Hubbardston Memorial Day committee names Stevie Lel chair, tasks her with outreach to bands and parade groups

The Town of Hubbardston Memorial Day Committee appointed Stevie Lel as chair and authorized outreach to marching bands, schools and veterans groups as it began planning this year’s parade and ceremony, members said at a meeting that opened at 12:34 p.m.

Committee members emphasized early outreach to lock performance dates and costs, discussed logistics including flags for gravesites, student recitations, parade lineup and traffic control, and scheduled a follow‑up meeting for next Monday at 12:30 p.m. to continue planning.

Why it matters: the committee’s decisions set the organizing work that will determine who participates in the parade, how veterans and youth are involved, and how the town covers costs for food, equipment and performers.

At the meeting members reviewed a binder of past Memorial Day plans and inventory items stored at the senior center that could be reused for giveaways and the ice‑cream social. One member suggested asking the Lions Club to provide hot dogs or hamburgers and using a mix of donations and event receipts rather than relying on the Lions for every need.

Members discussed musical participants and recalled that bands such as the Rosy Cadets and local vocational‑tech ensembles have appeared on rotating schedules in past years. The committee agreed a chair should contact Quabin and Monty Tech (names as provided in the committee’s records) and other possible groups to check availability and pricing, and report back at the next meeting.

A motion authorizing the chair to make those outreach contacts was made and seconded and carried by voice vote. The committee also noted that small grave flags historically are ordered through Veterans Outreach and that ordering typically happens as early as October; volunteers will follow up with former coordinators to confirm whether any orders remain in place and whether the town should replenish supplies.

On youth participation, members agreed to reach out to Aaron Cook, the school principal, about students reciting the Gettysburg Address or Flanders Fields and to consider alternatives such as shorter readings or student singers to reduce barriers to participation. A volunteer offered to produce a quarter‑sheet flyer to send home in backpacks and by email to recruit students and volunteers.

The committee reviewed potential parade participants — veterans, color guard, scouts, sports teams, antique cars, tractors and horses — and discussed parade sequencing (for example, placing horses at the end) and pacing to accommodate young children and walkers. With a small police force, members discussed asking the town’s CERT volunteers or other trained residents to assist with traffic control so police can march in the parade if desired.

Longtime town resident Mike Stall, who identified himself during the meeting, urged the group to keep the ceremony focused on Memorial Day’s solemn purpose and suggested limiting the number and length of speakers. “The most important thing that I found last year was that we updated a few things to focus on Memorial Day,” Stall said.

The committee set a follow‑up meeting for next Monday at 12:30 p.m., reminded members that agendas must be submitted to the town clerk for posting at least 48 hours before meetings, and adjourned at 1:37 p.m.

What’s next: the chair will contact bands and school contacts and report availability and costs at the next meeting; volunteers will inventory the senior center binder and follow up on flag orders and parade contacts.