Santa’s Old Bridge Parade
A Teddy Bear Holiday
Saturday, November 16, 2002
Girl Scout Service Unit 80-9
Parade Placement & Starting Location: We are Unit #16, out of 52 units overall. Our meeting spot is on Mohican Road (past both entrances to Lake Ridge Middle School if you were coming from Old Bridge Road). There are four scout organizations in the parade – 2 Boy Scout packs and 2 Girl Scout Service Units – and we are all meeting in about the same place, so it might be a little confusing. We are right behind Boy Scout Pack 295, and behind us are Boy Scout Pack 611 and Girl Scout Service Unit 80-6. Our Service Unit will be lining up with the youngest girls first (Daisies, Brownies, Juniors, Cadettes, Seniors), in order of troop number within each level.
Drop-off & Parking: There is really no parking at the parade staging area, so please arrange for someone to drop off your girls. Please car pool as much as possible. We will probably not be allowed to drive on Mohican Road, so please drop off the girls near the intersection of Cotton Mill Drive and Mohican Road. We will have a sign that says “#16 Girl Scout SU 80-9 Drop-Off Area” and some older scouts will walk the younger girls to our meeting spot. If you would feel more comfortable, you may arrange for your troop to meet on Cotton Mill Drive and then walk together to our Service Unit meeting spot on Mohican Road. The parade starts at 10:00 a.m. We need to be in place, with all girls present, by 9:00 a.m., so you may want to ask for parents to drop off by 8:45 a.m. We will be waiting for an hour, so you may want to plan some quiet activities for your girls while waiting in their place.
Parade Route: The route begins at Lake Ridge Middle School and heads west on Old Bridge Road to Smoketown Road, where it turns right and ends behind the Festival at Old Bridge shopping center. We will be walking about one mile. The parade lasts about an hour, but we should probably be done by 10:30. The Reviewing Stand will be located in front of Old Bridge Festival shopping center and close to the TV crews that will be filming the parade for rebroadcast on Jones Channel 3. Troops are welcome to carry a troop flag or banner, and girls will walk in groups of ten across, with an adult on each end. We are not allowed to hand out any items, including candy and fliers.
What to wear/bring: Dress warm and wear good walking shoes! All girls should wear their Girl Scout Vest or Sash over a white sweatshirt, sweater or jacket with a green and/or red scarf or bandana. You may personalize your troop “uniform” as you wish (e.g. hats, gloves, other Girls Scout uniform wear). In keeping with the theme, troops are asked to carry and/or pull teddy bears in wagons. This will also be a good place to hold water bottles for the girls. You are also welcome to carry a troop flag or banner if you have one.
At the end of the Parade: All troops should arrange to be picked up at the end of the parade route as soon as possible after finishing the parade. Troops should not turn around and go back to the staging area for pickup. Girls should be met at the end of the parade by a parent or leader waiting off Smoketown Road at the rear entrance to the Festival at Old Bridge. For parents picking up their daughter after the parade, it will be near impossible to drive near the Festival at Old Bridge shopping center, so ask them to walk to your meeting place or you may wish to take your troop back to watch the rest of the parade and make plans for returning the girls to their parents after the parade.
In case of inclement weather: The parade will be held rain or shine. There is no rain date for the parade. Please dress appropriately for the weather. In case of inclement weather, parents must decide whether to have their girls participate. If the weather is so bad that it might be cancelled, our Service Unit Parade Organizer will be able to call and check after 6:30 a.m. on Parade Day. In case of cancellation, each troop will notified by telephone.
Patches: Patches are available for $2.25. This includes the “Girl Scouts on Parade” patch, with an add-on patch titled “Holiday Fun”. For those who already have the “Girl Scouts on Parade” patch, you can order the “Holiday Fun” patch for 65 cents. You may place your order with Elaine Patnode on the day of the parade, by email, or at the November Service Unit meeting (following the parade).
If you have any questions, please call the Service Unit Parade Organizer, Elaine Patnode at 703-583-2349 or email to .