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| Lions Club Takes Over Reins of Miss Tulare County Pageant Tulare - After 57 years, the Miss Tulare County pageant will be under new leadership. The Visalia Charter Oak Lions Club has taken over sponsorship of the annual pageant that is affiliated with the Miss America Pageant and will be putting on the 2009 pageant Feb. 21. The Charter Oak Lions Club, which consists mostly of women, is continuing the tradition of a service club running the pageant which began with the Visalia Downtown Kiwanis Club. In 1952, three members of the Visalia Downtown Kiwanis Club – Dick Parker, Ed Ellis and Al Blain – each contributed $500 to launch the Miss Tulare County Pageant. The local Kiwanis club has been sponsoring the pageant every year since and for many years it was done under the direction of Lloyd Trout, who was instrumental in getting a new club to take the reins. Trout said when the club and pageant were in their heyday, they had more than 65 active members. Today, the club has about 20 active members and that is not enough to put on the pageant. The executive director of the 2009 pageant will be Junann Amaral, immediate past president of the Visalia Charter Oak Lions Club. “We are thrilled that the Downtown Visalia Kiwanis came to the Visalia Charter Oak Lions, another strong service organization. Many thanks to Kiwanis and the Miss Tulare County pageant family for making us feel so welcome. We feel confident that with everyone's help, this transition will proceed smoothly. We look forward to continuing the outstanding tradition of the Miss Tulare County Pageant, mentoring young women in our communities,” said Amaral in a press release. She explained the club had been looking at sponsoring a scholarship pageant similar to Miss Tulare County and the timing was right. “It was kind of a natural. It was kind of being in the right place at the right time,” she said. “I think they're going to be fine,” said Trout, adding if the club is successful in getting all five Visalia Lions clubs involved, that would give them a strong volunteer base on which to draw. He said the club has been putting on the Visalia Band Review for years (held last weekend) so it knows what it takes to put on a large event. The Visalia Charter Oak Lions Club has been around as a Lions Club for about 25 years, but for many years prior to that as a Lioness Club, the women's auxiliary of the Lions Club when only men were allowed. Amaral is a firm believer in pageants. Her daughter competed and Amaral says it was the poise and confidence she gained in competing that has contributed to her success today. Her daughter, Mandi Erwin, 25, is a genetic forensic scientist and recently accepted a position with the FBI. Robert W. Arnhym of San Diego, president of the Miss California organization, was pleased to hear the county pageant will continue. “We look forward to working closely with another outstanding Visalia community service organization. We also wish to express our sincere appreciation to the downtown Visalia Kiwanis for their 57 years of sponsorship and welcome their generous offer to assist in the transition.” The pageant is the largest source of scholarship dollars for young women in Tulare County. In 2008, scholarships totaled $11,100, from which Miss Tulare County received $4,000. Every contestant receives a scholarship. Amaral said the group will kind of feel its way this year, but eventually hopes to revitalize the pageant and take it to a new level. She said Trout will assist with the transition. “Lloyd is staying for this year and a couple of people in Kiwanis will help walk us through the steps,” said Amaral. She also told of the club's Cinderella Closet campaign where it collects prom dresses and makes them available to girls so those who otherwise might not afford going to the prom, can attend. “We'll now have gowns for the pageant,” said Amaral. |