4th of July Boat Parade
The Annual Boat Parades on Sallie and Melissa are always held on the 4th of July, whatever day of the week it falls on. Parade starts on Melissa at the old Village Resort/river near Shoreham at 10:30; on Sallie, gather at the same time at Maloneys/Michaelsons. Travel slowly, not too close to the boat in front of you, wave and get as close to the shore as is safe. Please remember this is for fun only! The real reward is the chance to celebrate Independence Day and to enjoy the lakes with family, friends and neighbors.
The trophy itself is a traveling trophy of modest size, and there is no monetary reward or great publicity involved. Have fun and don’t forget to submit your parade and 4th of July celebration photos to the website!
The rules are intentionally loose: the theme can be of the participants’ choice. Most are red, white, and blue, but often the ones that stand out are big productions depicting events, movies, etc. The Judges are encouraged to choose whatever grabs them the most. Over the years, the range of winners has been amazing.
On Sallie, the Leversons won one year with a very modest entry: a simple boat with a small, family crew and nice 4th of July decorations. Nothing flashy, but the simplicity of it touched the judges. Sometimes, sheer effort and ingenuity win the Judges over. There is no rule against winning more than once. In fact, it seems that winning can get in one’s blood and spurs past winners into new heights of planning and decorating. Many families work on their ideas all year and get great enjoyment out of a multi-generational affair!
On both Lakes Melissa and Sallie, some families have won two or three times.
For example, the Andersens of Lake Melissa proved formidable and might still be winning if they hadn’t moved to Big Detroit. The Ericksens lost in 2002 and worked hard to get it back in 2003. We congratulate all the participants, as it makes it a wonderful day for each lake.
The secret judges are not always the same, and the number of them varies from year to year. Often, they do not know the winners personally or even their names, but identify them by describing the boat/theme. The Judges remain anonymous so the participants must appeal to all observers, never knowing who may be deciding the outcome. The Judges are usually unanimous in choosing a boat, or select by majority. The Judges call Recreation Chair Hallie Larsen with the results after the parade passes them, and then Steve and Hallie go out and award the trophy. If you don’t get a visit, you did not win, but you can always check the website, call Hallie for the results or watch for the posting at the Hotel Shoreham later that day.
We have a traveling trophy for spirit from the lakeside: decorations, participation, and enthusiasm will be judged from the lake by anonymous boaters in the Parades. Get together with your family, friends, neighbors and cheer on the Parade
The Judges are selected by Hallie Larsen. If you would like to volunteer, please contact her at 847-5583 or shlar@arvig.net. You must be willing to remain anonymous, to observe the whole parade and be ready to report. It is preferable if you have a number of people at your site to help select the winner. Families and many generations have a great time doing this, and we like to move this duty around.