Maplewood Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony

Members of Maplewood Memorial Post 10120 VFW, who sponsor and organize the Maplewood Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony have asked me to get the word out that the Memorial Day Parade will be held on Memorial Day again this year followed by the Memorial Day Ceremony at Town Hall.  Please mark your calendar if you plan to be in town that day and join your friends and neighbors in honoring our Veterans.

As I get more specific information, I will post it here.  As far as I know nothing has changed from last year but I have put out a request for verification just in case.  As in prior years, if your youth, community, or service organization would like to march (or ride in your own vehicle(s)) in the parade, please post here or send me a PM so your group can be added to the order of march.  We could also use a few good volunteers to help with staging on the day of the parade.  Please send me a PM if you would like to do this and I will reply with the details.

You might want to consider sharing this beyond Maplewood Specific. Us South Orange folk love the parade too  

Looking forward to it!

South Orange residents are more than welcome as are persons from anywhere else.  I got in the habit of posting the thread in Maplewood Specific because under the old board format, thread topics from MOL posted to Maplewood Specific during the past 24 hours were listed on the MOL Home Page which brought additional readers to the thread.  Not sure that is still the case. A second reason this thread is in Maplewood Specific is that I don't want to step on the toes of other towns who have their own Memorial Day Celebration.

Please note that marching in the parade is not limited to Maplewood residents.  Veterans who live outside of Maplewood are welcome to march with the veterans at the head of the parade.  Individuals who belong to groups based in Maplewood but who live elsewhere are strongly encouraged to march with their group members.  Groups based outside of Maplewood that fit the general definition of youth groups, community groups, or service organizations are welcome to march in the parade, even if none of their members live in Maplewood.

I hope to see all of you at the parade and I hope that everyone will join us at the steps of Town Hall immediately following the parade so we can all pay tribute to our veterans, especially those who died in the past year.

TarheelsInNj:  The very first group that I have heard from is the South Orange Elks.  I guess someone in their leadership read your post.      They have been added to the order of march.

Special thanks to the reader of this thread who has volunteered to help on parade day.  We can still use a few more volunteers if anyone else is interested.

Just confirmed with the Maplewood Memorial Post 10120 VFW Commander:  Parade and ceremony will be held on Memorial Day, May 30, 2016.  The parade will assemble at 8:15 am at the Columbia High School Student Parking Lot.  The parade will kick off at 9:00 am.  Parade route is West Parker Avenue to Maplewood Avenue to Baker Street to Valley Street to Town Hall.  Memorial Day Ceremony will follow on the steps of Town Hall immediately after the parade.  Veterans of the United States Armed Forces, youth groups, community groups, and service organizations are invited to march.  Groups can also ride in the parade if they provide their own vehicles.  Groups wanting to ride or march in the parade are urged to preregister.  This can be done by posting to this thread or by sending me a PM.

I will let all the Girl Scout troops know and many will be there.

Thank you.  As per usual, I will list the Girl Scouts as a single group.  If possible, advise the troops that they should arrange themselves by age grade with the youngest marching at the front and the oldest bringing up the rear..

The Maplewood Committee For Service Men and Women has been added to the order of march.

Troop 5 BSA has been added to the order of march.

Love their giant flag!

I have been assured that the flag will be there as well.

The CHS Robotics Club is hoping to be in the parade.  Awaiting final confirmation, a place is being held for them in the order of march.  If your school group, boy scout troop (Girl Scout Troops please contact Sally Chew), sports team, etc. would like to march in the parade, please post here or send me a PM.  As in prior years, floats are welcome.

Community groups such as church groups, clubs, and neighborhood associations are urged to participate by marching and/or riding in the parade.  If your community group would like to be in the parade this year, please post here or send a PM.  

We have had a number of less ambulatory groups in the past so don't let that stop your group from participating.  Groups choosing to ride in the parade need to provide their own vehicle(s) and should either have some sort of sign on the lead vehicle identifying the group or a person or persons walking in front of the vehicle(s) carrying a sign or banner identifying the group. Groups with vehicles are usually put to the back of the parade so marches will be less likely to have to inhale exhaust fumes.

There are usually VFW Post members and other veterans of the US Armed Forces who would like to be able to be in the parade but are no longer able to walk the parade route.  If anyone has a vehicle that can be in the parade with available seating for one or more veterans, please post here and I will pass the information on to the VFW Post in case veteran is in need of a ride this year.  In the past, veterans have ridden in an authentic bat mobile, World War II era jeep, convertible with the top down, with the Kiwanis duck, and even in a town jitney.

Joan,

I have a 1976 Corvette and would love to provide a Vet a ride in a Vette. Please provide my contact info...msummersgill@hotmail.com.

Mike

We would love to have you and your corvette in the parade with or without a vet riding with you.  Please confirm that you will come and I will see that you are added to the order of march.  I am passing your contact information on to the post officer in charge of the parade.  Thank you so much for volunteering.  Hope to see you at the parade.

Kiwanis and the YMCA will be riding/marching together in the parade as a single unit.  They are being added to the order of march.  

Tuscan School has been added to the order of march.  If your school group would like to be in the parade, please post here or send me a pm with name of the group, contact person, and contact info.

I'm told that the CHS Cougar Marching Band, the Pride of Columbia, will represent! 

Thank you for the confirmation.  It wouldn't be a Memorial Day Parade without the Columbia High School Marching Band.

Hi as a representative of Maplewood Community Music I am happy to add us again to the roster of marchers for this year!

Ben Williams

Thank you!  We are so happy to have Maplewood Community Music in the parade once again.

Parade details have been submitted for MOL Community Calendar.  Hope to see you all at the parade and ceremony which follows.  It is not too late to pre-register if your veteran's, youth, community, or service group wants be in the parade.  Please post to this thread or send me a PM.

Bump.  It's not to late to register for the parade.  Please send a PM or post here if your group is interested.

Clinton School with this year's fantastic float has been added to the order of march. Thus far, Tuscan and Clinton are the only two schools I have heard from.  If any other elementary school or middle school is planning on being in the parade this year, please let me know.  The robotics group from CHS is the only school team or club I have heard from to date.  If any other school teams or clubs want to be in the parade, please let me know so your group can have a place in the order of march.

I heard from a friend that Hilton Neighborhood Association might be marching in the parade this year but have yet to receive a formal reply from that organization.  Can anyone reading this who is connected with that organization confirm or deny their participation?

It is not too late for neighborhood associations to register to march in the parade this year.  If your neighborhood association would like to be in this year's parade, please post here or send me a PM.

Edited to add:  Hilton Neighborhood Association has confirmed that they will be in the parade.  They have been added to the order of march.

The Strollers have been added to the order of march.

Seth Boyden School has been added to the order of march.

The 4th of July Committee has been added to the order of march.