The Junior Parade takes place today, Saturday; considerably earlier than usual due to how the Easter holidays fall this year. However, that doesn’t mean troupe leaders, participants and adults accompanying them have reason not to be fully prepared.
After all, the Carnival schedule was published months ago and the only change, announced a bit later, on March 12, concerned moving this particular event up by one day so it wouldn’t take place on Palm Sunday, out of respect for the churches. A difference of just 24 hours can hardly be used as a valid excuse.
The expectation is consequently that everyone in question is ready to go and put on a great show. Some time ago there wasn’t even a separate Children’s Parade due to lack of interest, making it all the more important for the public to come out and support St. Maarten’s future generation.
The donation of earplugs by Collective Preventive Services (CPS) is a sensible practice. Anybody who has ever witnessed a Carnival parade or jump-up knows how loud the music coming out of the huge speakers on the music trailers can be.
The term “deafening noise” comes to mind and lasting damage to one’s hearing is certainly not out of the question, especially for children. Protecting them at least somewhat in this matter is therefore a good idea.
It might be argued that the bands and disc jockeys could also be a bit less loud, but the music must obviously reach all participants so they can dance to it. Using the earplugs can be seen as a necessary safeguard to prevent any possible negative effects on the young revellers.
People should also take other precautionary measures particularly when it comes to the end, so that their little loved ones don’t remain unsupervised or go wandering off afterwards. Practically every year the police report finding children who have lost their family, with all risks involved.
Don’t let that happen to yours.
