Mid-Columbia Adventist School (MCAS), 60 miles east of Portland, Ore., in beautiful Hood River, is a small school with an average student count of 54.
Mt. Adams appears out its front door, to the north; Mt. Hood graces its backdoor scenery.
Like these volcanic peaks, School spirit runs high, and students and teachers take part in many community activities, among them the town’s Fourth-of-July parades.
For the past eight years, MCAS has entered a float with the School’s name and logo; and each year, different teachers and students have been involved in some way.
Some years, the Pathfinder club and School have combined efforts to prepare and operate the float.
This year, Principal Dale Milam drove a shiny, blue tractor, decked with flags and a large sign with the School name and logo draped over the tractor’s bucket. The tractor helped represent the School’s motto: “Cultivating Christian Citizens.”
The Principal’s sons, Eric and Dylon, gave out special pencils with the school’s name and phone number printed on them, with the adult supervision and assistance of Randy Hill. Overall, more than 500 pencils were given out.
Drawing many out-of-towners and boasting its largest crowd ever, the parade lasted an hour and featured many types of entries, including dressed-up llamas. At the parade’s midpoint, the US Air Force put on an aerial demonstration. •
In this year’s Hood River, Ore., Fourth-of-July parade, Principal Dale Milam used a tractor to underscore the message of his School’s motto: “Cultivating Christian Citizens.
