Betty Moore has been giving back to Hampton since 1985
By Mike Bisceglia
Seacoast Scene, June 25 - July 1, 2015
[The following article is courtesy of the Seacoast Scene]
HAMPTON - "I suppose I believe that my life is so much more enriched when I'm outside of my everyday routine doing something to make my little corner of the world just a bit better."
Those words were spoken by Betty Moore, and she definitely does more than speak them . . . she lives them!
"I suppose I've always been about community involvement. It's just a part of me. From growing up in the upper Midwest, where I took an active role as a Girl Scout while I was in junior high school, I suppose I simply saw the beauty and the need to work within the community. The amazing thing for me is that once I became involved in one entity within the community, it seemed only natural that I would be involved in another . . . and then another."
When Betty arrived in Hampton in 1985, it was love at first sight.
"I grew up in an area where a 100-year old building is considered old. Immediately upon moving here, I was struck by the quality of the place; the amazing amount of history there is right here on the streets where we live and just how immensely beautiful the seacoast area truly is. Each day I wake up and tell myself how blessed I am to live here. By saying that and meaning it, I set out to do all that I can to help enhance the quality of life in the community in which I live. One might think that being involved can be very taxing. Absolutely not! Quite the opposite is true. By being involved, I have become more energized. And, not only do I feel great about what I am doing, I get to meet so many like-minded people who also feel wonderful about Hampton. People can't help but love their town if they are working to constantly make it a better place, and are working right along side others who believe exactly the same way."
"I got here just in time for the town's 350th anniversary. I was so jazzed about the vitality of life in this town that I immediately became a school volunteer and a Cub Scout leader. I did that from 1985 to 1991. "
"The town's strong sense of history may have inspired me to complete a museum studies program at Tufts University . I'm glad I did, because I began to take an active role in the Hampton Historical Society. That was in 1988. I became President in 1993 and Executive Director in 2001. Through my involvement in the Society, I have come to know folks in other community organizations. We network well and have played off each other's strengths to develop some wonderful symbiotic relationships."
"I became involved in local government in 1994 as a Supervisor of the Checklist. I did that until 2000, when I became a poll worker for supervisors. I did that until 2010. In addition, I became an alternate to the Hampton Heritage Commission from 1996 to 1998. There, I learned of the James House Commission. I joined it, and developed the education program and ran school programs for the Association from 1995 to 1998."
"One of my passions is gardening. I love to work in the soil. So, it seemed only natural that I should become a New Hampshire Master Gardner. In the 15 tears of my involvement, I taught gardening classes locally; I helped to organize three garden tours for the Historical Society, and I currently maintain the flower gardens at the Tuck Museum and at the corner of Locke and Winnacunnet Road. I was a member of the Hampton Garden Club from 1999 to 2009. In 2001, I was elected President."
"I love to read, so I became a Friend of the Library. The Lane Library is such an amazing place; I simply enjoy helping to sort books and help with semi-annual public book sales."
"Experience Hampton has become one of my new joys. I love it and I loved working on the parade committee for 2011 and 2012."
"Hampton and vicinity have so many gifted artists. It has been my pleasure to be involved with the Hampton Arts Network. I have been on the Board of Directors for it from 2012 to 2013."
"Now, with two grandchildren in Indiana, Ben and I want to allow ourselves enough free time to visit them several times a year. This doesn't mean an end to my community involvement; it just means that I'm going to limit myself to two programs. One has to remain the Historical Society. We've watched it grow and become a real factor in the community. We are just about to offer "History Bits." This will be a series of mini-markers in the area which will designate where small moments in our town's past occurred. In addition, I'm involved in helping to bring into reality the Society's second building on Lafayette; this will be a research facility and should be of particular interest to those who want to research into Hampton's past."
Betty is rather humble about her dynamic involvement in the Hampton community. In fact, she would rather have discussed the wonderful endeavors of so many locals rather than the fact that she was the recipient of the Chamber of Commerce Achievement Award in 2013.
"I enjoy Hampton. That's it in a nutshell. I don't set myself up as a model for others, although I am delighted when others, especially the kids, tomorrow's future, will say hello to me in the store and tell their parents that they know me from the Museum or from a visit to their school. I think I would be thrilled to learn that the kids I know today become the true leaders of the region tomorrow. That certainly would be an amazing thing, wouldn't it?"