Christmas spirit poisoned by bad people

M

MY03VY

New elf
Joined
Sep 7, 2012
Messages
11
Hey guys,


As some of you may know, my parents (members on here) have entered the world of controlled lighting this year. We invested alot of time and money into the display and I think for a first year and total novices to the controlled lighting world have done an amazing job.


To give you a little background, we live in a southside Brisbane suburb called Heathwood. It is a small stocklands developed housing estate of approx 800 houses. We have been instrumental in organising a local christmas lights "competition" within the estate to encourage residents to get out and meet their neighbours, see their displays and thank them for providing christmas spirit and entertainment to the community.


This year we again organised the "competition" and included a peoples choice award. Voted only by residents who used their vote to chose their favourite display and show their appreciation for the entertainment.


One of the competitors from last year are a couple of girls (Amanda and Bec). They are put together a reasonable display with alot of light, and some really good motif's. It isn't controllable but none the less looks good.


Unfortunately these people turned out to be quite unsavoury, personally slandering us in a direct attack on us, and in conjunction with their "army" of friends, have made very derogatory comments in a public facebook post.


They won the judges 1st prize. However they came second behind us in the peoples choice award. Us with 26 votes, and them with 4 and then other entrants from there. They then launched into another attack that it was "rigged".

We have taken the moral high ground in the situation and let them have their cake and eat it too.... but what they don't realise is that they have spoiled any future competition for all the residents of the estate now, as we will no be organising a "competition" again or using any of the community's neighbourhood watch resources to promote one. So I guess you could say they win every year now by default.


What matters to us is the 50 odd people who turned up last night to enjoy the display and see Santa, Mrs Clause, and 2 elves provide a show for them, santa photo's, cuddles with santa and his crew. THAT is the reason we do this display and make it as interactive as possible... no other reason than to see immense satisfaction on kids faces as they dance around an open front yard and driveway to christmas carols and the musically sequenced lights.


Anyway enough of all the negativity, we as the Dolley family wish everyone here a very merry christmas and a happy new year. Stay safe over the holiday period everyone.
 
For starters the attachments don't really paint the negative picture you seem to think they do and it doesn't seem right to post other people's conversations.

That being said I know that we here (including you) are all doing it for the joy of others (especially children). Don't even entertain negative thoughts about what other people say and do.

I know others negativity can get to you, especially when you are tired from all the work you put into Christmas, but always remember that the haters are a minority and a small one at that!
 
one question. Did all the people who visited your display have a smile from viewing it?

Thats why we do it.. hahaha, dont let others bring you down,

Your display looks great.
 
We have had the same issue here in town with people a few doors up the road. No competition, but the slander was constant, and an AVO was eventually taken out after she struck one of my children.


Best way is to ignore them - they wont go away, but you do lights because you want to, not to win competitions, make (or lose) friends etc.
 
My neighbors and I slander all the time over the holidays, but its all good natured. If they see me workin in the yard they'll roll the window and say, "this year were gonna beat you". I'm actually building them a custom piece this year for their display. Sorry to here it isn't the same for you. Could you post up some pics of their house?
 
Calloween, I'm not going anywhere near their house now after already being accused of being stalker... we've just decided to give them a wide berth as we don't need people like this in our lives.


It is sad though that people are asking who the winners were and we're sending people to look such horrible peoples display where christmas spirit was thrown out the window for the sake of "winning".
 
who does it for the competition, we all are winners
just see all the happy faces of the kids, thats a big enouth reward itself.
this town judging is rigged , but when the public love my display an say its the best, i just agree with them..
i do my show for myself an family, if the general public loves it as much as i do then thats good as well.
 
Completely agree... we don't do it for the competition either. We just found that it was one of the best ways (peoples choice award) to get the residents actively involved... they didn't have to do anything themselves other than take the form in their neighbourhood watch newsletter and visit all the displays and "vote" for their favourite. It was more a clever way of getting people out to enjoy EVERYONE's display.


We personally, and I'm sure I speak for all other entrants bar one, that they did it for the kids and the christmas cheer side of things.


Having feedback from people saying they'd come into the estate to look after seeing a post on her childs playgroup facebook page is the sort of thing we never expected but so greatly appreciate.
 
This is one of the reasons that I don't like competitions for this - it goes against the whole spirit of what we all do.

Reminds me a bit of the competition here in WA last year run by the PMH foundation (which raises money for the kids hospital here) Everyone that was raising money for them was automatically entered, and the prize was several thousand dollars, judged by a voting poll on a news.com.au sub-site. The problem is, it was very easy to vote multiple times, so there was a bunch of dodginess going on - I don't think it was the entrants themselves, but more likely people they knew. The end result was accusations of cheating etc, which is really not a great situation!
 
Well with all the bullsh*t asside, and the 3 nights of Santa visits done...


The comment that sealed the deal for us was from the mother of a 3 year old girl and baby brother, who wholeheartedly thanked us and said they'd made their christmas. It was something that really made this year special for them. She had photo's of the baby with the 2 elf's that made their way around her whole family by text. This was the family who'd been pretty much every night of December and were waiting patiently out the front at 10 to 7 every night for the show to start.


Add to that kids saying it's the best display they've been to yet and well.... we're stoked.


To make someone's christmas that much more special was everything we could have ever hoped for.
 
I have heard the same issue several times of upset entrants in a contest.
The only advantage I see in entering a contest is to help get the word out to others about your display so they can come & visit for their enjoyment.

With or without a contest you can end up with unhappy neighbors. I have been lucky so far (with a small display) and not had any issues. You can even find rude people on some Christmas forums. I have never seen that on these forums, reading them daily, in over a year.

Bottom line, there are people that do not know the TRUE meaning in "The Spirit of Christmas".
Ignore them and go about spreading the good sprit as you always have. Including, if it spreads the word, organizing the contest. I feel it's important to have more and more people come and see the 'Joy of Christmas' in your display than worry about the very few negative.

Just my opinion. ;)
 
I used to enter the local comp 3 years back but didnt even make the top 20, but then I came to the conclusion that what I do doesnt work for the competition sponsors who are our local Christmas shop as I build everything myself and thus would not make a good buisness decision for them for me to win as i woukld not be good promo material for them.

I now prefer not to enter any comps due to the large volume of traffic i have been getting which is already way past last years Christmas eve traffic. Most of my traffic is generated by word of mouth and I know im the true winner regardless of any comp because of that, because the prize i really seek is the smiles and joy that i bring my local community by doing what i enjoy.
 
Had lots of people asking if we were any competitions or been in contact with the local newspaper. We don't do either as we prefer people just it find our display by chance or word of mouth and get into the spirit of Xmas. Because people can come onto the property to wander amongst the lights, 40 to 50 or so strangers on your property at any one time is more than enough and over the course of a night it can add up to quite a few.
As many have said, the best reward is the kids (both big and small) with smiles on their faces, dancing in the lights to the music and hearing them say that "it's amazing" or "magical" etc. and my kids get a big kick out of it too.
That's the reason we all do it.
 
The last three nights have been extremely rewarding, but also totally exhausting. At one stage I, or should I say Santa, had about six little girls and two elves dancing up a storm in the driveway. Apart from the family Rob mentioned, one of the highlights for me was the Japanese family.


Grandma was over for the holidays and they came every night. In true Japanese tradition, grandma must have taken 100 photos every night. She eventually plucked up the courage to have her photo taken with Santa. I've never seen an old lady so excited. Lots of bowing and thank you's.


We gave out hundreds of lollipops and glowsticks over the three nights. I guess next year, it will have to be four nights.
 
I have seen a contest like this work when the winner is barred from future contests. The people of our hobby win and keep putting on a great show. These other people win and disappear. Thus encourage other people to decorate.
 
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