History fills Natick organization day

By Bob Reinert/USAG Natick Public AffairsOctober 28, 2010

It began and ended with a strong sense of history.

That was the underlying theme of U.S. Army Garrison Natick's 2010 Organization Day on Oct. 22, which started with a tour of Boston's Freedom Trail and concluded back on post with the cutting of the IMCOM birthday cake.

"The objective is to have fun," said Ed Philmon of the Directorate of Logistics before leading a group of Natick employees along the Freedom Trail. "We're in Boston Common. You're in America's oldest public park right now."

After stops at other historic sites along the trail on a bright, blustery fall day, the visitors from Natick wound up at Faneuil Hall, where Americans began their protests against "taxation without representation."

Relaxing at Faneuil Hall after the walk, Blair Rodgers of the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security, pointed out that in 1776 the Declaration of Independence had been read from the balcony of the Old State House on the Freedom Trail.

"How cool is that'" Rodgers said.

Scott Bullen of the Directorate of Public Works was interested in the history of the American Revolution before setting out on the trail. His appreciation grew on the team-building trip.

"It was enlightening, entertaining and just an opportunity to get to know each other," Bullen said. "I thought it was worthwhile."

Mark Wyman of the Directorate of Emergency Services had a similar response.

"I thought it was a great time," said Wyman, "absolutely worth it."

After the buses brought employees back to Natick, they gathered in the Lord Community Center to celebrate IMCOM's fourth birthday with a cake-cutting ceremony.