Horse Thieves Annual Meeting

The “Horse Thieves” annual meeting is Saturday, January 21 at 7 pm in the Town Hall.  The meetings are renowned for dispensing with a whole year's worth of business in as little as 12 minutes and for the friendly camaraderie that fills all the time that other organizations would spend doing something productive.  This year's meeting will not set a brevity record because in addition to reading last year's minutes, financial reports and the election of officers the group will have a brief discussion of the biennial Horse Thieves Banquet which will take place in September 2012. 

The Horse Thieves Banquet is one of the milestones in the town's life, primarily because it happens only once every two years.  The banquets often fill the town hall to capacity by featuring interesting speakers, good food and fellowship with friends and neighbors who are sometimes as interesting as the speakers. 

Horse Thieves President Lewis LaClair reports that even with the extended agenda the meeting may be finished in half an hour so members should be on time.  In fact, LaClair reports that some years the group spends more time waiting for a quorum of 12 than it does conducting business.  It may seem shocking that a local group of about 270 members should have difficulty finding twelve members to meet for business on a snowy (yes, it almost always snows on the night of the annual meeting) January evening, but it is in keeping with the society's tradition.  As Guy Bemis said many years ago, the group doesn't really do anything except have fun.  However, at the annual business meeting on January 21 the group will continue two long traditions:  it will continue the tradition of “meeting” and the long-standing practice of having nothing to do with catching horse thieves.

The group actually has several amazing credits to its name:  First, the name itself is the longest for an organization in the town . . . possibly in the state (the full name is the “Walpole Society for Bringing to Justice Horse Thieves and Pilferers of Hen Roosts and Clothes Lines,” or WSFBTJHTAPOHRACL for those who like acronyms).  Secondly, the group is possibly the oldest such organizations which has been in continuous existence in the country.  The group was founded in 1816 and has met regularly since then.  It is celebrating its 196th anniversary at January's annual meeting.  There are one or two other groups in the country who claim to be the same age or slightly older than the Walpole, NH Horse Thieves, but some of them had periods of dormancy and there are some experts in the country who think our group is the oldest in continuous existence.  (You should always question a statement like that!  Who could possibly be an expert on Horse Thieves Societies??)

The Horse Thieves were founded at a time when Walpole was something of a frontier town without reliable law enforcement.  Undoubtedly there was a serious need that led to the society's formation and we are sure it met that need unflinchingly.  The group was originally called the “Walpole Detecting Society” --a more serious sounding name and infinitely shorter, but they fixed that in 1821 when the name was changed to the “Walpole Society for Detecting and Punishing Horse Thieves and Pilferers and Plunderers of Gardens and Orchards,” a name that is 11% longer than the organization's current name.

However, the group has successfully avoided chasing down horse thieves for roughly half its life and has smoothly transitioned to a new business model which is wonderfully articulated by members of another Horse Thieves Society in Pennsylvania which we hereby endorse and shamelessly borrow: 

•To honor man's greatest servant – the horse.

•To preserve an ancient American organization handed down to us, that we may, in turn, pass it on to future generations.

•To enable its members to be part of an unusual group, without being responsible for anything other than showing up “once in a while” for a congenial evening with old friends.

And of course, as is appropriate for an organization that is closing in on 200 years in the saddle, we have many long-time members whom the society proudly honors as “Riders” --those who would be the first to leap into the saddle if needed to chase down a horse thief.  All of our present “Riders” have been members of the society over 50 years and the average age and length of membership for these leaders continues to grow. 

Membership in the Walpole Horse Thieves society is open to any man 18 years or older who lives in Walpole, who pays a $2 lifetime fee and signs the membership book.  If you are interested in joining please contact Bob Dudley, Clerk or Lewis LaClair, President, or show up at the annual business meeting on January 21 at 7 pm in the Town Hall.