History
In the fall of 1973, during a city council meeting, meeting minutes detail that May Willie B. Hamilton informed the board and citizens in attendance that there needs to be a Community Betterment. The Howardville residents agreed and decided that their number one priority was to develop an existing site to provide a city community center and park. For this purpose, the Howardville Park Board and Community Betterment program was formed.
The Community Betterment program consisted of the women in Howardville who worked with the young ladies in
4-H and Girl Scouts and organized a beautification project which consisted of planting flowers, trees, scrubs, and hedges. The young ladies grew up, graduated, and moved away from 1974 through 1985.
In 1997, Judge Andy Mosby found the old meeting minutes from 1973 through the 80's of the Howardville Community Betterment. The judge and advisors called a meeting and re-organized the committee. This time the Community Betterment was chartered with the state of Missouri in July of 1997, and received a tax-exemption status of a 501 (c) 3 in 2001. We have been chartered with the state for 16 years, in good standing, and are a member of the Missouri Community Betterment. We have held our tax exemption status for 12 years. Annual fundraisers are youth, senior, Black History, and Halloween parties and banquets. Along with the tradition of cleaning vacant lots and planting flowers and trees, various committees were formed to work on specific projects. These committees are all made up of citizens in the community.
Our Board of Directors/Community Advisors are the retired seniors of their various professions. We have a total of 38 service years in the community. The scales were adopted as the official logo, for justice and fair dealing. The logo represents material and spiritual balance.
The Community Betterment program consisted of the women in Howardville who worked with the young ladies in
4-H and Girl Scouts and organized a beautification project which consisted of planting flowers, trees, scrubs, and hedges. The young ladies grew up, graduated, and moved away from 1974 through 1985.
In 1997, Judge Andy Mosby found the old meeting minutes from 1973 through the 80's of the Howardville Community Betterment. The judge and advisors called a meeting and re-organized the committee. This time the Community Betterment was chartered with the state of Missouri in July of 1997, and received a tax-exemption status of a 501 (c) 3 in 2001. We have been chartered with the state for 16 years, in good standing, and are a member of the Missouri Community Betterment. We have held our tax exemption status for 12 years. Annual fundraisers are youth, senior, Black History, and Halloween parties and banquets. Along with the tradition of cleaning vacant lots and planting flowers and trees, various committees were formed to work on specific projects. These committees are all made up of citizens in the community.
Our Board of Directors/Community Advisors are the retired seniors of their various professions. We have a total of 38 service years in the community. The scales were adopted as the official logo, for justice and fair dealing. The logo represents material and spiritual balance.
Goal
To improve the business climate of the Howardville community and other underserved communities in the five (5) county area of the Missouri Bootheel, which are New Madrid, Pemiscot, Dunklin, Mississippi, and Scott.
Officers
Officers of the Howardville Community Betterment are the Executive Director, President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. There are six (6) committee chairpersons and seven (7) officers of the Restoration Committee. There are ten (10) Board Members/Community Advisors. All committee chairpersons are active and recruit youth, adults, and seniors that are available to assist with planning and implementing annual events and projects
Committees
These are the following committees:
- Park
- Youth
- Senior
- Education
- Health
- Newsletter
- Howardville School Restoration Committee (HSRC)