Picnic Planning
The Picnic Director will be smart to begin the program with something easy. Balloon blowing for size is a good starter because it is so simple the object of the contest can be stated in a single sentence: “The lady whose blown-up balloon is biggest wins the first prize of a quality picnic bqasket.” Then the director can walk along the edge of the crowd, give balloons to some of the women, and gently pull them into a contest line. Once a few women are in line others will come without special urging. Balloon blowing is almost certain to produce some crowd laughs. A few balloons are sure to blow up in contestants’ faces. Once the crowd starts laughing the ice is broken. If the contests for men, women, couples and children are alternated, the program is varied and the crowd stays interested. The program ought never to last more than two hours. This is the maximum. A better length program lasts about an hour and a half, allowing time for about sixteen games. Most children’s games take only a little over five minutes per game, but contests for adults requiring equipment may take as long as fifteen minutes. The director should keep his eye on the crowd. If he sees too many persons drifting away he should speed up the proceedings, even if it means canceling a scheduled event. While one game or contest is in progress, the director can make a sort of preliminary announcement of the next event on the program. The instant one contest is over he should start lining up contestants for the next event. Never under any circumstances should arguments between contestants be permitted. If the judges can’t decide who actually won a contest, they should declare a tie and then determine the prize winner by flipping a coin. Or if the prize is cash, or something that can be divided (such as an even number of golf balls) the tied contestants share the prize. At any rate an argument must not delay the program. Speaking of prizes, one of the best ways of getting people into the contests is to let them see the prizes. They are best displayed on a table near the announcer. Picnic Baskets, Picnic Coolers, and Wine Totes make great picnic gifts. Someone is bound to see something he wants and enter the contests from mercenary motives. But the easiest way to gather a crowd and hold it is to get the program started and keep it moving fast, for a picnic crowd is remarkably restless. It is out for fun, and if it can’t have fun at the games it is going to look for something else or go home.
