(BOSTON) – Mrs. Chartis Langmaid Tebbetts of Cohasset was honored as a member of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women’s (MCSW) 2023 class of Commonwealth Heroines. Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) nominated Mrs. Langmaid Tebbetts for this recognition due to her leadership in community engagement and local government in Cohasset and in the 3rd Plymouth District. Ms. Langmaid Tebbetts was honored with the other Commonwealth Heroines for her outstanding contributions to the Town of Cohasset, and the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women celebrated the twentieth-annual Commonwealth Heroines at a reception in the State House on June 23rd.
“Chartis’s storied career of public service and leadership is an inspiration to us all,” said State Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull). “Her commitment to equity, democracy, and the “local geography” of Cohasset and the South Shore will benefit generations to come.”
Chartis Langmaid Tebbetts is a community leader, a champion for good government, and an inspiration to all in the Town of Cohasset and beyond. Her storied career in public service began in the State House, working under then-Secretary Kevin White after graduating with a degree in psychology from Wellesley College. Tebbetts later moved to Cohasset and, recognizing the power of education and community impact on democracy, held numerous elected and appointed positions within local government — most notably as a member of the Cohasset School Committee, the co-chair of the Cohasset Diversity Committee, and as a Democratic nominee for State Senate in 1992. Throughout her career, Tebbetts engaged extensively with nonprofit work, having been both a co-founder of the South Shore Peace Forum and an active member of the League of Women Voters. She has also participated in Corporate Accountability, a group dedicated to protecting communities from corporate abuse in all forms.
Now retired, Chartis continues to be present in the Cohasset community with her husband and family, regularly working with local food banks and singing in the choir at First Parish. Her decades of community engagement and uplifting people are a model for approaching our world’s problems and engaging in thoughtful leadership. Chartis puts heavy emphasis on empathy as a guiding virtue, consistently contemplating the difficult circumstances others may face. She stresses the importance of gratitude, while always thinking of those with less.
“I am flattered and honored to be chosen as a Commonwealth Heroine,” said 2023 honoree Chartis Tebbetts of Cohasset. “That being said, I dedicate this award to the fact that I was given the privilege of a multitude of resources and opportunities that have made it possible for me to be active. Public service should not be for the personal validation of it, but truly from the inherent desire to serve others free of personal gain.”
The Commonwealth Heroines are women who do not make the news, but make a difference. Thousands of women in every community of the state perform unheralded acts on a daily basis that make our homes, neighborhoods, cities, and towns better places to live. Commonwealth Heroines use their time, talent, spirit, and enthusiasm to enrich the lives of others in their community. They are mentors, volunteers, and innovators who strive to protect and represent the interests of seniors, victims of violence, children, immigrants, and other vulnerable populations. They are the glue that keeps a community together.
A complete list of this year’s honorees and more information about MCSW’s work is available on the Commission’s website at mass.gov/women.
The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women is an independent state agency that was legislatively created in 1998 to advance women of the Commonwealth to full equality in all areas of life and to promote their rights and opportunities. The MCSW provides a permanent, effective voice for the women of Massachusetts.