Perfect parade day for Springfield Alumni and their childhood toys

Saturday was a great day to be a kid outside playing with toys or gathering candy while watching a parade. The theme for the 60th Annual Springfield Alumni parade was “Childhood Toys”.

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http://www.vermontjournal.com/content/perfect-parade-day-springfield-alumni-and-their-childhood-toys

SHS SHS Alumni By BY GLORIA DUFIELD The Shopper SPRINGFIELD, VT -Saturday was a great day to be a kid outside playing with toys or gathering candy while watching a parade. The theme for the 59th Annual Springfield Alumni parade was “Childhood Toys”. The parade included over twenty classic cars, six bands, a dozen floats and multiple classes of Springfield Alumni from the newly graduated Class of 2013 to members of the Class of 1938 celebrating their 75th reunion. Promptly at 10:30 a.m., the parade began to roll through town with the classic cars and trucks lead by a fiery red GTO. Directly following and appearing in the alumni parade for the first time was the Alumni Association President, Keith Ferguson, class of 1967. His car was followed by the newly chosen Alumni Queen - Lauren Boldoc, 2013 Salutatorian Jennifer Stein and Lawrence Boldoc 2013 Valedictorian and Alumni King. Fellow classmates walked behind their car sporting black t-shirts with a four leaf clover and green and white lettering reading “Class of ’13 - We just made that number lucky”. Leading the way for the Springfield alumni classes, a parade of cars chauffeuring classmates celebrating their 75th, 74th and 73rd reunions, including Ed Basso ’38, Lena Kazak ’38, Bob Beardsley ’38, Margaret Spaulding ’38, Laura Underwood ’38, Gertrude Brown ’38, Marjorie Spaulding ’39 and Don Whitney ’40. Riding in a modern green and eco-friendly looking car was Guest of Honor, Alan Woodbury Class of 1962. Other dignitaries appearing in the parade included Sandy MacGillivray, Citizen of the Year, Julie Kiniry, Senior of the Year, 2013 Springfield Alumni Scholarship winners, the Apple Blossom Queen and her Court, the Springfield School District Superintendent, principles from all the Springfield schools, and town Select Board members. Also represented were the “Roberta Stokes Smith Hall of Fame” honorees for 2013: Don Gurney, Sr., Ernest “Puggy” Lamphere, Ron King, and the late Albert Gutterson. Parade floats were from the classes of ’58, ’63, ’68, ’73, ’78, ’83 and ’98. Floats winning awards included the Class of 1983 - Most Outstanding, Class of 1968 - Most Artistic, Class of 1973 - 1st Place Most Original, Class of 1963 - 2nd Place Most Original, Class of 1958 - 1st Place Most Humorous and Class of 1978 - 2nd Place Most Humorous. Non-alumni floats appearing in the parade were from the Springfield Hospital, Cub Scout Pack 258, North Springfield Baptist Church, Calvary Baptist Church, United Methodist Church, and the Springfield Community Players. Winners in the non-alumni float category were Cub Scout Pack 258 - 1st Place and Springfield Community Players - 2nd Place. In addition to alumni and floats, music for the parade was provided by the Springfield High School Band, Fire House 6 Dixie Land Band, Grafton Cornet Band, Gurney Brothers pipe organ. Nutmeg Volunteers from Groton, CT, Catamount Pipe Band, and the Bektash Shriners Oriental Band from Concord, NH. Annual crowd favorites were also in attendance including the Mt. Sinai Joe’s Clown Unit with clowns speeding around on tiny bikes and fire trucks with flashing lights representing Springfield, Ascutney, Proctorsville, Charlestown, and Weathersfield.