Christmas was full in 1956

JERRY PERSON

It began more than 78 years ago as a way to advertise his lunch

stands in Sunset Beach and in Anaheim Landing.

In 1926 James Burns, the owner of Jim’s Lunch, needed a way to

bring in customers to his business and in doing so a tradition was

born.

Burns staged possibly the first real boat parade in our area when

he strung together 20 rowboats on a rope 300-yards long. Each boat

was painted and decorated for the occasion and was pulled by Burns’

motorboat, the Opal 5.

Fifty people rode in that first boat parade from Sunset Beach up

to Anaheim Landing where Burns treated his guests to a fine dinner.

Today that tradition survives in the two-day boat parade sponsored

by the Huntington Harbour Philharmonic, in which decorated boats

would wind along the waterways of the harbor.

This Christmas event began in 1962 and was staged last weekend

with Mike Novak as this year’s grand marshal.

From Dec. 13 through 22, the Philharmonic will offer cruises for

the public to see the decorated homes in the harbor.

Tickets for the Cruise of Lights tour can be found by calling the

Philharmonic at (714) 840-7573.

This week we will look at another Christmas from the past and how

our residents celebrated the holiday season in 1956.

Beginning early in the month of December the members of the

Business & Professional Women’s Club began handing out posters to

local downtown stores advertising to residents to “Buy at Home.”

The Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce was putting the finishing

touches for their 10th annual All Southland Salute to Santa Claus

Band Review to be staged on Main Street on Dec. 7.

Helping Santa Claus that year were Paul Jones and members of the

chamber.

Bill Gallienne had lined up 47 entrants for the popular event.

Queen Sandy Eidem was chosen Miss Merri Christmas and Gloria Hull,

Kay Tinsley, Nancy Hildebrand, Dorothy Frederick and Kathy Holliday

were her princesses in the parade.

This year the bewhiskered old guy would not be throwing candy to

the crowd -- instead he would visit stores and pass out candy there.

Ozzie’s Band from San Diego won the Sweepstake award for the third

time in a row.

The ladies from the Women’s Club went all out to hold their

festive Christmas event at their 10th Street clubhouse, presided over

by President Julia Ziething.

A Christmas play narrated by Mrs. Grant Myers formed part of the

event. Members from the Wintersburg Methodist Church’s choir sang

“Silent Night” and “O Holy Night.”

Hazel Renfro and her committee served the 100-plus members and

guests a delicious turkey dinner.

The Huntington Inn was the scene for the Christmas dinner for past

noble grands of the Rebekah Lodge, co-hosted by Catherine Parker.

After dinner the 21 members adjourned for a game of canasta at the

home of Tracy Hill.

The Hi-Y and tri Hi-Y clubs held their Christmas dance inside the

Memorial Hall where they crowned their Christmas queen.

A Christmas tea was given inside the cafeteria of Central

Elementary school for past and current faculty members where the

happy reunion saw nearly 100 people present.

Members of the school’s PTA held their Christmas pot luck and gift

giving event at the school.

Catherine Olsen’s fifth-grade class sang several holiday

selections while the students’ mothers acted as hostesses.

The Christmas story was set to music for the Christmas program

presented by the students with Rheta Gillette in charge of staging

and lighting, Barbara Wilson in charge of dramatics, Lewis Kidder in

charge of music and Catherine Olsen as the choral director.

The Rev. Walter Barnard, pastor of the Assembly of God church on

11th Street delivered his Christmas sermon entitled “Jesus was Born

to Die, That Mankind May Live.”

The Rev. Clarence Miller from the First Methodist church’s sermon

was taken from the gospel of St. Luke and entitled “Good News to All

Men.”

A pageant was then staged entitled “The Quest for the Magi” and

included in the cast were Howard Trabant, Bill Kettler, Frank

Cleland, Linda Decker, Hollie Day, Terri Taft and Sharon Miller.

The Rev. Lowell Spangler’s message to his flock of the First

Baptist church was entitled “In the Fullness of Time, God Came to

Us,” and their Christmas program included a pageant called “The Bells

Ring Out” with Donna Fleming and Linda Burrows in charge of the

musical numbers.

Huntington Beach Cub Scout Pack 101 were out covering our city

asking our residents for toys to be given out to our town’s

underprivileged children.

* JERRY PERSON is a local historian and longtime Huntington Beach

resident. If you have ideas for future columns, write him at P.O. Box

7182, Huntington Beach, CA 92615.