Remembering fireworks delivery and ice-cold soda

This is a continuation of last week's column, Fourth of July 1974 memories:

After those years the J.C.'s at that time dissolved and the C B Club members took over the Fourth festivities for a few years. Then the Marlow Lions Club took the reins. And guess who joined the Lions, yours truly! I worked with a swell group of men. We had fundraisers thru the year, two being Bean Supper before the first home football game and the Pancake Breakfast before the Christmas Parade. The planning started almost after the Fourth for next year.

My year as President we ordered fireworks in January 1995. What was scary, when they came in, they were unloaded in back of Lions Den on Main Street! They would have made a BIG BOOM if set off! As soon as we could get a trailer, we moved them out of downtown. The days leading up to the Fourth we sold ads for the programs (another fundraiser) we had printed and handed out. We had a work day the Saturday before and painted and repaired frames of stands.

Our entertainment shows up and even though we had a contract with them, requested another $500 for concert speakers for the North stage area. Les Dawson, entertainment Chairman, and myself joined them in their van and agreed to it was too late to find replacement entertainment. Oh, the fun of being President! The day before, July 3rd, we loaded up stands and put up in park. Worked to near dark as most had day jobs.

The Fourth started out before sun up as vendors started to arrive and needed guidance as where to park. Coke trailers had to be stocked and ready to go by ten. It all comes together just a lot of work. The Lions Club had the main concessions on the north end of park for the evening activities. Entertainment started at 7 p.m. on north stage. We offered chili dogs, burgers, chips and most popular ice-cold can Coke products! And I do mean COLD! We had them in large watering tanks for farm animals with water and lots of ICE! After four hours of dipping your hand and arm in the ICE-cold water and ice, your arm lost most of its feeling from numbness.

Lion club members of the committee trained to set off fireworks started setting out, organizing and covering for protection of a stray spark igniting them around seven o'clock. Fireworks at 10 p.m. are a welcome finish to another great Fourth of July.

We donated to the Boy Scouts to help clean up park and the next day member of Lions were back in park picking up stands and moving to storage until next year.

Wouldn't trade the experience for anything. LOVE my hometown, MARLOW, USA!