The Mother’s Club and a New Dichotomy
November 14th, 2007I remember when I first found the Mother’s Club website and took a look at the picture of the “Board.”
The fact that the Mother’s Club would have a “Board” at all, says something. It speaks of sophistication, education and organization. It also says that these could not be “old timers.” Because the families of “old timers” are so interconnected, that they would not need a “Board” to organize around “mother stuff.”
I remember looking at the photograph of the “large” group of the “Board,” 24 young women, and thinking to myself, that they looked well-educated, energetic, had money (by Newburyport standards).
I know how hard it is to organize stuff. And to have this level of co-operation and organization, in Newburyport, MA, is quite something.
To me, and this is just my take, for the most part it appears that the Mother’s Club is comprised, for the most part, of young “newcomers” who would have bought houses in the recent housing boom since the year 2000.
And at 500 families strong, they have built a community within this community. And I thought to myself, keep an eye on these folks–potential political force.
And yup, they most certainly are.
And the fact that the Mother’s Club held a “Newburyport Candidate Forum” for the November election 2007, that quite frankly, for a candidate who was serious about winning, “courting” this voter block, was a definite “must attend.” This says volumes about the political clout that this group of 500 young families plus has achieved.
And this could be part of the tectonic shift. When I moved here 25+ years ago, there was never a thought about organically forming an organization like this one. The emphasis was on just living here and fitting into the community.
The housing market has been so expensive since the year 2000 or so, that the young families, single folks and couples who have moved, here have to have some money, and probably some very sophisticated jobs, to be able to afford to live here.
And my take is that they would have a level of education and work experience that is atypical for Newburyport, MA.
And the folks that have moved here, with money (by Newburyport standards), education (we are not talking blue-collar worker here anymore) and sophistication, are changing how politics would be done in Newburyport, MA.
They have and are becoming involved in Newburyport, MA, politically and in other ways.
And as a “weird old newbie” this is my promise to myself. These folks love it here and aren’t going away. And I’m going to try and meet as many of these folks as I possibly can. So far, I’ve tried to meet folks with absolutely no preconceived ideas, and the folks that I have met, and that I have gotten to know, I like enormously.
Mary Eaton
Newburyport