A message from Mayor Pro Tem, Vong Mouanoutoua

Mayor Pro Tem, Vong Mouanoutoua

April 11, 2024 – There is a routine very common among the seniors in any community. A group of old friends regularly meet in some café, have coffee, and reminisce about the good old days.

These friends make sure not to miss a session because it is only here can they say to each other, “Do you remember when?”. Each of them were there when they lived those moments.

And with each passing year, the number of the group dwindles from ten, to eight, to five then to three. Until finally, there is only one left from that generation of friends. He then must travel alone.

Even if he meets the friendliest people on his journey, he will never be able to say, “Do you remember when?” because they were not there. It is a part of life.

One day, all of us will become separated from each other. We will miss our conversations and contacts will become rare. Future generations will see historical photos and ask, “Who are these people?”

It is then that we must intentionally take the time to teach the community about the lives of the people in those historical photos and talk about those who lived before us. For if we don’t, they will become forgotten forever.

It’s been said that we humans are historical beings. We immerse ourselves in culture and would not survive without that culture and our traditions.

Yet, many Americans have lost the appreciation for tradition. Whether they are traditions of family, faith, or community, we must make the effort to learn, to cherish and to practice those that have been positive.

Here in Clovis, there is a tradition that is still vibrant and significant to our community – the Clovis Rodeo. This tradition was started by the ladies in the Clovis Women’s Club back in 1914. They called it the Clovis Festival.

From there, the Women’s Club joined with the Clovis American Legion Post to create the very first “Clovis Day” in 1921. This celebration featured the first rodeo event.

Those humble beginnings have led us to this year’s 110th celebration of the Clovis Rodeo. The last full weekend in April “continues to bring families and friends together to enjoy a time of friendship, fun and relaxation.”

On the evening of March 12th, 2024, I was blessed to get the chance to listen to, learn about, appreciate and be amongst the lives of the many Grand Marshals of our Clovis Rodeo. This year’s Co-Grand Marshals, Jim and Carol Linenbach, took us on a brief walk through time.

They researched and shared about the lives of each Grand Marshal since 1916. Many living family members gave personal accounts of their family member who was the Grand Marshal. The stories brought laughter, tears, encouragement, and inspiration.

After listening to each biography, I left with a greater appreciation for Clovis and for the people that came before who built our town. These were not just honorees who rode first in a parade, these were the foundational families of Clovis.

The pillars of our community. The bedrock of our Way of Life. All their lives echoed some very common traits – families were simple, hard-working, selfless, humble, grounded, decent, caring, civilized, and generational.

The Clovis Rodeo is our Community tradition.  In its own way, it grounds us and connects us to the past, while still paving creative pathways to the future. When we honor traditions like this as a community, we honor both ourselves and each other.

It gives us a feeling of personal belonging to and affinity for a collective heritage. For 110 years, it has been a yearly compass for relationships and interactions, both personally and as a community.

This tradition uniquely connects us to a way of life that is greater than any one individual. The Clovis culture lives in and through its people. It survives only as long as we carry it with us and each generation makes it their own.

We must cherish our yesteryears, with each generation taking nourishment from the other and giving knowledge to the ones that follow. These are carried, not as burdens into tomorrow, but as our duty and honor to pass it onto future generations.

This is how we realize our legacy – not in being immortal, but in being part of what makes Clovis special.

The Clovis Rodeo is one such tradition that makes Clovis special. Let’s take time to go with family and friends this year and create new “remember when” stories to share. It is our turn to pass on this tradition, creating commonality and community for generations to come.

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