Lake Don Pedro Owners Association

La Grange Scouts Work Hard to Serve Community
by: Marrianne Blazzard

This year will be the 6th annual Memorial Day Service project for La Grange Cub Pack & Boy Scout Troop 17 and their families. Many families in the La Grange community have dedicated their time and service in this event each year. This Memorial Day service project will be held Saturday, May 23, 2009.
On May 5, 1868, three years after the end of the Civil War, the head of an organization of Union veterans - the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) – established Decoration Day as a time for our nation to honor those who died in war by decorating their graves with flowers. Decoration Day was to be observed on the 30th of May. Today, some Northern and Southern States both claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day. In April 1866 a group of women in Columbus, Mississippi visited a cemetery to decorate the graves of Confederate soldiers who had fallen in the battle at Shiloh. Nearby were the graves of Union soldiers, neglected because they were the enemy. The sight of the bare graves troubled the women, so they placed flowers on those graves as well. We now recognize Decoration Day as Memorial Day.

Throughout all generations of time people have held commemorative services to honor those who have fallen in war. 'The Athenian leader Pericles offered a tribute to the fallen heroes of the Peloponnesian War over 24 centuries ago that could be applied today to the 1.1 million Americans who have died in the nation’s wars: “Not only are they commemorated by columns and inscriptions, but there dwells also an unwritten memorial of them, graven not on stone but in the hearts of men.” (US Dept of Veteran Affairs, Memorial Day Background. http://www1.va.gov/opa/speceven/memday/history.asp#hist)'

Many people have forgotten to honor the sacrifices of America's fallen heroes. Rather than a day of mourning as Decoration Day once was, Memorial day has now become a long weekend holiday with a day off work. To preserve that sacred memory and pay tribute to our fallen heroes, to whom we owe so very much, the U.S. Congress passed in December of 2000 “the National Moment of Remembrance Act.” The purpose is to “encourage the people of the United States to give something back to their country, which provides them so much freedom and opportunity” by encouraging and coordinating commemorations in the United States for Memorial Day and the National Moment of Remembrance.
The National Moment of Remembrance encourages all Americans to pause wherever they are at 3 p.m. Local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to our nation.”

La Grange Boy Scouts and their families will meet as always at 9:00Am in front of the Catholic Church on Floto Street. Saturday, May 23. We welcome all community members, and scout supporters to join us for the event.
Scouts cleanup both of the local La Grange cemetery's and honor Veterans each year by placing new American Flags at their graves.
Following this, scouts will gather in the shade near the Old La Grange School House for a short presentation on Memorial Day with patriotic songs while they enjoy the troop's traditional treat of Otter pops for refreshment.
In addition to this community service, the La Grange Unit also holds a special Flag Retirement ceremony. Boy Scouts of America, along with the Military, and select Military Service Organizations are among the few organizations permitted to properly retire U.S. Flags. This is a very special ceremony to witness and a great service the boy scouts provide to our community. Those organizations with flags in need of retirement may contact Troop 17 for this service.
For more information about scouting in La Grange, contact: Ben or Marrianne hblaz@hotmail.com; mblazzard@gmail.com
Cub Scouts meet every Friday at 4PM at La Grange Elementary; Boy Scouts meet every Friday at 5:30 PM on Scout Hill, through green gate on La Grange Dam Rd. just east of the La Grange Rodeo Grounds main entrance and up the hill.
Information call: 853-2411
With sincere appreciation for the dedicated supporters of scouting in La Grange including: The San Joaquin Valley Chapter of Safari Club International, The La Grange Rodeo Association, VFW of Coulterville, and La Grange Volunteer Fire Fighters Association, Thank you!