FERRIDAY &8212; After an introductory session last week, participants in the Ferriday leadership conference will jump right in today, identifying and assessing the role personality plays in leading the community.

Sandy Dooley, an agribusiness and economics professor at LSU AgCenter who is leading the program, said those attending would begin with a discussion of general leadership concepts &8212; including a clip from &8220;Patton&8221; &8212; before turning toward an examination of the group.

&8220;We&8217;ve going to give everyone a personality test,&8221; Dooley said. &8220;Then we&8217;ll get into small groups and work together as a team and process what we&8217;ve got.&8221;

Dooley said the test is a shorter version of the Myers-Briggs test that can be taken and analyzed in the same session.

Local organizer Johnnie Brown said the attendance for the opening week was good &8212; nearly 25 people &8212; especially considering what it was up against.

&8220;We didn&8217;t plan it that way but it fell on the night of the LSU game,&8221; he said.

And while the men&8217;s basketball team has at least one more game to play, Brown is glad it&8217;s on the weekend and expects another dozen or so people to come.

Brown said that anyone interested is still welcome to attend the free program for as many sessions as they choose.

&8220;Anyone interested in adding to the vision of the future of the community is welcome.&8221;

While the course presenters ask for a commitment to come to the entire session, Dooley said it is just a request.

&8220;We&8217;d love for you to (come to all the sessions),&8221; he said. &8220;But that&8217;s not a requirement.&8221;

The program is building to a point where problems unique to Ferriday and Concordia Parish are identified and tackled, Brown said.

And, though it&8217;s a little early to be narrowing the focus, he said one topic &8212; juvenile crime &8212; will almost certainly be taken on.

&8220;(Seventh District Judicial) Judge (Kathy) Johnson is very concerned about that and we&8217;re going to partner with her and the school board to address it.&8221;

Dinner will be provided for the 5:30 p.m. session by the Concordia Parish Sheriff&8217;s Office. Each session of the 10-week program will be held at the community center on Louisiana 15.