Thursday, May 25, 2006
SALEM -- Applications for the Bicentennial Queen Pageant are available from the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce at 713 E. State St. The deadline to apply is June 9.
The pageant is sponsored by the Bicentennial Steering Committee. Sally Stewart and Dutch Celin are co-chairs of the queen pageant committee.
The Bicentennial Queen will be crowned June 25 during intermission of the Don Burns Orchestra Concert in the Park at Waterworth Memorial Park.
Females between 17 and 21 years of age as of May 30, and who have had a Salem mailing address for at least six months before July 1, are eligible. Contestants must be a high school senior or beyond as of July 1. College students are considered to be residing at their parents' Salem address. All contestants must be single.
Daughters, granddaughters or sisters of a member of the chamber's board of directors or the bicentennial steering committee are not eligible.
The first 20 qualified entrants received by June 9 will be the pageant contestants. A panel of judges whose decision is final and binding shall choose a queen and a court of three from the eligible contestants.
The queen and her court will be introduced at the June 25th ceremony. They will attend the Red, White and Blue Grande Ball on June 30 at the Elks Lodge and will be featured in the Grande Parade on July 15. Other appearances will be scheduled by the bicentennial committee.
The committee is solely responsible for transportation, publicity, photographs and flowers for the queen and her court performing their official duties.
The entry form, rules and regulations, contestant agreement and liability release are available at the chamber.