Every year across America young women take to the stage in local beauty pageants with the hopes of some day becoming Miss America. This weekend, the folks who run the Miss Boston and Miss Cambridge pageants are hosting the very first Miss Brookline pageant.
The pageant, an official Miss America preliminary, judge contestants by talent, swimsuit, evening wear and an on-stage question portion, as well as a 10-minute interview with the judges before the pageant.
Any women between the ages of 17 and 24 who meet the requirement (you must be at least a high school senior, single and without children) may enter. Tomorrow is the last day to sign up if meet the requirements above and have ties to Brookline.
Instead of charging an entry fee, the Miss Boston Pageant requires each contestant to raise $100 for a charity of their choosing.
And lest you think it is all about looks, Carrie Sunde, spokeswoman for Miss Boston and herself a former contestant, said the pageant is more than just a beauty contest.
In addition to the swimsuit and evening gown portion of the contest the on-stage question portion counts for 25 percent of the scoring, second only to the judges’ interviews with the contestants, which counts for 35 percent. And there’s a reason those have the most weight, she said.
“Miss America is one of the largest scholarship organizations for women in the world,” she said. This year the title winner for Brookline will receive $500 in scholarship money and during the Miss Boston competition some $75,000 was given out to winners earlier this year.
The title holder is also expected to make local appearances and give back to their community with charity work and use their title as a platform to promote a cause during their year of service.
Miss Brookline 2017 Pageant
Sunday, April 2 at 4:00 p.m.
$20 per ticket
Miss Brookline will receive a $500 scholarship and represent Brookline at the Miss Massachusetts pageant this Summer.
Miss Massachusetts goes on to compete for the title of Miss America in the fall.
Eligibility Requirements
Must be at least 17 but no older than 24 as of December 31, 2017.
Single, never been married, without children.
Live, work full-time, or attend school full time in Massachusetts (if using residency, must have lived in Massachusetts for 6 months as of 2/5/2017).
Be at least a high school senior.
Must be a U.S. Citizen.
Be able to meet the time commitment and responsibilities as set forth by the Miss Boston Scholarship Organization should you win one of the titles.
The candidates must be available to serve from crowning in February until February of the following year. Each will also compete in the Miss Massachusetts Scholarship Pageant in June. As the Miss Boston Scholarship Organization supports education, every effort will be made to accommodate their school schedule.
Pageant Phases of Competition
Competitions are scored on a scale of 1 through 10 using whole numbers only.
Interview – 25 percent.
Suggested wardrobe: a simple dress or pantsuit that would be appropriate for a job interview.
Talent – 30 percent (Talent must not exceed 90 seconds).
Suggested wardrobe: An outfit that represents your talent and that you feel comfortable performing in.
Evening Wear – 15 percent.
Suggested wardrobe: An evening gown that makes you feel beautiful and that you can comfortably walk in.
Lifestyle and Fitness in Swimsuit – 10 percent.
Suggested wardrobe: The swimsuit may be a one or two-piece swimsuit of any color and cut you prefer. Please, nothing too revealing!
On-Stage Question – 20 percent.
You will wear your a simple outfit that will fit our theme, it may be your interview outfit, etc. You will be given ample opportunity to prepare.
On-Stage Questions will be based on your personal platform statement
In 2010 Jenna Wilson of Washington Square snagged fourth place among 17 contestants in the Miss Boston Pageant.
