Village Gala Day Drama

I suspect that the village is resting on tradition and hasn't kept up with anti-discrimination culture and legislation.

> some fear that it will mean just the smartest kids get the chance to be part of it
And what's wrong with that?

I'm from a small village and that's what happened. A name being picked out a hat for gala queen then so on

This sounds very sensible.

I Really dislike that other schools are being left out based on faith and other reasons.

You could even have a child from each school and one school leads the parade which alternates each year, that’s what ours dose.

Voting, competitions, volunteering will always inevitably discriminate against some children. As many have said a lot is dependant on parents and it will be the children with parents that push or do the work for them that come out top. The current system of HT picking a child that they feel deserves it, should I hope means an actual child that deserves it, not one that always come too or dose the most elaborate homework projects because they have parental help.

Opening the school picking to the other schools feels fairer.

The private school thing I feel is difficult. We have a private school that many local children attend. Do they miss out because they are privileged enough to attend a private school??? The poor WC council estate girl in me says yes, but the mother in me says no.

Id like to add that ages of queens vary in our event, I think ours is the youngest Year 4 ( was year 3 pre covid) others have teenage queens. My DD was a queen in year 3, her friend that goes to the same school as her was one last year in year 7, goes to a catholic school but family is CofE and she represented the CofE church & school.

Yes exactly.

I think in life it’s actually fine for not everyone to do every little thing. Presumably the village school used to be at the heart of organising the thing and that was why they picked. It’s probably good for children to realise that logically not everyone can be the queen/king and that doesn’t mean they can’t have some other input or participation in the community event.

An essay would be equally unfair and, if anything, do most kids want to be writing an essay in their spare time 😅 Although you could have some other kids competitions like writing, drawing, poetry with some mini prizes just for fun.

Back in the 90s, my inner city community centre cohort used to do a float for the local carnival and the youth leaders organised the king and queen. It was literally names out of a hat. My best friend got it. There was probably about 5mins of excitement during the picking then all the kids moved on and forgot about it. We still all got to ride on the float etc and shopkeepers would stand at the side of the road and throw sweets at us.

Yes, everyone should have an opportunity to feel included and to contribute overall but no it’s not realistic and an important part of life that kids needs to get used to that not everyone can be queen for a day.

Gave up after a few pages.

As OP appears to have rejected every suggestion that has been made as unworkable I suggest sticking with the current system, however unfair its perceived to be. Committee lady will just have to suck it up as her GCs will miss out.

Tough! That's life!

It's a village gala, it's the village school. It seems simple enough to just keep the current system. It's not a massive unfairness for the private school kids and those educated outside the village, because its not a huge 'honour' really, just a small tradition. They'll know they've never been eligible to win so not exactly 'excluded'. I'd just pitch it as those who've excelled at the local school so everyone knows what's what. Why not have a competition or two on top of the regular Gala party picks? That way the other children can get involved that way?

This would be a fascinating discussion. Or an essay topic for P7.

What a pile of tosh. Should be open for all. If a child wants to enter let them and draw a name. Don’t make it on merit. Not all children are great academically and don’t get me started on those with additional needs being discriminated against. I love in a Scottish village as well. Names are drawn at random.

Stick with what you have. Might not be entirely fair to all but the fact is when parents chose the school they wanted their children to go to they knew the rules then. It is always annoying when people know the rules at the start but then complain.

there is no ‘fair’ solution so best to just stick with the status quo.

I like the idea of designing a poster but I tend to like arts-based things. I agree that this approach can produce surprisingly impressive designs.

Maybe have a think of what it is you are actually trying to do and what values you are trying to encourage with this exercise. Likely everyone involved has a different opinion on whether the goal is perpetuate existing cliques, show off the village at its best, include a diverse range of children, raise funds or whatever. But if you can get a sense of what the underlying goal is maybe this could help guide your next steps.

I wonder how the children themselves think it should be run?

I'd stand down from the committee!

Only skimmed the thread but it sounds like the current system disproportionately favours the sharp elbowed already doesn't it? Lots of coincicdental connections with those sponsoring the event and "nice neat handwriting girls" always do well in head teacher picks. If "at least one" disadvantaged child features in a line up of five in a village where most are disadvantaged the sharp elbowed already have this sewn up.

I couldn't be doing with committees, competitions for this. Stick with the current system - its probably the least worse option and add a slot for any village kids attending the SEN school. Parents sending their DC to other schools just have to suck it up - the system is there when they choose the schools.

Alternatively propose a general lottery so everyone has an equal chance and accept the outcome. Sometimes a responsible role can transform a disaffected or badly behaved child and would be a good thing. The sharp elbowed can enjoy a little glow of self sacrifice.

It all sounds very puritan tbh along with the usual nepotism around these events!

Our little villages does it by nomination. Someone has to nominate the child and say why, so the children don’t have to do some competition themselves. Then a panel of local upstanding community members choose the gala court from the nominations. We end up with kids of all sort of ability and background.

The town next to use have nominations, choose a shortlist and then voting boxes are put in all the local shops and people can vote from the names on the shortlist.

Names out of a hat is a terrible idea; it does have to be earned.

@TickingAlongNicely I agree. My DGD was Rose Queen at their village fete a few years ago. Several of the villages in their part of England have them. Year 6 girls at the village school were asked to put their names forward if they want to be in the draw, then it’s down to luck, so no feelings of anyone being favoured. There were plenty of other things they could compete at.

They raise money for charity in the year they are chosen. DGD had a toy stall at the village fete, all donated, some pre loved, some new.

i think a picture/painting or something would be better than an essay

Many ideas that are being suggested you are rejecting as you “know for a fact” they will “go down like a lead balloon” - but you have not even put these ideas to the committee.

You are now the one gatekeeping what might be possible in the future and holding fast to a tradition. Maybe you in fact prefer the current approach for some reason?

Maybe the committee have not thought laterally about this for many years. Maybe some have the same doubts as you but are fearful to voice new opinions.

Just blame us to get the ideas on the table: say “I asked a lot of people what they thought was reasonable in this situation and unanimously the response was to use a random draw rather than any approach based on some sort of assessment of perceived merit.”

I actually don’t think giving a kid who is behaving roughly a role like Gala Queen is bad. It might be a route for them to see the village from a different perspective.

i live in a similar Scottish town OP. There is more than one local school. There is rota system for which school picks the queen.

the queen used to be decided by the children voting but is now picked out of a hat to be fair.

the local SEN school is included in this.

private school kids are unfortunately just not included - that is their parents choice if they send them out of the town for school and entirely fair 🤷🏼‍♀️

Again, you need community minded parents with the time and resources to involve their children in good works, and to be able bodied.
Not inclusive

Pointless prize in that case. Perhaps the state school should take more time on teaching how to write an essay? A not unimportant skill.

I think it should be open to all the kids who live in the neighbourhood not just those who attend the local primary. I would suggest eligibility for Gala Queen/King should be a child who has contributed to the community or been generous in some way. Considering that they are kids, it could just be a small thing like they grit the pavement, put neighbours bins away, gave away old toys etc. Family, teachers and other members of the community could nominate them. It might encourage a bit of community spirit throughout the year and not just for gala week.

Sorry but the whole ‘excellence’ thing is so unfair (and so open to corruption!)

when I were a lass the eldest girl in the year was May Queen and the two youngest girls were her attendants. Would something like that work? Either stick to the primary school (as people are choosing not to send their kids there or not, so seems fair) or let people in that school year who live in the village apply and then decide based on DOB. It’s also easier to ‘prove’ than a random ballot which may end up being accused of not being all that random…

But it's not an essay writing competition so why should whether you can write a good essay determine if you're gala queen? The two attributes are completely unrelated.

Why don't you get the different schools to nominate their P7s that are eligible (as in live in village) and then pick from a hat of those nominated.