HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-06-07-TCC-min Town Celebrations Committee
Minutes of Meeting
June 7, 2017
Parker Room, Town Office Building
Members Present
Lorain Marquis, Chair; June Baer, Suzanne Caton, Linda Dixon, Carol Flynn, Karen Gaughan, Mary
Hutton, Cerise Jalelian, Julie Miller, Bill Mix, Henry Murphy, Sandy Podgorski
Members Not Present
Glen Bassett, Kim Coburn, Dick Crogan, Paul Jenkins, Linda Levitt, Sondra Lucente, Rich
McDonough, Wayne Miller, Geetha Padaki, Gina Rada, Sue Stering, Dave Taylor, Bob Tracey, Sam
Zales
Business
• The Chair declared that a quorum was present.
• The minutes of May24 were approved.
• The next meeting will be on September 13, 2017 in the Parker Room, Town Office Building.
Feedback Discussion about Memorial Day 2017
• Committee discussed recitation of General Logan's Order of 1868 instituting Memorial Day
(called Decoration Day at the time). Bill Mix suggested that, when the ceremony is held
indoors, the Order should be read at the ceremony. Committee agreed that the Order should be
read at the Memorial Day ceremony, whether the ceremony is held on the Green following the
parade or indoors.
• Lorain reported that many favorable comments were made about the indoor ceremony this year.
Parade was cancelled and the ceremony was held indoors because of inclement weather.
• Several committee members thought that having the scouts march in together at the start of the
ceremony was a good idea.
• It was noted that 2018 is the 150'h anniversary of the first Decoration/Memorial Day, which
might be incorporated into the 2018 Memorial Day ceremonies. 2018 is also the 100'h
anniversary of World War I.
Patriots' Day 2018
• Lorain asked for the committee's opinions about our policy on paying marching units. Issues
were whether we should be paying all the units that asked for reimbursement and whether we
should start charging for vehicles driven in the parade if they are not used by non-profit groups
(that is, are used as advertisements for businesses).
• Linda Dixon suggested that the committee do some research on parades in other towns.
• Lorain asked committee members to gather contact information for parades in other nearby
towns. After the committee develops a list of questions to ask about the other parades, the
committee will use that contact information to research how other towns subsidize their
parades. The following committee members volunteered:
o Mary Hutton: Wakefield
o Karen Gaughan: Concord
o June Baer: Waltham
o Sandy Podgorski: Needham
o Julie Miller: Sudbury
o Carol Flynn: Plymouth Thanksgiving parade
o Cerise Jalelian: Arlington
o Linda Dixon, Suzanne Caton: Chelmsford Fourth of July parade
• Sandy Podgorski showed slides from the Needham parade of 2011.
Committee Elections
• Lorain Marquis was elected as Committee Chair.
• Sondra Lucente was elected as Patriots' Day Parade Unit and Float Chair
• Suzanne Caton and Mary Hutton were elected as co-Secretaries
The meeting was adjourned at 8:20 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Suzanne Caton, Co-Secretary
Future Meetings
September 13, 2017