BY NANCY KELLY
Kings County Advertiser/Register
Without an influx of volunteers, Kingston’s involvement in the 2011 Apple Blossom Festival’s leadership competition - the princess pageant - could be in jeopardy.
Over the past few years, many of the duties leading up to the pageant have fallen to village staff members. Given Kingston’s princess committee currently lacks leadership “and is in a state of limbo,” village staff members want to know what their involvement is going to be this year.
“It is getting harder and harder to find volunteers,” said chairman Tom Beardsley at the Feb. 10 meeting of the Kingston village commission. “The volunteer base to run princess events has eroded.”
Kingston provides $4,000 for inclusion in the Apple Blossom Festival. Of that, $2,000 is designated for princess activities, such as hosting teas, purchasing wardrobe items and transportation. An $850 participation fee, payable to the Apple Blossom Festival, also comes from that fund. Fifteen hundred dollars goes towards the construction of a float, and a $500 honorarium is paid to individuals to drive the float in the festival’s parade.
While commissioners Tom and Brad Beardsley seemed ready to throw in the towel, Lorne Reid and Doug Beaman urged the commission to advertise for volunteers before pulling the plug on princess activities.
“We need to tell the public we are in a situation. We need volunteers to step up, or the Village of Kingston won’t be able to have a princess. If we don’t get (volunteers), we know what needs to be done,” said Reid.
Princess Kingston 2010 Olivia Switzer was the festival’s Second-Lady-in Waiting.
The village has no plans to discontinue its tradition of funding and entering a float in the parade.
