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By Pearl and Becca Dahmen The girls and their families came to the vacation capital of the world, Orlando, Florida, home to Walt Disney World and Universal Studio resorts. What awaited them, though, wasn't only fun and games. For the contestants, the 22nd annual Miss National Pre-Teen Program would be a roller coaster ride of another sort — and the outcome would give a few of them a chance to serve as role models of success. Young ladies representing the 50 states and Puerto Rico competed Nov. 23-30 in Orlando for the titles of Miss National Pre-Teen, Miss National Pre-Teen Petite, Miss National Pre-Teen Princess and Miss National Pre-Teen Petite Princess. In addition to the four national titles, two national talent titles were at stake. Awards also were to be given for Public Speaking, Sportswear Presentations, Overall Academics, Best in Academics/Achievement, Best in Interview, Best in Gown Presentation, Community Service, Young Writers for Short Stories and Poetry, Miss Photogenic, Photo Miss, Best Portfolio, and to recognize various talents.
Each year, Miss National Pre-Teen Program's judges strive to select winners who have demonstrated hard work and dedication in their communities and schools. The Pre-Teen candidates, ages 9-12, competed in the areas of academic and personal achievements, interpersonal and speaking skills, and poise and personality during their interviews and onstage introductions. The National Pre-Teen Petite division candidates, ages 5-8, were judged on their poise, presentation, and communication skills onstage and during their personal interviews. Also announced at the finals were the top 30 state finalists who became eligible for scholarship funds, administered by the Citizen's Scholarship Foundation of America. But don't be mislead — Miss National Pre-Teen week in Orlando was not only comprised of serious competitions. During the opening days of the pageant, the candidates and their families were encouraged to relax, make new friends, and have a good time. The fun began Saturday evening with a pizza party for the candidates and parents. Over the years, lifelong friendships have begun at these "get acquainted" parties. Sunday was filled with more good cheer — the traditional exchange of gifts, rehearsals, and a dinner pool party for the candidates and their families. On Monday, everyone went to Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom to spend the day with Mickey and his pals. By Tuesday, the contestants were ready for the preliminary competitions and more rehearsals. Some 400 candidates and their families attended a Thursday evening Thanksgiving turkey dinner in the banquet hall. Thanksgiving Day ended with award presentations for the winners in preliminary competitions. After more rehearsals, the candidates, judges, and audience were ready for the program finals. Scores for the Top 10 finalists had been tabulated for each title, based on the resum� reviews, preliminary gown presentations, and interviews. During the program finals, the Top 10 were asked an onstage interview question, which was followed by the gown presentations. Judges then narrowed the field down to five finalists, who returned to field one more onstage question before the winners were selected. Three separate finals were held. Friday evening saw the crowning of Miss National Pre-Teen Princess. Early Saturday afternoon, Miss National Pre-Teen Petite and Petite Princess were crowned. Miss National Pre-Teen was crowned later Saturday afternoon. Each finals program showcased a unique production, with several of the talent winners performing. The music of the 1980s filled the ballroom as the candidates performed production numbers. When the winners were announced, the audience cheered with delight. By week's end, everyone celebrated at the after-party dinner-dance, where there were no winners or losers — just friends having fun and recalling their accomplishments during a Miss National Pre-Teen competition they would long remember. |
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