U.S. Census officials began the 2010 campaign by asking citizens "to make sure you are counted."

Scotland County took the message to heart.

Not only did Laurinburg exceed the national average for participation, but four areas in the county saw a double digit percentage increase in participation.

To date, about 69 percent of county residents participated in the 2010 Census. That is an increase of 13 percent compared to the 2000 census results.

Laurinburg saw the greatest participation. According to preliminary Census figures, the city had a participation rate of about 78 percent compared with the national rate of 72 percent.

"We are happy to report that your county had a higher percentage than the 2000 Census," Regional Census Specialist Terry Henderson told county leaders at a recent early morning meeting. "That is outstanding."

Henderson is right.

Part of the credit for the upswing in local participation has to go to the Census folks who began planning for the 2010 effort several years in advance. The Census Bureau employed about 135 Scotland County residents to help collect information.

The bureau also targeted with special initiatives those populations that have traditionally been hard to reach, including African Americans, migrants workers, college students, older adults and rural migrant workers. It was also helpful that the 2010 Census form was one of the shortest in U.S. history, consisting of 10 questions, taking about 10 minutes to complete.

Kudos must also be given to the Scotland County Complete Count Committee that worked diligently to see that every county resident was included. Committee members often stressed how important the effort was for the county. They know that the federal government uses the census information to help determine who gets more than $400 billion annually. That pays for expenses such as school lunches, college tuition and medical care. Census data also affects the number of representatives a state gets in Congress.

Planners also use Census statistics to identify where highways, bus routes and train stations should go.

The effort is now in its final phase, focusing on completion of the count and ensuring its accuracy. That will include follow-up phone calls, confirming what houses are vacant and rechecking addresses.

Census officials say the final participation tally for Scotland County could reach 71 percent.

President Barack Obama will get a look at the final results in late December, but we already know what kind of effort Scotland County has made.