t can;t last much longer without younger members with fresh ideas and plenty of get up and go
They've been saying much the same thing for the past 24 years, Wrex :-)) One problem is the Extravaganza doesn't appeal to younger folk. Another is that younger folk have less time to spare.
But here's an idea: instead of making a blanket appeal for "younger members with fresh ideas" why doesn't the committee draw up a precise list of jobs that need doing? Then you simply ask for people to do those jobs and - as long as you have a decently designed job description - you might get lucky and find some younger folk to do them.
But the 'fresh ideas' thing is a bit of a loss-leader, since just about every idea has been tried in one form or another. There are people you need - I agree - but they are those with specific skill-sets, such as writing (for the programme composition), sales (for the advertising revenue), finance (for the accounting aspects), liaison and communication (for the Police, Council, Fairground, Parade), Management (possibly the most crucial, since a lot of unpaid people with an eclectic mix of attitudes and abilities need managing to get the best out of them), performance (for the on-street performers), Health and Safety..I could go on, but I'm sure you get the gist.
There's also a depressing pattern to committee meetings which I'm sure you've noticed. At the outset, a lot of folk turn up, brimming with enthusiasm and ideas. As the reality bites, with the multiple issues that seem to conspire to prevent implementation of ideas, there's a significant drop-off in attendance and by the time of the eventual event, it's surprising how it all seems to come down to the same small group. It's not unique to the Extravaganza, of course; that same pattern exists within just about every voluntary society. But it's still a problem.