Elizabeth Doney Havre Daily News edoney@havredailynews.com
Longtime Rebekah fraternity member Anita Powers traveled to Los Angeles to participate in the exclusive 118th Rose Parade on New Year’s Day. The parade is a national event equivalent to the New Year’s Eve ball drop in Times Square. Held at 8 a.m. Monday, the parade with the theme “Our Good Nature” was an extravaganza that held the Havre lady in awe of the friendly people, gigantic floats and arrays of beautiful flowers and greenery. According to Powers, the Rose Parade featured beautiful pageantry, highstepping equestrians, spirited marching bands in addition to the tradition of magnificent floral floats. “It was an awesome, wonderful experience,” said Powers, a former fifth- and sixthgrade science teacher at Sunnyside Elementary School. “There were so many people and they were all giving compliments and throwing kisses. We were the only ones who dressed up’ for the event and my vintage 1940s hat that belonged to my mother, Ida Best, was the talk of the day.” Powers was even involved in decorating the 54th Odd Fellows and Rebekah’s Rose Parade entry, a huge “ragtop woody.” It depicted a classic auto cruising through a colorful floral garden, with flowering trees, dogs and butterflies. The “woodie car” was created with red ti leaf, crushed walnut shells, palm bark, black sea weed and silver leaf. “It truly was a Ride of a Lifetime.’ Not everybody gets to go to an event such as this, especially a great-grandmother from Havre, Montana,” she said. Odd Fellows and Rebekahs is the first fraternity to include women and extends across five nations and all 50 United States. Powers joined the local fraternity in Havre and has held several offices over the years. She serves at the moment as Rebekah secretary. The fraternity is involved in several local and national organizations including the Havre Food Bank, Salvation Army, the annual Christmas Dinner, the United Nations Pilgrimage, the Arthritis Foundation and the Trees of Life organization. The Havre Chapter of Rebekah currently has 13 members and would be happy to get new members. The only requirement to join is a desire to give aid to those in need and pursue projects for the benefit of all mankind. Those who belong to the “The Three Link Fraternity” stand for Friendship, Love and Truth and base their teachings on the Holy Bible, seeking to improve the character of man. The Rebekah fraternity meets the first and third Wednesday of every month. To become a member, women first need to fill out an application. Applications can obtain by calling 265-2867.
