The soon-to-be Adams County Board of Supervisors is on to something.

The two returning members and three newly elected members met for much of the day Wednesday for a day of orientation. They toured county facilities, talked to county department heads and spent time sharing their own ideas.

It’s not a novel idea for most of us. Most new jobs offer some form of orientation.

But it’s not something any of our local governments have done often in recent years. Too often the first official board meeting is the first time the board members ever sit down together.

If we expect a group of people to work effectively together, we must expect them to get to know each other.

Once the board members officially take office in January it will be illegal for more than two of them to gather privately, but having more frequent public get-togethers could work wonders for the effectiveness of the board.

The new board seems eager to start things off on the right foot, and that should be a good sign for the people of Adams County.

We hope this board and others will take time to write out an official orientation policy for new board members.

A little preparation is likely to go a long way.