Avondale United Methodist Church made its goal: 100 people for 100 smiles celebrating 100 years of the church as it marched Saturday in the North Kansas City Snake Saturday Parade. That number was made up of the church attendees and representatives of the various scouting group that the church sponsors and supports.
Elizabeth Boman finally figured out how to do a headcount. She gave everyone a number, and if she came back and they already had a number, then she knew not to count them again. She went around once, giving Carly 16, me 17 and Nathan 19. By the time she came around Betsy was back from walking Rocky up and down the street to get 93. Elizabeth went on to complete her second circuit. Then I turned around and started talking to people until I found Laura McDaniels and child — they didn’t have numbers. So I found Elizabeth. She had stopped at 98. “I’ve found two people over here that don’t have a number.” So she came over and gave child and Laura numbers 99 and 100 respectively. We made our goal.
It was a perfect day for the parade. Sunny, slightly breezy, 60ish. Enough to even get a little warm if you were walking in the parade.
Everyone gathered on 14th Ave., between Iron and Erie, where we were float 14 in Section 3, to wait the 11 a.m. start of the parade. Everyone was handed a stick with a smile on it, and their were shamrocks with Faith, Family, or Freedom written on them.
We also gathered together as a group to practice the songs we would sing along the route, a capella and unaccompanied. I had developed to set lists, three songs each, to sing along the route:
C-natural
When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
When Irish eyes are smiling,
Sure, ’tis like the morn in Spring.
In the lilt of Irish laughter
You can hear the angels sing.
When Irish hearts are happy,
All the world seems bright and gay.
And when Irish eyes are smiling,
Sure, they steal your heart away.
C-natural
When You’re Smiling
Oh, when you’re smiling,
when you’re smiling
The whole world smiles with you
when you’re laughing,
when you’re laughing,
the sun comes shining’ through
when you’re crying you bring on the rain
So stop your sighing and be happy again
keep on smiling, cause when you’re smiling
the whole world smiles with you
C-natural
Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam
Jesus wants me for a sunbeam,
To shine for him each day;
In every way try to please him,
At home, at school, at play.
A sunbeam, a sunbeam,
Jesus wants me for a sunbeam.
A sunbeam, a sunbeam,
I’ll be a sunbeam for him.
A-flat
Oh How I love Jesus
There is a Name I love to hear,
I love to sing its worth;
It sounds like music in my ear,
The sweetest Name on earth
Oh, how I love Jesus,
Oh, how I love Jesus,
Oh, how I love Jesus,
Because He first loved me
A-natural
His Name is Wonderful
His name is wonderful, His name is wonderful,
His name is wonderful, Jesus my Lord.
He is the mighty King, master of everything,
His name is wonderful, Jesus my Lord.
He’s the Great Shepherd, The Rock of all ages,
Almighty God is he,
Bow down before Him, Love and adore Him,
His name is wonderful, Jesus my Lord.
F-Natural
He is Lord
He is Lord , He is Lord
He is risen from the death
And He is Lord
Every knee shall bow
Every tongue confess
That Jesus Christ is Lord!
Though the parade started at 11 a.m., it took until after 11:30 for our section of the parade to get moving. 
The plan had been for everyone to form in ranks behind the float trailer, about 6 abreast, and sing from there. But by the time we got to Swift where the parade officially started, we were already spread out in a very loose configuration. I started the people riding the float singing and then went back and forth between them and the people spread out walking behind, keeping the singing somewhat together.
People watching the parade could sometimes tell we were singing, but I’m not sure how many of them recognized what we were singing. But it was a fun time walking, waving, singing.
The parade was being live streamed online at the corner of Swift and Armour. They had commentators announcing there, and the comment we got as we went by was how impressed they were with the size of the group marching with us.
From there it was a trek down Armour to the judges’ review stand, where there was some mixup in the announcing of which group we were, but they got us straightened out quickly.
After the review stand we turned the corner and the parade officially ended. Except people were lined up for a few more blocks, so we continued waving and greeting until the people ran out.
At The Rainbow 
Reblogged this on markrwhitaker and commented:
Yesterday, I re-posted Jonathan’s advance blog about our church’s participation in the Snake Saturday parade; here’s the report on how things went as we had 100 Smiles representing Avondale United Methodist Church as we celebrated the 100th anniversary of our church. I’m very grateful to see Jonathan’s blog since (as our designated volunteer) I wasn’t able to participate in or even see our float.
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Mark, thank you for stepping up and being that volunteer. Sorry to hear about the lug nuts too.
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I was *in* the parade, and didn’t even realize we were singing!
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Jonathan What a wonderful job you did at the parade and posting these pictures for all to see. I could not be there and so appreciate your pictures. What a beautiful day and how wonderful to have 100 people there. God Bless You Martha
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