Dear Neighbors,

Woodbury Community Library warmly welcomes you to attend a presentation by author Susan Clark titled, "Rediscovering the Secrets of Town Meeting and Community," on building strong communities through civic engagement, at Woodbury Elementary School Gym on February 21, 2023 at 6:30 PM.

This presentation is one of several initiatives by the Library in cooperation with volunteers, town officials, and Woodbury Elementary School to provide information and activities promoting Town Meeting and citizen engagement in town governance.

In this presentation, Susan will explore the history and potential of New England's town meeting tradition. What can this community decision-making process teach us about democracy today? And how are towns applying these lessons to improve both the quantity and quality of local engagement? Additionally, the presentation will include time for questions, comments, and discussion by attendees.

About our featured speaker: Susan lives with her family in Middlesex, Vermont, where she serves as Town Moderator and Chair of Town Meeting Solutions Committee. Much of Susan's professional work is focused on building strong communities through civic engagement. Susan is a writer, teacher, award-winning radio commentator, and former talk show co-host. She co-authored the books, "All Those In Favor: Rediscovering the Secrets of Town Meeting and Community" (2005, with Frank Bryan); and "Slow Democracy: Rediscovering Community, Bringing Decision Making Back Home" (2012, with Woden Teachout); and recently she collaborated on the comic book, "Freedom and Unity: A Graphic Guide to Civics and Democracy in Vermont" (2022). In recognition of her work, Susan received the 2010 Vermont Secretary of State Enduring Democracy Award.

So please join us in welcoming Susan to Woodbury. Together we'll learn about our democratic traditions, current practices, and potential steps to keeping our town governments and communities strong.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Sincerely,

Woodbury Community Library

Myrna Miranda-O'Neill - Library Director
Sara VanHof - Board of Trustees (Chair)
Terri Eldred - Board of Trustees (Vice Chair-Treasurer)
Stephen Murphy - Board of Trustees (Secretary)
Laura Massell - Board of Trustees

Event Info

Dec 29, 2024, 9 to 11 AM

Jan 3, 2025, 6 to 9 PM

Jan 4, 2025, 9 to 11 AM