The title of "minute men" was officially adopted the year before the American Revolution started. The Provincial Congress of Massachusetts formally voted to enroll 12,000 men under the title of Minutemen in October of 1774.  They were ordinary citizens who rose to the challenge that was asked of them.  

Minute Men were different from the militia in several ways:

1. Minute men were volunteers.
2. The minute men trained two or three times a week. Local Miltia trained every few months.  
3. The minute men had a commitment on time and were paid for their training.  The milita men were only paid if called out to travel away from their town.
4. Minute men were expected to have their weapons at all times so that they were at the ready.  If an alarm was sounded, they had to be ready with  a minute's notice. - This is why they were called "minute men."

On the morning of April 19, 1775, the first to stand up to the British at Lexington Green were those minute men. The minutemen were clearly outnumbered as they stood in the way of the marching British Army. Several minutemen gave their lives that morning.  Later that day, minutemen led the attack on the Concord Bridge against the British. 

After the Congress authorized General George Washington to lead the Continental Army against the British, many militia units and their minutemen joined this army. The need for the minutemen eventually ceased to exist as the newly formed Army conducted the majority of the battles.

The acts of the minutemen on that day in 1775, have helped to lead this country on the journey to form our current government that includes many of the freedoms that you enjoy. These acts of the minute men inspired many people to fight for their freedom as it was"the shot heard around the world" at Lexington which began to represent the fight for freedom in all countries.

However, that is not the end of the story. The minutemen were picked as a logo for our school for a very significant reason: It was an elite group, that was ready and prepared. In today's world, you as a student at T.H. Bell represent the ideals of the minute men. There is pride in being a member of an elite group. Show that you are worthy of being a member of this group by being prepared for all situations, showing respect to others, and by being responsible for your actions. Show your pride as a member of an elite group called the Minutemen!