Character Trait of the Month - City of Owasso

B U I L D I N G C H A R A C T E R , F A M I L Y A N D
C O M M U N I T Y
A Community where good character is encouraged, recognized, and
rewarded; where character awareness is a high priority; and where
modeling of character is valued.
February 2014
“The value of an
idea lies in the
using of it”
- Thomas Edison
Resourcefulness vs. Wastefulness
“Finding practical uses for that which others
would overlook or discard”
Ingenio vs. Derroche
“Encontrar utilidad práctica para lo que otros
desecharían o pasarían por alto”
Resourcefulness in Unexpected Places
As part of a larger effort to devise stronger glue for
different types of tape, 3M researcher Dr. Spence Silver
created an adhesive that would hold paper in place
temporarily and leave no residue or damage when removed.
Several years later, Art Fry, a 3M researcher and choir
member, had trouble marking his hymnal with scraps of
paper that refused to stay in place. It occurred to Fry that
Silver’s adhesive might solve the problem.
Thus, the Post-it Note was born. If Fry had not thought of
Silver’s adhesive, sticky notes might still be unknown.
C I T Y O F O W A S S O
111 N. Main
P.O. Box 180
Owasso, OK 74055
Phone: 918-376-1500
Fax: 918-274-3415
Email: mdempster@cityofowasso.com
Often the best ideas come to those who are already busy
about something, and this activity leads them to see a need
or discover a resource. Whatever your immediate task, stay
alert to the resources around you.
Do not walk away from a good idea when it does not
appear to work immediately. You must consider the costs
and benefits, but in many cases, it becomes easiest to quit
just before the rewards surface.
Whatever you are doing, exercise particular alertness to
overlooked needs and resources.

CITY OF OWASSO
KEY CONCEPTS OF RESOURCEFULNESS
Time
When your ideas are too much for your schedule to fit, resourcefulness is learning how to make
better use of your minutes in order to free up more hours for pursuing your goals.
Relationships
When you lack the insight or capacity to accomplish something, resourcefulness is knowing whom
you can call upon for help.
Intellectual Capacity
Whether naturally brilliant or just “average”, whether highly educated or not, resourcefulness is
making full use of your intellectual capacity.
Character
Resourcefulness is most commonly thought of in terms of a person’s use of tangible materials.
However, resourcefulness is most important in the full and wise use of one’s intangible resources.
Resourcefulness Takes Wing
Resourcefulness in Nature
If a muskie is unable to obtain
enough food in the water, it will seek
alternative ways to find the food it
needs. Muskies have even been
known to jump out of the water to
reach birds perched nearby.
“Achieving True Success —
How to Build Character as a
Family” is available for
purchase at cost for $6 at
Owasso City Hall, First Bank
of Owasso, and the Owasso
Library.
Orville and Wilbur Wright studied
the ideas of German glider expert
Otto Lilienthal, aeronautics pioneer
Samuel Pierpont Langly, and aviation
historian Octave Chanute. They also studied
related fields such as animal mechanics.
When they built their airplane, the Wrights
manufactured parts from available materials or
ordered parts according to
precise specifications.
By finding new applications for others’ ideas and
locating materials that fit their needs, the Wright
brothers constructed and flew the first successful
airplane, laying a foundation for future
developments.
Be alert to the ideas and materials available,
and use them to meet needs
around you.
©Achieving True Success—How to Build Character as a Family