THE CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL and Friends of Fred The Litter Critter

THE CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL is held every summer in Britt Park in Jacksonville, a small historical village located just outside of the city of Medford,Oregon. Fred-The-Litter-Critter is the mascot of the Storytelling Guild of Medford, Oregon. This Blog is a 50 year history of THE CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL managed by Pat Blair, Past Director and Advisor for the festival. Pat still does the art work for the festival t-shirts, programs, posters, etc.

Friday, November 23, 2007

2008 CO-DIRECTORS OF CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL ANNOUNCED!

DIRECTORS FOR THE 2008 CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL have been announced!

They are ANNIE MICHELS AND MARY PATRIDGE. Both serve on the Storytelling Guild Board of Directors and are quite active in our community already! They deserve our thanks and support as they begin the planning and recruitment for our 42nd ANNUAL CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL!

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

1998 THEME: "It's Magic!" 1998 QUEEN: Mary Strahm 1999THEME: "Quest For Adventure" 1999 QUEEN: Patti De Simone Co-Directors for 1998/99 were: Karin Dailey and Lynn Kellogg

1996 THEME: "Ready, Set, Go!" Co-Co-Co Directors in 1996 were: Linda Higgins, Bonnie Hall and Rhonda Lumer The next year- 1997 - Bonnie Hall and Linda Higgins were Co-Directors

1997 THEME: "HATS OFF TO CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL!" 1997 QUEEN: Cathy Theen 1996 QUEEN: Pat Blair

1994 THEME: "Dive Into Children's Festival"

1995 THEME: " Blast Off To Children's Festival!"

Co-Directors for 1994/95 were: Bonnie Howe and Mary Strahm. 1995 QUEEN: Andrea Mobley 1994 QUEEN: Ruth Schwada

Fred's New Life

1992 THEME: "Have Fun, Will Travel!" Rather than have Fred disappear in a Jackson County warehouse fire I gave Fred an endless trip. The postcard seen here was on the back of the T-shirt. Now Fred is free to go places and have exciting experiences he can share with children via his T-shirts. Andrea Mobley and Cathy Theen were Co-Directors for 1992/93 1992 QUEEN: Becky Logan

1993 THEME: "Wild About You!" 1993 QUEEN: Carolyn Barrett

1989, 1990 and 1991

1989 THEME: "Up, Up And Away!" 1990 THEME: "It's A Beach Party!" 1991 THEME: "Year Of The Dragons" 1989 QUEEN: Betty Haberlach 1990 QUEEN: Peggy Tomlins 1991 QUEEN: Becky Versteeg

Carolyn Barrett, Cindy Hoffbuhr & Emily Mostue were affectionately called "The Co-Co-Co Directors of the Children's Festival for three consecutive years.

They worked hard to clear up old equipment problems and purchase new booth awnings during this time. The Festival never looked so good! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1987 THEME: "Set Sail With Children's Festival" 1987 QUEEN: Ilma McKern 1988 THEME: "All Aboard For Children's Festival" 1988 QUEEN: Bonnie Harvey

In 1987 and 1988 Peggy Tomlins and Becky Versteeg were Co-Directors of Children's Festival. They had fun and made the Children's Festival fun for the children and the volunteers as well. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1986 THEME: "Happy Birthday, Children's Festival!" In 1986 the Storytelling Guild drafted Betty Haberlach and Jill Schroeder as Directors of Children's Festival. They had worked together in Mother Goose Land prior to that. 1986 QUEEN: Tudy Schiveley 1985 THEME: "The Best All American Festival In The West!" Co-Directors for 1985/86 were: Judy Ahmann and Shirley Huycke 1985 QUEEN: Diane Newland

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FESTIVAL THEME, GRAPHICS, CO-DIRECTORS AND QUEENS by YEAR

1982 THEME: "It's Magic!" 1982 QUEEN: Cherie Hilts

Co-Directors: Bunny Karchmer and Marjorie Overland

As we all know. Children's Festival IS MAGIC! It seems to just appear every summer like magic! It just as quickly disappears for another year. The magicians that make the Children's Festival happen "FOR THE CHILDREN" must work very hard to improve on the illusion. It takes years to perfect!

1983 THEME: "Out Of This World!" 1983 QUEEN: Susie Wright

Co-Directors: Bunny Karchmer and Marjorie Overland

Fred always has fun at Children's Festival! In 1983 Fred had quite a time hosting Darth Vader and his space friends.

1984 THEME: THE GREATEST FESTIVAL ON EARTH 1984 QUEEN: Barbara Brazier

Fred had LOADS OF FUN trying to keep things moving as he juggled through 1984!

.......BEFORE THERE WERE T-SHIRTS .... THERE WERE DRAGONS!

In the early years of the festival there were no T-shirts. As the attendance at the festival began to grow, the number of volunteer booth workers had to grow. It became confusing when we attempted to locate our adult workers since there were so many adults accompanying and assisting their own children. Anne Duncan, was Arts and Crafts Chairman when our first red T-shirts were used.

This first T-shirt was not exactly what we had in mind for our "official T-shirt" to represent the Children's Festival

. The cute dragon was one selected from a rack of designs which could be purchased and printed at ARTY SHIRTS in downtown Medford. The "ASK PAT" that you see here was only on my personal t-shirt and was a joke Anne Duncan, Arts & Crafts Chairperson that year played on me! I could not understand why people continued to ask me questions!

From this point on you will see the progression and digression of Fred's persona as he has developed through the years.

FRED'S WORKING FILES PLEASE CONTRIBUTE YOUR COMMENTS!

Fred has become a part of this blog site as a historical view of "Fred The Litter Critter" from the early years until forever!

I attempt to keep Fred and Children's Festival doings up-to-date for those of you who are keeping track. In that way I can keep my own records (and my head straight in my advanced years) and perhaps provide an on-going history of Fred and The Children's Festival.

I encourage those who receive this Blog to make comments, corrections, and contribute their own recollections! Please make your comments and I will incorporate your memories into the on-going history of The Children's Festival AND Fred The Litter Critter.

Most who have known Fred at one time or another were children. Others who knew Fred are adults who have worked in The Children's Festival organization which began in 1966 and continues today. At this time in the life of Fred we see that some who were children attending the Children's Festival are now those adults who work on Children's Festival! What a legacy! Perpetuation at it's finest!

STORYTELLING GUILD PRESIDENTS TO DATE (In alphabetical order)

Barrett, Carolyn
Brazier, Barbara
Buckley , Marjorie (Boyer)
Coleman, Verdell
Conner-Coash, Francine
Cox, Janice
Cushing, Judy
Dailey, Karin
Dillard, Lona
Donovan, Maggie ( 2 terms)
Dunlap. Lori
Foley, Darla
Foster, Karen
Gambee, Judy
Gradwell, Marilyn
Haberlach, Bette
Hall, Bonnie
Hess, Susan
Higgins, Linda
Hilts,Cherie
Hunt, Barbara (2 terms)
Kirkpatrick, Terrie
Lawler , Bunny
Matthews, Jackie
McHugh, Marsha
Michels, Annie
Mobley, Andrea
Moran, Teri
Mostue, Emily
Newland, Diane
Overland, Marjorie
Patridge, Mary
Paulson, Jeannette
Roberts, Holly
Roberts, Sue
Schiveley, Tudy
Schwada, Ruth
Strahm, Mary
Stumpenhouse, Teresa
Swartsley, Sharon
Theen, Cathy
Tomlins, Peggy
Versteeg,Becky
Wright, Susie
Yaru, Suzanne

THE QUEEN'S SHOES

Once upon a time. . ., before many of you were born . . ., a lonely little Queen lived high on a hill in Jacksonville. Her kingdom lay before her.
Each day she would wait and wait for someone to visit but they never came. The lonely little Queen would stare down and look only at her shoes. . . She was so sad.

The Queen wondered why not one person came. "My shoes", she thought, "are just too large for me to fill!"
The little Queen thought and thought about what she could do for the people who lived in her Kingdom. "I need to do something exciting!" She said.

Each day she would plan a lovely lunch with biscuits, jam and tea for her visitors to eat, but alas, everyday she ended up eating her jam and biscuits alone.

As the years began to pass and the Queen was not getting any younger, she thought to herself, "I MUST find a way to encourage my subjects to visit me!" So that very day she went to see the wise old woman, Mrs. Myra, who lived in the town library. Mrs. Myra was kind and good and knew so many things. The Queen was certain Mrs. Myra could help.
"My shoes are too big for me to fill and I want to have some fun!" she complained to the kindly old lady.

Mrs. Myra thought and thought and began to look around her little store of books for an answer. She looked in the corners and under her tiny desk. She moved about the books stacked high on her desk and those put away in their proper places too. She searched for a book about. . . red shoes .... blue shoes. . ., and as she looked she hummed a little tune. You see, Mrs. Myra was happiest when she was helping someone with a question! The happy little lady finally settled on a book about ...... BIG SHOES!

AHA!. . . Mrs. Myra said at last. "We are in luck and I have an idea!"
"It says here". . ., said Mrs Myra, ". . . that you need to do something important!" . . ."You will invite the CHILDREN! . . .They love biscuits and jam and always enjoy a party!" . . ."If you invite the children", exclaimed Mrs. Myra, "their parents will come too!"

That's just what the Queen did. She sent out invitations across the land to a party . She planned and worried, worried and planned until the big day came. She was ready! Of course she had biscuits and jam and also tea, . . .but what would she do if ALL the children came? . . .Would they want to just sit and have tea with the Queen? . . .Her head said no but her heart wanted them to come and to have a good time.

Quickly she RACED back to see Mrs. Myra. . . Mrs. Myra said, "I think
the children would love a story!" "Why not tell them a story or two?"
and the little Queen said she would. "That was such a good idea", thought the Queen, "I shall remember to do that always!"

As the Queen planned she realized that perhaps the parents would not like her stories. Once more she began to worry. . . Again she hurried to see the friendly, wise and wonderful Mrs. Myra. "I am so worried", said the Queen, "I just know my party will fail unless you help me find something for the parents to do too!"

"Not to worry," said Mrs. Myra, "You will ask each parent to help you." "You know, BUSY HANDS ARE HAPPY HANDS", exclaimed Mrs. Myra, (clapping her hands together). As the Queen hurried away
Mrs. Myra called after her. "Don't forget to find someone to help you set the table and clean up after the party!"

The little Queen had everything ready just in the nick of time! Children and their parents came from all across the Kingdom. The children played, ate biscuits with jam, listened to stories and watched a puppet performance. They even saw a play!

The parents were so busy they didn't have time for tea.
Knowing that the children might become restless after eating biscuits and jam with the Queen, the first parents to arrive had brought their own entertainment!

. . . The Queen, . . .(learning that she could be wise like Mrs. Myra) . . ., requested the parents to perform before the Queen and all of the children. . . Since this was the proper thing to do, the parents agreed.

The Queen's shoes were indeed very large and the little Queen thought to herself, "It is not easy to fill them. It will take a special person with just the right sized heart to fill these shoes!"

The Queen was pleased though as she thought about who could fill her shoes which were still too big for her feet.

In this Kingdom this Queen and the Children are so very lucky to have found a bond of women who have HEARTS of just the right SHAPE and FEET just the RIGHT SIZE!

She was so confident and knew that any one of them could fill her shoes.

The Queen was happy and her party such a success that she sent out a decree to all people in the Kingdom. It read:

DEAR ROYAL SUBJECTS

Any one of the loyal women of this Kingdom can be named Queen for one special party each summer. . . That queen will reign over the party which will be called from this day forward . . . THE CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL. Once it has been proven that the newly chosen queen can wear the shoes given to her, the new queen shall reign over the land for the next twelve months and become from this day forward Lady of the Court!

Signed, Her Royal Majesty
Queen of the Festival Kingdom

FROM THAT DAY UNTIL THIS DAY ERE HAS BEEN A NEW QUEEN EACH YEAR AND
AN ANNUAL CORONATION OF THE NEW QUEEN
HELD WITH THE PAST QUEENS ALL IN ATTENDANCE.

Story by Pat Blair