Bloomingdale CHARACTER COUNTS Coalition

02/20/2026

Don't forget to nominate someone you think exemplifies character in our community. Our deadline for submittals this year is 27 February. Forms are available at

Bloomingdale (IL) CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition: To actively build & nurture trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, & citizenship.

12/18/2025

Here're two links: one to the CHARACTER COUNTS! Kindness 101 webinar and another to their Goal Map:

https://charactercounts.org/digital_classroom/webinar/

https://charactercounts.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Goal-Map.pdf

10/25/2025

Today at the Bloomingdale-Roselle Rotary Club-sponsored "Trunk or Treat 2025," Andrea (blue cape; trustworthiness) and Elaine (green cape; responsibility) of Westfield Middle School arguably drew the longest line of visitors at once (over three dozen) with their Bloomingdale CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition display! Congratulations!!! Attendance estimated to be over 2 thousand....

10/10/2025

Please take a look at the DuPage Senior Citizens Council website. They're looking for helpers for their much-valued Meals on Wheels program that has seen government funding cuts. Please help if you can. Their Volunteer Outreach Coordinator is Zach Neumann: [email protected]
at (630)642-8482.
https://www.dupageseniorcouncil.org/
Thanks! "Character counts in Bloomingdale!"

We are an active and aggressive advocate for senior independence and livelihood. DSCC is committed to our senior's well being, socialization, and security. Since 1975, DSCC has

10/08/2025

Check out

10/03/2025

Please join us for our 7 Oct 2025 Celebration Night!

Bloomingdale (IL) CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition: To actively build & nurture trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, & citizenship.

10/03/2025

The Bloomingdale Character Counts Coalition invites the community to the annual Character Counts Celebration on Tuesday, October 7th in Old Town Park. Students from DuJardin, Erikson, Westfield, St. Isidore, and Winnebago will showcase performances highlighting this year's pillar of Responsibility. The BAC Cheerleaders and the Park District Gymnastics Team will bring extra excitement to the evening.

A highlight of the evening is the presentation of the American Youth Character Award to one student from each school and one from the Park District’s athletic program, recognizing those who exemplify the Six Pillars of Character. Don’t miss this chance to celebrate the amazing character of our students and neighbors in Bloomingdale!

08/21/2025

Check out this review of General Stanley McChrystal's new book: "On Character: Choices That Define a Life": If you like, please "like." Thanks!

01/15/2025

Know someone who lives, works, or goes to school in Bloomingdale whom you'd like to publicly recognize by nominating as exhibiting a pillar of character? Check out and nominate them (submittal deadline 1 March) with links on this webpage:

Bloomingdale (IL) CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition: To actively build & nurture trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, & citizenship.

01/09/2025

4YI, please see the link below for an excellent video on ethics/character training by my (Bill Bahr) classmate Jim McDonough:

Description:

This video is a “command briefing” James R. McDonough gave to his staff while Secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections about a year and a half into his tenure (2006-08). While Secretary McDonough had given short talks to department members at various times about ethics, character, and leadership, this was to be his major effort to cement the view that corrupted or substandard leaders and lack of ethics were not to be tolerated. He uses the example of My Lai from Vietnam to illustrate the point of how inattention to the signs of negative attitude and poor leadership can lead to catastrophic disaster, which had occurred in the Corrections Department prior to his resulting appointment by Governor Jeb Bush.

https://youtu.be/9uQ8E6o8HYs?si=HbMePccl9UscZ9RU&t=2

Note: 4WIW, a renowned soldier and public servant, Colonel (USA, retired) McDonough is also a noted author. One of his several well-received books was about his Vietnam experiences: the much-acclaimed memoir “Platoon Leader” (also a movie).

This video is a “command briefing” James R. McDonough gave to his staff while Secretary of the Florida Department Corrections about a year and a half into hi...

12/15/2024

This video is a presentation of a Spring 2021 article in "West Point Magazine." Written by guest editor William J. Bahr, it gives an overview of how, tracin...