Chapter XVII: Foreword

The history of "A Pageant of May" is briefly told.

In November, 1913, the Woman's Park Club, which, in 1911, inaugurated an annual May Festival, conceived the idea of holding a pageant in our city.

Correspondence with the American Pageant Association led to the inviting of Mr. Porter Garnett of Berkeley, California (one of the directors of the association), to come to Walla Walla for a conference. Mr. Garnett arrived on March 26th. On the 30th, having in the meantime selected City Park as the most suitable site, he submitted the outline of "A Pageant of May." It was officially approved on March 31st, and the work of preparation was begun.

Since the construction of a pageant is usually a matter of many months it seems proper, in this case, to call attention to the fact that within a period of seven weeks Mr. Garnett has written the text of "A Pageant of May," designed the costumes and properties, invented the dances, selected the music and rehearsed a cast of over three hundred.

Grateful acknowledgment is made of the assistance of the Commercial Club and of the many citizens of Walla Walla who have given so generously of their time and talent, insuring the success of the "introduction of pageantry in the Northwest."

GRACE G. ISAACS,
MABEL BAKER ANDERSON,
LYDIA P. SUTHERLAND,
MARY SHIPMAN PENROSE,
MARIE A. CATRON,
_Executive Committee for the Pageant_,
_Woman's Park Club_.

Mr. Garnett's Introduction, interpreting the Pageant, is presented in these words: