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PAGEANT DIRECTORS

RULES, RULES, RULES
Written by Sandra Sturgeon of Partners In Performance, Inc.

A professionally run pageant will have rules. Without rules, you risk all sorts of problems that could arise during the pageant.  A director also risks the chance of making contestants and parents mad if the rules aren’t clear and precise. More importantly, do not change the rules during the pageant!  I attended a pageant this summer, that changed the judging criteria during the pageant.  Needless to say, the girls and parents were flabbergasted.  It changed the outcome of the winners, due to the new categories. Good news for the winner, bad news for the girls who prepared specifically for the categories given them. Not only could this hurt the reputation of your pageant, after the word gets around, and believe me it will, but you also could harm participation for your next years pageant.  After all, who wants to enter a pageant, when they don't know beforehand, what they will be judged on.

One of your goals as pageant director, is to make contestants want to be happy, so they will want to come back and tell other girls how great your pageant is.

What kind of rules should you have in your pageant?

It depends on:

	The length of your pageant
	Where your contestants are staying during the pageant

Whether the contestants will be responsible for taking care of their horse

Below are listed some important rules:

	Contestants will be paired with a roommate.
	Parents are not allowed to stay in the contestants room, or vice-versa. If the director finds out the contestant did not stay in her room overnight, or if a parent stays in the contestants room, it will result in automatic disqualification.
	No men allowed in the contestants room. This would also be grounds for disqualification.
	There will be no dating.
	Contestants must be present at all activities. Failure to do so will result in a 10 point penalty per occurrence.
	One western outfit is required for the Fashion Show. No blue jeans. Failure to abide by this rule will result in a 10 point penalty.

Failure to abide by all the rules given to the new queen will result in:

	Resignation
	Giving all her prizes to the 1st runner up. They must be returned within  30 days or she will owe the rodeo committee a cash amount equal to the retail value of the prizes.

These are just a few rules that can be utilized.  I hope they will help you in planning your next pageant.  The more precise your rules are, the less problems you are likely to have.  If a problem comes up during your pageant, then the following year you can add a rule to prevent it from happening again..

To all the directors, I personally thank you for your interest, hard work, time, and willingness to put on a pageant. Your efforts are not unnoticed, and I am sure the contestants feel the same way. Because of people like you, who care, we are helping young girls to mature and grow into a polished and well rounded lady of the future.

Best wishes for you and your pageant.

Sandra Sturgeon

Visit Sandra's Website NOW

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