As the newest class of Leadership Selma-Dallas County prepared for a weekend retreat Friday, Rep. Darrio Melton reminded them the program was much more than a fun trip.

It is a chance to take the reigns and lead Selma into a new and exciting era.

Melton, who participated in the program, said he never knew stepping in to  become a leader in his hometown would take him to Montgomery.

That is the awesome power of leadership training.

It is true some people seem as if they are born to lead. But everyone can use a little help in finding the right outlet for their leadership skills.

Melton stressed repeatedly the importance of young people stepping up in leadership positions in Selma.

We have many great leaders in the city today with a tremendous amount of vision and great ideas. But these people will not be around forever. It’s never too early for the next generation to step up and learn the ropes. It is also a great way to  keep our present plans and ideas on the radar.

When addressing the crowd, Melton said, “A lot of times we say we want things to change, but we don’t know why we want them to change. We just want things to be better. If we are going to be leaders, we have to be good stewards in the community first.”

Good stewards can do great things when they unite to promote positive ideas. Selma has a tremendous amount of potential and some fantastic young minds within city limits. We need those young minds working together to create a vision for the future.