HISTORICAL PAGEANT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 32, 7 February 1934, Page 6

HISTORICAL PAGEANT

SCHOOL CHILDREN PREPARING HEADMASTERS’ CO-OPERATION. A meeting of headmasters was held at the El rick Lounge yesterday for the purpose of meeting representatives of tho Wanganui Carnival Executive in connection with the proposed historical procession, which is to be featured o;i Tuesday, February 20. Mr. F. K. Turnbull (chairman), and Mr. C. S. Swan represented the Carnival Executive, and briefly proposed a scheme which aims at parading children in fancy dress to indicate important events in New Zealand’s history. Those present considered the suggestion a good one, and it was decided to fully co-operate with the Carnival Executive in staging it, the Education Board having granted a holiday for the purpose. After discussion groups were allotted to various schools as follows: New Zealand before tho pakcha: Putiki native school, boys and girls to be dressed as their forefathers were, the boys with spears, etc. Arrival of the British race: Arainoho, boys and girls in the national costumes of England, Ireland and Scotland. Pioneering days: Queen’s Park, boys and girls dressed as their grandmothers and fathers were. The races united: Gonville, white and Maori children, arm in arm. (This group will be preceded by two boys, one white, the other brown, carrying the “Treaty of Waitangi.”) New Zealand becomes a Dominion: Duric Hill School. The War period: Technical College, boys as soldiers and sailors, girls as nurses, gins carrying poppies and crosses, followed by an Angel of Peace. The after-war period: Wanganui East, a boy as “Old Man Depression,” social credit v. the banks, central bank v. the trading banks, wool bringing prosperity again, gold “pinched from the banks” by “high exchange.” “Wanganui, the -City Beautiful”: Castlecliff, Tawhero and Intermediate. This group will display the fact that Wanganui is the place for tennis, for cricket, for Rugby, for soccer, for golf, for surf, etc., foi learning and for music. The whole parade will be headed by tho Gonville ’Trumpet Band, and is to march in front of the big opening procession of the carnival on Tuesday, February 20, from Ridgway Street to the racecourse, via the Avenue and Ingestre Street. Some 27 boys, dressed in white, with red sashes about their waists, will be supplied by the Technical College as standard bearers. A New Zealand flag will be carried at the head of tho procession and a Union Jack in front of that group representing the arrival of the British race in the new colony. Provision has been made for all children who care to enter the parade in fancy dress. A placard will be carried in the rear denoting “Wanganui for Youth and Beauty : and children of all schools may dress up for that section. Mr. Wilson, headmaster at Wanganui East, and chairman of the Headmasters’ Association, ccmplimented the Carnival Executive on the scheme, and he felt that he could speak for all the teachers when he said they would give it their full support. He thought that the spirit of getting the children into the movement solely for the good of the city was a good one. iMr. Turnbull thanked the headmasters for their co-operation. He said that it was pleasing to have had such an enthusiastic meeting.