Jan Blodgett of Davidson offers the latest in a series of articles about issues facing seniors as they try to “age in place.” The series is presented in cooperation with the Davidson Committee on Aging.

By JAN BLODGETT

As a college town, Davidson’s population has always tended to have a younger slant. The census of 1850 showed 88 children under the age of eighteen
, 73 adults between the ages of 18 and 49
 and only 18 adults over age 50. Now, 160 years later, the 2010 census shows a similar breakdown, with 2,580 under the age of 17, 6,145 between 18 and 54, and 2,114 over the age of 55 (with only 941 over the age of 65).

Despite the relatively low numbers, senior citizens have been an important and integral part of the town. Retirement rarely meant ending their social and civic work.

Census figures compare the age distribution of Davidson's population, then and now.

From the members of local churches who gathered to help build the first campus buildings and the women who sewed furnishings for the dormitories to Stephen “Skit” Scofield, a businessman who kept up with Davidson students after closing his store in 1917 to Baxter Williamson and Enoch Donaldson, who worked on as janitors and mail carriers at the college well into their senior years, a pattern has been set and followed to this day.

Hundreds of seniors remain involved, too many to name them all. The easiest way to share some current examples is to turn to the town’s Jack Burney Community Service Awards.

As a member of Davidson’s Jack Burney Award Committee, it’s been a privilege to hear about the contributions made by community members who have never stopped giving of themselves, their skills and their wisdom. It has always been difficult to pick the winners among each year’s nominees.

The best place to begin is with Jack Burney, who before his death in 2004 had been chair of the Davidson Land Plan committee, the Planning Board, and the 2003-2004 Circulation Stakeholders Meeting along with publishing newsletters for several organizations.

The 12 people who have received the award so far, follow his model, serving the community throughout their lives, never taking retirement from volunteering on town committees and advisory boards, in churches and civic groups, and special projects. Check out the Burney Award Citation page (http://www.ci.davidson.nc.us/index.aspx?NID=290) and find out who started Town Day, who led the fund-raising campaign to build the town library, who is now serving on the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Board, who has supported Parks & Recreation and the Davidson Housing Coalition, who played Santa Claus for hundreds of Davidson children, who acted with the Tarradiddle Players and who helped create summer programs for youth.

Then remember that they are just some of the seniors who share their skills and time and look around to see who else should be thanked for being a village elder!