Promising our youth a better tomorrow

January 18, 2024

Melissa Studley
TOWN OF LANCASTER COUNCILMEMBER



I wish to thank the many who gave of their time on New Year’s Day to join Bob, Diane, Dawn and myself for our swearing-in ceremony. It was wonderful to celebrate the event within the splendor of our historic Town Hall and Opera House.

In my professional life, I have worked with children to overcome obstacles. This way, they have a chance to achieve all which life has to offer. On Jan. 1, I watched for the reactions of my daughter and the other children in the audience. For myself, those glimpses and gazes reminded me of the reason I was about to swear my oath, a sacred pledge to be taken on the very Bible that was given to my mother by her parents, when she was activated for Operation Desert Storm.

The ceremony felt like a reaffirmation of my family’s commitment to public service, and I take my civic purpose seriously: to make Lancaster a safe, healthy and prosperous community, a treasure that can be proudly passed on to my child and all of Lancaster’s future generations.

Lancaster’s children do not see us as Republicans or Democrats, Conservatives or Independents. They do not see us as officeholders or office seekers. They see only moms and dads, grandmothers and grandfathers, who they love and trust. They depend on us to keep them safe, healthy and secure. Since it is our duty and challenge to ensure the promise of our youths’ future, perhaps it may be wise for each of us, the newly installed keepers of the public trust, to write a letter to the current children of Lancaster. It could tell of our hopes and dreams, and how we will secure for them a better future. Those letters should then be placed in a time capsule to be opened on New Years Day 2074.

I believe writing these letters will help guide our thinking, as public officials, connecting what we do with what we aspire to do for future generations in Lancaster.

Reference: https://www.lancasterbee.com/pagevie...4-01-18#page=5