Carnival Court
Selection Dance
2014
We are so excited to announce that we are searching for 2014/2015 Mersea Island
Carnival Court!
Who are we looking for?
We are looking for individuals with a pleasant personality and good sense of humour
that are confident or wanting to become more confident, charismatic, enjoy meeting
people and having fun! They MUST live or attend school on Mersea Island.
Why should you apply?
Being part of a Carnival Court enables you to grow in confidence, develop your social
skills, gives you the opportunity to meet a wide variety of people from across Essex and
beyond and most importantly have fun! It definitely is not just about sitting on a float
waving at crowds! 
You can also use your experiences as a Carnival Court member as volunteering
evidence for college and university applications or as part of your Duke of Edinburgh
award.
What would you need to do as part of the Carnival Court?
King & Queen: They will be expected to lead their court in all aspects, modelling
appropriate behaviour, ensuring the court knows what is expected of them and advise /
support them in carrying out their role. The King and Queen will share the responsibility
of accepting any awards and performing any speeches that may be required.
Princesses: the two princesses are expected to work well as part of the Carnival court.
It is unlikely that they will have to give any kind of speech. The Princesses’ main role
is to support the King and Queen and to help to raise money when attending any
charity events.
All members of the court are expected to get on well together and work as a team.
The court will be expected to attend various events in East Essex throughout the year
e.g. other carnival parades, court crowning ceremonies, presentation ceremonies (where
all monies raised on the carnival day are presented to the local charities or
beneficiaries), present donation cheques after our own Carnival and other local events
such as the Mersea Easter Egg Hunt. They will need to be prepared to make
themselves available for these events but not necessarily all of these events.
How, when and where will the Court be chosen?
The new Queen, King and Princesses will be chosen at our Selection Dance on
Saturday 17th May 2014 at The Mersea Tennis Club Hall, The Glebe, Mersea Island
from 7.30pm.
Full details of the selection process will be sent to you on receipt of your application.
Entry is free to the Carnival Court applicant and one guest / parent. Additional entry
tickets can be purchased for £3 (adults) and £1 (children under 16) on entry. There
will be tea, coffee, soft drinks and cakes available for purchase but please feel free to
bring your own drinks and snacks. There will also be a raffle and dancing!
All entrants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult on selection night.
How can I apply?
Age groups
King aged 14 – 21 years old
Queen aged 14 - 21 years old
Princesses aged 8 – 13 years old
Your age must be within these age brackets on the day of the Carnival which is 9th
August 2014
You can apply by phone, email or application form and this should be received by the
Carnival Court Chaperone no later than Thursday 15th May 2014
How to apply:
 by post to… Carnival Court Chaperone, c/o 22 Fairhaven Avenue, West Mersea,
Mersea Island, CO5 8EZ
 by phone on… 01206 383363
 by email… merseaislandcarnival@gmail.com
Mersea Island Carnival Court Selection Entry Form
NAME ………………………………………………………………………
ADDRESS ……………………………………………………………………………………
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POST CODE ……………………………
TELEPHONE NUMBER ……………………….. Mobile …………………………………
Date of Birth ………………………………………………
AGE ON 9th August 2014 …………………………
Parent or Guardian signature required if entrant is under the age of 18 years.
Signature …………………………………………. Date ………………………………
Print name ………………………………………………………
E-mail address …………………………………………………………
All entrants must at time of application reside or go to school on Mersea Island.
Rules and responsibilities
Should you be successful and be crowned as part of the 2014/2015 Mersea
Island Carnival Court, it brings not only wonderful experiences, fun and enjoyment
but also responsibilities.
So, here are a few guidelines we would expect you to adhere to, please note
that some may not apply to Princesses:
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You will need to be good role models even when you are not on duty
You will be expected to work as a team
No smoking at any time when on duty
No swearing
No drinking alcohol when on duty including the evening before an event
No using drugs (if you need to take medication, let your chaperones know as
soon as possible)
No using mobile phones whilst on the float or when on duty
Always listen to your chaperones and follow their instructions in order to stay
safe
Please remember the Carnival committee’s decisions are final
You will be escorted by Carnival chaperones at events at all times.
Unfortunately, whilst on duty you will be unable to go off with friends or family
during a Carnival event unless agreed with your chaperone. Please stay
together as a Carnival Court when going to Carnival teas and going to the
toilet during events etc
Enjoy building good relationships with the other Carnival Courts. You will see
them often throughout the year and some may become lifelong friends!
Respect others. Avoid gossiping about others – it will not make you a good
role model or help you enjoy your experience
Whilst on the float, look at people directly, wave and say hello. Be kind and
polite to everyone. This means a great deal to people. Always be ready to
smile even though, sometimes, you may not feel like smiling
DON’T ALLOW ANYONE TO PROVOKE YOU, for example, if someone shouts at
you whilst you are on duty, don’t answer them back. Just smile. Allow your
chaperones to deal with these situations and protect you from such comments
 Make sure that you tell the MCA if you are able / not able to attend events
in good time. All of our chaperones volunteer their time and have to organise
their families and work so that they are able to be your chaperones
 You will have the chance to attend Presentation or Selection evenings where
you may be expected to give a little speech and do a curtsey / bow together.
You will plan this with your chaperones beforehand and perhaps practice a
little. There will dancing at these events and we hope you will enjoy
participating fully. It makes for a great evening, good fun and making new
friends!
 You must be in full Carnival regalia at all times whilst at an event
 You will be responsible for maintaining your outfit. The chaperones will keep
and maintain your crowns, flowers and sashes etc. This just helps prevent
someone forgetting them on an event day
 There are a few competitions that you will be involved in during the year. This
will include competitions at other Carnivals for best float, court, etc. At the
Presentation evenings there is also usually a Court of Court competition. For us
these competitions are about enjoying yourself with your court rather than
winning or losing. You may also be invited to events on the island or in the
local area
 You will be asked to bring a packed lunch with you when attending other
Carnivals.
All details on this application form will be kept confidential by Mersea Island
Carnival Association and will not be given to any other party.
I have read and agreed to abide by the rules and regulations laid out above.
Applicant ………………………………………..
Applicant name ……………………………………………
Applicant’s parent/guardian (if under 18 years of age)
…………………………………………………………………
Parent/guardian …………………………………………………………………………