Page 5 - MARCH2026

March 2026
NEWFOUNDLAKELIFE.COM
Page 5
Community
a “joyful reunion” in the flow of our town’s unfolding his- tory. Ned is reducing his role in community service but not ending it. (He will continue for a time as school moderator.) It seems appropriate that the town might add to his accolades with a special recognition. Ned, with his special knowledge of Bris- tol’s history and the humility of a self- deprecating sense of humor, has thought wistfully that Bristol might give him a lifetime appointment as the town’s “Hogreeve”. There was much concern at Bristol’s first Town Meeting in1819 about who should fill that position. The town had just incorpo- rated and wanted someone who could help promote the
town as a community of cul- ture and decorum. Ned has never chased pigs (i.e., hogs) from the town square, but as a
model and teacher of a caring civility among neighbors, he has demonstrated great skill in add- ing a special luster to the history of Bristol.
Hampshire Model Court Proj- ect, a trustee of many boards, as well as State Representative and Senator. He has received many awards for his service to his profession and to the State of New Hampshire. In spite of my inclination to turn our con- versation to the societal debates of the day, Ned was more in- terested in talking about Bristol and the good people who had influenced him, like the “...la- dies who do all the work at elec- tion time, making my voting day job at the polls a piece of cake,” of a local man who gave him a simple primer of a Moderator’s job to help him run meetings, of Sam Worthen, a local farmer dedicated to community service that included moderating pub- lic meetings and teaching Sun- day School. As we talked, Ned said, “I wanted to be like Sam Worthen.”
Ned and I continued to visit for two hours, sitting in comfort- able chairs, watching warming flames visible through the glass door of an iron stove. A window next to the stove, just as the win-
dow in the dining room, framed the nearby Pemigewassitt. I could only imagine the huge vol- ume of water that had flowed, although unseen, by the cottage as we met. As noon approached, it was time to end our visit. My gracious host would have given more of his time, but I did not want to overuse his hospitality.
As our time together ended, I experienced the private thought that Ned’s time as Town Mod- erator was reaching closure as well. I was aware that he had done that job for over three de- cades, a long time, but only a part of the half-century he had given to community service. It was in his role as Moderator that I
first witnessed the deep flow of Ned’s sentiments about the privilege of citizenship and the obligation of public service. He would convey these thoughts and feelings in his opening re- flections on the history and importance of town meetings. At these times, he would also share his “aspiration, hope and prayer” that all present would
Ned Gordon studies Bristol history.
“exhibit a spirit of goodwill and common purpose” and that “words be heard, and feelings felt”. He often concluded his invocation with an appeal that we not waste the ceaseless flow of time, that “we may make his-
tory, not be history”.
As I left Dow Cottage, I re-
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flected on the fact that Ned had done a great deal to make our annual effort at community decision-making not only pro- ductive, but, as he once said,
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