I was at Pasadena in 1963. My pregnant bride and I drove there every day from Riverside, about 50 miles east. That was before the I-210 went out beyond Ontario, so those 50 miles in our '52 Chevy coupe was a long hard drive. I believe the convention started on Wednesday and ended late Sunday. I may have attended one more district assembly after that (in Pomona at the LA Fairgounds; my wife was baptized there), but then I began my fade.
As described earlier, the Rose Bowl sits in the Arroyo Seco (gulch), and during the summer afternoons it is like a crockpot. No breeze, direct sun. I remember that the speakers platform had big movable fans and, of course, a large tent roof to provide shade. But with their suits on and the temperature in the mid-90s, that place was hell on earth. My wife was so sunburned that she peeled for weeks afterward and her poor nose was blistered. We were both wearing aviator sunglasses of the time, so both looked like reverse raccons for several weeks after.
I did volunteer. Of course, being a fit 19-year old they had me moving heavy trash cans from the tent cafeterias. Unlike previous conventions like the ones in New York in '53 and '58, we were not allowed to remain in the cafeteria tents that had a bit of shade and some airflow, but were required to return to our seats in the bowl. My wife was 6-months pregnant, so she managed as well as expected, but every night on our way home (the sessions went on past 9 PM) I was worried about her because she was so uncomfortable and dehydrated. Bottled water was a rarity in those days, so most of us carried thermos bottles which just added to our load.
Nathan Knorr was possibly the most boring speaker ever. Franz and Covington were superstars compared to him. So the Sunday afternoon talk was always hyped to the max, and was ultimately just another boring public talk using the same boring scripts. "The World is about to learn the truth. The time is short. Castro in Cuba may be the catalyst that sets off WW3 and brings on Armageddon. Are you ready? Are you pioneering? Are you serving in the highest capacity you can? Better be ready - cause Armageddon is just around the corner."
I may have attended a couple of days at one of the first Dodger Stadium conventions, and I did go to Candlestick Park in San Francisco (I believe that was 1962). But for the most part, I was already thinking about my total escape which I finally accomplished sometime around 1968. My favorite International Convention was 1958 NY in both Yankee Stadium and the Polo Grounds. But that was not my favorite because I was enthralled with the assembly, but rather my first real look at New York City's sites up close and personal.
JV
