President's Letter

March 17, 2015

Dear Members and Friends of the Battery,

Every year when I meet with the Board of Selectmen to ask permission to fire the cannons I am warmly welcomed because, they say, my appearance is a sure sign that spring is finally coming. After such a cold and snowy winter, I am looking forward to that welcome more than ever. At the same time, however, it is with mixed emotions that I anticipate this year’s meeting because it will be my last one as Battery President. Effective June 1st, I am stepping down and turning the reins over to Jimmy Finigan. I have been the President of the Battery for 14 years, and Secretary for 6 years before that. Before me, my dad was President of the Battery for over 20 years. I am proud of what the Battery has accomplished during my tenure, no more so than in knowing that our relationship with the Town of Concord is as strong as it has ever been. Nevertheless, it is time for a change.

As time moves on, so too must the leadership of the Battery. Just as we recently changed our ceremonial leadership, so too it is time to change our business leadership – to allow the Battery to continue to grow, to give others the opportunity to guide us, and to ensure that the Battery retains its position as a respected institution in the Concord community.

I thank you all for the support you have given me. To the extent that my presidency has been successful, I could not have done it without your help, your advice, your wisdom and, most importantly, your friendship. The Battery represents a blend of history, patriotism, family, friendship and fun. Having been the President of such a unique organization is something I will cherish for the rest of my life. I know that the Battery will remain in good hands with Jimmy Finigan at the helm – my good friend will do a fantastic job. And I know that you will support him in the same way you have been there for me.

There are no changes to the usual Battery schedule in 2015, except those that may be necessitated by melting (or not) snow. Our annual Test Fire will be held for the second consecutive year in the field next to the Old Manse at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 11th, to be followed by the Meriam’s Corner Exercise at 1:00 p.m. the same day. For you early risers, and Battery traditionalists, we will again be firing the Dawn Salute from the Buttrick Hillside in the National Park on April 19th. Patriot’s Day this year is Monday, April 20th – in addition to our parade participation, we will once again be firing from the Old Manse field. On Memorial Day, May 25th, you will have multiple chances to catch the Battery in action. At 9:00 a.m. we will be firing Cannon No. 1 at Rideout Field in West Concord, while at about the same time Cannon No. 2 will echo across St. Bernard’s and Sleepy Hollow cemeteries. Not long after that, Cannon No. 1 will fire again from Heywood Meadow in conjunction with the reading of the Role of Honor in Monument Square. Finally, at 8:00 a.m. on Veteran’s Day, November 11th, we will be firing the cannons as part of Concord’s flag retirement ceremony below Author’s Ridge in Sleepy Hollow. I look forward to catching up with many of you at these events.

I also want to take a moment to remember the Active Battery members who we lost in the last year. Johnny Rodday, son of Nick and brother of Willie, passed away unexpectedly last March at the age of 62. Although Johnny moved to Cape Cod a number of years ago, he never forgot his Concord roots, donning his Battery uniform to ride a single mount in the parade every Patriot’s Day. Bobby Damon, the son-in-law of former Battery Captain Ray Lawrence, died in July at the age of 68. Before he moved to Arizona, Bobby contributed enormously to returning the cannons to action. Finally, just a month ago, Bill Bovey passed away at the age of 86. Bill was a long time member of the Battery who will be remembered for his sense of humor, running through town alongside the limbers when he was in his 80s, imploring a certain fife and drum corps to keep a beat we could march to, and being the best damned Number 3 the Battery ever had. We will greatly miss all of our dear friends.

On a happier note, and to ensure the Battery’s future, we have had an influx of youth in the last year, with six new members, three of whom have continued the Battery’s family tradition. Abby Myette (daughter of Captain Peter Myette) and Josh West have been members for a year or more. They have both been in uniform at many events and have qualified to fire the cannons. At our Annual Meeting in February, the Battery unanimously elected Mark Snay, Chris Snay, John Costa and Cory Robart to Active Membership. The Snay brothers are Bobby’s sons and I am sure they will bring that special Snay sense of humor back to the Battery. John and Cory have longtime connections to Concord and are eager to start firing the cannons. These four new members should reduce the Battery’s average age by about 20 years! I hope you will all join me in welcoming Josh, Abby, Mark, Cory, John and Chris to the Battery.

Finally, I know the Battery would not be 211 years old without the dedication of our members, both Active and Associate, and our friends at the Townhouse and throughout Concord. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve you. Thank you all.

Sincerely,

Robert G. Eaton
President