Spreading good cheer down Fayette Street.
Yes, St. Patrick’s Day 2012 is still months away. If you’re like the rest of us, you’ve only just begun to think about Christmas.
The same cannot be said for the organizers of the local St. Patrick’s Day parades, who are already thinking well ahead … including the members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 1 who stage the big Montgomery County parade in Conshohocken, set for March 10.
Based in Swedesburg, the division is already searching for someone special to lead the parade. What’s more, if you know someone who’d make a great grand marshal, better let the division know soon. The deadline for nominations is December 9.
Here are the rules, according to parade committee spokesman Pete Hand. The nominee must:
- Live in Montgomery County
- Have contributed to the local Irish community, or the broader community
- Be of Irish descent
“We’re looking for someone who’s really involved in the community, and in local organizations like the Ancient Order of Hibernians, CYO, the church, the fire company, somebody who actively promotes Irish culture … someone outgoing like that,” says Hand.
Whoever wins will have big shoes to fill. Two past grand marshals, former Conshohocken police chief Jim Dougherty and Verne T. Leedom, former drum major of Irish Thunder Pipes & Drums, passed away this past year. They pretty much set the standard.
So far, the division has received a few nominees, says Hand (himself a former grand marshal). He can’t say whose hats are in the ring. “I don’t know who they are … the nominations come in sealed envelopes.”
If you want to nominate someone, send a letter to:
St. Patrick’s Parade Committee
“Attention Grand Marshal”
342 Jefferson St.
Swedesburg, Pa 19405
The next grand marshal will be named on December 17, the division’s Member Appreciation Day. The Grand Marshal’s Ball will be held March 3 at the Jeffersonville Golf Club Banquet Hall.
