The Barrington United Veterans Council has organized the Memorial Day parade in Barrington for nearly 70 years.

But not any more.

On Monday night, March 7, members of the Barrington Town Council stripped the Barrington UVC of its role as parade organizer and instructed the town manager to handle that task. 

The council also assigned parade master of ceremonies duties to Scott Douglas, a Barrington resident and veteran. Mr. Douglas is the husband of Barrington School Committee member Megan Douglas. 

Paul Dulchinos, the president of the Barrington United Veterans Council, sent an email to his organization’s members last night following the council’s vote.

He wrote that the council’s move appeared to be retribution for the group’s stance against the town flying the Black Lives Matter flag over the veterans memorial outside the town hall.

“This move was an insult to the BUVC and further exposes that the Barrington Town Council desires to continue its ‘War on our Veteran Community,’” wrote Mr. Dulchinos. “This is a very dark day in the history of Barrington.”

Mr. Dulchinos wrote that the Barrington UVC has been running the Barrington Memorial Day Parade since 1954, “rain or shine to honor those men of its ranks that made the ultimate sacrifice.” In fact, the Barrington UVC had already started organizing this year’s parade. They had lined up groups to march in the parade and had invited guests to speak at the event which follows the parade.

“The town council has now decided to politicize this solemn event which they characterized as ‘kicking off the summer season,’” wrote Mr. Dulchinos.

“They (the town council) passed a motion instructing the town manager to run the parade and then specified that their own hand picked Master of Ceremonies be placed in charge. Whose wife happens to be a local School Committee Member of their same political party. Although he is a Veteran, he has never been a member of our organization nor has he ever participated in any of our previous activities. This was a slap in the face for all those who have faithfully served this community from our organization over the last 68 years,” Mr. Dulchinos wrote.

Barrington Town Council Vice President Rob Humm said there is nothing stopping the town manager, Phil Hervey, from working with the Barrington United Veterans Council on the parade.