CREDIT: D. Harney
CAPTION 1: The color guard from the Son's of the American Revolution is seen at the Monument during last Thursday’s ribbon cutting ceremony for the Bunker Hill Museum.

CREDIT: Tom Pulkkinen
CAPTION 2: After Masons applied the craftsman’s working tools to the commemorative cornerstone, the Grand Master tapped the stone with a setting maul and declared the stone plumb, square and level, as had been done by his predecessor in 1825, with the assistance of fellow Masons including the Marquis de Lafayette.

CREDIT: D. Harney
CAPTION 3: Mayor Menino addresses the crowd.

CREDIT: D. Harney
CAPTION 4: Charlestown students performing at last Thursday’s ceremony.

CREDIT: D. Harney
CAPTION 5: Ribbon-cutting is held at the conclusion of the ceremony. Participants included Boston National Historical Park Superintendent Terry Savage, Bunker Hill Monument Association President Jim Conway and Grand Lodge of Masons Grandmaster Jeffery Black Hodgdon.

Last Thursday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Battle of Bunker Hill Museum followed a 32-year struggle to create a fitting venue to commemorate the historic first battle fought in the American Revolution.
In 1975, during the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill, Marie Alves was serving as chairwoman of the Charlestown Bicentennial when she suggested to her husband Jack, then president of the Charlestown Historical Society, that the Historical Society build a museum dedicated to the battle fought at Bunker Hill and all veterans of the American Revolution. Jack Alves embraced the idea, but the National Park Service, which took control of the Monument the following year, wasn’t so easily convinced.
The Historical Society fought to keep the project alive with limited funding until several years ago, under the leadership of acting President Arthur Hurley, the organization was finally able convince the Park Service to take over a city-owned former Boston library branch and make it into a permanent museum.
“I’m tickled to death,” Jack Alves said. “It’s finally come to fruition.
Today, Marie and Jack Alves serve respectively as the chairwoman of the exhibits committee and secretary of the Bunker Hill Monument Association. The Monument Association, which was incorporated in 1823 and raised the money used to build the Monument, will also display items from its extensive collection of battle artifacts, portraits and statues at the new museum.
The 4,000 square feet of exhibit space at the museum also features an 11-panel, 360-degree “cyclorama mural” depicting the battle and an exhibit sponsored by the Historical Society that interprets the history of the Charlestown Irish, as well as dioramas and other memorabilia. The museum rehabilitation is part of the Park Service’s $3.7 million renovation of the Monument, which received a $500,000 gift from the Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts designated specifically for the museum.The Park Service, the City of Boston and the Historical Society will manage the facility.
"This wonderful new facility should provide a worthwhile resource not only to the 200,000 annual visitors to the site, but to the Charlestown community, which takes such pride in its role in our nation's history," said Boston National Historical Park Superintendent Terry Savage.
Several hundred turned out to for the public unveiling of the new museum, with a program that included statements by Hurley, Savage, Mayor Thomas M. Menino, Monument Association President Jim Conway, French Consul General François Gauthier, British Deputy Consul Chun and Grand Lodge of Masons Grandmaster Jeffery Black Hodgdon. Students from the Warren-Prescott School also performed the National Anthem to commemorate the occasion.
The event culminated with the laying of the cornerstone that recalled the original ceremony at the Monument on June 17, 1825, the 50th anniversary of Bunker Hill Day.
The original ceremony was organized by the Monument Association and performed by Marquis de Lafayette, a French military officer who fought in both the French and American revolutions. Daniel Webster, the second president of the Monument Association, delivered the oration, and the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, performed the services.
Robert Huke, spokesman for the Grand Lodge of Masons of Massachusetts, believes that the Masons’ involvement at this recreation of the 1825 event had added significance because King Solomon’s Lodge of Masons created the first monument at the site in 1794 when it erected a golden urn atop an 18-foot wooden pillar in memory of Mason and fallen Battle of Bunker Hill hero, General Joseph Warren. Huke added that the Monument Association has had a close affinity with the Masons since the organization’s inception.
Cdr. Robert Gillen, the military liaison officer for the Park Service who oversaw the military portion of the ceremony, thought it was appropriate that Gauthier took part in the ceremony since Lafayette had such a deep connection to the hallowed ground that he even brought soil from the Monument with him back to France.
“Some of us in France and Charlestown never forgot the connection between Lafayette and the American people,” Gillen said.
Gauthier pointed out that the ribbon-cutting ceremony also coincided with 250th anniversary of Lafayette’s birth. “Boston was very dear to Lafayette’s heart, so we are also paying tribute to his memory,” he said.
Gauthier added, “There is a longstanding friendship between the French and American people, and this is a good opportunity to remind us of the role that the French played when this country was struggling for life and independence.”
Meanwhile, Hurley of the Historical Society sees the new museum as a way to keep the history of the Battle of Bunker Hill alive in the minds of future generations.
“As far as the Battle of Bunker Hill is concerned, it’s extremely important to attract new visitors and to better explain the history so people have a better understanding of what happened here,” Hurley said. “It’s the perfect use of the building. It could have been condos, if it weren’t for the work of the Historical Society and the Bunker Hill Monument Association.”

The following is a transcript of the speech delivered by Jim Conway, president of the Bunker Monument Association, at last Thursday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Battle of Bunker Hill Museum. The speech came one day after the Boston Globe published a story about the museum, which neglected to mention the Monument Association’s tireless contributions to the project.

Mayor Menino, Superintendent Savage, French Consul General Gauthier, British Deputy Consul General Chun, Masonic Grand Master Hodgdon, Charlestown Historical Society President Hurley, Cdr. Gillen, Americans, all welcome and Happy Flag Day.
I am pleased on this auspicious occasion, as president of the Bunker Hill Monument Association, founded in 1823, to bring you my personal greetings and that of my fellow officers and members and to congratulate the Boston National Historical Park Service on their successful upgrading of the Bunker Hill Monument, Granite Lodge and Monument grounds and its awesome, newly renovated and refurbished Battle of Bunker Hill Museum.
However, at the same time, as the Bunker Hill Monument Association president, and as a lifelong resident of Charlestown, I am greatly disturbed at the reporting — or the lack thereof — of historically accurate reporting by Michael Levenson in yesterday’s Boston Globe article entitled “At Bunker Hill, history receives a makeover.”
For if one had never been exposed to the true history of the 18-year construction of the Bunker Hill Monument and the heroic fundraising drive to finance it by the Bunker Hill Monument Association, the organization that built it, After reading Levenson’s article, history certainly did receive a makeover. Those of you here in attendance should know, and if you don’t, I will now inform you:
If it were not for the leadership of the Bunker Hill Monument Association comprised of some of the most prominent men of Boston and of the State of Massachusetts, which incorporated in 1823 with its purpose to construct a memorable monument to commemorate those who fought and died at Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775 — there would be no Monument today.
If it were not for the Bunker Hill Monument Association, there would not have been a 50-year anniversary celebration in 1825 — the first major celebration commemorating the battle with countless thousands in attendance to hear our second president, Daniel Webster — orator of the day — give his acclaimed First Monument Oration.
If it were not for the Bunker Hill Monument Association, there would not have been a cornerstone laying ceremony, planned and organized by the Bunker Hill Monument Association for June 17, 1825, with invitations to General the Marquis de Lafayette and the Grand Master of the Massachusetts Grand Lodge of Masons, who with the Bunker Hill Monument Association President Webster, participated in the cornerstone laying ceremony.
If it were not for the Bunker Hill Monument Association, there would not have been the years-long struggle to raise over $134,000 to finance construction, with donations of 25 cents by thousands of contributors, thousand dollar donations by a few — the highest being $10,000 by a prominent Boston business man, Amos Lawrence, that was immediately matched by a Jewish Merchant from Newport, R.I., Judah Touro and, of course, the successful fair held in the 1830s by Mrs. Sarah Josepha Hale, which raised $33,000. The $134,000 would be millions today.
If it were not for the Bunker Hill Monument Association, our organization would not have had the arduous but rewarding task of administering the Bunker Hill Monument caretaking, maintenance, supervision, historical interpretation for over 80 years — until we deeded the Monument over to the Commonwealth as a free gift in 1919.
If it were not for the Bunker Hill Monument Association, the Granite Lodge would not have been financed and construction completed in 1903, and notwithstanding, if It were not for the Bunker Hill Monument Association, the Beacon Hill Monument would not have been financed and construction completed in 1888. This monument stands today on the State House Grounds adjacent to Bowdoin Street and across from Ashburton Place.
If it were not for the Bunker Hill Monument Association, there would be no Boston National Historical Park — no Federal administering and supervising of the Bunker Hill Monument and its grounds. In the early 1970s, the Bunker Hill Monument Association finally had it with the state’s lack of upkeep of the Monument and its grounds. Under the leadership of H. Vincent Strout, the late Bunker Hill Monument Association president, national legislation was drafted with the assistance and support of our Congressman Thomas “Tip” O’Neil, the late Speaker of the House, and U.S. Sen. Edward M. “Ted”?? Kennedy not only to turn the Bunker Hill Monument over to the National Park Service, but to create the Boston National Historical Park.
If it were not for the Bunker Hill Monument Association’s legislative initiative, this Bill would not have passed, the Boston National Historical Park would not have been created, we would not have seen the successes that they have attained, and we would not be here today.
If it were not for the leadership of the Bunker Hill Monument Association working in a collaborative effort with Charlestown Historical Society President Arthur L. Hurley and the late President Kay Whelan and the leadership of the Charlestown Historical Society for nearly 20 years with the late Superintendent John Burchill and the current Superintendent Terry Savage to plan and implement the partnership of the Boston National Historic Park, City of Boston and Charlestown Historical Society to renovate and recreate the Battle of Bunker Hill Museum.
If it were not for the help of local attorney Gerard Doherty, a close personal friend of U.S. Sen. Edward M. “Ted”?? Kennedy, in interceding on our behalf to obtain the necessary funds in the federal budget and to have those funds released in a timely fashion, this project would not be successfully completed today.
And finally, if it were not for the Bunker Hill Monument Association many of the artifacts and invaluable historic treasures accumulated by various societies, including our 10 original drawings submitted in 1825 for the design of the Bunker Hill Monument would not be on loan to the Battle of Bunker Hill Museum and on display today.
So, I’ll sum up this morning by saying to Globe staff reporter Michael Leverson, hopefully, in the future, you will do a more extensive research before you write an article about the Bunker Hill Monument and Museum. For God knows how you could write one such as you did, with over a half page of copy and not one word mentioning the name of the Bunker Hill Monument Association, which is so intertwined with the construction of this noble column, the Bunker Hill Monument, and the history of the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Last week, the Mayor and the City’s Office of Human Services awarded Boston Community Grants from Boston R.O.C.K.S. (Recreational Opportunities for City Kids), Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s new initiative to expand summer programming throughout the city. As one of the five Charlestown recipients, the newly-formed Charlestown Sports Collaborative is organizing the “Charlestown Summer Sports Challenge”.
The Sports Collaborative brings the heads of various sports organizations in the town together for the purpose of achieving a common goal: to get more kids involved in their programs and sports in general. Launched in January, the ad-hoc collaborative brings together members of the Charlestown Substance Abuse Committee’s Changing Community Attitudes, Charlestown Against Drugs and representatives from local sports organizations.
The Collaborative’s Summer Sports Challenge kicks off Wednesday, July 11, at Eden Street Park. Kids between the ages 8 and 18 are invited to participate in a modified version of the President’s Challenge physical fitness test (the two-mile run isn’t included) to see how they stack up against their peers from around the city, state and country. The MGH Charlestown HealthCare Center and Northeastern University’s Sport in Society Program will also be on hand to determine the body mass index of each child and to provide health and nutritional information.
Other sports Challenges take place every Wednesday for the rest of the summer from 6 to 9 p.m. at various locations and will each showcase a different sport. Participants will take part in various contests specific to that sport, with prizes going to the winners in each challenge.
Additionally, opportunities to register and participate in each sport will be provided to youth and parents through out the summer. It is the goal of the Charlestown Sports Collaborative that youth will participate in the sport or sports of their choice during their regular seasons as a result of being exposed to each during the summer challenge.
“It’s a great opportunity for kids to participate in a wide range of sports that can be as competitive or noncompetitive as the person wants,” said Bob Cutler, executive director of the Charlestown Lacrosse & Learning Center who is helping to organize the Sports Challenges.
The Sports Challenge culminates on Aug. 29, when kids take the physical fitness test again, thereby giving them the chance to see what areas they’ve improved in and how they stack up against their peers at this point. On Sept. 5 from 6 to 9 p.m., an award ceremony and family barbeque takes place at Eden Street Park for all those who participated in the program.
Steve Tower, the sports director for Charlestown of Northeastern University’s Sports in Society program and one of the organizers of the Sports Challenge, is encouraged to see the leaders of the various sports organizations unified in an effort to help local kids.
“When we sit down with all the directors [of the various sports programs], it’s about every kid in Charlestown getting an opportunity to participate in the sports they choose,” Tower said.
Mike Charbonnier, CSAC co-chair and CHAD secretary, knows from volunteering with the Pop Warner Football, Charlestown Little League and various other organizations, that all the programs face similar issues.
“There‘s a common thread running through all these organizations,” Charbonnier said. “It’s in everyone’s interest to work together.”
Meanwhile, Cutler hopes that by exposing kids to new activities, the Sports Challenge will allow them more opportunities later in life.
“Regardless of whether a kid chooses baseball, football, soccer or lacrosse, it can open doors and earn them scholarships,” Cutler said. “Sports have the ability to take kids to places where they couldn’t otherwise go.”
Look for opportunities to sign up in upcoming editions of the Patriot-Bridge. For more information on the Sports Challenge, call Bob Cutler at 617-242-1813 or Steve Tower at 617-308-6498.

John Maconga, the new executive director of Courageous Sailing Center, first learned about the program nearly 20 years ago while he was working as a part-time security guard during the summer before his senior year at UMass Amherst. Maconga, who was pursuing a double-major in economics and political science, was living on Elm Street because he found affordable housing and Charlestown allowed for easy access to the State House, where he was working as an intern.
“I’d walk along the waterfront and see some pretty impressive boats,” Maconga said. “I always wished there was a program like [Courageous] for me to take advantage of as a kid.”
Born in 1966, Maconga grew up in Lenox, a small town in the Berkshires that is home to the Tanglewood Music Center. After graduating from UMass Amherst in 1989, he enrolled in Boston University Law School. On a Boston Harbor cruise during the first week of orientation, Maconga met Marisa Mascaro, a fellow law school student whom he would marry after earning his law degree in September of 1993. (Today, Maconga and his wife live in Wellesley with their 6-year old son Carson and 5-year-old twins, son Thatcher and daughter Sage).
Maconga and his new bride moved to the Basilica Condominiums in the Navy Yard, and he launched his legal career at Boston law firm Perkins, Smith & Cohen. In 1995, Maconga was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (insulin diabetes), a realization that caused him to reconsider his career — and his life.
“It pulled me over the edge and made me want to understand at a deeper level the difficulties that people have to overcome in life to succeed,” he said.
While Maconga stayed in the legal profession until he was able to pay off his student loans, he made a dramatic career change in 2003 when he took a position as executive director of The Barton Center for Diabetes Education in Oxford, Mass. Maconga was particularly drawn to the center because of the way it used camping to help kids come to terms with their condition.
“I could very much understand the position of kids dealing with diabetes,” he said. “I could appreciate the camping aspect as a way to build kids’ self-esteem.”
In his current role at Courageous, Maconga is reaching out to many of the city’s most underprivileged youth — a situation that he can also relate to from growing up poor.
“The vast majority of Courageous outreach programs are targeted towards an area of the city where kids are economically disadvantaged,” he said. “In part because I didn’t have an opportunity like this, it makes me appreciate what a valuable service it is for kids in the Boston area.”
More than anything else though, Maconga hopes that Courageous programming can teach participating youth the fundamentals of leadership, personal development and environmental stewardship.
“It’s a subtle but powerful thing when a child talks about feeling the wind on his face rather than sitting at home and watching TV,” he said.

CAPTION 1: Class President Mavrick Alfonso addresses his classmates.

CAPTION 2: Recent grads are seen at the June 12 ceremony.

CAPTION 3: Joshua Walsh accepted his late brother's diploma at the commencement. The late Kevin Walsh, a promising football player, would have graduated with the Class of 2007. Shown in the photo is Mrs. Walsh and football coach George Farro.

CAPTION 4: Pictured is the Valedictorian of the Class of 2007, Madelyn Disla.

Charlestown High School’s commencement took place on the afternoon of June 12 at Matthews Arena on Northeastern University campus. The graduates, boys in red and girls in white caps and gowns, made a lovely appearance as they filed into the arena and took their seats. This year's class was larger than in recent years and numbered 206 graduates.
Welcoming all and serving as master of ceremonies was Kelly Flynn, assistant headmaster. An ROTC contingent presented the colors and graduate Cecily Graham sang the national anthem. The valedictory address was given by Madelyn Disla. Also addressing the graduates was class president Mavrick Alfonso and Michael Fung, headmaster. Kelly Flynn also announced the many names of students awarded scholarships and awards.
Joshua Walsh accepted a diploma in the name of his late brother, Kevin, who would have graduated with the Class of 2007. After the awarding of the diplomas, the gathering gave Headmaster Fung a round of applause in recognition of years as headmaster. His retirement takes effect as the school year comes to an end.

On June 6, the Mayor’s Senior Luncheon, sponsored by Mayor Thomas M. Menino, took place at the Knights of Columbus Hall.

CAPTION 1: Elaine McCarthy gets into the Bunker Hill Week spirit.

CAPTION 2: Picture, left to right, are Peter Looney and Mel Upton.

CAPTION 3: Seniors cut a rug at the luncheon.