Members of the Board of Selectmen presented the Boston Post Cane Award to Wareham's oldest citizen Gladys Ides on Wednesday, August 31.

The Boston Post Cane award was started in 1909 by the now-defunct Boston Post. The awards were given to Selectmen and presented to the town's oldest living man or woman. Many towns in New England still carry on the tradition.

Ides, 100, was born on November 8, 1910 and has been as resident of West Wareham for the past 35 years.

“Everyone asks me what my secret is,” she said. “I don’t know. It’s the genes I guess.”

Ides said she loves to care for animals and keeps busy gardening.

Ides is filling the shoes of recently deceased Post Cane Ida Monteiro, who passed away on April 13 at the age of 100.