©2000 G.V. Whaley

 

 

Daffodil Festival
Daffodil Festival Royal Court Q & A

 What are the benefits of being part of the Daffodil Royal Court?

  • The Daffodil Festival promotes the acknowledgement of academic achievement with our Royalty Program by offering each chosen Princess a generous scholarship.

  • You will develop public speaking skills, tact and poise as you gain self-confidence.
  • You will benefit from learning how to organize your time to fit everything into an incredibly tight schedule.
  • Social development and etiquette will help you throughout your life.  You will learn invaluable social graces that will enable you to always feel comfortable because you will know what to do and how to act in any social situation.
  • “Daffodil Princess” looks impressive on resumes and applications.  You can also get excellent letters of recommendation from your festival contacts.

  • Your maturity level will increase 1 or 2 years beyond high school as you have the opportunity to meet and interact with people of all ages, economic levels, and different lifestyles.  Appearances take in all facets of the community from the Goodwill to the Governor.

  • You will learn how to deal with being in the spotlight and on the spot.

  • You will build a lifetime of beautiful memories.

 Who is Eligible to Participate?

  • Participating Pierce County High Schools.

1)  High schools located within the boundaries of Pierce County may be invited to apply to participate in the Festival.

2)  The authority to invite such schools to participate shall be vested in the Board of Directors of the Daffodil Festival.

3)  Schools shall be limited to one Princess from each school.

4)  Each participating school shall be responsible for the orderly and timely selection of their Princess with each candidate being judged, using the same criteria.

5)  High Schools invited to participate must meet the following requirements during the Festival year.

a)  Advise the Festival’s Board of Directors by September 1st of their desire to participate and their willingness to follow these requirements.

b)  Enter a float in the previous years Grand Floral Parade on behalf of the participating school district - permitted to have a Princess.

c)  Participating schools may be required to provide chaperoned transportation for their Princess if requested by the Royalty Committee and/or the Queen Mother.

Current Participating High Schools:   

Bethel Bonney Lake Cascade Christian Chief Leschi Clover Park
Curtis Eatonville Emerald Ridge Fife Franklin Pierce
Graham/Kapowsin Henry Foss Lakes Lincoln Mt. Tahoma
Orting Puyallup Rogers Spanaway Lake Stadium
Sumner Washington Wilson    
 

Who is Eligible to be a Candidate for Princess?

  • To be eligible each candidate shall:        

1)  Be a senior - in regular high school attendance.

2)  Each Candidate shall have at least a 3.2 Grade Point Average, cumulative for her high school career. (calculated through June of their junior year)

3)  Shall never have been married or may not marry during the current Festival year.

4)  Shall never have given birth, nor shall become pregnant during the current Festival year.

5)  Shall never have been found guilty of committing a felony.

  • Royalty is expected to participate in all activities as outlined by the Daffodil Festival. 

  • Once selected as the school Princess, she must be willing to serve as Festival Royalty during the remainder of the Festival year and must agree never to appear anywhere as "Festival Royalty” without the consent of the Daffodil Festival. 

  • Once selected as the school Princess, she must agree not to enter any other beauty, popularity or like contest during the balance of the Festival year without the consent of the Daffodil Festival. 

What are the criteria for the High School Princess Selection Process?

  • Each participating high school will schedule a Princess selection through the Daffodil Festival Office.   

  • Each Princess selection will be held in accordance with the guidelines provided by the Daffodil Festival.   

  • Each participating high school will be required to select their own judges from members of the community in good standing. 

  • Each participating high school shall have their Princess selected no later than December 1st, of current year. 

  • An alternate Princess shall be selected for each participating school. (1st Runner up) The alternate will become active only if the first selected Princess becomes ineligible.  The identity of the alternate will not be made known to anyone other than the Royalty Vice President of the Daffodil Festival.  The name of the alternate will be given to the Royalty Vice President at the end of the schools Selection Program. 

  • The Daffodil Festival President, with the unanimous consent of the Queen Mother & Royalty Vice President, shall have the authority to declare a selected Princess ineligible for further consideration, for unseemly conduct, poor health, lack of attendance or scholarship problems. 

        Note:  If an alternate needs to be activated, the alternate and the Principal of her school shall then be advised of her selection by the Daffodil Festival President and she shall become the participating School Princess.  If for any reason, an alternate cannot be activated, the school will be forfeit a Princess for that year.

  • Judges who have participated in a Princess selection shall not be eligible to serve as a Queen’s Coronation Judge, in the same Festival year.

What happens after the Princess is selected?

  • After each selection, the Daffodil Festival hosts a reception in the school commons or another designated area.  This is where the new Princess will meet her “Queen Mother” and the Festival President, for the current year.  She will also be greeted and welcomed by other Daffodilians who are present at the selection.  She will be photographed.  The first order of business is to attend to paper work.  The new Princess and her parents will be asked to fill out consent forms and information sheets.  She will be given a Princess notebook.  This book contains information needed for the rest of the festival year.  She will be required to bring this book to all practices.  She will be told where the “Parent-Princess Orientation“ will be held and the date of the meeting.  The “Parent-Princess Orientation is a mandatory meeting.

  • A newly selected Princess is encouraged to attend as many other Princess selections as she can. The dates and time of these selections are part of her notebook.

  • The selected Princesses shall be outfitted as authorized by the Daffodil Festival. They will be instructed in charm school training, etc., in preparation for public appearances.

  • The Royalty Committee, in conjunction with the Queen Mother, shall screen all “Appearance” applications for the Princesses. They shall have the final authority on the “Appearance” schedule of the Princesses.

  • Each Princess who is not selected as Queen will continue as a Princess of the Royal Court and will participate in all activities as outlined by the Daffodil Festival during the current Festival year.

  • Any Princess who chooses to be married after Festival Week will no longer be considered a member of the Royal Court.

  • The Princesses will be encouraged to attend our out of town parades during the summer months. They will each have a turn to ride on the festival traveling float, and perhaps stay at a hotel overnight.  These out of town activities are done under the supervision of our chaperones.

  • Each Princess under the supervision of a designated chaperone will only be released from custody of such chaperone at any time with written permission of a parent and the Queen Mother. The Princesses are chaperoned at all appearances and out of town events.

How the Queen is selected:

The selection of a Daffodil Queen takes place at the Queen’s Coronation Program which is held several weeks prior to the Grand Floral Parade.  Selection of the Queen is based on a point system, with points awarded by the Queen Mother and the Judges during the Formal Interviews and Coronation Night. 

  • Points are awarded for the following:

    • Appearance  

    • Deportment (conduct, behavior)

    • Speaking Ability

    • Personality

    • Attitude

    • Cooperation

  • There are points awarded from the Queen Mother (a total of 100 points per Princess), with input from the chaperones, choreographer, and Royalty Vice President.  These people keep track of unexcused absences, late arrivals or early departures, cooperation, attitude, manners & politeness and following instructions. 

  • The judges award points for their Formal Interviews as follows; First impression, appearance, grooming, answers to questions, activities and community involvement, poise and personality. A total of 100 points, per Princess, can be awarded by each judge. 

  • The judges award points for the Coronation night as follows: speaking ability, context of speech, stage presence, delivery and response to the “impromptu” question.  A total of 100 points, per Princess, can be awarded by each judge. 

  • The points are tallied by an independent accountant.  The highest total points dictate who will be the reigning Queen.  Scholarships are also awarded based on the final point standings.     

  • The winner of the Coronation shall be known as Queen and shall wear the crown, robe and other clothing furnished by the Daffodil Festival. 

How are the Judges selected? 

  • The Festival President shall appoint a judging committee of not less than five or more than seven members to select the Queen. 

  • The President will insure that judges are not familiar with any candidates or their families, or employed by a participating school district. 

  • The President shall prepare a list of the judges to be sealed and deposited in a place of safe keeping until their introduction at the Informal Judges Reception.  

How are the Queen Mother and Chaperones chosen? 

  • The Festival President, in conference with the Royalty Committee, shall appoint the Queen Mother and the Chaperones, subject to approval of the Board of Directors. 

  • The chaperones are required to be of legal age, with a valid Washington State Drivers license. They must provide proof of insurance.  They must be willing to dedicate some of their time to taking a car group of Princesses to and from appearances, and be willing to stay at that appearance to supervise the Princesses. The chaperones need to be a friend, teacher, mentor, and mother to the Princesses.

  • The Queen Mother is encouraged to serve a two year term.  

  • The Queen Mother shall have complete authority in matters pertaining to the conduct of the Royal Court. 

  • The Queen Mother and Chaperones shall assume their duties no later than October 1st of Festival Year.   

  • A Queen Mother designate shall be appointed during the Current Queen Mother’s final year. 

If you are interested in being a Chaperone please contact the Daffodil Office at 253-863-9524.

Date page was updated:  05/08/2007

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