Gala Day was first conceived and presented to the Imperial Council in 1944. The original idea was not conceived as Gala Day, but as Deputy’s Day and was given the name Gala Day by the Imperial Council.

Gala Day was the brain child of Daughter Flora Watkins and Noble Claude Watkins. At the time of its inception, Noble Watkins was the Imperial Deputy of the Desert of Indiana. He approached the Imperial Potentate and Imperial Council with the idea of declaring a day to honor the Deputies of the Deserts throughout the Imperial Domain. The idea was first met with many objections in the Council by a very conservative block of officers of the Shrine. The Imperial Potentate, Noble Raymond W. Jackson #61 (1939-1955), “A Man for the Hour,” embraced the thought that the Deputies worked for the Council all year and deserved the tribute. He also reasoned that local Temples could make money for charity.

Upon giving the idea its approval, the Imperial Council decreed that the event should be known as “Gala Day”, and that the Deputy of the Desert must be in charge of all arrangements and business pertaining to the events. The Council ruled that each Temple in the Desert would be allowed the opportunity to serve as hosts, with the initial event to be held in 1945.