Veterans Day Parade, & Parades in General

[Keystone28]

Howdy & good Sunday morn to all you scouts!

 

Can I pick at your brains for a few minutes?? I was wondering how many of you belong to Troops or Packs that participate in Veterans Day parades, and what do you do to make them special? Our council has great participation for our local parade, but I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas to make it all the more exciting for the boys.

[boomerscout]

different pix in different papers always helps (with a short write-up). Notify, well in advance, the TV stations so their stringers can be there with a videocam

[frankpalazzi]

Our Troop and Pack is sponsored by an American Legion Post. We always participate in the Memorial Day parade, and Veterans Day observances (a gathering, not a parade.) We also do a "spring cleanup" of the Legion grounds after helping place geraniums on Vets' graves the Saturday before Memorial Day. The cleanup takes 2 hours max, and the Legion provides burgers, dogs, chips, and soda for lunch. They are perfectly happy with all this and rarely ask for anything more.

[theysawyoucomin']

Our town only has a Memorial Day parade.

Both Cubs and the Troop participate. Very few Boys Scouts participate because they are required to play in the HS band and march with them for their band grade.

[jackmessick]

Find the person in charge of the ceremony, and see if they somehow can be involved in laying a wreath, or raising the flag at the ceremony.

 

I was amazed at how happy and excited the American Legion and other veterans groups were when I spoke up and volunteered some troop members. Sadly, it appears that the audience for such events is ever shrinking, in spite of two wars currently on-going.

 

Anyway, some of the vets offered to help train the Scouts to "do it right." I never saw my Scouts more committed to doing a flag ceremony correctly.

 

The hard thing was finding the person in charge of the ceremonies. Check with your local American Legion Post, or any of the retiree associations.