The Clap-O-Meter Queen
In 1984, the second Slug Queen ever was chosen in only slightly more formal fashion than the first queen. Then City Councilor Cynthia Wooten sought nominations from friends at a backyard picnic. She’d rigged a makeshift, “Queen for a Day” style clap-o-meter, and special education teacher Melva Boles got the most applause. (How slugs clapped, we’ll never know).
As queen, Melva’s first and greatest desire was to have an heir apparent. Pregnant during her reign, she and with her consort and husband, Shawn, welcomed their snuggly sluggette Darcy into the world of slugdom.
Queen Melva then kept a low profile, rarely mentioning her exalted status as Eugene royalty. Few of the students she taught English to, at Sheldon High School for fifteen years, fully realized their luck in being tutored by H.R.H.
Melva retired from both teaching and anonymity in 2007.
It was the 25th year jubilee that finally brought Queen Melva back into the slimelight. Now with her status as the Very, Very, Oldest S.L.U.G. Queen residing in Eugene (and thus the most revered and respected), Queen Melva reconnected with the other old queens and contributed to organization of the 25th year jubilee Slug Exhibit at the Eugene Public Library.
Ever concerned about the people, Queen Melva has been a board member of DevNW (Formerly NEDCO), a Community Development Corporation that helps neighborhoods and families build assets through homeownership, neighborhood revitalization and business development, for seventeen years.
Also a member of the Eugene Symphony Guild, she participated in its most slug friendly fundraiser, “Music in the Garden”. Tasty.
Of course she loves gardening, both vegetables and flowers (delicious), especially her collection of fifty-two rose bushes– which she must resist devouring everyday!
