HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-11-20-TCC-min Town Celebrations Committee
Minutes of Meeting
November 20, 2019
Lexington Community Center
Members Present
Lorain Marquis, Chair; Glen Bassett, Suzanne Caton, Linda Dixon, Karen Gaughan, Mary
Hutton, Paul Jenkins, Sondra Lucente, Julie Miller, Sandy Podgorski, Sue Stering, Sam Zales
Members Not Present
June Baer, Kim Coburn, Wei Ding, Cerise Jalelian, Gresh Lattimore, Wayne Miller, Bill Mix,
Geetha Padaki, Rita Pandey, Dave Taylor, Bob Tracey,
Business:
• The chair reported that a quorum was present and the meeting was called to order at 7:05
pm.
• Lorain announced that finding a storage facility for TCC items is still an issue but we are
still looking.
• The committee's Holiday Party will be held on December 4. Location still to be
determined at time of this meeting.
• Minutes from the meeting of November 6, 2019 were accepted.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, January 20, 2020
Sam Zales reported on the activities and plans by the MLK Commemoration Committee, an
independent committee that operates under the auspices of the Town Celebrations Committee.
• There are 15 people on the committee
• For the last 6 years, the commemoration has been the MLK Day of Service.
• In 2019, 700 volunteers participate in many different opportunities to provide service to
the community.
• Committee is looking for suggestions for getting more Lexington seniors involved in the
day.
• Schedule for this year's programs is available at www.lexingtonmlk.org:
o Community Dialog on Race at 9 am at Grace Chapel
o Unity walk from the Lexington Green to Cary Hall at 11 am
o Opening ceremony at Cary Hall at 11:15
Review of Veterans Day Parade and Program, November 11, 2019:
• Consensus of committee was that this year's parade was too short and that one or more
stops need to be added next year. Glen suggested having a flag raising on the Lexington
Green, maybe by veterans or the Minutemen. Also have the High School marching band
play the national anthem or other music at that time. Lorain mentioned that June Baer had
suggested having the parade stop at the obelisk on the Green while the football team
places their flags around the monument.
• Mary Hutton noted that many of the essays were handed in late, which made producing
the booklet of essays difficult. She also noted that perhaps we accepted too many essays.
The committee discussed some suggestions about how to reduce the size of the booklet
but no decisions were made except to agree that the due date for essays should be moved
up to allow more time for producing the booklet.
• Sue Stering noted that during the program at Cary Hall, there were some veterans seated
in the balconies who did not receive carnations from the Girl Scouts. Although there were
scouts assigned to the balconies, they did not have enough carnations. The committee
later agreed that the TCC should make sure they coordinate with the scouts before the
program to make sure that there are enough scouts and carnations on the balconies to
accommodate the veterans who sit there.
• Sue noted that few High School teachers attended the program and she suggested that the
committee work on getting more teachers to attend.
• Sue suggested that the committee create certificates of appreciation to be given to
students who participate in Veterans Day by writing essays, creating art works, or other
activities.
Patriots Day, 2020
• Lorain suggested that the committee members should start reviewing information and
suggestions from 2019 Patriots Day so issues can be raised early.
• Paul Jenkins raised the issue of obtaining a truck to be used for Patriots Day Parade
deliveries, etc. since in the past it was not always easy to obtain a donated adequate
vehicle. He suggested renting a truck for the day.
The meeting adjourned at 8:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted
Suzanne Caton, Secretary