Kids line up to paintball the principal

CAMERON BURNELL/Taranaki Daily News

WILLING TARGET: Mimi school principal John Elliot is hoping Ethan Howe, 6, isn't too proficient with a paintball gun ahead of today's gala. Mr Elliot has offered himself as a target to raise money.

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Mimi school principal John Elliot has more reasons than most to brace himself ahead of school gala day.

As part of the gala's anti-PC motif, Mr Elliot has offered himself up for slaughter as a target in the paintball stall.

It would be a brave move by any man, but for this principal it is extra-brave, as he already knows too well the pain that comes from the sting of a paint pellet. "We first did Paintball the Principal last year. I got 168 welts.

"This year we have 3200 paint balls ... that's a fair few," Mr Elliot said. "But I'll have a board of trustee member in there with me so that could take the pressure off."

The idea for a paintball stall came about after Mr Elliot watched a paintball game and decided people would probably pay good money to shoot a principal.

Paintball and accompanying magic carpet ride (where punters are towed on a square of carpet in a paddock behind a tractor) are all part of the old-school feel the 38-pupil school wants to create at its gala.

"We're all about letting boys be boys and kids be kids – for example we never got rid of bullrush here. It's just a bit of fun."

To thumb its nose further at the politically-correct, health and safety-conscious, national standards-wanting crowd, children will also receive a Mimi School certificate saying they're up to the standard of a Kiwi kid.

This standard includes being able to ride the carpet (and perhaps a horse) and negotiate their way through the Burma maze, set up in a spare classroom.

The gala starts at 10am and also boasts home baking, a slip-n-slide, dunk the clown and a horizontal bungy.

Unfortunately there will not be a coconut shy as there were no coconuts on sale at this time of year.

Funds raised from the day will be used to construct a shade sail over the school pool.

- © Fairfax NZ News