The Parade Will Promote Many Worthy Causes

Newtown’s 39th annual Labor Day Parade will step off on September 4 on Main Street with the Newtown High School Marching Nighthawks Band leading the way.

 As always, groups such as the American Legion, veterans, Shriners, and Masons, among others, will participate, hoping to promote the many services they render to communities.

The local American Legion promotes Americanism and basic rights throughout the year, according to Boyd Saxton, the historian of the American Legion George Powell Post 202.

The Monroe-Easton Vietnam Vets organization keeps the issue of POWs in the forefront through education in schools, at fairs, in parades, and wherever they go. The chilling sight of their parade entry – the small cage on a trailer – is a grim reminder that many of our POWs lived like animals for many years and may still be captive, according to Roland Lavigne of the M-E Vietnam Vets. Newtown’s war monument flies the black and white POW-MIA flag.

Ken Cornell of the Masonic Lodge notes that people often don’t know the Shriners are Masons, but not all Masons are Shriners. The work they do is well known at facilities such as Ashlar of Newtown and many other senior facilities throughout the country sponsored by the Masons.

The Shriners have hospitals in strategic locations throughout the country that sponsor care for children who have suffered burns or have diseases at absolutely no cost to the families.

The Shriner crowd-pleasers from the Pyramid Temple are always in Newtown’s Labor Day Parade. They include groups like the Mini Fire Brigade, the “little wheels,” the Shriner clowns, Arab Patrol, Oriental Band, Bagpipe Band, Motor Patrol (little cars), and Swamp Yankees (hillbilly band), Pyramid Temple Legion of Honor, Drum and Bugle Corps, and Office of the Pyramid Shrine officials.

To be in the parade, the Shriners have to start early. They deal with issues of their little cars over-heating, members getting too old to march, and keeping their performing units strong and active. Parade watchers never know these things – they just love to watch them. They love their Shriner hats with the sparkles and symbols, and men stuffed in little cars and on little motorcycles, winding all over the street, doing patterns and thrilling parade watchers with their high-pitched sounds of revving of the motors.

Parade watchers are sometimes caught off guard by the Arab Patrol with its traditional Lawrence of Arabia look and wonder what makes a Shriner “pick” a certain group in which to perform.

Last year the Swamp Yankees hillbilly van broke down. They couldn’t be in the parade and were missed. They’re back this year with their hillbilly band and another crazy chopped up hillbilly van.

Two musical groups will be missing this year. The Easton Banjo Society couldn’t attend, and the Sons of Portugal band had a prior commitment.

Every year, just as the high school marching band traditionally begins the parade, the Newtown High School Band parents are the last entry, by choice. They pick up bottles and cans along the parade route for their ongoing fundraising project.

The Shriners, Masons, and Veterans are not just groups of men and women who get together at some hall and socialize or reminisce about times long past. They are actively helping every community and providing services without which all the fine programs for children and the elderly would not exist.

No parade is complete without the Shriners, Masons, and Vets. Parade organizers are urging Newtowners to give them a lot of applause this year when they march in the Labor Day Parade 2000.