Plymouth's 400th Anniversary

Minutes of Public Meetings of the Plymouth 2020 Committee: 2010

MINUTES - Meeting of the Plymouth 400th Committee
Monday, June 21, 2010 at 7:00 pm at the offices of the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce

Committee members present: Peter Gomes, Chair; Kathy Babini; Jim Baker; Peg Baker; Peter Balboni; Paul Bumpus; Tamson Burgess; Paul Cripps; David Kirkpatrick; John Mahoney; Gary Marks; Enzo Monti; Monica Mullin for Therese Murray; Paula Peters; Ed Santos; Ken Tavares; Patrick O’Brien for the Town.
Absent: Ben Brewster (exc.); Tom Calter; Vinny deMacedo; Ellie Donovan (exc.); Rodney Randy Joseph.
Invited guest: Kevin O’Leary, Ann Berry, Brian Alosi, Barrie Young.

Peter Gomes opened the meeting at 7:10 pm.

Outreach: Jim Bakker, Director of the Provincetown Monument Association, has invited members of the Plymouth 400th Committee to meet with representatives of the Provincetown Monument Centennial Committee and officials of the town of Provincetown. The date of July 14th was set and the following members of the committee agreed to attend: Jim Baker, Peg Baker, Paul Cripps, Ellie Donovan, Peter Gomes, Monica Mullin, Paula Peters, Ed Santos and Ken Tavares. All representatives apart from Paula Peters will take the boat from Plymouth to Provincetown and back and the meeting will be scheduled around the boat’s arrival and departure times. Paul Cripps will see if discounted tickets would be available. Jim Baker will make firm arrangements with Jim Bakker and Paul Cripps regarding the meeting and the trip.

Branding Subcommittee: Paula Peters as chair reported that this subcommittee was charged with working with the design firm of TKO to produce a brand for the commemoration in 2020. The subcommittee has held 4 public meetings to consider and refine designs. Over 50 designs were considered and three “finalist” designs were chosen to be presented to the committee as a whole. These designs are not yet completed, further refinement will be made as the committee instructs. The committee’s task tonight is to decide which (if any) they wish to instruct the design firm to move forward with. Kevin O’Leary presented three black & white designs (color palettes will be considered later so as not to interfere with judgments regarding the design itself). All three designs incorporated “Plymouth 400,” a Native American motif and an English settler/Pilgrim motif. It was noted that “Massachusetts” will need to be added. Jim Baker will suggest additional period fonts for consideration. Kevin noted that his future suggestions regarding a color palette will have to balance the classic with what is current; he also reminded the committee that there will also be a verbal tagline (yet to come). Paula pointed out that we should use the new logo, once it is finalized, on the license plate for consistency.
It was moved and VOTED with no dissension that the committee accept Icon #1 with “Massachusetts” added and this will be the direction in which design work proceeds.
The Branding Subcommittee will meet again and return to the committee with a refined version of the preferred icon as well as suggested color palettes.

Reorganization of the Plymouth 400th committee and its relationship to 2020 Starts Now Inc:
2020 is an entirely separate entity with its own bylaws, officers and directors. It will be the 501 c3 that must be the driving force for organizing and actually accomplishing the 2020 commemoration. The Plymouth 400th Committee, which is an advisory committee of the town and follows open meeting laws, should meet less often, and therefore more effectively, and 2020 Starts Now Inc. should step forward, move ahead expeditiously with its 501c3 status, organize a wide variety of subcommittees, expand its board and start to do fundraising. It was decided that the Plymouth 400th Committee will not meet in July; 2020 Starts Now will meet in July and get itself organized, a responsibility accepted by Ken Tavares and Ed Santos. The Plymouth 400th Committee will meet August 23, at 7:00 pm and thereafter will meet quarterly.

Other: Peter Gomes has sent the appropriate letters to the people named in the Governor’s Executive Order regarding the state commission for 2020 and awaits their answers.
Peter Gomes reminded the committee of the natural interest in Plymouth at Thanksgiving time – what do we want to say about 2020 at Thanksgiving 2010? He also reminded us that we have the opportunity with the summer tourism season to raise interest and visibility and each members of the committee needs to consider how they can accomplish this.

License Plate: David Kirkpatrick reported that he has interest in over 300 plates. He has set up a Facebook page “Friends of 2020” and that has resulted in a list of 155 names. Paula Peters volunteered to create an email list and send out an email blast to communicate with these people and keep interest up. Since the design of the license plate will be slightly modified to incorporate the new logo, when fully refined, information on the license plate will contain wording that the design as presented is a concept and not firm. After July 4th is over, Tamson Burgess and David Kirkpatrick will start a push in the Old Colony to reignite interest.

Visit of Chief Ken Adams of the Mattaponi Tribe of Virginia: Paula Peters reported that the real issue is whether any funds are available for this visit. Ken Tavares suggested that accommodations and meals need to be comped and would Paul Cripps arrange this? Paul Cripps said that dates are needed first. Peter Gomes suggested that Paula Peters, Ken Tavares and Paul Cripps come up with a proposal and funding will be found.
PUBLIC COMMENT - None.

NEXT MEETING: Monday, August 23, 2010 at 7:00 pm in the offices of the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce.

The meeting adjourned at 9:00 pm.