Passing out parade

A senior member of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Red Cross Society says that persons participating in parades should be prepared for the activity beyond learning the drills.{{more}}

Ruby Chambers made this observation at the end of the 31st anniversary Independence Day parade, which saw a high number of persons fainting or falling ill throughout the approximately two and a half hour exercise.

Throughout the parade, the military and unarmed guards saw their ranks dwindle as the morning progressed.

Chambers, speaking to SEARCHLIGHT, said that there are a number of factors that would lead to a person ‘passing out’.

“The main one is that a lot of them, especially the children, do not have breakfast before they come to march.”

Chambers acknowledged that most persons get up early in the morning to prepare for the highlight of the Independence Day celebrations, which began at 8 a.m. this year.

She said that parents and guardians should ensure that the children especially have something to eat before they leave home.

“Another aspect is the fact that they are standing too long, and this leads to poor circulation,” Chambers noted.

The fact that some of the organizations’ uniforms may be restrict the free flow of air and blood throughout the body does not make it any easier on the individual.

Chambers advised that persons on parade should move about and shift slightly to help circulation, if they begin to feel dizzy.

The veteran Red Cross official said that the general nutritional health of most of the participants may be a factor in their falling sick during the parade.

All these factors, together with the early morning sunshine that usually beats down on the Victoria Park on Wednesday, October 27, are a sure recipe for even the best trained to wilt, including one or two members from the visiting British Navy’s HMS Manchester who lamented not being used to the heat.

Chambers indicated that the increased participation of groups and organizations may be a reason for the more than 65 casualties recorded on the day; some, just as the parade entered the venue.

She said that the event in itself was one of the best that she had attended in years, and that she and her organization look forward to assisting persons on and off the parade ground.