Hubbardston — The Town of Hubbardston Memorial Day committee on Jan. 17 reviewed logistics, budget constraints and program details for the annual parade and ceremony and, by consensus, decided to keep the parade start time at 11 a.m. Committee members also set a follow-up planning meeting for March 14, 2025, at 9 a.m.

The group reviewed the event budget and spending rules. Committee members reported a $1,500 line item in the town budget for Memorial Day expenses and a separate donation account balance of $425.57; combined with recent t-shirt sales the group calculated roughly $1,900 available for the event. The committee was reminded that operational line-item funds typically do not roll over to the following year and must be spent in the current fiscal year or moved to a capital line, limiting the committee’s ability to carry forward the money.

Committee discussion focused on parade participants and site logistics: the Quabbin band and local ROTC units are scheduled to march, and organizers asked the ROTC captain whether his group could provide a color guard to lead the parade. The committee confirmed invited speakers and presenters: Lauren Wright and Brigadier General Smith have been invited to speak, and the committee expects the general to be the event’s main speaker. The committee is coordinating with school groups (elementary and junior high) and senior singers for readings and music at the common.

Logistics decisions and operational notes included reducing rented chairs from 125 to 100 after reviewing last year’s usage; organizers noted a total chair expense of about $300 in prior years and cautioned that delivery charges are largely fixed. The COA (Council on Aging) will run the ice cream social; Nancy Rogen is arranging chairs; the Boy Scouts are the preferred volunteer crew to set up seating if available. Committee members discussed shade, positioning of pop-up tents for the band and singers, and water supply for participants in warm weather.

The committee also discussed commemorative items and merchandising: a T-shirt design was debated (gray shirts preferred; military-style green and sand discouraged), and a previously proposed student-designed shirt was rejected in favor of a more traditional Memorial Day motif. Organizers noted roughly $132 in t-shirt sales at one event and $30 at the town Christmas fair; those figures were cited to estimate available event funds.

Several operational items remain as directions rather than formal votes: members will confirm bus donation or transportation for school bands, contact the ROTC captain about a color guard leading the parade, check on sound-system rental and operator availability, and finalize placement of veteran seating and handicap parking. The committee agreed to contact local contacts to identify Gold Star families for recognition at the ceremony and to compile a binder of the event timeline and contact list for future planning.

Committee members also raised a separate maintenance matter: the town clock at the church has not run for roughly a year. Members discussed arranging access, contacting the repairer (identified in discussion as someone who has made needed parts), and asking Brianna Whitney, the person who previously wound the clock, about the condition and whether winding or repair is required. Organizers agreed to coordinate a visit with the repairer, the winder and at least one committee member to test the mechanism before Memorial Day.

The meeting ended with two actionable outcomes by consensus: keep the parade at 11 a.m. for the Memorial Day ceremony and schedule the next planning meeting for March 14, 2025, at 9 a.m. Several tasks were assigned informally for members to complete before that meeting, including confirming the band bus, finalizing the T-shirt layout and checking chair and sound rentals.