CENTENNIAL PAGEANTRY

Grey River Argus, 19 April 1939, Page 10

CENTENNIAL PAGEANTRY

ADVICE OFFERED. ~ Helpful advice on the preparations for Centennial pageantry is- given by the National Director of Pageantry, in “New Zealand Centennial News’* “The' word pageant conjures up visions of large crowds, mass movement and colour, processions and dances, music ’ and romance,”-he writes. “It provides unique opportunities to convey the drama of history by presenting episodes which show the force of strong ideas compelling men forward—the conflict between the individual and the mass. It may treat history from a local or a national point of view, and it can show the historical development, either realistically dr symbollically, of some social, religious, or civic ideal, and pay homage to the pioneers of the country. “Pageantry will play a prominent part in the New Zealand Celebrations arid will probably take one of the following forms: — “(a) The street ; pageant or procession; ' “(b) The re-enactment of isolated historical incidents in New Zealand history, at the original location —for example, the~landing of Captain Cook at Gisborne; “(c) The historical pageant present- | ing a sequence of episodes, either rea-| listically or symbolically, bearing bn ■ the history of New Zealand, from j a local or national point of view.” >

CENTENNIAL—NOT CENTENARY.

Although good reasons have been given for the Government’s selection of “centennial” a noun in preference to the variously pronounced word ‘‘centenary,” many folk, inducting some in official positions, ding to “centenary” (states /"New Zealand Centennial News”). '

At a conference in Wellington in March, 1936, Mr J. W. Heenan, Un-der-Secretary of Internal Affairs, explained why the Minister, ed a recommendation of the National | Centennial Committee for the Govern-1 ment’s adoption of the word “Centeri | nial.” It was agreed,” said Mr I Heenan, “that to/save’constant reference to .‘Centeenary’ (with the stress' on the “teen’),,‘Centenary’ (with the) stress on the ‘ten’), and ‘Centenary’| (with the stress on the ‘Cent’), we, should adopt a word which called for only one pronunciation. So it was! agreed to use a perfectly good word, I the educational use of which as a

noun as well as? qn I 'adjective was settled. ‘Cenfenhlar is a very euphonious word,' one that is established in other countries and one that for all cenerai, purposes could be usefully adopted.”.