At the 1969 Olac Baby Show, held at the Carib Theatre, Wayne Douglas, a 20-and-three-quarter-month-old boy was crowned the Champion Olac Baby. Wayne, dressed in a red and white suit, impressed judges on criteria including weight, nutritional condition, muscle tone, teeth, inoculations, personality, and overall development relative to age.

Published Thursday, July 31, 1969

Olac Baby of the year

A twenty-and-three quarter-month old little gentleman, Wayne Douglas, dressed in a red and white suit and wearing a red bowtie, was crowned the Champion Olac Baby for 1969, at the ninth annual Olac Baby Show at the Carib Theatre on Tuesday evening.

Wayne, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Myron Douglas, of 18 Lady Huggins Avenue, Kingston 8, weighed 6 1bs, 3 ounces at birth. He is the first child in his family and now weighs 29 pounds. He was also chosen first-prize winner in the group section of babies age 16 to 24 months.

Watching the climax of the Olac Baby Show at the theatre were over 2,000 mothers and children, who packed the downstairs section of the theatre.

The Mayor of the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation Councillor Eric Bell, who opened the show, mentioned how pleased he and his wife were at being able to participate in the programme “because it was clear that Mead Johnson’s contribution to the country was not only one of good public relations, but also one which was necessary to the good and development of the country.”

Mr. Bell said he was impressed with the company's nursing service, which was a supplement to the inadequate nursing service that was available in the area. He congratulated the firm on its good work  - which he knew of because his last child was attended to by an Olac nursev- and for its general contribution.

Dr. Bernard Benjamin, a member of the judging panel, gave a report on the babies in which he noted the 10 points on which the babies were judged.  They were weight, nutritional condition, muscle tone, teeth, inoculations, defects, personality, texture of skin, condition of hair, and general advancement in relation to age.

The doctor considered the problems of each section on which the babies were judged and ways of preventing them. He said he found that in most of the children, the teeth had been discoloured and this he attributed to the excessive use of antibiotics.

One of the most important things on which most of the mothers “fell down on”, Dr. Benjamin said, was inoculation, and he told of the best ages for children to be inoculated.

After the report on the babies, the “strong box” holding all the results of the judging was opened by the Mayor, assisted by one of the Olac nurses.  Prizes were then presented by Mrs. Bell.

In group one, six to nine months, the first prize was won by Richie Dean Delapenha, son of Mr. and Mrs. D. Delapenha of 7 Vineyard Road. The second place went to Christopher Newsome and the third to Wayne Hislop.

Richard Linton, son of Mr. and Mrs. R. Linton of 71 Wood-haven Avenue, won the first place in group two - 10 to 12 months. In second place was Deborah Chen and in third was Richard Laing.

Winning the first place in group three - 13 to 15 months - was Gary Terrelonge, son of Miss Linda Jones and Mr. Gerald Terrelonge of 30 Agualta Vale Avenue. Second place went to David Ottey and third to Trevor Forrester.

Wayne Douglas, the overall champion was first in group four, 16 to 24 months. Second was Lisa Kaye Robinson and third Charmaine D’Aguilar.

In group five, 25 to 36 months Donald Brooks, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ivan Brooks of 9 Bentley Crescent, was the winner.  In second place was Francis Peralto and in third was Dawn Stephenson.

A past king and the first Olac champion baby, Christopher Goodison, robed and crowned the champion for 1969.

The special prize for the champion was a cheque for £100, which was presented to him by Mr. Hugh L. Rose, vice-president and general manager of Mead Johnson Jamaica Ltd. The money, Mr. Rose said, was to be lodged in trust in the Royal Bank of Canada until Wayne was 12 years old, and the money was to be used to further his education.

All the other babies who placed in the groups were given prizes of baby food, vitamin preparations, and framed portraits.

Three special guests who had arrived from the United States and Mexico to participate in the Baby Show were Mr. R. Hamel, from Bristol Myers Company International Division in New York, whose company and Mead Johnson have amalgamated; Mr. William Knapp, Company Area Director stationed in Mexico; and Mr. Jose Mendez, Financial Accountant for the Carib-Mexico.

The doctors judged 1,000 entries which had been received.  Three hundred were eliminated either because they did not have inoculations or they were too young.  The judging panel was Drs. Paul Bell, Bernard Benjamin, V. Bernard-Wright, John Cargill, Mary Carter, Thakoor Deen, Mark Fowler, David Morris, Harry Ramprasad, Norman Read, Roland Richmond, Joyce Tate, Denise Thwaites, Cynthia Thompson, Sheila Wynter Francis, and Herman Zaman.

Olac nurses involved with the contest were Carol Alexander, Audrey Chung, Dorothy Clarke, Ingrid Earle, Erica Gaynair, Heather Grant, Gloria Millwood, Dorothy Scott, Dulcie Soord, Beverley Taylor, Dorett Trouth, and Valsie Wallace.

For feedback: contact the Editorial Department at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com.