Would you think this was disrespectful.

[RF536]

Yesterday, I walked in my hometowns Memorial Day parade as part of my cub scout den, before the parade there is a brief 10 min ceremony put on by the VFW and then the parade end at the cemetary where another brief 10min ceremony is done.

One of the clubs to participate in the parade was a local baton twirling club, they listened to the 1st ceremony and walked in the parade, if your in the parade you have to be at the 1st ceremony, but toward the end of the parade they stopped and stepped off to the side and did not go to the cemetary or the last ceremony.

I found this dissrespectful, since the purpose of the parade was to honor our veterns both past and present and those currently serving, I feel if you are going to participate in the parade then you need to complete the parade and attend the final ceremony as a form of respect. Otherwise, I think you are just there to show off and recruit new members if you are a club.

 

[OctMtnWoods]

Sounds like a nice letter to the editor for your local newspaper.

 

[waltsgirl]

It may be how you feel but the sponsors of the parade only made it a requirement to be at the first ceremony so I would say it is Ok for groups to leave.

 

[LuvOrlando]

-

 

[SwedishMeatball]

You did say that they participated in most of the parade and only stepped out near the end. Perhaps they felt at that point with it moving to the cemetary that it would call for a more somber mood, and baton twirling would be inappropriate.

 

[ennazus]

At our local Memorial day parade, the bands (and I'm not sure who else...ie. baton twirlers) do not continue to cemetary for the ceremony. I'm not sure what the reasoning is for this and my son, who is in the band did not know either. He suggested that it was too far for the kids walk and I said that was ridiculous! because the kids could certainly walk a little further if the veterans are doing so!!!! >.<

Maybe it is to allow a more somber atmosphere at the cemetary (which is where the parade ended this year).

 

[FinallyBoughtDVC]

My instant reaction was that perhaps their attire wasn't appropriate. I know lots of twirlers wear sequined bodysuits, and while great for the parade and initial ceremony, maybe not so much for a cemetery.

Most other groups in parades - boy scouts, girl scouts, veterans, fire department, etc. all wear uniforms.

Our parade ends at a park with monuments to the fallen - not a cemetery. Most groups went to the end, but there's not enough room for all to stand there, so most of the groups disperse at that point.

Just a thought.

 

[Jennasis]

Oh the horror! Seriously, this stuff just isn't worth one iota of concern. There could have been lots of reasons why they didn't stay...somebody got sick en route, they had another engagement, kids were tired and cranky, outfits inappropriate. They went to the first mandatory ceremony.

 

[N&B'smom]

Maybe they had to be somewhere else and couldn't stay.

 

[C.Ann]

You did say that they participated in most of the parade and only stepped out near the end. Perhaps they felt at that point with it moving to the cemetary that it would call for a more somber mood, and baton twirling would be inappropriate.

---------------------

Exactly what I thought as soon as I read the initial post.. I think they did the "respectful" thing.. (And this coming from the widow of a war veteran..)

 

[nuke]

As long as they weren't twirling and being obnoxious during the first ceremony I think it's okay.

 

[shortbun]

I put this in the NBD category. SOOOO many things could be a factor here - disrespect being one of the least likely.

 

[LisaNJ25]

I marched with my girl scout troop yesterday and did not stay till the end.. I had girls whose parents had to be somewhere else. There were so many people there that most of the groups who marched were no where near the the area where the ceremony was going on an could not hear or see what was going on. I don't think it was disrespectful.

 

[Metsfan520]

You did say that they participated in most of the parade and only stepped out near the end. Perhaps they felt at that point with it moving to the cemetary that it would call for a more somber mood, and baton twirling would be inappropriate.

I bet that's why. They probably realized their outfits, etc. were not respectful of a cemetery.

 

[RF536]

I guess I just figured that if you walk in the parade you should finish it and show the respect at the cemetary as well. My town is small, only about 1,000 people, so everyone at the cemetary was close to the ceremony. The outfits they had on were long sleeve t-shirts with a red short sleeve t-shirt over the top, and then skirts with leggings, so they were fine for the cemetary. Since our town is so small, and this group was large and near the front of the parade it left a very obvious hole when they stopped. In our parade all groups continue to the cemetary, even the band. The band does stop playing when we reach the edge of the cemetary and only the drum continues with just a beat. Our band continues, because they play the Star Spangled Banner and Taps during the ceremony.

 

[daisax]

Frankly, the idea of twirling batons in a Memorial Day Parade strikes me as kind of strange. I wouldn't be writing a letter to the editor about it, but I wouldn't say "what this occasion needs is teenagers twirling batons!"

 

[Angelhalo]

I guess I just figured that if you walk in the parade you should finish it and show the respect at the cemetary as well. My town is small, only about 1,000 people, so everyone at the cemetary was close to the ceremony. The outfits they had on were long sleeve t-shirts with a red short sleeve t-shirt over the top, and then skirts with leggings, so they were fine for the cemetary. Since our town is so small, and this group was large and near the front of the parade it left a very obvious hole when they stopped. In our parade all groups continue to the cemetary, even the band. The band does stop playing when we reach the edge of the cemetary and only the drum continues with just a beat. Our band continues, because they play the Star Spangled Banner and Taps during the ceremony.

They didn't do anything wrong just let it go.

 

[shirleyb]

Since your town is so small, undoubtedly you know someone in the group - why not ask them why they left?

 

[merryweather20]

I guess I just figured that if you walk in the parade you should finish it and show the respect at the cemetary as well. My town is small, only about 1,000 people, so everyone at the cemetary was close to the ceremony. The outfits they had on were long sleeve t-shirts with a red short sleeve t-shirt over the top, and then skirts with leggings, so they were fine for the cemetary. Since our town is so small, and this group was large and near the front of the parade it left a very obvious hole when they stopped. In our parade all groups continue to the cemetary, even the band. The band does stop playing when we reach the edge of the cemetary and only the drum continues with just a beat. Our band continues, because they play the Star Spangled Banner and Taps during the ceremony.

Short skirts with leggings would have nixed them from a ceremony in a cemetary in my neck of the woods. Perhaps even the age of the children, a whole troop of 8-13 year olds is different then children who are attending with their parents. It doesn't mean the children would have been disrespectful, it just wasn't a good formula for the people involved.

I confess I reread your original post several times looking for the disrespectful part. I don't think anything of the sort occured hear, I think its great that the parade had support from the young people in the community

 

[kc10family]

quote]

I crack up everytime I see your "GETT THE CHOPPA" pic