The Royal Court and Its ‘Chaos’
Your assignment of Deborah Hastings to cover the Tournament of Roses Royal Court preparing for the parade was an excellent idea. However, after I read the article that Ms. Hastings wrote, it appeared that she did not do her homework on the Royal Court. The article, “Regal Rose Court Emerges From Pre-Dawn Chaos,” appearing in the Jan. 2 Los Angeles Times . . . showed a lack of understanding of young Americans’ humor, and a disrespect for (keeping) facts in context.
Since mid-October, the Royal Court had represented the Tournament of Roses at more than 100 civic, charitable and promotional events in Southern California that required much time, energy and dedication by the Royal Court and the Tournament of Roses escorts. Close ties were established, humor evolved and the pressure of being perfect young ladies representing the tournament grew.
While preparing for the parade in their private dressing room at the Tournament House, which required leaving home at 3:10 a.m., the Royal Court let pressure off with off-the-wall humorous comments to each other about experiences, events and personal appearance. Is not this normal? Even professional entertainers do it. In addition a detailed schedule published and orchestrated by the Royal Court’s escort committee prevented “pre-dawn chaos.”
PAUL E. MARTINET Arcadia
Having read your January 2 article on the Rose Queen and her court, I was dismayed at the lack of respect the ladies had for the office. If the traditions of the Rose Queen were of so little importance to them, why did they bother to enter the competition? I’m sure there were many other young women, equally qualified to be members of the court, who would have treated it as the honor it was.
MARGIE HAILEY Bellflower
What a waste of thousands of dollars, millions of flowers, hours of labor wasted!
It was nothing but a show of horseflesh and marching bands. All those magnificent floats, which took the imagination and time of many a genius, appeared on TV and to the people on the streets and bleachers for just a few seconds, not minutes.
Such a waste. Once in my lifetime I would like to see a “Tournament of Roses” with the magnificent Clydesdales pulling wagons with all the artists and volunteers who made this parade possible.
B. BERNARD Upland