As I've recently been informed, the Welland Rose Festival does not allow anyone under the age of 19 to serve on its planning committee.
Why?
I racked my brain to come up with reasons why this could be. Is it because the festival doesn't cater to young people? Let's look at the events:
- Coronation Ball: High-school age girls compete to be part of the next Rose Court.
- Grande Parade: Every kid in Welland loves the parade. The Shriners aren't driving those little cars around to please adults, are they?
- Days In The Park: Straight from the website, it's "fun for the entire family."
- Baby Show: I don't need to explain this one, do I?
- Children's Fishing Derby: See above.
- Street Dance: Again, from the website: "a fun filled night for all ages."
- Art Exhibition: Maybe not the most appealing to kids, but with 75,000 visitors, surely some are young.
Well, that didn't pan out. There's not a single event on the Rose Festival calendar that doesn't cater to children and youth.
Is it because the young'uns can't work on committees the way adults can? If you believe that, I invite you to read up on Welland's Mayor's Youth Advisory Council. Not only is it an entire committee made up of people under 19, but its members also serve on other committees which are otherwise made up of adults. They are respected enough to get a regular audience before the Mayor and Councillors. Clearly, anyone who thinks youths can't work together in a formal setting is just plain wrong.
Is it because there's some old statute in place the sets a certain age for Welland's committees? Well, no, there isn't, but it wouldn't matter. Many people don't know that the Rose Festival is not run by the City - it is independent. (The City of Welland is one of many sources from which it receives funding.) So it's not as if this rule is entrenched in some old laws.
This all leads me to conclude that there is no good reason to have an age restriction on the committee. Consider this an open letter to the Welland Rose Festival: you guys need young voices. Since I became involved with the Festival, even in my minor role, I can't count the number of people who have come to me with suggestions and ideas that they feel should be implemented in various events. The vast majority of these people were my peers - high school students - the people who go to all your events. They're the friends of the Rose Queen contestants, going out to support the lovely ladies as they perform their courtly duties. They're the big brothers and sisters of the kids at the fishing derby, sticking worms on the hooks and standing by the coolers. They're the young artists looking at the Art Show and wishing that one day, they, too, could have their work displayed for the public. Need I go on?
Your current Rose Queen agrees with me on this. So do countless students from our local high schools. The Festival is losing support because it is not changing. Consistency is great, but it gets stale. No demographic contains more changemakers than the youth. Bring some younger people on board, listen to their advice, implement their suggestions, and the next Rose Festival will be better than ever, guaranteed. If I'm wrong, I'll eat my City of Welland embroidered hat.
I know people read this thing. When I wrote about the electronic waste of money hanging on City Hall, I heard from Councillors. When I wrote about the lockdown in Dain City, I heard from local community figures. When I wrote about the lack of men in the Rose Queen pageant, I was approached by members of that event's planning committee, and was invited to join it. Somehow or other, people see what I write on here. If anyone at the top of the WRF is reading this, please, for your own sake, get rid of this nonsensical age limit and invite the youth to take part in planning the Festival. You will not regret it.
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