October 18, 2014 was the 85th anniversary of The Persons Case! With the assistance of a wonderful group of volunteers and the strong support of The Famous 5 Foundation we put on a wonderful celebration at The Monument to The Famous 5 in Olympic Plaza in Calgary, Alberta!
The sun shone and the autumn colours were a wonderful background.
The talented all woman's band, Magnolia Buckskin, performed for an enthusiastic crowd;
Christopher Barron created a fun photo shoot with protest signs;
Mayor Nenshi arrived to declare PERSONS DAY!!;
I (Carolyn Harley) was the emcee for the event and was thrilled to perform my song The Spirit of The Famous Five with Magnolia Buckskin! (We were five women on stage singing the praises of The Famous 5!!)
Carolyn Robertson (the current chair of The Famous 5 Foundation explained the varied projects of The Famous Foundation to inspire and encourage women and men;
The Famous 5 were present in heritage costumes from Memory Lane Fashion Club;
Nancy Millar (one of the founding members of The Famous 5 Foundation) put on her wide brimmed hat in honour of The Famous 5 and thanked everyone sincerely for remembering their accomplishments.
The Nellie McClung Elementary School Choir sang my song The Ballad of the Famous Five (receiving a standing ovation!);
Val Baldwin read a message from Jean Scott (at 102 Jean is the oldest living recipient of The Governor General's Persons Case Award for her lifetime of work for women's rights);
Frances Wright (one of the founding members of The Famous 5 Foundation) lead the crowd in the Famous 5 Pledge (taken from Emily Murphy's diary) "I FEEL EQUAL TO HIGH AND SPLENDID BRAVERIES"!
I might never quite understand why the story of The Famous 5 grabbed my heart. The story of these five women motivated me to write two songs about them and create this event in their honour. Every year the event gets bigger and better. People who hear the Famous 5 story are moved by their accomplishments. I believe in the power of music and I watch as people are also moved and inspired by my songs. The audience and participants leave with a renewed sense of awareness of their own important part in the ongoing struggle for equality and fair play. This struggle is not just in the female arena but in all areas of life and in all parts of the world.
There is power in music and there is power in metaphor. These five women are a strong symbol of action and determination. We can all take a page from their book!!
The sun shone and the autumn colours were a wonderful background.
The talented all woman's band, Magnolia Buckskin, performed for an enthusiastic crowd;
Christopher Barron created a fun photo shoot with protest signs;
Mayor Nenshi arrived to declare PERSONS DAY!!;
I (Carolyn Harley) was the emcee for the event and was thrilled to perform my song The Spirit of The Famous Five with Magnolia Buckskin! (We were five women on stage singing the praises of The Famous 5!!)
Carolyn Robertson (the current chair of The Famous 5 Foundation explained the varied projects of The Famous Foundation to inspire and encourage women and men;
The Famous 5 were present in heritage costumes from Memory Lane Fashion Club;
Nancy Millar (one of the founding members of The Famous 5 Foundation) put on her wide brimmed hat in honour of The Famous 5 and thanked everyone sincerely for remembering their accomplishments.
The Nellie McClung Elementary School Choir sang my song The Ballad of the Famous Five (receiving a standing ovation!);
Val Baldwin read a message from Jean Scott (at 102 Jean is the oldest living recipient of The Governor General's Persons Case Award for her lifetime of work for women's rights);
Frances Wright (one of the founding members of The Famous 5 Foundation) lead the crowd in the Famous 5 Pledge (taken from Emily Murphy's diary) "I FEEL EQUAL TO HIGH AND SPLENDID BRAVERIES"!
I might never quite understand why the story of The Famous 5 grabbed my heart. The story of these five women motivated me to write two songs about them and create this event in their honour. Every year the event gets bigger and better. People who hear the Famous 5 story are moved by their accomplishments. I believe in the power of music and I watch as people are also moved and inspired by my songs. The audience and participants leave with a renewed sense of awareness of their own important part in the ongoing struggle for equality and fair play. This struggle is not just in the female arena but in all areas of life and in all parts of the world.
There is power in music and there is power in metaphor. These five women are a strong symbol of action and determination. We can all take a page from their book!!