One of my favorite all-time interviews was in 2008 with the Rev. Donald Broad, who died Wednesday at the age of 94 at his home near Melfa. His obituary documents a remarkable and giving life and said "perhaps his most challenging volunteer position was that of Parliamentarian for the Accomack County Board of Supervisors, a position he held for 15 years."
I covered many meetings when Broad served as parliamentarian — the expert in meeting procedures, bylaws and the like. Every time I think of his role, I smile so long my face begins to hurt. He was very good at it, and rendered decisions with a twinkle in his eye and a wry smile.
Inside a windowless board room, elected supervisors sat behind the dais. Directly in front of them, Broad silently sat in a school desk turned sideways, between the elected officials and the public gallery, facing both.
Through the years, supervisors would get frustrated and animated with each other, the business at hand, county employees and sometimes even the public. But not with Broad.
When matters got out of order, or did not follow meeting procedure, Broad would interject, reminding the leaders that there all ready was a motion on the floor. Or that they needed to vote now on a motion to table. Or other matters like that. Nobody ever questioned him.
I always thought it made for great theater when the oldest man in the room, with his white hair and Founding Fathers sideburns, brought a meeting of the county's movers and shakers to a standstill with his higher-pitched, sometimes-wavering voice.
"He didn't let anybody get away with anything," said Supervisor Donald Hart Jr. in my story, which is attached below. "He'd jump right on you if you did something wrong."
If that wasn't priceless enough, Hart asked Broad in 2006 to give the invocation for county meetings. Broad didn't simply hew to the old script of offering up a bland blessing.
He thoughtfully tailored each invocation to matters the board of supervisors would be weighing. He asked God to give supervisors "courage to reach toward wiser ways." He asked God to give supervisors "sympathetic hearts." He asked God to "teach our officials how to love justice and preserve equity." He asked God to help supervisors to listen "not to the loudest, but to the most profound."
I was always eager to hear how Broad would use his invocation to nudge the county's elected and appointed officials toward fairness and virtue. It was brilliant and delicious.
I proudly own a typed copy of every prayer Broad ever read before the supervisors' meetings until he retired from his duties in 2008. It's quite a packet, and makes for wonderful reading.
I'm even more proud that our paths crossed — late in his life, and early in my career. He was an intelligent, thoughtful man who contributed much to the Eastern Shore. And a man who ensured the powerful followed procedure.
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