Auburn town clerk chalks up a success.

• Position: LOCAL NEWS

Byline: Bill Fortier

COLUMN: SOUTH COUNTY NOTEBOOK

Time to clear out the files and post-vacation cobwebs in this year's first South County Notebook.

First, kudos to Auburn Town Clerk Ellen C. Gaboury, who recently qualified for and earned the Massachusetts Town Clerk's Association's designation as a Certified Massachusetts Municipal Clerk.

In the world of town clerks, it's a pretty big deal. Just 86 of the 351 communities in the state have town clerks with the lofty designation. Mrs. Gaboury said she believes Oxford Town Clerk Lori Kelley may the only other person so designated in South County Notebook land.

Mrs. Gaboury also said 102 town clerks have achieved the designation in the 10 years since the program started.

Several things had to be done to get the certification, with the main requirement being the passing of a 250-question open-book test, in which Mrs. Gaboury had to answer detailed law questions involving how she does her job and electoral issues in town. She said she scored an 88 on the test that, between her other duties, took about a month to complete.

To be eligible for the designation, a town clerk has to hold the post for at least three years. Mrs. Gaboury has been Auburn's chief collector of vital statistics for four years. She also got more points toward the certification because she administers the community assistance fund, which gives money to people in need, and she helps run the annual golf tournament that benefits the fund

"It was tough," she said, explaining her trek for the certification.

Getting the certification was very gratifying for the soft-spoken Mrs. Gaboury

"It shows a level of respect among your peers," she said.

Mrs. Gaboury decided about a year ago to see the designation as a way to challenge herself and enable residents to know they have a town clerk who is very proficient at her work.

Acknowledging getting the certification means a $1,000 a year raise, Mrs. Gaboury said that wasn't foremost in her mind.

"I want to make sure that I have the knowledge to do my job better," she said.

And then, sounding like a soldier in the U.S. Army, she added, "I want to be the best I can be."

Now that she has the certification from the state agency, Mrs. Gaboury plans to pursue a Master Town Clerk's certification from the International Institute of Town Clerks. Among the tasks she has to perform is community service.

But that's in the future.

"I think I'm going to rest a little while," she said earlier this week.

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