Alrighty here is the deal mark it down on your calendars.  Thursday November 6th at 5:00pm is the 2nd annual FAU OWL PROWL HOMECOMING PARADE.  This year we are hosting the parade on a Thursday so that High School Bands can come a play.  So far confirmed we have Olympic Heights Band and Glades Central High School Band.  I had a meeting with Olympic Heights and they are excited they are advertising it to all their students and faculty.

Fellow Owl Fans WE NEED TO HAVE A BIG CROWD AT THIS PARADE.  Come out and have fun, bring the kids.  If anyone has any CONSTRUCTIVE ideas, keeping in mind that I am in the works with other local high schools (Boca High, West Boca High, Atlantic, and Spanish River) to get their bands I have yet to hear back from them.  Also, keep in mind that we have a very limited budget, for more information about budget crisis read yesterdays Palm Beach Post Local Section page 7B.

I need help with getting the word out to the Boca Chamber and the community please let me know.  I am in charge of the parade and I  want to make it memorable, fun and most important attract more school spirit.

-Jose

Jose,
I love that the parade has someone in charge of it that has the passion for the university. Only great things will come under your leadership and management of this event.

A few suggestions:

1. Talk to COSO or SG and/or SGA and make it "mandatory" (or strongly recommended) that clubs participate in the parade. Having high school bands are a great idea. I'm just a little afraid that the parade won't feature enough FAU "stuff." Last year I think only a dozen or so clubs participated. I know it's hard to get people to do anything that involves work, so it will be a challenge!
2. Invite alumni who are not real active to be judges. Get them to come from near and far! This might get two or three uninvolved alums involved.
3. Have the main seating area for the parade at the future site of the stadium.
4. If alumni office has moved into alumni building…have "alumni seating/viewing/happy hour" section outside of the alumni building.
5. Get professors to offer extra credit to those that attend.
6. Ask the bookstore to give away $500 book voucher to one lucky student who attends.
7. FREE PARKING for Homecoming football game for those that were at the parade (people can receive "i was at the parade" tix from a booth at the end of the parade to show lockhart parking guarddogs on game day"
8. FREE BEER OR TWO for Homecoming football game for those that were at parade

All-in-all, something like this is very hard to plan. I appreciate your efforts in advance. I would be more than happy to come back and help you in any way that I can.

You know, for being the first year, I thought the parade was excellent last year. I'm looking forward to an even better one this year.

smittysahoot said

A few suggestions:
1) Talk to COSO or SG and/or SGA and make it "mandatory" (or strongly recommended) that clubs participate in the parade. Having high school bands are a great idea. I'm just a little afraid that the parade won't feature enough FAU "stuff." Last year I think only a dozen or so clubs participated. I know it's hard to get people to do anything that involves work, so it will be a challenge!

I think several people, including Jose, are looking into making the Parade (and hopefully other aspects of Homecoming) mandatory if a student club doesn't want to take a hit in the club budget. I know that I'm talking to SGA about it. Some clubs were interested in the parade last year but couldn't manage a float; they'll be made aware this year that if you can't create a full-on float, FAU still expects you to walk with a banner of some kind. I believe Konbit Kreyol last year walked with a banner, costumes and even did some kind of dance for the people in attendance. Something like that is perfect if you don't have the money to invest in a float.

smittysahoot said

4) If alumni office has moved into alumni building…have "alumni seating/viewing/happy hour" section outside of the alumni building.

Yeah, the Alumni Building should be open by Homecoming. Moving the parade to Palm Beach Avenue would be a good segue to the way the parade should run in 2010+, which would have the parade move down along the road by PBCC and then west along Lee Street (or Stadium Way/Innovation Village Drive, whatever it's called then) to end in the Burrow parking lot. That way people can set up lawn chairs along the sidewalk of Innovation Village, the shops can be open, Alumni can have a table with shirts/chains/SAA boxes, etc.

smittysahoot said

6) Ask the bookstore to give away $500 book voucher to one lucky student who attends.

They're doing this as a contest now if you buy a football season ticket. They're announcing it at Orientation.

smittysahoot said

7) FREE PARKING for Homecoming football game for those that were at the parade (people can receive "i was at the parade" tix from a booth at the end of the parade to show lockhart parking guarddogs on game day"

This is a phenomenal idea but does FAU get that parking revenue or does it go to the city of Fort Lauderdale?

This is just a thought, but what about opening it up to clubs at PBCC? I know its supposed to be just an FAU thing, but FAU has such a close relationship with PBCC. This could mean more student involvement and get people from PBCC more psyced about FAU, just like Sante Fe CC and Tallahassee CC are for UF and FSU.

Awesome!
1) Making the parade mandatory has been discussed and I believe that this is not allowed, because there is always the "I have class" excuse.  Some clubs, organizations, fraternities and sororities do not have the memberships that the more popular clubs have, therefore it is unfair to make it mandatory.
2)There has not been discussion of judges for the parade.  I do not know about have alumni judging the parade, I was thinking of having faculty members present for the judging, so that we can expose them to student life and athletics.  If we begin to get there attention on the importance of FAU Athletics then the "extra credit" will be easier to obtain.
3)I had a meeting today with the parade committee and we discussed the parade route.  It will begin in the area where the proposed stadium is going to built and it will end in the baseball parking lot, where the traffic light is.  The parade is approximate .75 miles.  This allows the bands that are coming to play for us more time to show us what they have.
4)I like the idea of professors giving extra credit to their students.  I will bring it up at the next meeting.
5)I will also bring up the $500 book voucher and the free parking.  I do not believe that the the free parking will fly because we need money to build the stadium. LOL.

Thank you very much for your suggestions everyone.  PLEASE KEEP THEM COMING.  If you know of any students that would like to participate or get involved please tell them to contact me [email protected].
Side track story:
I was at the bookstore and this young lady was behind the counter and she had great customer service, I asked her if she wanted to help out with homecoming, she said.  So far she has been to every homecoming meeting and she is the Parade Chair.  You never know who is willing to help unless you ask, so once again if you work with a student, know a student, or are related to a student let them know about homecoming and the big things that we are trying to accomplish at OUR university.

-Jose

When will you be in your office Monday? I'm hoping to stop by and see how I can help.