Ralph Hammond Named Citizen of the Year

By Meredith McCulloch

Ralph Hammond has been named Bedford’s Citizen of the Year for 2013. Look for him in the Bedford Day parade and in the ceremony honoring him that day. After only a few minutes of conversation, one can feel his passion for educating children, volunteering at the Veteran’s Hospital or supporting the many literacy programs of the Rotary Club. His commitment is real and contagious.

Hammond grew up in Bedford and recalls playing with other children all over his neighborhood when “there were more cows than children in Bedford.” His role models for public service were his parents, who were active in the community.

The children in his neighborhood would play on Herb Clark’s farm and then help out by bringing in the cows or gathering hay. They could canoe on the river and play pickup sports. After Hurricane Carol they found new places to ice skate when the excess water froze.  “I’m fortunate to have grown up in Bedford and at that time.”

He says we should listen to the children, recalling the time that  1st and 2nd grade students came to him to ask about starting a club at school. “Of course you can, but a club needs a purpose,” he told them. “What is your purpose?” The children said they did have one, “We want to save the world.”

His professional life in the Bedford schools spanned 26 years, beginning as a classroom teacher and concluding as principal at the Lane Elementary School. Along the way he also served as principal of Davis School, and vice principal at Center School (now closed and rehabilitated as Town Hall and other town offices.)

Among his innovations were establishing a week long “Nature’s Classroom,” which provided hands-on experience of the natural world. Then when personal computers began to appear in schools, Hammond led the way, teaching Basic programing to teachers and students. Under his leadership Davis School was the first school in the system to have computer access in every classroom. He believes that students become more engaged if they are taught how to be responsible for their own learning.

His philosophy about life is that “learning through sharing and teamwork is what makes life fun, effective and meaningful.” He must be having fun because in addition to his service in the schools, he has volunteered for the Arbor Resources Committee, Trails Committee, Transportation Advisory Committee, Historic Preservation Commission, River Steward and Job Lane house trustee. He also participated in the Pan Mass Challenge nine years in a row

Hammond has been a member of the Bedford Rotary Club since 1990 and became president of the club in 1994. He served as  governor of Rotary International for his district, working on Rotary’s international literacy program, Concentrated Language Encounter (CLE), developed by Rotary International.

He made 14 trips to Nepal, where he  taught English in the classroom and taught teachers how to teach. He was a guest lecturer at Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu and Aadikavi Bhanubhatka University in Damauli, Nepal where he trained teachers.

Hammond and his wife Jean hosted an exchange student from Germany who went on to do graduate work at Harvard. They also supported the education of a child in Nepal who later came to Bedford, attended Mount Holyoke College and returned to Nepal to work in a dental clinic.

Five years ago Hammond started volunteering at Edith Nourse Veteran’s Hospital in the hospice unit. He describes it as ”the best job I ever had.“ He likes listening to the patients’ stories and has come to understand that they want their contributions, their legacies, to be acknowledged.

When asked what he hoped for in Bedford’s future, Hammond said he likes activities that bring the town together. He has two projects in mind. One, a town-wide trail walk day, where residents of all ages would walk portions of the 27 miles of trails in Bedford. Two, he encourages citizens to participate in a “Stop Hunger Now” effort planned for April 26, 2014. Individuals and groups will help package lunches for Haiti, Mali or another country where children are hungry. With $79,000 in funds, 288,000 meals can be packaged.

Hammond writes that he wants to “explore opportunities to grow and promote world peace and understanding.” His idealism echoes that of those 1st- and 2nd graders who want to save the world.