I’ve enjoyed presenting my program, “Moved and Seconded: NH Town Meeting, the present, the past, the future,” at historical societies around the state. It’s based on my book, Moved and Seconded: NH Town Meeting, the present, the past, the future. Only instead of a 350 page read, you get a 45 minute talk followed by (often) lively discussion. People love their town meetings! And they love to hate them. But mostly they respect the tradition. The ones who come to my program, anyway—admittedly a skewed sampling.
Here are some of the observations and comments that have come my way the last few weeks:
“Town meeting is local color at its best.”
“It’s where you get to see men wearing flannel shirts and ties.”
“Way too long.”
“Direct democracy. And chaos.”
“It’s like family.”
“It’s where sometimes you get people to change their minds.”
“Some don’t have minds to change.”
At each program I hand out a quiz. Here it is. Try your luck. Answers in my next blog. Also in my book, Moved and Seconded: NH Town Meeting, the present, the past, future, soon to be a major motion picture.
How much do You know about NH Town Meeting?
1) Far as we know the first Town Meeting was held in (a) Dover (b) Colebrook (c) Effingham (d) Exeter.
2) And that meeting took place in the year (a) 1639 (b) 1704 (c) 1776 (d) 1930.
3) Town Meetings are run according to Robert’s Rules of Order written by General Henry Robert in 1876, and based on the parliamentary procedure used in the US House of Representatives. (a) Yes (b) No.
4) The amount of time spent on an article is inversely proportional to the amount of money being raised by that article. (a) always (b) usually (c) sometimes (d) never.
5) Town meeting is traditionally held on (a) the third Monday in January (b) the second Tuesday in March (c) the fourth Saturday in May (d) the day after Labor Day.
6) A secret or paper ballot vote must be requested prior to a hand or voice vote and will be honored if (a) any voter asks (b) at least five voters ask (c) at least ten voters (d) a majority of voters present ask (e) varies town to town.
7) A tythingman (a) decides who is eligible to vote (b) is the Moderator’s deputy (c) ensures that people eschew debauchery, profanity, night walking, idleness or uncivil or rude practices, and seizes unlicensed liquors (d) leads the Pledge of Allegiance.
8) The difference between a motion to “indefinitely postpone” and a motion to “table” is ______________________.
9) The town with the record for the most town meetings in the same hall is (a) Union (b) Freedom (c) Orange (d) Langdon.
10) The only request for action that may legitimately interrupt a pending motion without a vote is (a) Call the question (b) Call to limit debate (c) Point of Order (d) Amend the article.
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