June 11, 2017
Dear Fellow Guyanese:

UNITY & INDEPENDENCE (MASHRAMANI) PARADE JUNE 11, 2017

Guyana’s 50th Independence Anniversary Celebration Committee (New York) invites Guyanese performers; dancers; musical bands; costume bands; marching bands and steel pan orchestras; community and cultural groups; corporations and other businesses; costume designers as well as Guyanese from all ethnic backgrounds, to participate in and help showcase Guyana’s heritage and cultural splendor, at the Guyanese American Unity & Independence Parade (Mashramani) on June 11, 2017, in Brooklyn, to celebrate Guyana’s 51th Anniversary of Independence.
The parade will begin at Church & Brooklyn Avenues, Brooklyn, and will proceed East on Church Avenue,
South on Ralph Avenue to Flatlands and into South Shore High School Park for a grand Guyanese Rally & concert.

This will be a carnival-like parade featuring geographic contingents, costume bands and floats depicting
Guyana’s lush culture, heritage, natural resources, rain forests, people and history. Entertainment trucks will accompany the contingencies and bands will be accompanied by music trucks with rich music as revelers masquerade in carnival flavor.
CALL FOR DESIGNERS, BAND & SECTION LEADERS: Costume designers and band leaders who wish to design costumes and/or enter bands in the parade should register with the committee and commence work immediately. You may register at www.celebrateguyananyc.com, under Mashramani.

 

RULES:

The Parade will consist of two categories:

  1. Costume Bands: This category will comprise participants/masqueraders in full costume wear only. Costumes must be acquired from a participating designer. Masqueraders must register with a participating costume band for a fee, and be subjected to the rules of the band and parade.
    (a) Designers and bandleaders may form costume bands and/or design costumes and floats at their own expense for sale to parade participants, and register said band/s with the Committee to participate in the parade.
    (b) Band leaders and/or designers shall be responsible for their own promotion, marketing, advertisement and sale and shall be required to indemnify the committee from all liabilities.
    (c) The Committee may secure music trucks at the of the expense of band leaders to ensure consistency and strict compliance with Committee protocols, and rules as well as New York State law and other relevant statutes.
  2. Geographic Contingencies: This category will consist of five sections representing broad geographic locations of Guyana and the two largest towns.
    (a) Section 1: East Coast, East Bank, West Coast and West Bank Demerara.
    (b) Section 2: Georgetown
    (c) Section 3: Linden
    (d) Section 4: Berbice
    (e) Section 5: Essequibo
  3. Each section will be designated a color of the Guyana Flag. The Committee will provide all T-Shirts
    with the official celebration logo and design, for a fee.
  4. East section is required to have a team leader and team and will be responsible for all promotions
    and mobilization of nationals from their designated geographic location of Guyana.
  5. Each section is required to select a location within New York City for its “Mash Camp” and meeting
    place.
  6. One or more section may be accompanied by an entertainment truck, which shall be arranged by
    the committee to ensure compliance with all rules and law. Trucks will be prepackaged with all
    amenities like music, DJ, generator, etc.
  7. Costume bands and sections that include children must ensure that those children are kept 100 feet away trucks and on the opposite side of passing traffic.
  8. Each costume band, entertainment truck and other vehicles in the parade must have and present
    proof of liability insurance for the date and period of the parade.
  9. Sections are encouraged to solicit donations from Guyanese’s business owners; especially from
    their designated geographic location and may display banners or place signage on section trucks.
  10. Each section shall be responsible for ensuring that its revelers comply strictly with the law, parade
    rules and directives.
  11. Section leaders shall be the intermediary between their section and the Committee
  12. Section/ban leaders must attend meetings with the Committee.
  13. All trucks will be subject to inspection by the NYPD.
  14. All costume bands must arrive by the designated time for inspection and placement. Late arrivals will be inspected at the discretion of the Committee and NYPD, and participation in the parade is not guaranteed.
  15. The NYPD and/or the Committee has the final decision on moving or stopping the parade.
  16. Each band, truck or section may be accompanied by a NYPD officer who will make and/or
    communicate decisions regarding moving and stopping the parade while on the route.

RULES AND GUIDELINES FOR THE PROCESSION:

  1. All bands/bandleaders must arrive at the designated parade start location by the designated time.
  2. The parade will start at and depart from Church and Bedford Avenues, Brooklyn at 1 p.m..
  3. Trucks may park overnight at an area to be designated in the vicinity of the route to reduce delays on parade day. No truck will be allowed to remain after the parade.
  4. There will be a drawing to select the order in which the bands and sections will depart. There will be no changing of the order. Failure to comply with the results of the drawing may result in disqualification from the parade.
  5. All DJs must turn their music off or adjust same when instructed to do by the NYPD or the Committee. Failure to comply may result in their trucks being expelled from the parade.
  6. All participation fees must be paid in advance or the band will not be allowed to participate in the parade.
  7. All participants are required to comply with all rules and laws, failing which may result in prohibition from participating in or expulsion from the parade.

Yours Sincerely
Rickford Burke
Chairman
Parade Sub-committee