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SUBJECT Annual Report of the Town Celebrations Committee
DATE December 10, 1971
TO The Honorable Board of Selectmen
BIC NTEN IAL CELEBRATION
During the last few months of 1971 the Selectmen set up a committee to
plan and execute a celebration of the 200th anniversary of the start
of the American Revolution. That committee has met several times
with Kingston L Howard as Chairman and has chosen the name Lexington
Bicentennial Committee. The first report of that committee is included
elsewhere. The Bicentennial Committee is responsible for the over—all
planning of the events for 1975. In general, the Town Celebrations
Corrittee will retain its responsibility for the celebration of Patriots
Day in 1975 . The size of the expected crowds, the nature and number
of invited guests, and the probable expansion of the parade suggest we
will have many problems. Solutions to those problems will probably
require changes to the parade route and to locations of reviewing stands ,
improves methods of crowd control, and new traffic routes through Town
during parade hours. To prevent chaos in 1975 and to evaluate possible
sol tons , the Celebrations Committee will introduce some changes in
each year beginning in 1972.
To provide the necessary close liason between committees, the chairman
of the Celebrations Committee is a member of the Bicentennial Committee
CELEB kTIOJC IN GENERAL
The committee is usually responsible for the coordination and execution
of f events during the year. They are
T.0 C Annual Report
Page 2 of 4
Patriots Day,
Memorial Day,
U.S.S. Lexington Memorial Services, and
Veterans Day
The dates for those celebrations change from year-to-year in accordance
with rules adopted by the Great and General Court of the Commonwealth.
Each, however, is executed in accordance with a format which has been
reasonably succesful over the years. The details of those formats
are dictated by tradition and the aims of each celebration tempered
by experience and practical considerations. Occasion4hanges occur
from suggestions by citizens, organizations, or other committees or
departments of the Town. Although these standard procedures permit
the Committee to use check lists and other aids to assure all details
are covered, they also lead to some sterility or stagnation in the
Town' s celebrations. For that reason, the Committee would appreciate
considerably more response from the Town than we usually get before and
after each celebration. We mentioned earlier in our report that 1975
will bring changes to the afternoon parade on Patriots Day. Many of
those changes will be permanent. But those changes by themselves will
affedt only mechanical details of the parade; they will not alter appre-
ciabl„ the tone of the celebration or the program for the day. The
Comrlttee can assume--and does--that the lack of response means we've
been succesful_with the celebrations and that we should leave our pro-
grams unchanged. We will continue to make that assumption unless we
find there are pressures for changes and suggestions for directions in
which to make those changes.
During the pas, several years each of our celebrations has followed the
outii.ies suggested by our annual reports. Consequently, we will give
T.C.C. Annual Report
Page 3 of 4
only names of major participants for each celebration and note changes
from other years in the paragraphs that follow.
PAT-lo?s DAY (April 19. 1971 )
The Lexington Minute Men conducted a reenadtment of the 1775 skirmish
between British troops and the original minute men They were helped
by members of the Tenth Regiment of Foot, a recreation of the original
regiment, who represented the British. The Minute Men expect to stage
the reenactment in 1975 and this was their first try It pointed out
the need for much better crowd control and improved spectator facili-
ties in succeeding years.
James Broderick, a former member of the Committee, led the morning par-
ade as its Chief Marshal. Battle Green ceremonies immediately after the
parade included the presentation of the Lions Club White Tricon Hat
Awnru to Alfred Tropeano by Aram Koumjian, Lions Club President
The afternoon parade, under tta command of Lt. Edward Turner, U S.A.R
as Chief Marshal, was the largest in several years The weather, although
not perfect, was a big improvement over that of recent years. As a result
virtually every invited unit participated with every member present.
The reviewing stand was moved from its usual location on the Massachusetts
Avenue side of the Battle Green to the front of Emery Park.
MEXCRInn DAY (May 31 . 1971 )
More good weather permitted a parade this year and its usual stops to
remember our dead patriots David Jodice, a junior at Lexington High
School, gave Lincoln's Gettsburg Address at Monroe Cemetery. The Reve_
rend Edward Gaudette, assistant pastor at St. Brigid' s Church and a Past
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.,ta's Chalain, American Legion, gave the main address during ceremonies
on the Battle Green, Maurice D. Healy, Past Commander of Stanley Hill Post
3E, kmerican Legion, was Chief Marshal.
U S LEXINGTON (Mn? 2. 1971 )
A. Re? Tircotte, a member of the U.S.S. Lexington (CV-2) Minuteman Club,
was Taster of ceremonies for the Club 's annual memorial services on the
Battle Green. Robert Cataldo, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, welcomed
club members back to Lexington, their home port. We were pleased to have
Admiral C . Aubrey Fitch, who used the Lexington as his flag ship during
the Battle of the Coral Sea, back with us again
Vim E:L4_S DAY (October 25 1971 )
Rain again--and so to Cary Hall for the services that would have followed
the parade on the Battle Green. The Honorable John F. Cusack, State Repre-
sentative from the Seventh Middlesex District, was the main speaker.
William G. Collins, Commander of Lexington Post 3007, Veterans of Foreign
Wars , would have commanded the parade as its Chief Marshal.
GENT AL
The Committee has spent the following amounts for its celebrations and
other expenses during the past five years 1967, $4,683; 1968, $5,033 ;
1969, $5,289; 1970, $5,219; and 1971 , $6,684. Patriots Day is by far
The _c t expensive celebration. Variations in weather determine the
fix total cost of the parade and, consequently, the changes from year-to-
year shown above. Our 1971 expenditures amounted to about $0.42 for each
registered voter or about $0.21 per person living in Town.
Raymond B. Barnes, Chairman Ralph V. Lord
Leo Gaughan, Vice Chairman Thelma Reed
Eleanor B Litchfield, Corresponding Secretary James Fenske
Marilyn Hall, Recording Secretary William P. Fitzgerald
William P. Brenchick, Jr.
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