By Lani Hansen, Senior Reporter
OKMULGEE, Oklahoma– It has been a couple of years but the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Pageant Committee is back again for the upcoming 2021 year.
“In November there was legislation to put the royalty program under Youth Services,” Director of Mvskoke Nation Youth Services Nancy Mason said. “We were on the committee, but it was all volunteer work.”
When the royalty coordinator position was placed, the pageant committee was no longer needed. Mason said those who volunteered for the committee were doing some tasks the coordinator does, plus doing their own job. With the pageant committee and royalty coordinator, Mason hopes it will make the pageant a success.
Mason laughed and said “We were laughing and saying we’re getting the band back together.”
Having the pageant committee back together, will help with all of the tasks that must be completed. According to Mason the pageant is more than a one-person job.
“A couple of years ago there were three people in my office, who all were on the pageant committee and we dedicated a portion of our time to helping with various activities for the pageant,” Mason said.
It is important to have a collaboration to make the pageant successful, according to Mason.
In a recruitment meeting held in December, some of the topics discussed were about moving forward and planning for the next pageant. Not knowing when the pandemic will end, Mason said they talked about hosting the pageant virtually with the date set for June 5, 2021.
They also discussed utilizing the current Jr. Miss MCN to help her engage in the community virtually, and talk about her platform which is Literacy.
“We talked about what we would like to see her do as far as using that platform,” Mason said. “Promoting the program as we begin to recruit girls for the competition this year. But we are giving her an opportunity to tell us what she would like to see in the last half of her reign.”
Some of the other things that were brought up in the meeting was publicity for the current Jr. Miss and a timeframe for when to begin ordering things for the pageant.
“We usually start planning 10 months before the pageant, but now we are working with five months so there is a lot to be done,” Mason said.
The pageant committee is made up of MCN employees and others who are interested in volunteering. Some volunteers from the previous committee are willing to help again, former royalty have joined and about twelve people signed up as of Dec. 11.
“I feel like we are going to have a good size committee,” Mason said.
Some of the criteria to volunteer for the pageant committee are confidentiality, liability waiver and some other expectations.
To volunteer for the pageant committee register at www.mvskokeyouth.com/event-registration.
For more information contact Nancy Mason at 918-549-2557 or email at mcnpageant@mcn-nsn.gov.
