Blossom Festival Proposal 1966

PROPOSALS FOR CHANGES TO FORMAT OF BLOSSOM FESTIVAL

Submitted by Secretary/Organiser.

10th October, 1966.

BLOSSOM QUEEN CONTEST:

The Blossom Queen Contest would be conducted along the same lines as at present. However, in an attempt to capitalise on the candidates, I would suggest the following:

All candidates would appear before the panel of judges at the four concerts as they do at present. On the fourth concert only the Queen will be announced and crowned. To take the place of the Princesses, a Flower Girl Contest would be conducted on the first three nights. The two Flower Girls would be chosen by audience vote at the third concert. The suggested age for the Flower Girl Contest could be 5 years and under 8 years. The two Flower Girls would then ride on the Queen’s float in the Procession.

If, for example, we had 14 Queen Candidates, the 13 candidates remaining after the selection of the Blossom Queen would then go forward for a popularity Queen contest. These would be conducted by popular vote. All candidates would travel on one float entered by Greater Hastings, and the announcement of the winner would be made at the Park on the afternoon of Blossom Day. The feature prize for the Popularity Queen could be the trip to New Plymouth in February to attend the Festival of the Pines.

The voting could be done on a voting slip showing photographs of all the candidates including the Blossom Queen, who would fill No. 1 position, and the public would be required to vote for the next four placings in their order of preference, with the candidate gaining the most votes being the Popularity Queen. The person sending in the nearest to correct entry form would receive say a prize valued at £20. An entry fee of, say, a 4 cent stamp could be incorporated with the entry form. The entry forms would be distributed per medium of candidates and selected stores. During Blossom Week all candidates would accompany the Blossom Queen to her official evening engagements.

This is just a broad outline of the principal ideas, and final details could be worked out at a later date. This proposal does not necessarily attract more floats, but it is capitalising on the Queen Candidates, and should have the effect of attracting more people to the concerts, especially with the Flower Girl Contest, and it also provides another climax for the park activities.

It is my considered opinion that the only successful method of procuring more and better floats is by early concerted personal approaches by members of the Executive.

The question of offering a monetary prize to the other organisations section of the procession could be considered with a view to enticing these organisations to enter floats.

WINDOW DRESSING COMPETITION:

I would suggest that we revert to judging these displays by a panel of judges. In an endeavour to make the judging more foolproof I would suggest that entry forms and details of the contest be sent to every retailer and likely office. It would then be necessary for those participating in this competition to send an entry form in before the judging date. I would suggest that the idea of affixing a sticker to each window judged, thanking the firm for participating, be implemented.

BLOSSOM WEEK ACTIVITIES:

As it has been decided to hold the Festival after the school holidays, it will be necessary for us to consider the time and type of entertainment available during that week. A daily activity could be a monster Painting Contest each afternoon between 3.30 and 4.30. This would require many yards of canvas to be erected somewhere in the Civic Square area and a contest held each day, Monday to Thursday or Friday. A pole stting [sitting] contest could be conducted from Monday morning with a grand final on the Friday night. This could also be conducted in the Civic Square area. A fun and frolics entertainment could still be conducted on Wednesday but directed more to adult participation. One of the main blocks of the Heretaunga Street could be blocked off during the day. On Wednesday a bed pushing contest between women could be conducted from the four corners of the City, finishing in the centre of the town. It would be necessary for our Organisation to provide the beds for pushing. This would need to carry a monetary prize and contestants could be drawn from various school committees.