"Fort Sill refused to send a band to help with our parade," said parade coordinator, Linton Deskins, "unless we changed the name to 'Holiday' or 'Winter Festival Parade.' Later, we were told the real reason they couldn't perform for a Christmas Parade is that it is a 'commercial event.' We weren't about to give up the reason for the season, so we got busy and had the biggest Christmas parade in a quarter of a century."
Because of a lack of funds and a lack of interest on the part of students, the Tipton Tiger Band was dropped from the lineup.
"We had 21 entries," said Deskins. "It's the first parade we've had without a band, but thanks to enthusiasm of our people and to the genius of Ken Waugh and his portable system, we had all the music we needed."
Waugh, Tipton resident and disc jockey of a local Christian radio station, set up his system on the corner of Main and Broadway and, acting as emcee for the parade on Monday, played Christmas songs to accompany his announcements, description and his kidding comments as float after float passed.
Churches, area business, school organizations and individuals made up the march through the center of town. The entries included police escort, floats, classic cars, farm equipment and various trucks and trailers representing businesses. The Tipton fire truck boasted the presence of Santa and Mrs. Claus. The Grinch, played by Jimmy Smith, proved nobody could steal Christmas from Tiptonites. Hopping along at the end of the procession, he tossed candy to children along the way and stopped for pictures with those who wanted to be filmed with the mischievous green imp.
"I think it's great," said bystander, George Stevens. "I love seeing the Grinch giving instead of taking. For a while we thought our parade wouldn't be because we couldn't get a band to lead us, but people can make it happen, and we did, and we're proud," he said.
The Parade Marshal, state Representative Don Armes, echoed Stevens, "It's great to come to a small town and see such a turnout."
Prize winners were: first place, $50 -- 4-H float of young people dressed as Christmas packages and sitting in the shelter of tall candy canes; second place, $35 -- the FFA truck decorated with cardboard reindeer plastered over the front and sides of the truck and towing a flatbed trailer filled with young people, tossing candy to bystanders; and third prize, $20 -- a tractor, pulling the Bethel Express.
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