Any town’s selectmen’s meeting might start with the pledge of allegiance, a directive to silence cell phones, or both. In Wiscasset, since Ben Rines Jr. became chairman in June and the town began livestreaming meetings at www.townhallstreams.com in July, Rines has been elevating the meeting’s opening.

“Here ye, here ye. It is 7 p.m. in the shire town, on this Tuesday the fourth day of August, 2015,” Rines began the board’s most recent meeting. He stood holding the chairman’s gavel as he spoke. “Seeing a quorum, the Wiscasset board of selectmen, tax assessors and overseers of the poor is hereby called to order.

“The board would ask that everyone here and at home join us in pledging allegiance to the flag.”

Discussing the changes in an interview Aug. 7, Rines said he had recently been researching local history and learned that the local board of selectmen dates to the 1760s. “And I just thought, we’re a part of something ... and why not celebrate it? And I’m having a good time with it.”

He’s not the only one.

“I’ve run into a couple of people in the last few days (who) instead of saying hello, they’ve said, ‘Here ye, here ye’,” he said.

The expanded opening of the board’s meetings goes along with another idea Rines had to change the setup of the tables where the selectmen sit. All members but the chairman used to face one another instead of the public on the other side of the room. Rines felt the tables would be better arranged to have all members facing attendees. The new arrangement is drawing positive comments, he said.

During one recent meeting, local author-journalist Phil Di Vece praised the open setup. Anything the board can do to aid in the transparency of town business is a good thing for the town, Di Vece said Friday.

The “shire town” part of Rines’ new opening statement refers to Wiscasset being the seat of Lincoln County. “There are 500 towns in this state and there are 16 shire towns. Growing up in Wiscasset, I thought that was just the neatest thing,” he said.

Town Manager Marian Anderson likes the new opening that Rines has added to the meetings. “I think that it’s a very nice ceremonial touch,” she said Aug. 6. “This is the first community I’ve observed that has a (selectmen’s) ceremony.”

Referring to the selectmen also as the overseers of the poor and the tax assessors reminds people that the board also has those roles, Anderson said.

As for standing when he opens the meetings, Rines compared it to when the town clerk stands and speaks at the start of a town meeting.

Another, occasional new element could be on the way. Rines said the board, which routinely meets at the town office, has talked about possibly using other sites once in a while, such as the senior center. He recalled a past board of selectmen holding a meeting there.

“It’s another way to reach the community.”