(Note: This letter is a response to a commentary entitled “Support Miss Cherokee…and, a new pageant format”, by Scott McKie B.P., printed in the Oct. 22 One Feather as well as a letter entitled “Reader agrees with pageant ideas”, by reader Mary Brown, printed in the Oct. 29 issue.)
I truly appreciate any input and/or suggestions as far as the Pageant is concerned. I have coordinated Miss Cherokee for many years, from time to time with a different co-coordinator. This past year, due to personal reasons, I did not participate. However, over the years we have tried (and I think achieved) to bring the pageant up to other city and possibly state levels. Because of who she is, we strived for elegance and a program all her own.
I, too, have attended Miss Indian World as well as Miss Indian NC, Miss Seminole and Choctaw Princess Pageants. When a pageant has 25-30 contestants, they would probably have to do it in a course of several days. But, with 2-3 contestants it could be a little time consuming for families and the public. It is more productive to hold our competition in two evenings.
Our Interviews are held on Thursday evening and then we have the stage presentation for the public on the Saturday evening before the Fair. We hold all practices on weekends in an effort to not interfere with the young women’s school schedules.
Score sheets are only seen by the judges and are not tallied between the events.
A member of the Tribal Finance Office has always been our official person to tally after the pageant.
Scott, your comments to the Royalty Board were very sincere and appreciated, but, they are not the ones who “try each year to produce a nice pageant full of dignity and pride”. It is the coordinators who do so.
The Royalty Board is a wonderful group of ladies who take time from their duties and families all year to advocate and work with the princess. Their involvement with the pageant are the lovely stage decorations which we also truly appreciate.
I do plan to continue coordinating the pageant and will welcome ideas and suggestions. I have always considered this my “community service” which I have volunteered and enjoyed doing for several years.
We, coordinators, strive to give the families and the community a beautiful Pageant. We also go out of our way to find unbiased judges and we like to highlight our talented, local entertainers.
Sincerely,
Deb West
