LONGTIME ADDISON COUNTY Legislative Breakfasts coordinator Jim Morse recently died, but his daughter Beth, left, has decided to follow in his footsteps. Pictured, at right, is Leslie Morse-Jones, Beth’s sister.
Photo courtesy Beth Morse

MIDDLEBURY — Ironically, the coordinator of Addison County’s long running legislative breakfast series — featuring lively political discourse about goings-on at the Vermont Statehouse — was the person who spoke the least.

Jim Morse, omnipresent at the weekly sessions, would sit quietly at a table next to the moderator’s podium, glancing at a timer, dutifully ringing a bell if the speaker exceeded the allotted two minutes.

He was content to listen, gaining satisfaction from having facilitated the exchange of ideas at a forum first established by the Addison County League of Women Voters more than a half-century ago.

“He always said, ‘How would the (state) representatives know what we want unless they talk to the people?’” Jim’s daughter, Beth Morse, said of her dad. “He wanted to be able to give people that opportunity.”

Shepherding the legislative breakfast series, along with leading Bridport Grange No. 303, will be among his legacies to Addison County. Morse died on Nov. 9, following a hard-fought battle with cancer.

And now, a second generation of the Morse family has vowed to extend and deepen Jim’s legacies.

Beth Morse has announced she’ll succeed her dad in organizing the annual breakfast series, while also serving out his term as master of the Bridport Grange.

The national Grange organization was created in 1867 and gave rise to local chapters — including several in Addison County. Beth Morse called it a “community-based national organization that provides members the opportunity to lead, the opportunity to learn and the ability to make a difference through community service, grassroots legislative advocacy, and educational programs.”

Jim Morse was 14 years old when he first became involved with the Grange in Westfield, Mass. During the 1980s, he joined the Middlebury, Vt., chapter, which merged with Bridport Grange No. 303 during the 1990s, according to Beth. The Bridport Grange building, located at 3015 Route 22A, is the last Grange-owned structure in Addison County. It has drainage issues stemming from water runoff from the highway. This has caused moisture and rot in front of the building, limiting its use.

An architect inspected the Bridport Grange headquarters around three years ago and estimated I’d cost around $200,000 to make needed repairs and make it ADA-compliant, according to Morse. The group’s roughly two dozen faithful are committed to safeguarding the building for future generations.

“Members are excited to raise funds and open the building back up for Grange and community use,” Morse said. “This was (dad’s) dream, to be able to open the hall back up for things like a farmers market, to be able to use the full stage for things like theater and music.”

And legislative breakfasts.

The Bridport Grange customarily hosted the season’s first breakfast. State Sen. Chris Bray, D-Bristol, has been attending the breakfast series since 2007. He estimates he’s been to around 160 of them during his tenure in both the Vermont House and Senate.

Though attendance has dwindled through the years, he still sees the legislative breakfasts as an important point of contact between lawmakers and voters.

“There are many ways for a legislator to speak with constituents,” he said. “To me, the best forum is the one where you sit down with a person and have a conversation.”

He lauded Morse for having spent years rising before daybreak on cold winter mornings, driving out to the various hosting venues — largely a collection of churches, town halls, municipal libraries — to set up for the breakfasts. Attendees are offered food at 7 a.m., with the program beginning at 7:30 a.m. and ending at 8:45 a.m., sharp.

Bray said he admired Morse’s subdued stewardship style for the long-running series. 

“I saw him as one of those people who contributed to community in a quiet way that really helped make our community stronger — especially around having a forum for regular, civil public discourse around politics,” he said.

Beth Morse continues to sort out the 2024 edition of the legislative breakfast series. At this point, she’s looking at two Monday breakfasts per month during the legislative session, beginning the last Monday in January. She expects them to run through April, with a “session wrap-up” gathering in June, and the same program duration (7:30-8:45 a.m.).

Recognizing some folks would like to attend the breakfasts but are unable to do so because of physical frailty or geography, Morse wants to add a virtual component that would allow folks to watch live — and ask questions — from wherever they might be.

The Independent will publish a list of the 2024 legislative breakfast schedule when it’s finalized.

Once they kick off, it’ll be strange not to see Jim Morse seated near the podium, eyes on his bell and trusty timer. But he’d undoubtedly be thrilled to see his daughter sitting in for him.

Bray is looking forward to the new chapter while paying respects to the former.

“The fact that Jim Morse organized these conversations all over the county, for decades, was a huge contribution to helping Vermont maintain a sense of community, and helping legislators better understand the people they work for,” Bray said.

Reporter John Flowers is at [email protected].