  But we aspire to live the vision here, and choose to be model of civility.  We realize we’re human, and we all appreciate the reminder to aspire to live the vision.”