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On the morning of Saturday, the 24th of January, 1942, a 6 ft. diameter gold and blue wheel of the Rotary International Blazoned on the southern terrace of the Ram Mohan Palace. At 4 p.m. the State Military Band struck up a lively tune and the Carnival was informally opened. The Club-stalls packed with attractive fits, the gaily festooned lucky-dip booths, the amusement stalls – all were a riot of colour. A large shed to the east of the refreshment stalls displayed interesting and artistic exhibits supplied by the Development Departments of the Cochin Government. A nearby enclosure contained some splendid specimens of Indian cattle. Among the varied items of entertainment, the marionette show by Mrs. Congreve actively assisted by Mrs. Meadows calls for special reference. It was delightful to watch the dreamy look on the faces of youngsters who lived through their favourite stories, of Cinderella nd Red Riding Hood, of Alladin and the witch with the long long nose. The exposition of Indian Dance by youthful amateurs was superb. After sundown, the centre of interest shifted to the “Wild West Bar” whose inviting caption “Quench Your Thirst Here !” found ready response. Mine hosts Rotarians Strauss, Lees and Mr. Cameron plied a lively trade. The dancing went on till dawn broke A noteworthy aspect of the fete was the enthusiastic interest shown by ladies in the Carnival. Rotary-Ann Kappeler’s stall had all the allure of the window-dressers art. Rotary-Ann Belliappa was supervising the activities in general of the Ladies’ section in her capacity as the President of the Rotary Ladies’ carnival Committee. Dr. Mrs. Francis was untiring in her efforts to push the sale of V-s. Rotary-Ann A. R. Menon, Mrs. Geroge Kurian, Mrs. A. N. Menon and Mrs. K. A. Thampuran were making the Lucky-dips a rousing success. The host of fair honorary workers were unflagging in their energy. Mrs. G. A. N. Shackle’s stall “Latest Paris Fashions” from pre-war (which war?) France was doing steady business in a less obvious manner. Particular mention must be made of Miss Lily Koder whose solid contribution by sale of raffle tickets stepped up our total collection. The raffle, I must add, was devised and run after her own plan ably assisted by Mrs. T. Manjuran and Mrs. C. J. Mathew. The Club-stalls in which every item was collected from a generous public through the creditable efforts of Rotarians Rao Saheb K. Achyutha Menon, and Rao Bahadur M. Narayana Menon yielded the lion’s share of the proceeds. The had several assistants to help them in the sale of whom the names of Rotary-Ann K. Achyutha Menon, Mrs. Ikkavamma and Mrs. C. P. Karunakara Menon stand out. The gift of realistic toy elephants in all their festive gala from the consort of His Highness the Maharaja of Cochin found a ready market. Rotarian Pitcairn’s tea and coffee sold off to the last pound like hot- dogs. I am still getting enquiries for more. Rotarians Rao Bahadur Belliappa and O Kappeler were their usual dynamic selves and were seen in flashes between the amusement booths, the trade-stalls, and the Wild West Bar. The latter was indeed a solace to many a weary soul. Rotarian A.F.W. Dixon was very much in evidence all over the grounds and evinced warm interest in all the activities. On the evening of the 24th instant Rotarian Dixon announced on the mike a contribution of Rs. 250/- from Rotarian Ainsworth being self imposed penalty for enforced absence, as well as a promise from Rotarian E. J. Kuruvilla to donate 50% of the total gate money. On the second day, the Rotarian Secretary announced a donation of Rs. 200/- from Rev. G. A. N. Shackle, Defence Assistant, Port of Cochin. A splendid example in itself ! The Souvenir of the Carnival, a handsome volume containing excellent reading mater had a good sale. We owe a tribute in this connection to Rotarian T. Thomas, the Editor, who was assisted by a number of others in the matter of canvassing for advertisements which yielded a sizable income. Rotarian Dr. S. S. Rao did some good work in this direction. A silent worker scarcely evident outside the ticket-booths was our Rotarian Treasurer V. N. Sundaresan,, whose genial mien was an indicator that things were not going badly. He was assisted in his labours by Rotarian Viswanathan. It will be a good thing if our Rotarian secretary takes a few lessons in forbearance from him. Another genial personality was that of Rotarian A. G. Milne who with his eternal pipe was taking an avuncular interest in the Military Display which was an inspiring feature on both evenings Our thanks are also due to the labours of Messrs P. C. Cheriyan and K. B. Menon in connection with the plan and constructions of the various sheds and stalls at the Carnival Grounds. Accounts? Don’t ask me yet. I have an inkling that the net figure might exceed the estimate. You will get your Balance Sheet in due course. To all those non-Rotarians who gave us unstinted service, to those whose names appear above and to those others unnamed, the grateful thanks of the Rotary Club of Cochin.” |
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