The Kiwanis Music Festival of St. John's

2004 Inductees: MARGARET NEAL
Category: Administrative/Support

MARGARET NEAL - 2004 Hall of Honor Inductee.
After only eight years, the Kiwanis Music Festival had expanded to the point where it was no longer feasible to have it organized by an Executive Secretary working on a part- time basis only. Therefore, in 1960, it was decided to seek the services of a person who would be prepared to work for the Festival full-time, for a small remuneration.

A search committee consisting of Dr. David Peters and Mr. Douglas Macpherson was put in place, with very detailed terms of reference: find a person who would be thorough and responsible, pleasant, obliging, and helpful to competitors, teachers, and Kiwanians alike, and willing to work for little pay. Concluding that she was the person most fully capable of meeting these requirements, the recommendation of the search committee was Margaret Neal.

The Kiwanis Music Festival Association in 1960, was operating on a "shoe-string" budget, so Margaret Neal's starting salary was probably in the area of $1,000. In addition, the Association had no office space to offer her! It is certainly a major point to her credit that she accepted the job at all! However, not only did she accept, but went above and beyond the call of duty from the very beginning, by offering the upstairs bedroom and hall of her home on Rennie's Mill Road as both office and storage space for a music library, records, desk, etc. - at no charge! In addition, in a practice that continued until 2003, the whole office had to be physically moved to a central location during the running of each Festival. In those early years, Mrs. Neal's husband, Bill, a non-Kiwanian, willingly lent a hand, and was one of the Festival's most active volunteers.

The fact that Mrs. Neal had no formal music skills proved not to be a deterrent in any way. She was a sincere lover of both music and children, and this trait, along with her secretarial and personal skills, and her obvious dedication to the position, enabled her to obtain assistance willingly from both Kiwanians and members of the music community at large. She served as the Festival's Executive Secretary for seven (7) years.

The main purpose of the Festival's Hall of Honour is to recognize those who have contributed significantly to the growth and success of the Festival through exemplary service, with little or no reward. Margaret Neal certainly falls within this category, and it is with a great deal of pride and pleasure that the Kiwanis Music Festival Association of St. John's now inducts her into the HALL OF HONOUR in the Administration / SupportCategory.

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