The Fourth of July is a day celebrated in Harvard with a concert and fireworks, a parade, and games for all ages in an annual burst of public spirit. The jampacked holiday is the work of the all-volunteer Fourth of July Committee, while the parade itself shows off the many businesses and volunteer organizations that make Harvard such a rich community.
Harvard’s can-do public spirit along with that of the other 294 towns of Massachusetts is not to be taken lightly. It has been an essential component of the town meeting form of government practiced in Harvard and elsewhere for more than 300 years, and the confidence that Massachusetts and the other 12 colonies could govern themselves underlies the words of the Declaration of Independence that we celebrate next week.
Perhaps we should think of the Fourth of July not only as a celebration of independence but also as a time to rededicate ourselves to making self-government work. Participation can take many forms. Some have the time and inclination to join a town board or run for office or staff a volunteer organization. But for others, attending hearings and forums, participating in town meetings, or voting in town elections is the most that can be expected. Both are vital to our form of government.
So come mingle with your neighbors at the concert and fireworks display at Fruitlands on Monday evening and then head for the Common to view the parade at 11 a.m. Tuesday and events on the school grounds afterward. But as we marvel at the creativity and good works of Harvard’s resident-powered organizations, maybe it’s time—to paraphrase a past U.S. president—to ask not what our town can do for us, but what we can do for our town.
