Hingham Massachusetts: Town Government & Services - Committees: Fourth of July Parade Committee

Our committee has been charged by the Selectmen to design a celebration marking the 375th anniversary of the founding of the Town of Hingham in 350th Anniversary Sign from Hingham, England

350th Anniversary Sign from Hingham, England

1635. The celebration, which will consist of a series of “festive and historic” events from September 2009 through September 2010, is to be “inclusive of every part of the community and region.” The Town government will be supportive of the committee’s effort, but the 375th celebration must be pay for itself through fundraising events and donations from local citizens and businesses.

During 2008, the 375th committee will be seeking input from all interested parties and potential volunteers as it formulates plans for a wide-ranging, multi-faceted celebration. Among the ideas put forth to date are:

Fundraising events such as a golf tournament and bowling tournament.
A Civil War encampment or other historical re-enactments tied to the impending 150th anniversary of the war between the states.
Historical re-enactments tied to other events, such as Hingham’s Train Band dispute, early town meetings, the landing at the Town Brook or the laying out of lots on Town Street.
Programs highlighting the Hingham Shipyard and local veterans’ experiences during World War II.
Lectures and/or articles drawing on Hingham’s long association with the families of Benjamin and Abraham Lincoln.
Activities highlighting Hingham’s different neighborhoods and the way they have changed and grown through the town’s history.
Special 375th activities in and for the town’s schools.
Special 375th-related competitions in the town’s various youth sports leagues and clubs.
Activities in association with the many churches and worship communities in Hingham.
Special programs or projects undertaken by Hingham civic and social organizations pertaining to the 375th.
Family reunions of early settler families such as the Towers and Leavitts.
Displays of historical memorabilia and images of Hingham through the past three and a half centuries.
Sale of commemorative items (to help fund the celebration)
A culminating event such as a town-wide celebration day involving many activities for families and children and/or an anniversary ball.
Events held in conjunction with “the other Hinghams” – in England, Wisconsin and Montana. (Hingham, Montana, will mark its 100th anniversary in 2010.)
Events in cooperation with other Massachusetts towns (such as Weymouth and Concord) which share the same “birth year” as Hingham.

If you would like to help with any of these possible activities or if you have ideas of your own to share, please let the committee know by sending a message via the reply form below. If you are interested in serving as a member of the committee, please let the Selectmen know by completing the town’s Talent Bank Application.