On June 1, the weather looked OK.   Some parents who planned to watch the parade parade in Story City took their sons and daughters to Story City and parked at American Packaging just to the west of where railroad tracks where the parade would start, so the plan was underway.    One South Hamilton bus had picked up students needing a ride from the Stanhope area before heading to Jewell to pick up marching equipment and any Jewell area kids needing a ride.   The other South Hamilton bus had picked up the Ellsworth area students before heading to Randall for more middle school band performers.    When the buses arrived to the parking lot, the kids who had been brought by parents or grandparents joined their friends by joining their friends on a bus.   And then it started to rain.

       The rain came hard for a while, and soon it was 15 minutes until time for the parade to begin.   Because it was nearly parade time, the director of Story City High School band left his bus and came into the South Hamilton bus to visit with the South Hamilton director.    He mentioned that he had hoped for a great parade day, but with the rain coming down, the Story City High School band was going to call it quits for the day and not worry about marching on a rainy day.   He asked, "What are you going to do?"

         He left the South Hamilton bus after Spohnheimer told him he would discuss the matter with his students.    When he turned to the students to discuss what they should do, and they began chanting "We're Marching, Marching, Marching!"   The bus began to sway a bit as the kids were moving while they were shouting, "We're Marching, Marching, Marching".

     They all watched as the bus for the Story City High School band left the American Packaging parking lot, and when it was time to start the parade, all student band members left the bus and lined up in the grass facing Broad Street.  After the color guard holding the flags moved forward, the parade officials waved to the South Hamilton Middle School Band and directed them to enter the street and begin to march.   Although the Story City High School band had always led the parade after the color guard, it was time to march instead of waiting for their assigned spot in the parade.

       And they advanced into the street, faced east to the tracks, whistles were blown, and marching began to the drum cadence sounds.    They as they crossed the railroad tracks and were underway, they heard more whistles, a roll off was heard, and the first tune was played.   The rain continued for a while, and then let up.  More cadences, more playing of the three tunes, and they helped lead the parade east down the street until the parade route took them south, the rain stopped, west, south, east past the Methany Life buildings, and finally north serveral blocks to where the parade ended.   By that time, the rain was long gone.

      It turned out that the rain stopped before the middle school band marched most of the parade, so the day turned out to be a very reasonable parade day.   And the students and the teacher had a great time.    And it was a joy to be able to lead the parade.