NAPIER CORONATION FESTIVITIES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 87, 29 April 1937, Page 13

NAPIER CORONATION FESTIVITIES

Alteration of Arrangements Necessary DETA1LS FINAL1SED The celebration of Coronation Day in Napier will now commenc© at 10.15 a.m., owing to the fact that a detachment of the Royal Navy that was to have taken part will be engaged in a special service to be held at a specified hour throughOut the British Navy. Final arrangements have now been settled by the committee in charge of the arrangements. It was reported by the Mayor, Mr C. O. Morse, that owing to the fact that the Bishop of Aotearoa, the Rt. Rev. F. A. Bennett, had received an invitation from the Governor-General Lord Galway, to speak at the Wellingh ton ceremony, it was proposed to invite Sir Apirana Ngata to speak. Should he be unabie to attend, the choice of another epeaker will be left with Mr Morse. The bodies taking part in the ceremony in the morning are as follows: — Detachment of the Royal Navy, detachment of the First Battalion Hawke's Bay Regiment, returned soldiers, Legion of Frontiersmen, St. John Ambulance Brigade, Red Cross Society, Girl Guides, Boy Scouts, Maoris in Costume, Regimental Band of Hawke's Bay Regiment, Napier Technical Memorial Band, Port Caledonian Society Pipe Band. Various organisations are to march to Memorial Square to arrive not later than 9.40 a.m., while the regimental gjroups will arrive before 9.50 a.m. The parade will move off from Memorial Square at 10 a-m. via Emerson street, Hastings street, Tennyson street, to the Sound Shell. Arrangements have been made for the order in which the various organisations will be placed at the ceremony. At the Sound Shell the ceremony will commence at 10.15 a.m. with an opening address by the Mayor of Napier, Mr C. O. Morse. The Royal Salute will then be gxven by the Royal Navy Detachment and the Hawke's Bay Regiment, one verse of the National Anthem being played by the Regimental Band of the ^Hawke's Bay Regiment. This will be followed by three cheers for Their Majesties and the maui address. A prayer or psalm will be followed by the singingj of "Land of Hope and Glory," the first verse of which wxll be sung by the Maoris and the second verse by the assembly. At the conclusion of the oeremony the various organisations will leave for stipulated areas to disperse. Further arrangements have been provided in the event of the weather being unfavourable, when a simplified ceremony will be held In the Plaza Theatre at 10.15 a.m, The opening of ' the afternoon programme has been advanced a quarter of an hour and will now take place at two o'clock, and although the number of items will be held on MeLean Park will remain in the same order, their times and duration have been altered in some instances. Details were also arranged for a fireworks display out to sea in front.of the Marine Parade in the evening.