Village Gala Day Drama

[Bronniel]

I live in a small Scottish Village, every year there is a Gala Day, I imagine it is similar to a Village Fete in England, but basically It is a lot of local businesses, food vans, live music and some little rides for the kids in the local park, with a parade around the village and a fancy dress competition, it is fairly popular. Also a lot of other events in the village on the weekend surrounding it and competitions for the kids.
Every year there is a Gala Queen, plus some other big roles like crown bearer, maids etc. Basically the Queen gets crowned to kick the day off and prior to that leads the parade in a horse and carriage. It's all very much set in tradition but still popular and the kids enjoy it.
Traditionally the Gala Queen and the rest of the Gala party has been selected by the primary school in the village, and consists of P7s, the head teacher picks them and they are chosen based on behaviour/attainment etc. throughout the year. My own kids viewed it as quite a bit accolade to be chosen and it seems like a big deal to the kids. This method though has had its controversies as obviously not every child in the Village attends the village school with some going to other schools for various reasons and others going to say the catholic school or occasionally the odd who does the 30+ minute commute to a private school, it also excludes any kids who attend the schools for additional needs as these aren't in the village. However it has always been the primary schools pick.
I am on the Gala Committee and this year there is a push to change the allocation method, basically to some sort of system where any Primary 7 aged child who lives in the village or surrounding farms/one hamlet where all the kids also go to the local school, would be able to enter. The top ideas right now are some sort of essay writing competition or a competition where kids submit "evidence of excellence" be it a video of a dance they have learnt, art they have done, sports awards etc. The essay seems to be the popular choice but some fear that it will mean just the smartest kids get the chance to be part of it. It's said that either the committee would pick or we could get some locals to pick (so a panel of maybe the head teacher, the minister at the local church etc). The idea for the essay writing competition is they would write an essay on the history of the village or something similar.

However the issue is, this same year one of the most vocal members of the Gala Committee has a grandchild who is in Primary 7, but at a private school, so wouldn't be eligible under the historical system as despite living in the village, doesn't attend the local school. About half of the committee are against any changes as it is set in tradition and they feel the change is purely to benefit this members grandchild and future grandchildren. They also feel that it is unfair to ask the children of the local state school, many from lower income backgrounds to compete against private school kids on either the essay front or the hobby front. Others feel it is a necessary change as the days of all the kids going to the local school are over, and lots of the kids at the local school aren't from the village now.

It is creating quite the divide and a lot of upset so I'm looking to see what others think as we seem to be in a deadlock.

So
YABU - The traditional method should stay
YANBU - Time to update so all the kids in the village can be involved

(I know this seems trivial but it is the source of many a head ache for me right now and it is the height of village drama for our sleepy little place).

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.

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!

I'd stand down from the committee!

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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?

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!

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.

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.

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

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

The catholic school isn't in the village, it is 20 minutes away in a larger town, maybe one kid per year in the village goes to the catholic school, it is nothing to do with religion and everything to do with which school is actually in the village.

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

Okay maybe not as small as your village then!

We are in Ayrshire so the Wellington School in Ayr or travelling up the motorway to Hutchesons/St. Aloysius/Belmont House in Newton Mearns happens. Not often but I can think of a few kids over the years who have.

No wonder very few people volunteer in their community eh, @Bronniel

You have been given a really hard time here, when your intentions to support your community are admirable.

Good on you ( and not those on here, who give nothing, but argue the toss).

The suggestion of asking the kids who don't live in the village to get their teacher to answer some questions on them and send it to us directly is a nice idea. I wonder how likely the teachers are to do it though, they already have so much to do!

I think tbh that teachers shouldn't be asked to do that extra work...

Names in a hat…then ALL the children get an equal chance. Clever children get enough rewards!

Oh for goodness sake, is it too early to drink?

The grandma who has spearheaded the want for change just messaged the group chat saying "Shall we just leave it as the school deciding" left it a few minutes and then said "Could my granddaughter do a dance maybe - she is great at highland dancing".
I could bang my head off a wall, what a load of drama!

This was why committee meeti gs on Zoom are brilliant... you can sit with a mug of wine and no one knows....

The most inclusive way is just names in a hat - anyone can enter who lives in village regardless of what school they go to.
in my town all state primary schools, catholic school and first year of the secondary school, SEN school all included and it’s then names in a hat.
you are really over complicating it with suggestions re essays, art competitions, character references etc.

I'd make it as simple as possible for the teacher to do - literally just a couple of boxes to tick with stamped, addressed envelope supplied by child so they just have to shove it in the envelope and add it to the school's outgoing post. And just the option to write more if they want to e.g. they may know that for x reason the child could really do with this recognition.

It sounds like by and large it's only going to be one or two children from any school so shouldn't be lots of forms for any teacher to complete.