By Emily Beckett
For the first time in its 24-year history, the Miss Chilton County Pageant is set up to be a preliminary to the Miss Alabama Pageant.
Sponsored by the Clanton Evening Lions Club, the pageant started in 1989 is intended to promote Chilton County and provide scholarships for winners in each age division.
“Last year, the directors of the Miss Alabama Pageant asked us if we would consider making Miss Chilton County a preliminary for Miss Alabama,” Miss Chilton County Pageant director Diane Calloway said. “After weighing out the benefits for our Miss Chilton County Queen, it was decided to make this change.”
Calloway, who is entering her second year as director, said this would also be the first year the categories in which the contestants compete will be the same as those in the Miss Alabama Pageant; as a result, the age divisions had to be adjusted.
The Little Miss category is for ages 5–7, Young Miss is for ages 8–11, Junior Miss is for 12–16 and Miss is for ages 17–24 (no older than 24 on Dec. 31, 2014).
“The age group in the Junior division is more than we wanted,” Calloway said. “However, we will have Miss Alabama certified judges, and they will be scoring each girl individually and not on her age.”
The Little, Young and Junior categories will have three judges, and the Miss category will have five, all selected from a list of approved Miss Alabama judges.
Although contestants in the Miss division would have more categories to prepare for than in past years, the 2013 Miss Chilton County will have the opportunity to gain scholarship money in the Miss Alabama Pageant and make connections that could help her in college or her career, Calloway said.
“I think the benefits to the winner will be well worth the additional time and effort by all involved,” she said.
The Miss Chilton County Pageant is a closed pageant, which means the qualifications of Miss contestants have also changed. Contestants must be residents of Chilton County, full-time college students in Chilton County or full-time employees in Chilton County.
“Normally, there will be a queen, four alternates and one Miss Congeniality in the Miss and Junior category,” Calloway said. “This will depend on the number of contestants. Normally, there will be a queen and four alternates in the Little and Young categories. This will depend on the number of contestants.”
The queen in the Miss category will receive her Miss Alabama crown, sash, $2,000 scholarship and $1,000 to assist with her expenses while competing in the 2014 Miss Alabama Pageant and gifts from the community.
The queen in the Junior category will receive a crown, sash, $1,000 and gifts from the community. The queen in the Young category will receive a crown, sash, $250 and gifts from the community. She will also represent Chilton County as an Alabama Rising Star at the 2014 Miss Alabama Pageant.
The queen in the Little category will receive a crown, sash, $250 and gifts from the community.
Little and Young contestants will model casual wear and evening wear and will announce their names and sponsors onstage.
Junior contestants will model casual wear and evening wear and will announce their names and sponsors onstage. They will also have a private interview with the judges.
Miss contestants will have a private interview with the judges and will model evening wear and swimwear (one-piece or two-piece). They will perform a talent and answer an onstage question.
“People might not have known that Miss Chilton County is a preliminary to Miss Alabama and also that the Young Miss will be recognized on the Miss Alabama stage as an Alabama Rising Star,” Calloway said. “She will participate with other Rising Stars in activities throughout the week of the 2014 Miss Alabama Pageant.”
Registration is Sunday, Oct. 20 at the Alabama Power Building from 2–4 p.m. Contestants must bring their applications, headshot photos (four for Little, Young, Junior and eight for Miss), $75 fee and birth certificate.
A tea honoring the 2013 contestants will be held Sunday, Oct. 27 at Alabama Power from 1:30–3:30 p.m.
On Nov. 2, the 2012 queens and this year’s contestants will have a “Costume Party” at Clanton First United Methodist Church from 4–5:30 p.m.
The 2012 Miss Chilton County queens were Kandice Cleckler, Miss Chilton County; Halle Sullivan, Young Miss; and Campbell Easterling, Little Miss.
“Due to my opportunity of competing in Miss Chilton County along with Miss Alabama, I received a total of $6,750 in scholarships to help pay for my tuition at Troy University, and trust me, being in Troy has shown me that every penny counts,” Cleckler said. “Not only did I receive scholarships, but I also gained friendships that will last a lifetime.”
Cleckler said one of her most memorable experiences from Miss Alabama was being able to meet Miss America 2013, Mallory Hagan, and forming a relationship with Miss Alabama 2013, Chandler Champion.
“I consider it an honor to be able to say that I am friends with Miss Alabama,” Cleckler said. “I strongly encourage each and every girl to step up and compete for this opportunity. It has opened so many doors for me, and I only pray that God allows me the opportunity to go back and compete again.”
The Little, Young and Junior pageants will be held Saturday, Nov. 9 at 2 p.m. at the Chilton County High School auditorium. The Miss pageant will be held Sunday, Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. at the CCHS auditorium.
“I am very excited about the changes that have been made in the Miss Chilton County Pageant,” Calloway said. “The ability to compete on the state level will give one of our young women an opportunity that has not been offered in Chilton County until now. With the beautiful, talented young women we have in our county, the next Miss Alabama could be our own Miss Chilton County.”