Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1923-06-29
(By Frances Scott Cliff.

The Strawberry festival of last
week was an unqualified success
and reflected great credit upon the
executive ability of the various
committees that managed the af-
fair, and it was a big affair with
a capital "B. !" The weather was
perfect. The Strawberries We're
big and fine and lucious. The
crowd was big and good natured
and happy and as fine a sample
of Washingtonians as you would
find anywhere. Not a rough or a
tough ones among them. No
hold-ups or fakes on the entire
grounds.
The Camp Fire Girls were a joy
and the Boy Scouts were the fin
est ever!
Only few years ago it was CON
sidered necessary to have police
men to control such crowd as
that, but today the Boy Scouts
and Camp Fire Girls make police
men unnecessary, and do the work
much more effectually than Of
ficers of the law ever could. OF
course, prohibition helps lot,
and who could want to go back to
those old days, after such per-
feet demonstration of the new
order of things as was had at the
Strawberry festival? Long live
the Boy Scouts and the Camp
Fire Girls!
And the queen of century and
four years! No festival or carni-
val nor land since the days of the
Old Testament has ever claimed
anything 50 wonderful as the
queen of the festival. with her
honor escort of dignified ladies
of the D. A. R; her beautiful
maids of honor in dainty gowns
and strawberry decorations be-
fitting the occasion, her pages and
Prince Charming, who was just
one hundred years younger than
his queen!
The queen was gowned in white
with a royal purple train, which
was carried by her pages, in
golden satin uniforms, as the reg
al procession passed slowly up the
aisle formed by the guard of
ladies of the D. A. r., and follow
ed by her maids Of honor, to the
throne on flower bedecked plat
form that was canopied by state
ly madrona trees-a fitting setting
The little four-year-old Prince
for so impressive a scene.
Charming, in a costume of straw
berry red, led the procession, car
rying the crown, fashioned like a
strawberry of Vashon size, but he
gladly yielded his burden to the
gracious regent of the D. A. R.
when he reached the stage. Ac-
cording to program he should
have knelt at the feet Of his
queen, but typical American
youth that he is, he stoutly refus-
ed to bend his knee even to so
wonderful a symbol of royalty as
was this queen of a century, but
he stood sturdily looking on with
wide, wondering eyes while the
regent placed the glowing crown
upon the white head Of Melissa
the First, and proclaimed her
queen of the Strawberry festival
amid the acclamation Of her sub
j:cts.
Appropriate speeches and mus
ic followed this ceremony, which
was enjoyed by all who heard.
p. M. Smock delivered the ad-
dress in his usual happy manner
and read one of his poems. Col.
Hartley spoke very briefy-too
briefly for his hearers. Frank ii.
Paul discussed the road situation.
The sports on the beach attract
ed large, enthusiastic throng,
and the animated picture it made
from the heights above was worth
days journey to see. Many re-
mained for evening beach fires,
always so enjoyable to young and
old.
The booths where strawberries