The group has participated in the parade before, but this year's 120th anniversary observance led them to dig deeper and relearn traditions that were nearly lost. It's a duty that is becoming a chief function of Chinese organizations in 21st-century Honolulu.

"One of the purposes of the club is to keep the connection alive," said Jeffrey Young, a descendant of one of those immigrants.

Like the original, the Honolulu temple paid homage to a village saint, Hong Gong. It became what is now called Buck Toy Club, a kind of benevolent society that helped immigrants from that south China village.

But nobody wants to be cooped up, even in a nice place, for that long. Young, a past president and current board member of the club, would give Hong Gong a break once a year when he was moved to be washed down ("His annual bath," Young said with a smile).

Perhaps it was this bond that moved Young to suggest that the saint be given a night on the town. The lunar new year parade seemed perfect. He consulted with a Taoist priest, the Rev. Duane Pang, and on his advice began to comb Chinatown for a smaller statue that could serve as a substitute on the parade route.

None could be found, he said; much as Buck Toy loves him, Hong Gong is a relative unknown. So Young went back to Pang to see if it would be OK to take the real statue on parade.

"We did some divination to ask (the saint) if he wants to go out," said Pang. Hong Gong was an imperial general ("Generalissimo, really," Young said). Legend says he used his powers from beyond the grave to help the village through various crises, Young said, and that's someone to treat with deference.

So last month Pang gathered Buck Toy members for a ritual before the shrine. Young asked the question and threw a pair of gap bui (half-moon wooden blocks); they landed one face-down and the other face-up.

"That means yes," he said.

And so the club busily learned the protocol, planned the heraldry and decor and, in general, prepared for Hong Gong's grand entrance in today's parade, in which he'll ride on a portable altar erected in a truck.

The event shines a spotlight on Buck Toy's 120th birthday as well as the centennial of another old Chinatown club, See Dai Doo Society. Similarly, its president, Gregory Leong, is hopeful for a respectable showing. Members are being urged to summon their progeny to take part, as well, he said.

"Our theme is to perpetuate the Chinese culture, and what we're trying to do is bring out the family," he said. "I tell the members, 'After all this baby-

sitting, now you tell your kids and grandkids, 'Now I want some teamwork ... it's time to pass the baton over."

At Buck Toy, Young's own kin have been drafted: Some of the elaborate gongs, banners and brocade fans used to herald the saint are on loan from Pang's temple, but Young's wife made the centerpiece red-and-gold banner in Hong Gong's honor.

Young pointed to the characters proclaiming his arrival.

"It says, 'Hong Sui Jun Gwan,' " he said. "That means, 'Generalissimo Hong Is a True Gentleman.' "