About the Festival

Some amazing facts:

Sea Cavalcade Festival
  • For 50 years, this huge community event has been COMPLETELY run by volunteers. Nobody has ever been paid to plan, manage or partake in Sea Cavalcade.
  • Almost all events are FREE except those requiring specialized expenses.
  • Our local business community has always been very generous with expertise and financial and supply donations so that Sea Cavalcade can be one of the few truly affordable family events.
  • Our Sea Cavalcade is the best known annual festival of the Sunshine Coast.

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History of Sea Cavalcade

In 1968, the event organizers were looking for a way to pull the communities together in celebration. Years before, it had been decided that Sechelt would celebrate May Day, Gibsons would take on Dominion Day (July 1), and Port Mellon's celebration was Labour Day.

Swapping and trading events from these communities, including the Kinsmen's Parade and the Miss Gibsons Pageant, mixed with some Fall Fair events and topped with a heaping helping of the Gibsons Volunteer Firemen's Children's Water Sports Day, created the perfect recipe for the birth of the Gibsons Sea Cavalcade.

BC's Premier, W.A.C. Bennett, officially opened it on August 21, 1969.

Research material from the Coaster Business & Leisure Magazine, July-August 1995

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Policies and Procedures

Budget

The Sea Cavalcade Executive Committee (SCEC) shall establish a budget including detailed budget allocations based on the previous year's experience at the first meeting of the calendar year. Subsequently this document shall be presented to the committee at large for approval and adopted by a majority vote or consensus if that is available. Upon adoption the budget will be made available as appropriate.

Financial

All expenditures of money must be approved by the SCEC prior to expenditure.

The Treasurer shall be instructed to ensure all financial matters pertaining to that year's activities are resolved and reconciled by no later than September 30th.

Volunteers

Individual SCEC members or members of the committee at large are encouraged and respected for the contributions they make. The SCEC will develop an approval process to deal with all Sea Cavalcade matters. Individual members are encouraged to present ideas but a majority vote of SCEC must be achieved prior to these becoming part of the SCEC program. If other community groups present ideas they shall be requested to be in a written form and presented in a timely manner such that the SCEC can examine and act upon these matters in an efficient and effective manner.

Publicity-Promotions

The SCEC shall appoint a spokesperson for the group to coordinate all media releases, letters and related materials which must be presented to the SCEC for approval prior to release or dissemination.

Regulations

The SCEC shall protect the Sea Cavalcade name and logo. Every effort shall be made to ensure that use is approved by the SCEC in order to accrue maximum financial benefit for Sea Cavalcade. All vendors and suppliers will be required to establish appropriate arrangements (including licensing and health related approvals for food and beverage vendors) approved by the SCEC regarding sales and profit sharing.

Executive Committee

A volunteer Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer and Secretary shall be elected on an annual basis by majority vote of the committee at large members.

Governance

All meetings shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order. Formatting of minutes, agenda and related matters shall be established at the first meeting of the year.

The SCEC shall provide job descriptions for all Volunteers, Co-ordinators and Activity Heads.

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