Before the Parade Passes By

There is nothing on the planet like a parade. They can be as large and full of grandeur as Macy’s (doesn’t that evoke a lifetime of memories?) or as simple and earnest as the Burt County Fair Parade, held last weekend in Oakland, Nebraska. The float that caught our eye, naturally, was adorned with Girl Scout Daisies and Brownies–the live variety–and the most ingenious theme: Save the World ~ It’s the Only Planet with Girl Scout Cookies. Makes you think, huh?

Not everyone knows this, but before I worked for Girl Scouts, I hosted a kids program FOX 42 in Omaha. Every year, we would take our custom parade float (complete with Power Ranger cut-outs, a skate-boarding Bart Simpson and real C02 fog) and charm the cheering crowds in towns all around Nebraska and Iowa.  The most touching attribute about a small-town parade is how it builds kinship and community.  Every citizen with a lawn chair and the means to get there, lines the street waiting for their daughter, niece, grandchild, husband, aunt, neighbor, cousin or best friend to pass by; EVERYONE comes out for a parade

It never mattered which town we were visiting, we always felt like we belonged on a small-scale into the big picture. The sound of bands, the smell of diesel, the sight of children scooping tossed candy off the sidewalk…nothing compares to a parade.

Do you have a photo of your Girl Scout parade float that you want to share?  Send to marketing@girlscoutsnebraska.org.  We will publish your photo in our next JG magazine.