Upon entering the Redlands Bowl, participants and the general public will be welcomed by Boy Scout Troop 11, affiliated with the Holy Name of Jesus Parish, formerly Sacred Heart Church , in Redlands .

Troop 11 is one of many scouting units belonging to the Grayback District of the California Inland Empire Council, Boy Scouts of America. The district includes youth from Cabazon west along the I-10 through Banning, Beaumont , Calimesa, Yucaipa and Redlands to Loma Linda, and reaches northward to include East Highland and Forest Falls .

As the honor troop in the Redlands Bowl program, Troop 11 Boy Scouts will usher and distribute program brochures to participants and other audience members, while Civil War re-enactor Dave Thomas of Calimesa performs a musical songfest until all are seated.

Master of Ceremonies is Tim Murone of Redlands , who is Redlands Man of the Year for 2007 and immediate past-president of the Kiwanis Club of Redlands (Noon). He earned the rank of Eagle Scout in his youth while a member of Troop 11.

Murone was honored with the prestigious chamber accolade last month (January) for 30 years of volunteer community service, including serving as chamber president during the city’s Centennial Celebration in 1988. He is the volunteer race director for the Kiwanis Club’s  25^th annual Run Through Redlands, which takes place May 4.

“I am honored to represent the Kiwanis Club of Redlands at the moving and patriotic Lincoln Pilgrimage,” said Murone. “I have fond memories of participating in the pilgrimage myself as a young scout in the late 1960s. My son TeeJay also has walked the Pilgrimage when he was in Cub Scout Pack 24 at Kimberly Elementary School in Redlands and in Troop 11.

            “The Kiwanis motto is ‘Serving the children of the world,’” noted Murone, “and the Lincoln Pilgrimage is a Redlands tradition, which underscores our members’ commitment to being useful and helping youth.”

Murone will introduce Redlands Mayor Pro Tem Pat Gilbreath and other dignitaries. The Reverend Paul Granillo, pastor of Redland’s Holy Name of Jesus Parish, will provide the program’s invocation.

California State University San Bernardino’s USAF ROTC will present and raise the American flag at the Bowl’s stately flagpole to the National Anthem performed by the RUSD Combined Elementary Band.

Sharing her thoughts on President Lincoln’s role in history will be guest speaker Edna Davis-Herrings, superintendent of the Rialto Unified School District , which is the 35^th largest district out of more than 1,000 districts in California . She is president of the Rialto Boys & Girls Club board, and resides in Rancho Cucamonga .

Accomplished, classically-trained musicians and Troop 11 members Edward Gao, a Life Scout, and Christopher Lesyna, a Star Scout, will perform a Civil War-period musical duet on piano and violin, respectively.

            Another highlight of the annual program is when the name of the Scout who designed this year’s Lincoln Pilgrimage commemorative Scout patch is announced and then honored, as the patch is displayed for audience viewing.

During the closing flag ceremony, Redlands Troop 33 Boy Scout Joseph Harris-Lesh will play “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes.

The Scouts participating in the Lincoln Pilgrimage program at the Redlands Bowl are a sampling of the talent found in the local scouting program, according to event coordinator Don Buchanan.

Lincoln Shrine activities

The inaugural Lincoln Pilgrimage took place in 1940 when 105 Boy Scouts from Riverside made the hike through Redlands to the Lincoln Shrine. Since then, upwards of 3,000 youth participate in the event.

Selected youth will walk a floral arrangement made by Hockridge Florist of Redlands from the Bowl program across Eureka Street to the Lincoln Memorial Shrine, 125 W. Vine St .

The youngsters will place the arrangement in front of the Lincoln bust at the shrine as a commemorative reminder of their dedication to Lincoln 's leadership and character.

The Lincoln Memorial Shrine will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. the day of the pilgrimage. After the Lincoln Pilgrimage Bowl program, Civil War re-enactors from the 116^th Pennsylvanian Volunteer Infantry Regiment will be set up in a Civil War encampment at the Shrine for the youth and adults to visit and photograph.

Pilgrimage teamwork

Randy Bennett is this year’s Lincoln Pilgrimage chairman. He is supported in this effort by these other volunteers: past Lincoln Pilgrimage chairs Carol Bischoff, Tim Anderson, and Jim Nolin; local community youth leaders Tina Caldwell, Debbie Kaczynski, Rose Woods, Art Haddad, and Steve Pesante; and Lincoln Pilgrimage coordinator Don Buchanan.

            Also helping with the event will be: Boy Scout Troop 3 of Mentone, parade barricade set-up and collection; and Cub Scout Pack 322, from Sunrise Elementary School in Beaumont , set-up and clean-up at the parade gathering site.

            Others providing pilgrimage teamwork will include: Cub Scout Pack 16, affiliated with Crafton Elementary School in Redlands, clean-up after the Redlands Bowl program; and Boy Scout Troop 8 of Yucaipa, clean-up following the 4-H horse units.

Troop 8’s Scoutmaster Brian MacGavin, EMTP, will provide the First Aid support station at the gathering site and at the Bowl.

Lincoln Pilgrimage registration forms, which are available at the Boy Scout Center , 1230 Indiana Ct. , are due by Feb. 7 to garner official line-up in the pilgrimage.

Registered Lincoln Pilgrimage participants are to line up for parade positions at the RHS baseball field area at 9 a.m. Feb. 9. Registration still will be accepted at that time and location; however, these late-registered youth groups will be added to the end of the parade sequence order. Parade units will step-off at 10 a.m.

If it is raining at the staging site from 9 to 10 a.m., the walking portion of the pilgrimage will be suspended, and the Bowl program will be shifted to RHS Clock Auditorium. The building is accessed through the school parking lot at the intersection of Fern Avenue and Redlands Boulevard .