Text size – +

Kirk stresses service at Scituate school visit

E-mail|Link|Comments () Posted November 13, 2009 05:27 PM

By L.E. Crowley, Town correspondent

Paul G. Kirk visited the Inly School in Scituate Friday and brought a message of lifelong commitment to community and public service that culminated in his recent appointment to the US Senate.

Some controversy swirled around the process of temporarily filling the seat of Kirk's friend and former boss, Edward M. Kennedy, but Kirk said it was difficult to turn down the job, especially since he and Kennedy has talked about Kirk's filling the seat.

“This was an honor I could not say ‘no’ to,” Kirk said. “I went into it with a great deal of humility. It’s an honor and humbling to follow one of the most effective legislators…of all time.”

More than 30 seventh and eighth grade students, teachers, parents and local officials attended the private visit Friday afternoon. The crowd included Scituate Selectmen Chairman Joseph Norton and more than a dozen students and teachers from Thacher Montessori School in Milton and Thayer Academy in Braintree.

During his 20-25 minute talk, Kirk told students to make the most of every day and be the best they can be. “The whole purpose of life is to have a purpose in life,” Kirk said.

Kirk said his purpose in life, beside his family, has been commitment to community and service as chairman of the Democratic National Committee in Washington and as chairman of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. He also was on the staff of Sen. Kennedy.

He urged students not to waste time and be idle, but to get out into the community and volunteer their time.

Shelley Sommer, a librarian at Inly School who asked Kirk to visit, said she has worked for Kirk twice: at the DNC in Washington, and at the Kennedy Library Foundation in Boston.

“He was a great boss,” Sommer said. “He was fair and he listened to everyone, no matter what position they held,” Sommer said.

Sommer’s son Bob, a Scituate resident and freshman at Thayer Academy, was one of seven students who asked Kirk questions about the proposed wind farm off Cape Cod, his stance on the health care bill. and exorbitant pay for executives who received bail out money from the federal government.

Bob Sommer asked Kirk what factors President Obama should take into account when deciding the fate of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Kirk explained the various political factors, including the role of terrorist group Al Qaeda, recent disputed elections in Afghanistan, and corruption charges against the Pakistani government.
Kirk summarized the situation: “It’s complicated and really difficult."

After the program as Kirk talked to school officials and reporters, he said his first actual vote as a sworn-in senator was an easy task: approving a judicial appointment for the state of South Dakota.

What was not easy, was sitting at the same desk that Ted Kennedy had occupied for 47 years.

“It was surreal,” Kirk said.