ROSE BOWL PARADE

History and additional pictures on our Rose Bowl Parade Floats (Click here)

The LA Past District Deputies Association Float Committee.

Within two weeks after the Rose parade is over, and our Float has gone down Colorado Blvd on New Year’s Day, each year; we are in contact with our float builder to set up an appointment, to review renderings of ideas for our float for the next year. A special group of the float committee, usually comprised of three to five members of the float committee, is appointed by the Float Chairman, to meet with the Float builder. The Tournament of Roses Theme is announced to the float committee. The Committee selects at least three renderings to bring back to the full float committee, to vote and select our Odd Fellows/Rebekah float for the coming year. The full committee selects our theme name of the float along with the float rendering, a discussion is held to determine if there will be float riders and who may be considered for the honor of riding the float. We are in what the Tournament House calls the “35 foot class float”, as we have a limited budget. Once the float and theme is voted and approved by the full float committee, the next step is for the float committee to sign a contract with the float builder, which at the present time is Phoenix Decorators located on Raymond St, Pasadena, Ca. By the way, the owners of Phoenix Decorators are members of the America Odd Fellows Lodge.

The LA Past District Deputies Association and the float committee meet monthly, the last Sunday of each month in Bellflower, Ca. Everyone is invited to attend, but especially all past district deputies of southern California are needed to participate, to keep the L A Past District Deputies active. The float committee is composed of approx thirty five active members, serving on various sub-committees to make this program a continued success. All volunteers are welcome. The float committee sends out approximate 5,400 Informational letters three to four times a year to all Lodges, Odd Fellows & Rebekahs, Encampments, along with a list of various members and non-members that participate in the work of the float committee, that reside in the U.S.A. and Canada. Our largest project is to raise money to pay for the float each year through donations. At the present time we are behind on our payments to our float builder. Our various sub committees sell products, tickets for the game and parade, parade programs, collecting mail, sending thank you notes to donors of money, treasurer keeping financial books, memorial committee, to keep track of everyone that sends in a memorial in memory of a loved one that passed on, to place a rose on the float in the memorial garden in their memory at our memorial service on the last day of decorating the float. It is a moving ceremony. We have an auxiliary of the Past Deputies that help raise money through various functions during the year.

I would like to Remind you of our money RAFFLE, for individuals and/or lodges, to purchase one or more raffle tickets, to win one of the prizes ranging from $200 to $20,000. The raffle to be held on May 24, 2009 at our California Grand Lodge session in Modesto, Ca. remember, only 2000 tickets are being sold @ 50 per ticket, don’t be left out.

Go into the California web page (Click here). Then click the rose float banner to receive additional information or send for information and/or ordering tickets to LA past district deputies, P.O. Box 1050, Temple City, Ca 91780. Explanation, the float builder, builds the float and supplies all the material to decorate the float. We the volunteers decorate the float.

During the year as we meet and work on the various committees, we continue to promote the float for the benefit of all Odd Fellows and Rebekahs of the World. This is one of the ways we can keep our Odd Fellows’ & Rebekahs’ name before the public. We are always looking for other donations such as bulk flowers or flower trimmers during the year. If you Lodge is interested please contact the float committee.

Our aim is to present to the public and our members, the very best and most beautiful float that is in our power to achieve. Please continue to donate to the float program; every dollar is important to us.