A LOOK BACK:

It is said benevolence and gratitude never meet.

Yet with the annual neurotic madness of the Christmas season upon us again, it affords us the opportunity to introduce benevolence to gratitude.

Because most people spend more than they should during the holidays for a lot of junk they don’t need, they may as well buy it here in Huntington Beach. There isn’t a single Yule gift that can’t be found right here.

The merchants of our city year after year have benevolently dug into their pockets to pay taxes that support schools, government, libraries, fire stations, parks and, back in 1954, our annual Santa Claus parade.

Today with that Christmas spirit nearly upon us, we should take time to reflect back to Christmas as a kid and remember all those wonderful smells as mother baked for the holidays, and recall all the people who made Christmas so memorable.

One of these memorable times was Dec. 3, 1954, when children lined Main Street to catch a glimpse of that fat man in the red suit and white beard, and the lovely young lady who played Miss Merri Christmas.

The parade signaled the start of the holiday season that year. It became the annual Santa Claus parade featuring a Southland Salute to Santa Claus Band Review.

Prior to the start of the parade, workmen were busy putting up garland and lights high across Main Street for a festive look. The downtown Retail Merchants Committee urged all Main Street businesses to create an atmosphere of welcome for shoppers.

The committee requested an open house the evening of the parade during which all store windows were to be filled with Christmas gift suggestions as well as bells, stars, tinsel, Christmas trees and toys.

It was also suggested that during the parade merchants serve light refreshments such as hot coffee, doughnuts, tea and crumpets, Christmas candy, cookies, lemonade, punch, and cake to welcome customers.

Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce Secretary Bill Gallienne had carefully planned the Salute to Santa Claus Band Review. T

his year he chose for its theme “The Christmas Carol.”

At the parade, 17-year-old Joyce Manis was selected to be Miss Merri Christmas and her attendants included Shirley Hudgeons, La Juana Luck, Judy Wise and Pat Bilyk, who all rode on the queen’s float.

Phyllis Yarwood, former Orange County Fair Queen and the 1954 Maid of California, rode on the Los Alamitos Air Station’s float.

The parade began at 6th and Main streets and proceeded along the business district to the pier.

The weather that evening was cold and crisp, and those who did line Main Street wore heavy coats, mufflers and gloves. Our unofficial weatherman, J. Sherman Denny, had predicted because of the low temperature that a lower attendance would be the result. But the kids didn’t mind the weather and jammed downtown Main Street sidewalks three deep.

It was arranged by Huntington Beach Police Chief Ben Dulaney that at 6 p.m. skyrockets would be fired from atop the old fire station on Main Street to signal the street’s clearing of all cars from Ocean Avenue to 11th Street.

The parade began at 7 p.m. with 17 Southland marching bands, seven other musical units and eight Yuletide floats.

A judging stand was erected at Main Street and Walnut Avenue to select the winning entries in 13 classifications.

The parade began with Dulaney, members from the U.S. Naval Air Station from Los Alamitos, the 2347th Air Reserve Flying Center from Long Beach, the 15th Rifle Co. USMCR from Seal Beach, the 63rd Military Police Platoon from Fort Mac Arthur and the Naval Air Reserve from El Toro.

One by one the units passed the reviewing stand where Capt. T.J. Flynn from Seal Beach Naval Weapons Center, Col. Ralph Selby, Ralph Schmiedel, Joe Conners and Lew Wallace judged the entries.

Members of the Huntington Beach City Council, and their families and invited guests, sat alongside the judges on the reviewing stand.

Along came the queen’s float with Miss Merri Christmas and her princesses, followed by the Huntington Beach Elementary School Band led by John Robbins.

On their heels came the OCC Band, the Huntington Beach High School Band, the Berdene Williams Majorettes and the Montebello High School Band.

Other entries included the Milton Mann Accordion Band riding on a gala Christmas float; the “Anahisteppers” drill team from Anaheim, and the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce float, which won first place in their religious-themed class.

The grand sweepstakes prize that year went to a dark-horse entry, the Ozzie Band of San Diego.

Riding high on his own float was Parade Director Gallienne.

But the highlight of the parade, especially for the kids, was Santa Claus riding on his float at the end of the parade. When the children spotted Saint Nich, they broke from the curb and swamped his float, where they were given candy.

With the leadership of that master parade planner, Huntington Beach saw the largest and greatest Santa Claus Band Review parade down Main Street, when all merchants decorated their show windows cheerfully for the holiday.

JERRY PERSON is the city’s historian and a longtime Huntington Beach resident. If you have ideas for future columns, write him at P.O. Box 7182, Huntington Beach, CA 92615.