Maplewood Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony

According to my records, the following groups have asked to be in the parade. Please correct me if I have left anyone out who wants to participate:

VFW
Maplewood Committee for Servicemen and Women
CHS Marching Band
Girl Scouts
Boy Scouts
Tuscan School
Clinton School
Seth Boyden School
CHS Robotics Club
Maplewood Community Music
Hilton Neighborhood Association
South Orange Elks
Strollers
4th of July Committee
Mike Summersgill with 1976 Corvette
Kiwanis
YMCA

This is not necessarily the order in which these groups will be in the parade. Responses have been forwarded to the VFW member who is in charge of the parade this year.

If your group wants to be in the parade and has not yet responded, please feel free to do so now.  You can either post to this thread or send a PM.

One more week to go.  Any questions regarding the event?  Post them here.

MikeSummersgill said:

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

Mike will be driving B. John Kaufman in the parade.  If anyone else would like to drive one of our veterans who is unable to march this year, please let me know here or by PM and I will try to find a passenger for you.  

South Mountain Peace Action has been added to the order of march.

Thank you to Jamie Ross for featuring the Maplewood Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony on the MOL home page.

Thank you to Mary Mann for including the Maplewood Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony in the Community Events Listing on Village Green.

Does any one reading this know if the Adult School and or CCR plan on being in the parade this year?  Neither has gotten back to us yet and we are getting close to finalizing the order of march.  Thank you.

There is a possibility of rain on Memorial Day.  I have a query in to the VFW member in charge of the parade this year, I am just helping out, to determine the weather conditions that would lead to the parade being canceled and the time the ceremony would begin inside Town Hall if there were no parade. I will post the reply when I receive it to this thread and to the Facebook event page.

I just heard from my VFW contact.  The parade will be canceled only in the event of rain so heavy spectators can't see through it or by order of the Police or Fire Department as a result of lightning strikes in the area.  

No word as to when the indoor ceremony inside Town Hall would take place if rain prevents it from being an outdoor activity.  I am therefore making an executive decision and scheduling the indoor ceremony to begin at 10 am, which is the most likely time that the ceremony would start were it to follow immediately after the parade.  I have been told that the Post Commander is following this thread.  I hope that he will either post a correction or let me know off-line if this time is not acceptable.  In the event of off-line communication, I will post a correction to this thread.  Otherwise, assume that the 10 am start time stands.

The Maplewood Fire Department will be happy to participate . We'll see everyone Monday morning

Thanks for the confirmation.  I already have the Fire Department in the order of march.  You will be bringing up the rear as usual in case an emergency presents itself during the parade.  Do you want exclusive access the Gleasons Parking Lot?  If so, please let me know ASAP so arrangements can be made with Mr. Rubin.

The VFW Post Commander just confirmed that in the event of weather foul enough to cancel the parade, the Memorial Day Ceremony will begin inside Town Hall at 10:00 am.

There are only four US Armed Forces Veterans who have agreed to be in this year's parade.  The VFW would welcome any additional veterans who would like to march with the VFW members at the head of the parade.  If anyone reading this is a Veteran (service overseas in harm's way not required), plans to be around on Memorial Day, and is physically capable of walking the parade route, please send me a PM with your name and contact information.  Uniform of the day not required.

Joan - permission to copy and paste your comments in Facebook's SoMap Lounge?

Granted.

The Gleason's lot would be great Joan.  We will have 2 to 3 apparatus there. Thx

soorlady said:

Joan - permission to copy and paste your comments in Facebook's SoMap Lounge?

Just saw your post.  Thanks so much for doing this.

Hi! I PM'd you about my convertible VW Beetle - let me know if a vet would like a ride in it! 

Thank you.  I passed your contact information on the person in charge of the parade.  I will see if I can find a veteran for you.  I know of a couple of possibilities.

Latest weather report gives a 60% chance of rain on Memorial Day due to the increasing  possibility of a tropical storm on that day.  Please check with this thread foe the latest information as we get closer to the start of the parade.

Here is the Order of March as of May 28, 2016.

Division 1 -   Police Escort Vehicle 

Division 2 -   Ceremony Participants

1 - Honor Guard

2 - Veterans / John Dilly w/ green corvette

3- Veterans in cars

4- Maplewood Committee for Servicemen and Women

5- Township Committee and Officials

6-  Columbia High School Cougar Marching Band

 Division - 3   Youth Groups

1 - Girl Scout - Daisies, Brownies, Scouts

2 - Boy Scouts - Cub Scouts; Boy Scouts

3- Tuscan School

4 - Clinton School

5-  Boyden School

Division  - 4      Community
Groups

1.  - Maplewood Community Band / Hilton
Neighborhood  

2   - Strollers

3   - 4th of July Committee - Tin Can Man

4   - CHS Robotics Club

5   - Hilton Neighborhood Association

6   - South Mountain Peace Action 

Division - 5  Service Organizations

1 -  South Orange Elks, Lodge 1154  

2. - Kiwanis  SO/M YMCA

3 -  Maplewood Fire Department

NOAA forecast for Monday

Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Patchy fog. High near 80. Southwest wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch

I think there's little doubt we will have rain on Monday.  I'm not Max or even close, but I do think that 36 hours out, things could still shift timewise so the parade could still happen.  

I have let all the Girl Scout troops know about checking this thread re possible cancellation.

Thanks sac.  

Peteglider:  The VFW organizers are watching the weather forecast very closely. Thus, the back up plan for an indoor ceremony.  In all the years I have been connected with the Memorial Day activities, I can think of only two occasions when the parade was canceled.  In one case, the MPD ordered the parade canceled due to heavy rain; the other time it was canceled by the MFD when lightning struck directly in front of Town Hall.  If at all possible, the parade will be held.

Here is the final order of march for 2016.  Please contact me immediately if your group plans to be in the parade but has not been listed here.  

Order of March – Memorial Day - 2016

Ceremony Participants

1.                  Police Escort Vehicle 

2.                  VFW Honor Guard  (followed by MPD honor guard if present)

3.                  Other Veterans  Walking

4.                  Other Veterans Riding

5.                  Maplewood Committee for Servicemen and Women

6.                  Township Committee and Officials

7.                  Columbia High School Cougar Marching Band

Youth Groups

8.                  Girl Scout - Daisies, Brownies, Scouts

9.                  Boy Scouts - Cub Scouts; Boy Scouts

10.              Tuscan School

11.              4 - Clinton School

12.              5-  Boyden School

Community Groups

13.              Maplewood Community Band / Hilton Neighborhood  

14.              Strollers 

15.               4th of July Committee

16.              CHS Robotics Club

17.              South Mountain Peace Action 

Service Organizations

18.               South Orange Elks, Lodge 1154  

19.               Kiwanis  SO/M YMCA

Emergency Response Organizations

20.              Maplewood Fire Department

Please feel free to print out a copy of the Order of March, if you want to refer to it on Monday.

Where is a good place to watch the parade go by?

Depends on what you like.  Each part of the parade route has its own flavor.  

West Parker Avenue is mostly a staging area.  Few persons except for residents of the block watch the parade from there.  It can be fun to see how the parade is assembled.

Maplewood Avenue before the Village is mostly house parties with a scattering of watchers.  It tends to be well attended; but, with plenty of room.  If you live nearby, this might be a good choice.  

The Village portion of Maplewood Avenue is by far the most popular, with crowds several persons deep.  In foul weather, getting a table by the window in one of the restaurants might be a good choice.  In good weather, there are some benches which could be helpful if there are members of your party who would have trouble standing for a long period of time.  Prior to construction, I recommended that persons watching the parade from the Village take the pedestrian walkway and cross the park to Town Hall for a second look at the parade and a good vantage point for the ceremony.  If the walkway is open, this remains  good advice.  

Baker Street is usually sparsely populated by parade goers, offers hill tops for the shorter ones among us to see everything, is popular with persons who bring their dogs to watch, and offers the best shade on a hot sunny day. Shade is not apt to be a plus factor tomorrow but the trees may help deflect some of the promised rain drops.  

Valley Street before Oakview Avenue is the most popular with persons who live east of the tracks and usually brings out a crowd.  This part of the parade route seems to be especially popular with those who come to the parade accompanied by young children in strollers.  

Town Hall is my own personal favorite.  Usually crowded.  Has one right there for the ceremony.  Popular with parents of children in the parade. Good place to meet marchers after the parade so you can attend the ceremony together.

Lest we forget

Both sides of my family served well during World War 2

We should never forget what they did,  even as time claims these guys and women

The uncle for whom I was named even served in the Merchant Marines,   delivering  badly needed

supplies to the Allies all over the world

Since they were not an official branch of the service he was denied his veteran' s benefits

Don't know if  he ever received them

He expressed no bitterness

Bernie would have known if service in the Merchant Marine was now benefits eligible.  Check with the VA or a service officer from one of the local veteran's organization to determine current eligibility requirements.

The almighty Wikipedia informs us that by court order The Merchant Marines were granted the same rights and privileges of all other branches of the Service in 1988

They suffered the highest casualty rate of any service during World War 2 again as per Wikipedia

joan_crystal said:

Thanks sac.  

Peteglider:  The VFW organizers are watching the weather forecast very closely. Thus, the back up plan for an indoor ceremony.  In all the years I have been connected with the Memorial Day activities, I can think of only two occasions when the parade was canceled.  In one case, the MPD ordered the parade canceled due to heavy rain; the other time it was canceled by the MFD when lightning struck directly in front of Town Hall.  If at all possible, the parade will be held.

Joan,  If the back-up plan is invoked, what time does the Town Hall ceremony start?

10:00 am.  I confirmed this with Vic a little while ago.