While it remained unclear whether the Shell Saxons Superstars, who were originally named champions of the 2014 Boxing Day Junkanoo Parade, will appeal a late announcement putting the group in second place, Saxons officials were yesterday in meetings discussing that decision.
Nine hours after Douglas Hanna, chairman of the Parade Management Committee, announced the Saxons won the parade, he said during an emergency press conference on Saturday night that after an error was corrected, One Family was the overall champion with 87.60 points.
One Family had originally been announced as third place finishers.
In the latest announcement, Hanna revealed that Saxons placed second with 86.87 points and Roots placed third with 75.1.
Roots had originally been announced as second place finishers.
The Valley Boys' fourth place finish with 73.2 points remained unchanged.
The disqualifications for the Music Makers and Prodigal Sons were also upheld.
When contacted for comment yesterday, Percy 'Vola' Francis, leader of the Saxons Superstars, said executives were in a meeting to discuss all the facts to "get to the bottom of all the flaws".
His comments were brief.
"We can't say anything at this time," Francis said.
"If we want to launch a protest we can't say anything based on the rules.
"We are looking at a lot of things."
Asked about the mood of the group, one official, who only identified himself as Peter, said, "We are professionals.
"We don't get down. We don't get demoralized. We are the Saxons."
Hanna said as of yesterday afternoon he had not received an appeal from any group.
However, he said it was still "early in the game".
An appeal can be made 48 hours after a group has received scoring sheets.
Hanna said the rules indicate that a group cannot discuss the facts or the process of an appeal to the public until it has appealed.

Corrections

As overall winners, One Family also won best banner while the Saxons won best Shirley Street performance, best lead costume and best off the shoulder costume.
Roots took best music, best choreographed dance and best free dancer categories.
During the emergency press conference, Hanna said when he initially announced the Junkanoo results on Saturday afternoon at Arawak Cay, he had the overall results and scores for some of the categories.
He explained that accountants later presented all the scores, some of which had been corrected.
Those corrections revealed that One Family scored higher than the Saxons and Roots.
Hanna suggested those who tabulated the scores made the error.
"When all of the scores have been looked at, the accountants then do the final tabulation for the unofficial scores," he said.
"They gave me the sheet of paper, the paper that I took to Arawak Cay [Saturday], with the promise that I would get the full sheet later.
"When I got the full sheet the accountants said there was a mistake with the positions and they gave me the corrected one."
Hanna said he met with members of the Junkanoo Corporation of New Providence (JCNP) to discuss the corrected results.
But Hanna indicated that the meeting was contentious.
"There was a big disagreement over whether I should make this announcement tonight (Saturday)," he said.
In an interview on Saturday night, One Family Chairman Darron Turnquest said his members' prayers have been answered.
He said One Family members left everything on Bay Street with their 'Forever in our Hearts' theme.
He said the result is the fruit of the group's labor.
"We simply say as we said all morning, may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God rest in peace and rise victorious in glory," Turnquest said.
"...The Bible says the prayers of the faithful availeth much. I think that's it, but let's go with that for now.
"I am so caught with excitement. I am ecstatic because this is what we need as One Family."
Meanwhile, One Family officials said they remain focused on a double victory as they prepare for the New Year's Day Junkanoo Parade.
Colors Entertainment won the 'B' category with 81.18 points.
The group also won best banner, best choreographed dance and best music.
Original Congos placed second with 76.61 points, while Conquerors for Christ finished third with 70.74 points.
Six 'B' category groups were disqualified, but Hanna said on Saturday that some of those disqualifications were being reviewed.

Delayed results

Another point of contention was the delayed results, which were put off on Friday evening to Saturday afternoon.
"We won't have the unofficial scores tonight," Hanna told a large crowd of group members and supporters on Friday evening.
"I just left the tally room where they are still tabulating the scores."
After several hours of waiting on Saturday, Junkanoo Committee officials were still unable to provide results and scores for all categories.
The original scores announced were as followed.
In fourth place was Valley Boys with 73.2 points after a 10 point penalty; in third place was One Family with 80.96 points.
Roots was announced as the runner-up with 85.01 points and Saxons was named the winner with 86.87 points.
While Saxons members were elated with the result, members of Roots were furious that the parade was called without all categories being factored.
Wellington Walkes, a Roots member, said his group should have been named the winner.
"It is a bunch of crap," an impassioned Walkes said. "They did not call Shirley Street."
Several other Roots members said while it was a "slap in the face" they would await the announcement of all the results.
Turnquest made a similar comment on behalf of One Family.
Following the announcement, Hanna told the media his credibility was on the line to make the unofficial announcement.
The Saxons placed second in choreograph and dance categories and third in music.
The group was the sixth to take to Bay Street.

Delayed parade

The late finish of the parade contributed to the delayed results, according to Hanna.
The parade, which began around midnight on Friday, did not wrap up until that afternoon.
Hanna said there are several issues that need to be addressed to ensure the New Year's Day parade is not a repeat of Friday.
Key among those challenges is the introduction of a third lap.
"At the third lap the Saxons, I think at 1 p.m., had just come off Shirley Street to do the third lap on Bay Street," Hanna said.
"The police really had a concern because stores were open, traffic needed to pass.
"Police really could not have allowed the parade to carry on much longer.
"It creates a lot of problems when the parade goes on that late."
While making its way to Bay Street, Music Makers had an equipment malfunction and was not prepared to perform when called, according to officials.
According to officials, other delays came about because of long delays between some group's performances.
JCNP Chairman Silbert Ferguson said the organization is considering changing the start time of the Boxing Day Junkanoo Parade to 8 p.m. on Christmas Day.
Officials hope that, that would mean the parade would end by 6 a.m. on Boxing Day.
There were other criticisms of the parade.
While on Bay Street, Prime Minister Perry Christie pointed out that the Junkanoo groups have become so large that sections perform without music.
"It does not even look like fun when you are without music, so we have to find a way to throw the music forward using technology," Christie said.

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