"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - Miss Cherokee Leadership Competition Information Meeting

***"Miss Cherokee Crown"***

TAHLEQUAH, OKLAHOMA - All young women interested in learning more about how to become Miss Cherokee are invited to attend an informational meeting on Monday, June 18, at 6 p.m., in the Tribal Services Conference Room located in the Cherokee Nation Complex. The Miss Cherokee Leadership Competition committee is hosting the event and hopes that young women from communities throughout Cherokee Nation will come to learn more about the competition itself and the office of Miss Cherokee.

“The purpose of this meeting is to provide a kind of question and answer session for the girls who have already entered or are considering entering the Miss Cherokee Leadership Competition,” said Nancy Scott, event coordinator. “We want to clarify some misconceptions about the competition. For instance, there is no longer a talent portion. Instead, participants are required to give a cultural presentation. Contestants are required to select a platform and give a three minute talk on why they think their chosen topic is important to the Cherokee Nation. The platform portion is important because that will be the message they deliver to Cherokee citizens if they are chosen as Miss Cherokee.”

Michelle Locust, Miss Cherokee 2006, will also be on hand to offer advice and helpful hints to participants that are preparing for the competition. Suggestions will also be provided on how to choose and prepare a platform for the competition.

“We really encourage anyone who is interesting in competing in this event this year or in the future to take part in this meeting,” said Scott. “This competition is a wonderful opportunity and we are here to provide help and support to all of our participants. If you have a question this meeting is a great way to learn the answer.”

The purpose of the Miss Cherokee Leadership Competition is to identify young women with leadership abilities to represent the Cherokee Nation, its citizens and communities. The chosen candidate will serve as a goodwill ambassador and messenger to promote the government, history, language and culture of the Cherokee people.

Contestants for Miss Cherokee must be between the ages of 17 and 22 before Friday, August 24, 2007. All participants must be at least one-fourth Cherokee, possess a Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood card and be a tribal citizen of the Cherokee Nation. All candidates must be a high school graduate or have successfully completed a G.E.D. testing program for high school equivalency. Contestants cannot have been married or have ever cohabitated, cannot have children or have previously served as Miss Cherokee. In addition, contestants must never have been convicted of any crime or have any criminal charges pending.

Contestants will compete for a $3,000 grand prize scholarship. The first runner-up will receive a $2,000 scholarship and the second runner-up will receive a $1,000 scholarship.

For more information contact Nancy Scott, phone: 918-453-5259.