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Sons Of The Desert
The Sons of the Desert organization was named after the 1933 Laurel & Hardy film of the same
name and began in 1964 when author John McCabe (Mr. Laurel & Mr. Hardy)
sent a letter to his friend, Stan Laurel, proposing the idea about forming an organization to honor the work of Laurel
& Hardy. Stan was very much in favor of this plan, offering ideas such as a coat of arms with the motto “Two
Minds Without A Single Thought”. Cartoonist, Al Kilgore, created the Sons Of The Desert escutcheon, which honors
Stan’s words (translated into Latin). Stan also felt that the organization should have “a half-assed dignity”.
Not too long after Stan Laurel’s passing in 1965, the first meeting of the Sons of the Desert was held at the Lamb’s
Club in New York City with founding members John McCabe, Orson Bean, Chuck McCann, Al Kilgore and John Municino. Since
then, more than 200 chapters known as “tents”, each named after a Laurel & Hardy film, have been formed all
over the world. The Early To Bed Tent is Oasis number 239.
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International Conventions
In 1978, the Sons of the Desert held their first International Convention in Chicago and have met in different cities around the world every two years since then.
Among the hosts of past conventions are Los Angeles, New York, Stan Laurel’s birthplace in Ulverston, England
and Oliver Hardy’s birthplace in Harlem, Georgia. The next convention is in June 2010 and will be
held in Sacramento, California. Be sure to see the 2010 International Convention tab on
this website for more details about this year's convention.
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| 2010 Sons Convention Logo |
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Early To Bed Tent - Oasis #239
The first official meeting
of the Early To Bed Tent of South Pasadena was held on Saturday evening, February 8, 2003 with about
20 people in attendance. Thanks to the kindness and goodwill of people like Roger Tweten, Dr. Dave Spahn and Phil Drake,
along with our members and guests, we have now grown to average between 100 and 200 people per meeting. Each evening includes
a film program starring Laurel & Hardy, a raffle, refreshments and socializing. We also pay tribute to the birthdays
of Stan Laurel (June) and Oliver Hardy (January). Our past meetings have highlighted such special events as "Kids
Night" where children are admitted free, "Silent Night" featuring a selection of classic all-star silent films
uniquely presented with "live" piano accompaniment and a rare vintage film projector, annual canned good collections
for a local charity, "live" re-creations of Laurel & Hardy radio performances and appearances by authors
whose books tell about related topics from Stan and Ollie's days. In January 2010, the Early To Bed Tent moved to a
new location in nearby Temple City.
Please note that The Early To Bed Tent is not a charitable organization and is not
subject to any income tax deductions. All tent workers (including the Grand Sheik) are volunteers and do NOT receive a salary. ALL monies collected are used
to cover the expenses of running the tent.
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| 2009 Early To Bed Tent Meetings |
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