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).

Do you have. A village newsletter or Facebook page?

All submissions for the gala parade party are being taken now!
Ways to enter- nominate a child you feel has gone above and beyond this year, maybe it’s been academic excellence or being a community champion, maybe they are a sporting star! Let us know! All children who
resode in the village are encouraged to enter! All entries will be carefully considered

I grew up in similar small scottish towns...still live in one now. They all had their Gala days and the Gala Queen or equivalent. Current place has a 'Hunter and Lass'.
When I was a youngster it was basically the prettiest 'born and bred' blonde girl who got picked for it. It was the 80s after all.

Think the whole notion is outdated now.

That way the village elders can still nominate a child and all children have a chance to be recognised is some way.

Thinking about it way back in the 90s when they picked the carnival queen for the town I lived in back then, me and my friends weren’t eligible as we “didn’t live in the town” - we lived in an army base on the edge of town. Despite our parents actually owning houses in that town, or being in the process of moving, we were excluded because we were “not local”.
The local kids had to be nominated by a parent or teacher and the adult had to write down why they should be carnival queen/princess/prince/king. I think they were then drawn from a hat.

I haven't read all the replies but our village is similar in that they used to choose the gala king / queen from the local primary school

Last year they decided to host a disco in the church hall and any children who wanted to be considered put their names forward, I don't know if they had a mini application or something but the DJ chose them on the night of the disco. It did end up being children from the village but seemed a fairer way to do it because kids from the village but not the school could opt in

Even the notion of being the ‘queen’ is out of date, as unless the queen can be a boy, 50% of young people are excluded.

I would go for nominated children from the village, as in names put forward, names in a hat, drawn in public place by someone unconnected and respected and the role king or queen assigned once the lead person (boy or girl) is known.

The essay idea is appalling, you will just get essays written by parents. The problem with most of the achievement-based criteria is that it will exclude children with learning difficulties and you could be in all sorts of trouble for disability discrimination. You may not have much choice but to go for the lottery.

You could put it to the committee that making the allocations reward-based is actually discriminatory behaviour. If they come from the primary school the less able children are disadvantaged because they physically cannot achieve what would be needed to be at the top of class. If they come from the whole village, with a competition, the more able children would win then also. Even worse, children who get a lot of help from parents would stand a better chance of winning. Ask for old fashioned paper nominations, then have a proper drawing out of a hat with at 3 people present to ensure transparency.

In our village the children write about themselves and design a poster.

Their "essay" is judged on enthusiasm rather than grammar or spelling.

The panel pick a top 3 girls and top 3 boys and then the roles (Gala Queen and 2 Gala Duchesses for the girls) are done by draw from the three.

This would still put some children at a disadvantage, and imagine the chaos when the committee is alleged to have been biased in their judgements.

true!

maybe names into a hat then for all nominees and then pulled out?

its a nightmare.

I am still scarred from not being the gala queen when I was a teen. Highly coveted!

Exactly what I was going to suggest.
Fair and simple

Could you have 4 roles for village school kids (nominated by a teacher/someone other than family) and names - potentially separated by gender- put into a hat, and 1 role for "other schools" again nominated by an adult and put in a hat.
Draw the other schools one first so you know which gender, then draw appropriate girl/boy selection from the village school hats?

Those who donate/contribute to the Gala Day would become quite resentful if the kids who go about vandalising, and general have terrible behaviour and are known for causing trouble got a role and to be honest the families of these kids really don't contribute at all to the day.

The kids are only 10 or 11 (is that right) seems very young to be excluded especially as it's not their fault their families don't contribute.

I think getting the kids to do a drawing or a very short paragraph on why they would like to be chosen would be the nicest way to decide. Getting them to say why they 'deserve' it is going to exclude some children. It should be a fun and positive thing to do not something where children are judged.

The committee sound awfully old fashioned and pompous to me.

Honestly, with everything you have explained I would just stick with the way it is at the moment. It feels like they are trying to change the rules so the child at private school gets it this year but I just think it’s going by to become such a chore to try and change it all now that it should just stay as it is for the time being.

I don’t agree with the essay thing either, aside from all the time taken for the judges to read them all, there is a real possibility that some of these competitive parents will just do the essay for them.

Just give in and give the main role to the grand kid in question that is causing all the faffing, because that's clearly why they're trying to change the criteria, and carry on with the usual process for the other roles.

I think changing the goalposts in February is much too late for this year's gala day. There will be howls of outrage regardless but I would suggest this year you follow tradition and the committee begin discussing what changes they would suggest for following years. Put suggested changes to a community vote.
I live near a village which has a massive 'Fair', closing all the schools on that day- it's always a Friday. If your child is chosen as part of the retinue, you begin decorating the outside of your house long before now!

Maybe a reverse and the OP is the grandparent…😆👀

I think keep it at the primary school just as it is and have it open to any child in the village can submit an entry in a format of their choice explaining what they have done/achieved etc to the committee to be considered. Keep 1-2 spots open for the committee to consider and 3 at the primary school. The committee can hand over the extra places to the school if they choose. The SEN kids need a chance to showcase their skills and achievements in a format that suits them. Parents will then drive it if they are keen. And keep the loud mouths grandkids out of it this year to humble him!

Again, not even vaguely inclusive.

A lovely record of the able bodied and affluent children, yes. How.....nice.

@Bronniel - how's this for an idea to make it fairer, but involve merit/contribution?

Names are picked out of a hat, but those that go into the draw have to commit to a certain level of community service, so being Gala queen becomes an ongoing role that involves doing duties throughout the year (or few months between draw and Gala)- e.g. fundraising, litter picking etc.

Have head teachers from the various schools nominate 5 children each based on behaviour etc and then draw out of a hat. You're making this far too hard. No matter who you put on a panel to assess essays, there will be disappointment, challenge, upset etc. Keep it simple and make the final decision a random lucky draw.

An essay is an awful, awful idea. It excludes non academic kids who might be the ones to benefit most from such a role.

Why not a simple application form followed by a selection afternoon where they do some games together and then say why they want to do it?

And no relatives on the selection panel!

I agree with this! Seems a great idea and gets away from all the drama!