Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost for me to participate?
NOTHING! We do not charge an entry fee for our participants. We do ask that all girls commit to raising sponsorship (by way of selling advertisement in our pageant program) for special awards, but that is not required. That’s it!
What about wardrobe?
How much you spend on wardrobe for the MTC pageant is completely up to you. Many girls in local and state competitions borrow and rent dresses, and interview outfits. There are many, many (and we’ll add another MANY) websites in the giant world wide web that have dresses and other outfits for resale. Miss Thurston County Scholarship Program also has a vast "Pageant Closet" full of donated outfits and gowns that you are welcome to borrow. That being said, you will need an interview outfit, an evening gown, a costume for talent, fitness wear and production number outfits. It is more than acceptable to borrow items from fellow contestants, former titleholders or friends outside of the pageant system.
What is the time commitment?
One of the goals of the MTC is to give young women skills and knowledge they can take away from the program for their futures! We schedule several workshops such as resume drafting, interviewing, and Community Service Initiative (CSI) building. Weekly rehearsals begin in September and continue through pageant day! Of course, we understand emergencies, but we expect that girls make a commitment to the program and participate in all workshops, community events, and fundraisers during these two months. A detailed schedule is distributed at the Orientation.
As Miss Thurston County, the MTC Board schedules many appearances for local groups, fundraisers, and community events. Miss Thurston County will participate in preparation meetings for Miss Washington as well as attending other local pageants. Additionally, she will work on other events and programs to promote her chosen CSI. We will work our best to accommodate school and work schedules, but we ask that she make a commitment to serving her year to the fullest!
How does the judging system work?
The MAO holds the integrity of our judging system to the highest level! The MTC Board spends months choosing representatives from our community to serve on our judges’ panel. Each judge must complete a Conflict of Interest form (meaning they have no connections with any contestants). Conflicts are not tolerated! Additionally, we choose judges that are diverse in their experience and professional backgrounds. The MTC Board feels strongly in the importance that the judges are from the community we represent. However, because of the care we put into selecting the individuals, we can assure that there is no risk of any particular contestant being unfairly judged. The judges also participate in an Orientation where they are instructed on proper judging procedures. Each judges’ score is submitted to two Auditors who are responsible for inputting each score into a computer program which calculates who the winners are. See Competition Info tab above for the areas of competition and the percentage each area counts towards a contestants total score.
What if I do not have a talent?
EVERYONE has a talent! Sometimes you have to look outside of the box to find it, but we are sure it is there! We prefer to call your “talent” your GIFT! We love to work with girls with unconventional talents to find the best way to display them on stage.
There are only a few rules:
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It must be performed in 90 seconds;
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We can’t have live animals on stage (apologies to the girls with the really funny monkey that does tricks);
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It can’t be a safety hazard (apologies to those fire-breathers out there); and
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You can’t have props on stage unless they are an essential piece to your talent.
That’s it! We’ve seen some pretty cool unconventional talents in the past: sewing a garment; finger painting; stand up comedy; and contortionism are just a few examples!
Do you have other questions?? Please feel free to contact us anytime at missthurstoncountydirector@gmail.com