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Question and Answer Session with Julie Anne
Thursday, 16 June 2011 11:36
Q. You have interviewed so many girls whom have been tremendously successful in pageantry. What are some of the common characteristics that you have noticed in these girls?
A. The common characteristics of the successful pageant contestants I have interviewed are good listening skills, sincerity, and poise. When you speak to a successful pageant contestant, she is focused on what you are saying and not formulating her response in her head. She is in the moment with you – and it shows. Sincerity is also key. Pageant contestants want to appear enthusiastic and engaged – and that’s wonderful – but if it’s not authentic, it’s pretty clear. The Miss Americas I have interviewed have always been able to engage me without seeming over the top. And finally, poise is so important. I am always amazed at the composure of Miss Americas – and even some Miss States – just moments after their crowning moment. That is the true mark of a successful queen – a woman who can have her dream come true on national television and moments later give a moving speech.
What Attribute is Most Important for Pageant Success
Q. After interviewing these women is there a single attribute that you would deem as most important in their pageant success?
A. The single attribute that is most important to any pageant contestant’s success is desire. If you want it, you will find a way to get it. The desire, the drive to achieve, shows through in everything that you do on that pageant stage and in the interview room. It can transform you from a runner up into the winner. I have seen it happen in pageants I have judged and attended time and time again.
How a Village Creates a Miss America
Q. In your blog post, “Is A Miss America Born or Made” you mentioned that you think that it takes a village to create a Miss America. What does that village look like? And how can our girls populate their “village”?
A. In my mind, the perfect Miss America village is filled with a key team of people who are on board with the mission (to become Miss America) and can help you find the tools to make that happen. I don’t think you have to be surrounded by experts – just people who have access to experts! Also, I think every contestant should have at least one person in their village willing to say, “No, that’s a bad decision. Here is why.” I feel like the elements of a Miss America that are inborn are wonderful – but you need that package to win the crown and the village should help with that in every way, every single day.
Beauty Tips from Miss America 2011 Teresa Scanlan
Tuesday, 31 May 2011 15:04Our Miss America 2011 Teresa Scanlan recently shared some of her beauty tips with us while she was visiting MIchigan.
Check out the latest product from Artistry, the official skincare and cosmetics sponsor of MAO!
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Paying Tribute to Jean Bartel
Thursday, 10 March 2011 13:09
We are saddened by the news of the passing of our beloved matriarch. As a tribute we have gathered some images that reflect her wonderful legacy and her beautiful spirit. As you click on the below link we hope that you will offer a moment of silence for Jean. She recently said "Love alone is life." Her quote sums up her lasting legacy.
Jean was born with a beautiful soprano voice that was Broadway bound. When she heard that a financial Broadway backer was going to judge The Miss America Pageant, Jean decided to enter. In a whirlwind of events she became Miss California and was off to Atlantic City. Singing Cole Porter's Night and Day - the press described her as a "gifted soprano" and she was named Miss America.
Fondly remembered as the "War-Time" Miss America, Jean embarked on a Bond-selling tour and was honored by the U.S. Treasury Department for having sold the most Series E Bonds that year. It was on this tour during a tea sponsored by her college sorority sisters, that Jean's reasoning of a college scholarship to be awarded a Miss America was unveiled. Within two years, what we know of today as the world's largest single source of college scholarships for women was born.
After she relinquished the title of Miss America, Jean's remarkable talent enabled her to embark on a singing career which included work on radio and television, two South American tours, the Middle East, Europe, Canada and in every State of the Union but Maine. Ultimately, her dream became a reality when Jean became the first Miss America to star in a Broadway musical Of Thee I Sing, opposite Jack Carson.
Her television work included The Red Skelton Show, The Danny Thomas Show, Perry Mason, Robert Montgomery Theatre, The Ed Wynn Show, Stop the Music, The Milton Berle Show and Broadway TV Theatre. She's done additional television work in Paris, Cannes, London, Beirut, Athens, Rio de Janeiro, San Paulo, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Scandinavia. Jean hosted and starred in It's a Woman's World, which received a special showing at the Montreux International Television Festival in Switzerland and a special showing in Paris. Jean’s television and feature films included The Rockford Files with James Garner and The Debtors starring Michael Caine.
Married to William ("Bill") Hogue for 31 years until his passing in 2001, Jean also operated her own successful international travel company Jean Bartel and Associates which allowed her to travel with some of her closest Miss America sisters, the Follies: Miss America 1948 BeBe Shopp, Miss America 1955 Lee Meriwether, Miss America 1957 Marian McKnight and Miss America 1960 Lynda Mead.
Miss America 1943 Jean Bartel was known as the “Grand Dame” amongst her Miss America sisters and will forever be remembered for lighting the way for the Miss America Scholarship Program. Her gifts to us all are immeasurable. Her spirit of giving was evident when she returned to the 90th anniversary celebration of the 2011 Miss America Pageant with nearly fifty of her Miss America sisters but Jean did not have her crown for the official portrait. When asked why she didn’t bring it, she quietly stated that she had donated it to the Smithsonian Museum.
Below is a note from Jean reflecting on our 90th anniversary that we would like to share with you, demonstrating her inspiring words and wisdom:
“I would need to write an entire book before I could possibly relate all the blessings I have received from those early days as the “war baby” MISS AMERICA and I became the first to experience the foundation of so many new ideas that later Miss Americas have added and built upon. We all have been blessed.
The Miss America experience has given me an opportunity to use my talents and hopefully to do some good. Think each day what you can do for someone else and be grateful to God that you can do it.
Love, Jean
p.s. "Love alone is life. When you are loving, you are living.”
Source: MAO
The Pageant Coach, Valerie Hayes, Sponsors Non-Finalist Interview Award
Wednesday, 02 March 2011 10:21Miss America's Outstanding Teen Organization is pleased to announce a new sponsor who will be awarding a $500 Non- Finalist Interview Award. This award is made possible through the generosity of Valerie Hayes of The Pageant Coach(TM) and radio host of Pageant Talk Radio. MAOTeen thanks 
Valerie for her continued support of our program and our contestants.
"I'm very excited to be sponsoring the Non-Finalist Interview Award for the Miss America's Outstanding Teen program" said Hayes. "The young women who compete in MAOTeen are the best and the brightest of their generation and it's my honor to promote academic achievement, leadership in community service, and public speaking skills through this award."
Valerie will also be hosting some of our team on Pageant Talk Radio on Friday, March 11 at 3 p.m. CST. Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2011 Lacey Russ, Jennifer McKenna, Princess Camp Coordinator, and Tawni Darby, a new team member that will be introducing our new Teens In Training Camp program will be joining Valerie for a full hour to talk about MAOTeen and the exciting changes that are taking places in our program.
"The MAOTeen program is a clear leader in encouraging positive achievement in our nation's youth," said Hayes, "I'm thrilled to be partnering with them in recognizing the extraordinary achievements of these young women."
fourpoints Announces Exciting Addition to Precious Princess Prize Package
Friday, 25 February 2011 09:49We are pleased to announce that the winner of our 2011 Precious Princess Feature Contest will receive a dress from Sherri Hill’s Children Collection, courtesy of La Casa Hermosa. 
The children’s collection by Sherri Hill is a new addition to her design offerings and features whimsical and age appropriate dresses for young girls.
Our 2011 Precious Princess will put her new dress to good use during MAOT pageant week in August, where she will take place in Princess Camp. Princess Camp is a once-in-a-life time experience for young ladies that will include sleepovers, time with mentors and new friends, and production numbers with the MAOT contestants.
Finally, our Precious Princess will be featured in the June/July issue of fourpoints magazine. We are proud to partner with the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen Organization and La Casa Hermosa to make this our best Precious Princess Feature Contest ever.
To enter the Precious Princess contest: http://fourpointsmagazine.com/contests
Victims of Bullying Take Charge
Wednesday, 09 February 2011 11:40Have You Ever Been A Victim of Bullying?
By Myrhanda Jones
With today's technological advances, my generation has the power to save a life yet putting that power in the wrong hands can harm someone. Today's teenagers are hiding behind a screen that gives them the invincibility to bully one another without being caught or named.
Recently, I was chosen by Cox Communications here in Florida to represent teenagers at a summit called "Take Charge." It was held in Washington, D.C. and was hosted by John Walsh of America's Most Wanted. Teens from all over the U.S. attended and we spoke about Internet safety, sexting, and texting issues that our generation is experiencing. John Walsh and I went to Capitol Hill where we spoke with Rep. Cliff Stearns. I gave him information about the lack of safety that teens seem to have on Facebook and Myspace.
Here are some tips on how to help and prevent bullying:
1. If you are being harassed via text message, ask the person to stop texting you. Then, tell your parents what is happening.
2. If the harassment persists, call the police.
3. Do not return any phone calls or texts from the person harassing you.
Remember that although it is not a crime (yet) to text about your peers or write about them on the Internet, it can be very damaging.
For more information, visit my Web site at www.huhgsforhearts.com.
MAOT Welcomes New Board Member
Monday, 10 January 2011 12:54Miss America's Outstanding Teen (MAOT) Organization welcomes Michael Hannah as a new member of the MAOT Board of Directors. Michael brings with him a great deal of experience. Most recently he served as Treasurer of the Miss Nevada Scholarship Organization Board of Directors and was the State Director for the Miss Nevada's Outstanding Teen Program. 
"It is an honor and a privilege to be part of the Miss America's Outstanding Teen Organization Board of Directors and it comes with tremendous responsibility," said Hannah. "I continue to be amazed by the growth and accomplishments of the teens who participate in this program. I am committed to expanding my involvement with the MAOT organization and its vision to provide some of the best opportunities for scholarships and community involvement to teens across the United States."
Michael has been affiliated with the Miss America Program for 21 years. During this time he has had the opportunity to judge State and Local Pageants in 33 states and the District of Columbia. He has served on the Miss Texas Organization's Board in various roles. And in 2004 Michael's efforts were recognized and he was inducted into the Miss Texas Organization Hall of Honor.
Throughout his professional career, Michael has served in managerial roles with IBM, British Petroleum, and Enron Corporations, and earned a Top Secret National Security Clearance while engaged on a three-year project with the Central Intelligence Agency in Washington, DC. Michael is currently the President and CEO of H3, LLC, a consulting firm specializing in Financial Systems Implementations, Business Process Improvement, and Business Realignment/ Reengineering. This position requires him to spend lots of time in the air commuting between his residence in Houston and his projects around the world.
He is a graduate of California State University, Fresno, with an undergraduate degree in Accounting and is the father of two grown sons: Kristoffer "Kit" Hannah and Jonathan Michael Hannah, both residing in Northern California.
MAOT Unveils New Program
Monday, 10 January 2011 11:34Kim Parrish, president of Miss America's Outstanding Teen, recently announced that the organization is unveiling a new program called Teens in Training.
This program is geared toward young women who are interested in participating in the Miss America's Outstanding Teen program, but would like more information and an in-depth look at the competition.
"You don't have to be a titleholder to participate, although you can be," says Kim. "It's really a workshop that shows you what it is like to compete at the pageant. We think it is going to be a great opportunity for mentoring and learning."
Kim hopes that the first Teens in Training program will take place at the 2011 MAOT pageant in Orlando. Tawny Darby, a former Miss Pennsylvania's Outstanding Teen, will be spearheading the new program.
Stay tuned for more information!