Dear Sweetheart 2010...

September 12, 2009

Dear Miss California Sweetheart 2010:

First off, congratulations!! This is quite an accomplishment and I want you to remind yourself how fortunate and blessed you are to have accepted this position. I know you have worked extremely hard to get here, so do not take any of it for granted. Just stay grounded and gracious and you are going to go so far. During the Miss California competition this year (2009) we were privileged enough to have Art McMaster come and watch our competition, and when the top 5 was announced, apparently he said, “your top 5 could win any state in this country.” I have a feeling that this was the case your year as well, so I wanted you to know how talented, beautiful, and intelligent you are- remember you are coming from the best of the best. California is known to have one of the most competitive states, so take pride in this privilege.

The reason I am writing this letter to you is because I wished I would have had something similar this year when I left for Hoopeston. (By the way it’s pronounced Huup-stun… they will laugh at you if you say it differently. As a side note- I asked why they pronounced it that way and they said to me ‘how do you pronounce book?’ and then they said “how do you spell book? We don’t say boo-ooook, so I guess they have some validity in the pronunciation!) I was fortunate enough to be able to talk to past Sweetheart Representatives and several were extremely helpful, but it would have been nice to have something tangible to go off of to ease my mind and settle my curiosity. This is a “Dear Whoever You Are” letter- intended to help you better prepare yourself and maybe help out your family/friends as well. So here goes! If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask- I am on Facebook as well as at jenharvey22@gmail.com (I use a ucdavis account now, but I don’t think I will still have it by the time you are reading this.)

So, it is difficult for me to decide where to BEGIN! There are so many wonderful businesses, people, and organizations that have made this opportunity possible for you, so please don’t forget to thank them for their kind and generous efforts. Just a few to include are Bob Arnhym, the President of the PPA (Preliminary Pageant Association)- [currently Ernie Koneck], the PPA Treasurer who will issue the check Theresa Vernon, your Executive Director, the state board (field directors etc) and your local committee. Clifford Crabtree will be the man who will most likely be emailing you about coming to Hoopeston, so be sure to respond quickly to all E-mails and say thank you. They will give you a deadline of when your paperwork is due. (This year was August 1st) Be sure that your paperwork is IN by the date, not postmarked by the date. Their platform statement has a word requirement of 250 words, so start condensing NOW! Yes, I said 250 words… that wasn’t a typo. Please don’t hesitate to ask for help. This year, I was very uneasy because I didn’t want people to think I was ‘needy’ nor did I want to “throw myself out there” in a sense opening the doors for criticism of my paperwork. But ultimately, I can’t even begin to tell you how helpful so many people were! The Miss CA board all jumped in as soon as I asked for help and not only strengthened my paperwork, but they gave me to confidence to believe in myself. Tap into resources wherever you can- I contacted several past Sweetheart representatives and chatted with them, and some committees who have gone told me things to be sure to do while I was there, so remember how fortunate you are that you have so much readily available support around you! Just a few people off the top of my head that I know have been to the National Sweetheart Pageant, is the Hollywood gang (Ernie Koneck, Russ Gladden etc), Linda Dash, Bob Arnhym, of course, my committee this year (Mary McCaman and Stephanie Schutt). There are a lot more, but these are just a few examples of possibilities to contact if you have questions of where they suggest your family should stay, or other random tidbits. You will be so happy you exhausted your resources once you are there! One other thing- when I found out I would be going, and the PPA donated a fund for my preparation in addition to paying for my flight, I kind of just assumed all states did the same thing, but this is not the case! Several girls had to pay for everything- the entry fee, their flights, and all preparation costs. Some girls said they hadn’t even talked to anyone from both their local committees and state committees since the last night of their state pageant. Just a quick reminder of how lucky we are here in California!

And now onto the dreaded packing experience! How you get your things there is up to you, but there are several different options- all of which are dependent on how much money you are willing to spend! I will tell you what I did and then what several other girls did. I purchased vacuum bags and vacuum packed all of my dresses and larger items. It worked out great for me- I had 2 bags to check at the airport, and I carried two on with me. Once you get to Indianapolis, the Sweetheart committee will meet you practically as soon as you walk off the airplane, and they literally take everything from your hands. The men are so funny, they say, “ You can’t carry anything!” They make SURE you don’t have anything to carry (I battled to be able to carry my pink purse!) so having to haul things through the airport is not an issue. They have this huge crew who walk with you to the baggage claim and you point out your bags and they all scramble to grab them off the conveyor belt. Ask them their names. Write them thank yous THAT night. (Keep up with your thank yous!) I was concerned of how I would carry all my stuff once I got there, but it was nice to have so many willing helpers! They load all your stuff onto the bus too- and let me reiterate that they will not let you lift a thing! A few other girls apparently shipped their things to their host houses. (There is not a hotel in Hoopeston so you will be assigned a host family who lives near the area to stay with.) I do not know how much it cost to ship stuff, but it worked for some girls, so if that is something you are willing to do in advance, go for it, but just remember it isn’t really too much effort to get your bags into the California airport because that is the last time you will have to handle them! The night you arrive you will have dinner sponsored by Miss Hoopeston and her family. When you are done you go to your host family and miraculously your bags are already waiting for you at the house! But keep in mind, whatever you wear to the airport is what you will wear to dinner! I cheated and wore sweats and then changed into a casual sundress when I arrived right out of the terminal- unfortunately Miss Oregon and Miss Louisiana discovered my secret and saw me in the bathroom. We laughed about it, but it was pretty funny in retrospect. I thought I would be a ninja about it, but I guess my hot pink crown luggage gave me away from the get-go. There will be a group waiting for you and they are pretty easy to spot, but I brought pink crown bag carry-on’s just in case I got lost- in hopes they would discover me if I ended up aimlessly walking around. But whatever you choose, trust me they will spot you. They look at your pictures and have “scouts” all over. It makes me smile just thinking about it.

So one more thing about your arrival. They are going to tell you to arrive between X and X time (for us it was between 9 AM and 3 PM. Well some words of caution is that when you arrive, you will wait as a GROUP until everyone arrives. So, for instance, this year I arrived at 11:02 AM. I was supposed to wait until 3 PM with the rest of the girls. Unfortunately, some of the girls had delayed flights and we all ended up sitting in a holding area until 5:30 PM! Personally, in my own opinion it was fun because we had a chance to chat and get to know each other, but it certainly made for a long day- especially because Hoopeston is a 1.5-2 hour drive away. So dress appropriately, and bring money for food just in case you are in the group that sits for a while. There is a Starbucks right next to where you sit, so that helped me to stay awake! To make a long story short- if you don’t want to sit, try to schedule a flight closest to the “latest arrival time”, or if you think you would enjoy sitting around and having the chance to get to know girls schedule an earlier arrival time. It is all up to you and your preferences! I happen to be one who enjoys getting to know girls, so I liked being able to chat with no pressure before rehearsals started. But a word of caution- many girls were slightly more dressed up than I had expected! Lots of capri’s with dressy tops, sundresses, pants with cute tank tops- but more than anything everyone’s hair was done and they had make up on. This is not to intimidate you- more to make you feel more comfortable just so you are aware. I don’t mean stage hair and make-up; simply put together like you would do for any regular appearance. I am a jeans and flip flops kind of girl and I am quite comfortable in minimal makeup and hair in a pony tail for these kinds of events, but some girls don’t share those sentiments!

There is a really cool parade on Saturday sponsored by the corvette club. Every girl gets her own car, and you can dress up if you like, or just look beautiful if you choose : ) Be sure to look up past contestants pictures and you can get ideas. I thought it was half and half- about half dressed up, about half didn’t. I was creative and I had fabulous rhinestoned shoes (created by the fabulous Mary McCaman and Stephanie Schutt), but I brought outfits for my drivers! I was the only one who brought something for my driver to match my outfit, and they loved it! That way, I wasn’t the one who had to have a crazy outfit! So it’s all up to you! I wore a “Minnie-Mouse” inspired outfit: a blue and white polka dot dress with a red ribbon and yellow pumps with completely rhinestoned heels. I brought Minnie mouse hands and Minnie Mouse Ears for my drivers. (The driver, Jack, wore the Minnie Mouse ears (such a trooper) and his wife wore the hands as she waved at the crowd.)

One other major thing to consider is your housing accommodations. I happened to be in a home with 2 children present. Some nights it was difficult because they had school the next morning and we needed to be quiet when we got home. They were so nice, but at times it was hard because I am entirely too concerned about putting such gracious people “out” when they have opened their hearts and homes to us. I may have needed something, but I didn’t want to make too much. The flip side is that my host parents were young and incredibly welcoming and understanding, so they were easy to connect with and they were very understanding. Just something to keep in mind when requesting host families. I assure you that since every family is screened, ANYWHERE you are placed will be fabulous.

Things I brought that really came in handy: extension cord, power outlet, small steamer for my house (they will have a professional one for you to use at the theater for competition nights, but only for those nights, so just in case anything gets wrinkly on the way over you can steam it during the morning. I got mine at Bed Bath and Beyond for around $19.) Be scarce on shoes! They take up a lot of room, so if you aren’t shipping stuff, I would think of ways of “recycle” shoes. Remember, this IS just the Sweetheart Pageant- not to downplay its importance in any way; but you will need a pair of tennis shoes for tours- they will not let you go on the tour if you don’t. Many girls tried to be trendy and still wore heels when they were instructed to wear tennis shoes, but they missed out because they didn’t follow directions and weren’t able to go on the tour. On a side note about that- they will ask you some days to wear specific outfits ie. Tennis shoes, no sleeveless tops, etc. Many, MANY girls did not follow directions, but just be sure you do because it is just a sign of respect for those putting the schedule together as well as concerns for your safety. They ask you for a reason, so just keep that in mind. Back to my list: my laptop! I was able to get wireless internet and upload pictures to my computer every night. My roommates all wished they had brought theirs too, so I was glad I thought of it in advance! I brought some blank CD’s and gave my closer friends, roommates, etc my pictures so they could keep them. That worked out well, too. The Civic Center is freeeeeezing, so I was really glad I had a blanket with me. I brought it on with me on the plane, too so if you are anything like me and are cold all the time, this was great for the airport. Of course, your camera, and I even brought an extra battery. Every day you have to bring your stuff for the entire day so you will need some kind of tote or bag to carry things in. I used my pink crown roller carry on, but nights we had to go to the theater that bag became quite small, but my regular luggage was WAY too big. I’d plan ahead for that and use whichever bag you want as a carry-on on the plane. But most importantly remember your pretty smile wherever you go!

Be sure to bring small thank you gifts for your host family. My family had two children a boy (7) and a girl (4). I brought a pink princess crown for Natalee. She wore that thing the entire week and appreciated it more than I had expected! So my suggestions for “host” gifts are the following: They both were under $3.00 combined, so it isn’t about spending a lot of money.
1) Host family (I bought a really nice picture frame that had the word “family” etched into it and emailed a picture I took of them during the week to my family, who brought it to me when they came so I could put it inside when I gave it to them, and I also bought a box of “California” salt water taffy. Something that represented home. We have San Francisco, Ghirardelli Chocolate, San Diego, beachy themes, agricultural items (like pistachios etc), books of California. Something simple that represents your state, or even YOU is appropriate in my mind. (My roommate Miss Florida worked at Disneyworld so she brought stuff from there and it was cute).
2) Gifts for the Producers (I am assuming there are usually 2… this year it was Dana Kuntz and Sue Crist) this could be something very small like a thank you note and chocolate bar… that is a very random example, but even a picture frame from the dollar store- No one tells you to do this as this is optional, but they do so much and I really wished I would have had something for them by the time the week was over.
3) One thing I did not bring and I felt sorry for not having- is during competition nights before the show started MANY girls passed out small gifts saying “good luck!” I think the most appropriate one was a small candy with a saying the girl liked. It said “Good Luck from Miss…. Sweetheart 2009. Always remember…[then she wrote her favorite quote]”. Some girls attached autographed wallet sized pictures, some passed out goodie bags, but just don’t forget- if you do decide to pass something out, don’t forget you have to pack it! A lifesaver packet and note was my personal favorite. Miss Utah gave out this bag of caramel popcorn shaped like an ear of corn! It was really neat, but it was kind of big, (and I’m sure expensive) so again, it is all up to you. This just happened to be one thing I kind of wished I would have done after the fact. I always think about it, but I don’t want to look like a brown-noser (bad choice of words maybe), but lots of girls beat me to it and did just that and then I thought it was so neat of them!
4) Thank you notes- I brought a pack of 25, but only used ½ because the pageant provides “National Sweetheart Pageant” thank you notes donated by one of the local businesses. Be sure to use them because they are donated for a reason! I believe they will give you 20 or 25.
5) Autograph pads. There is an autograph signing on Sunday before finals night. The pageant provides books with all contestants pictures, but many girls had their own pictures that said (this was mine)
[Picture]
Jenna Harvey
Miss California
Sweetheart 2009
a. I am so glad I brought these, because these actually were fantastic to add to my thank you notes as well. If you do choose to, bring a large stack- you will be surprised how quickly they go. Leftovers can always go in your thank you notes when you get back home!
b. One more word of caution… This is just one opinion, but I thought it was something to keep in mind. Many girls “shared” thank you notes because there are SO many businesses and organizations that donate meals or gifts and it took a long time to write each one out, but in my personal opinion, it just seems slightly insincere to write a note that says, “Thank you for xx… Love, Miss Washington, Miss Oregon, Miss California, Miss New York, Miss Florida, and Miss Alabama.” Those are all random states, but you get the general idea. Just keep in mind the kind of thank you note you would want to receive if you were a sponsor. Maybe this is just my opinion, but I thought I would throw it out there! The committee tells you that girls do this each year, so that’s where the idea came from to begin with. With so many volunteers and sponsors who give so much, we want them to remember California with the best light! After all, we ARE the best state! ;) What I did was formulate a “generic” beginning and then personalized the note. This saves time and effort on your part. For example, say something about the show, how grateful you are, that you have memories for a lifetime, and then say, “but the personalized sweetheart pin you so generously donated is so special and I will cherish it forever” or say something about the food from the meal they served, ie “Thank you for getting up so early to serve us breakfast! My favorite part was the cinnamon pancakes!” You get the general idea. I don’t mean to sound condescending, rather just to give advice to help you out!
6) Gift for your chaperon. The difference of a chaperon and a host family is simple: You stay with the host family and the chaperon picks you up in the morning and drives you around all day, and then drops you off at home at night. Thus, I became close with both my chaperon during the day and then my host parents at night. But my Chaperone Lisa really gives a LOT because we were with her all day. Remember, these are real people with real jobs and real families and they volunteer all of their time. Some girls switch chaperons because it is a HUGE time commitment and these ladies have families and lives of their own, so some can only do it for a few days at a time. Just ask Misty Runge [“run-gh-ee”] (head chaperon) if you will be with the same chaperon all week or if you will be switching before you leave and they should be able to tell you in advance.
7) Something small for your roommate(s). I had three roommates, but you will find out ahead of time who you are staying with. Offer your number and I’m sure they would love to chat with you. I talked with 2 of the 3 before so I already felt like we had a connection when we arrived. It was fun meeting them in person, too.
8) I really wished I would have brought something extra for The Simpson (Harold and his wife Cathy), who is the owner of Dairy Queen. Something really cool is that Dairy Queen sponsors the pageant, so you will eat lunch there one day, but at any time, of any day otherwise- you can stop there and get ANY thing you want! It is so cool! But, keep that swimsuit figure in mind ;) I figured it wouldn’t make a difference at that point, so I usually stopped off in the day and got a blizzard to put in the freezer so I could eat it after the show when we came back at night. Needless to say, we made a lot of Dairy Queen stops! Harold loves the girls to come and he will take lots of pictures of you while you are there so be sure to dress appropriately for taking pictures because he posts them everywhere! Something as simple as a nice autographed photo would suffice, or print out a picture of you with some girls in front of his place- he is one of the big sponsors, so we can’t forget them!

Some miscellaneous items: An extension cord/ power outlet is useful, a thin robe saved me. Shout wipes, socks for night around the house, extra socks for tours (3-4 pairs should be just fine for tours and rehearsals.) My hair kind of went insane when I arrived, so extra styling products for our California grown hair would probably be helpful!

As far as your family goes- if anyone plans on coming to watch check out the hotels in the area, but don’t forget that the closest hotel is about 35 minutes away. They are supposedly building the 1st hotel (ever) in Hoopeston, and I heard it might be up and running by next year, but then again, that was hearsay! Tell them BJ’s Pump is delicious and so is the Dairy Queen- tell them you sent them! If your family wants suggestions/advice contact me and I can have my people call your people ;)

One last thought: As you prepare for this job, I urge you to remember something that Bob tells us every year. The judges don’t want to listen to someone fake, or someone trying to be someone else! They want to hear you and that includes your silly quirks, and thoughts on the world. So don’t lose yourself along the way. But most important, I do agree with Bob when he tells us the judges are looking for 3 things: First, do you want the job, next, can you DO the job, and third, are you a team player? I really believe it will help you if you ponder over these three things and really consider how you fit into each category and can convey to others that you qualify under each category. I am no expert on this, so I hope I am not coming across pretentious, but I simply have just recently gone through what you are about to go through, so it is all still fresh on my mind and I have had some time to reflect on my experience! Go in with the attitude that you are in this to simply do your best, learn how to improve yourself, and you could very easily win this title. Smile, smile, smile, and have a wonderful time! I am so excited for you, and also very proud! ENJOY!