Grand Floral Parade 2014

Sometime in May, we got an email from the local Boy Scout Council asking if any Scouts would like to participate in the Grand Floral Parade in Portland. Specifically, they were looking for Scouts who would be interested in carrying the banners that proceed each float/entry.  Jourdan said that he would like to volunteer; it sounded like fun.  So, he signed up.  Then, he thought it would be much more fun if he had a friend to help carry the banner (they're heavy), so he called his long-time Scout buddy Paul.

 

When Jourdan volunteered, we asked the lady in charge of volunteers if he could possibly be somewhere in the front half of the parade because he had a vocal recital in the afternoon.  (If he were to end up in the back part of the parade, there was a chance he would miss his recital.) She said she would do her best to accommodate him (and his friend).

 

When I went to drop the boys off, I couldn't park, or even get remotely close to where they needed to be due to road closures...so, being the responsible parent I am....I just dropped them off near the Memorial Coliseum, told them to look for the volunteer tent near the Moda Center, crossed our collective fingers, and drove off.

 

Jourdan had left his phone at home, so I had no way of contacting him after he was abandoned at the coliseum.  I didn't know where he would be marching in the parade, but I didn't want to miss him.  (Not only because I wanted to enjoy that moment, but because I needed to pass him his phone that Grandma and Grandpa had stopped by to retrieve - along with Julia).

 

So, as the parade started, we watched anxiously (knowing Julia planned to run out into the parade and slip her brother a phone).  And the official pace car came around the corner, followed immediately by the main banner....you know, the one that says "Grand Floral Parade".  And who should be carrying that banner?  Jourdan and Paul! 

So, not only were they *near* the beginning of the parade....they *lead* the parade through the streets of Portland.  It was so cool!   They were on the news coverage of the parade - Paul's parents saw them from home on TV.

The picture below was taken by a photographer from the Oregonian newspaper as the boys carried the banner across the Burnside Bridge over the Willamette River. 

What a cool opportunity!  I was glad I was able to watch from the sidelines.  The tricky part after the parade would be how to retrieve the boys.  There was no way I would be able to drive down to the disbanding location as the parade was still happening and all the roads were blocked. So, like the responsible parent I had already proven to be earlier in the day, I told the boys to look for a Max (light rail) station and ride back to where I had parked the car.  At first, I felt a little guilty about forcing them to fend for themselves (in my mind they're still 6).  Then, I realized that these two young men are merely 2 years away from serving full time missions (could be anywhere in the world).... If they weren't smart enough to figure out how to ride the train to a predetermined place, I should be worried for their future safety.  They're both highly intelligent boys, and they proved that they could figure out mass transit on their own.  They got back to the car almost as fast as I did, and we got home without even encountering traffic.  Great day at the Grand Floral Parade 2014!