WHITINGHAM-"Today is bittersweet," said outgoing Town Moderator Leon Corse. "I've ... mostly ... enjoyed my time as moderator," he joked in his farewell statement on March 4.
Anyone who witnessed Corse moderating would see a meticulous follower of Robert's Rules of Order who also oversaw meetings with an understated sense of humor while wearing a big smile.
An organic farmer, Corse thanked his wife Linda for "her unwavering support and assistance" and for keeping the farm running while he presided over long meetings.
"Because when you run a farm, and you need to be someplace else at 10 in the morning, it's not always easy, and she's been a big part of that happening," he said to a round of applause from the audience.
Corse said his friends and neighbors recognized his potential as town moderator several years before he did. They asked him to serve several times before he finally agreed to run. Voters first elected Corse in 1985 at age 31.
He recalls that the opportunity to lead was one reason he decided to run for office.
"I enjoy leading people," he said.
Corse has served on multiple boards and committees. He sits on the board of the Dairy Grazing Alliance, based in Wisconsin,and participates in the organization's apprenticeship program. The Corse Farm has hosted three apprentices, one of whom is now part of the business's succession plan.
Corse also holds positions with the Organic Valley Co-op, is on the Greenfield Farmers Cooperative Exchange board of directors, and was recently appointed by the Vermont secretary of agriculture, food, and markets, Anson Tebbetts, to the Agency of Agriculture's Agricultural Innovation Board.
Town Meetings have changed over Corse's 40 years. In his early years as Town Moderator, he said the attendance at the annual meeting was four times that of today. And yet, he could call on everyone by name.
The dwindling attendance at Town Meeting concerns Corse, who was instrumental in changing state law to allow towns to hold their annual meetings on Saturdays.
Whitingham held its Annual Town Meeting on Saturday for approximately five years before switching back to the first Tuesday, he said. While different people may have attended the weekend meeting, the number of voters in the audience remained.
The weekend meetings also increased work for the Town Clerk's office because it still needed to hold elections on the first Tuesday.
In Corse's experience, fewer people prioritize civic functions and participation. He wonders what will happen to Annual Town Meeting over the next 50 years.
Corse looks forward to sharing his opinions at future Town Meetings. "Because I have plenty, but for 40 years, I've needed to leave them home," he said, smiling.
This News item by Olga Peters was written for The Commons.