HomeMy WebLinkAboutPolicy-BattleGreenGuide-062104BOARD OF SELECTMEN POLICY
BATTLE GREEN GUIDES
Date Approved by BOS: Signature of Chair:
June 21, 2004 Dawn E. McKenna
I. PURPOSE AND SCOPE
The Town Green is owned by the Citizens of Lexington. The Board of Selectmen
licenses guides on the Battle Green to maintain the historical integrity of the events that
took place there.
II. APPLICATION
The Lexington Board of Selectmen hereby establishes the following rules and regulations
for the licensing and conduct of guides in the Town of Lexington.
1. The Tourism Committee shall be responsible for overall hiring, training and
management of the Battle Green Guides.
2. Only guides hired by the Town of Lexington are authorized to conduct tours
on the Battle Green.
3. Guides hired under the supervision of the Tourism Committee shall be the
only licensed Battle Green Guides. This license is effective for the duration of
their employment by the Town.
4. Battle Green guides shall be seasonal employees of the Town of Lexington
and receive an hourly wage for their service. Guides may accept, but may not
solicit, gratuities. They shall report directly to the Liberty Ride Coordinator,
who shall receive additional compensation for this role. Compensation for the
Guides and Coordinator are to be set by the Board of Selectmen.
5. Lexington residents will have first preference for jobs as Battle Green Guides,
and shall be 16 or older.
6. Guides are expected to be knowledgeable about the history of the events of
April 1775, the Old Belfry, and the Colonial Cemetery. In addition they
should be a resource for tourists about Lexington. They shall actively
promote tourist attractions such as the Liberty Ride, the Visitors Center, the
historic houses, the National Heritage Museum, the National Park Service and
the restaurants and shops, as directed by the Tourism Committee.
7. Guides are expected to wear attire that invokes the colonial image approved
by the Tourism Committee. Guides will be given official badges and hats,
which must be worn at all times when on duty.
8. Guides will generally work April to October from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Specific times and dates may be modified by the Tourism Committee.
9. Guides shall conduct themselves at all times in a quiet and orderly manner
that will reflect favorably upon the Town of Lexington.
10. Pursuant to Section 100-10 of the Code of Lexington, guides will ensure that
activities of the Battle Green Guides are in keeping with a respectful regard
and reverence for the memory of the patriotic service and sacrifice there so
nobly rendered.
11. Battle Green Guides may distribute printed information about the town-
operated Liberty Ride on the Battle Green.
III. BACKGROUND
The Code of Lexington mandates that the Board of Selectmen promulgate rules and
regulations to ensure that the Battle Green is used in a quiet and orderly manner. The
bodies of seven of the eight Minuteman who sacrificed their lives on April 19, 1775 are
interred under the oblesik. Battle Green Guides have been historically regulated by the
Board of Selectmen. In 2002 the Board of Selectmen made the Tourism Committee a
permanent advisory committee. Efforts to coordinate the tourist experience between the
town, the Historical Society, the National Heritage Museum and the National Park
service led to this new model for Battlegreen Guides.
IV. REFERENCE
Vote of Board of Selectmen on June 7, 2004.
Rules for Use of Battle Green
Code of Lexington, Section 100-10