First O-fficial Berry Queen’s Ball and Pageant
Friday, September 19, 2008
8:00 pm until 12:00 am
“He-e-e-y sugah! Be sweet! TellyourmamanemIsaidhi!
Whodyathinkuhlwee-un?”
I. Purpose-fundraiser/Community outreach for Habitat for Humanity and all around rippit!
rippit [rip’ it] n. a wild, noisy party. Ex: “When we girls get together, we rip it up and have a rippit!”
II. Location: Sliman Theater is reserved for our date. It holds 200 people max.
III. Pageant specifics:
See Application for details
Categories:
1. Her Royal Highness-Queen of the Berry and her 1st, 2nd, and 3rd runner ups, plus the following honorary Queens:
2. Best Theme Queen
3. Senior-Rita Queen-most "experienced in years" queen to be chosen by judges
4. Miss Congeniality –voted on by contestants
5. Queen Most Likely to Wear Majorette Boots-peppiest queen
6. BHB Queen-Biggest Hair of the Ball Queen-this will be done by measurement to make sure there is no error. (A yard stick will be used as a point of measure.)
Golden Rule Queen-Most Community Service-judges will choose based on application information
I would like all of the winners and participants to ride on a "Berry Queen's" float in the Sugar Cane Festival Parade on the following Saturday to represent Iberia Habitat for Humanity. I'd also like to invite the Decoy Queens and the Mardi Gras Queens to join us, along with any other organizations that want to dress up and be queenly for the day.
IV. Ball specifics
I would like to use a DJ for the ball and pageant, since it will be cheaper and easier.
Most of the songs should revolve around sugar in honor of the SCF.
Bar=cash bar with keg, and the following drinks for $5.00 each:
1. Gin and Berry It-lemon drop martini
2. The Bellini of the Ball-frozen peach Bellini w/ a cherry on top-frozen/pre-made, add cherry
3. Teche Your Tolerance Margarita-frozen/pre-made, add lime slice
4. Berry Queenly Punch-orange juice/grenadine and Meyer’s Rum-pre-made, add frozen strawberry to stay cold
5. Bloody Queen Mary’s w/ spicy bean-pre-made mix/add vodka and spicy bean
Each will be 5.00 per drink and proceeds will go to Habitat.
Maybe we can get Abita beer to donate a keg or two? Water, Coke, Diet Coke and Sprite
Zinfandel wine
Suggestions for Buffet food-Boudin balls, mini crawfish or meat pies w/ spicy Creole mustard, cheese straws w/ Tabasco, sweet potato biscuits w/ Louisiana strawberry jam, Meche’s donut holes, mini pralines, petite fours, cookies and fruit, cheese and vegetable trays. I have a caterer already who will take care of the food.
d. 5 inch crown available through
http://www.sweetpotatoqueens.com/ (donated by the Berry Bossiest Queen for the first pageant)
Note: It is IN and it is HUGE and it is SPARK-LYicious ladies!
VI. Fundraising
a. Each applicant must provide a donation for SNAP and Solomon House to be turned in with filled out application as part of the groveling/sucking up process. These will be delivered the Monday after the pageant rehearsal Friday, Sept. 12, 6-8 pm.
b. Each applicant will need a business to sponsor her in the Berry Queen Ball program to include a picture of the P0-tential Queen in her costume and an advertisement for her sponsor to be handed out during the pageant. The ads will be $100.00 each. They must also sell 10 tickets each to the ball.
c. Though there will be a cash bar at the ball, Queens will be given a table that they will decorate and set up to their own hearts desire for their sponsors/invited guests which will allow a place for their guests to congregate. Chairs and tables provided but decorations are solely the responsibility of the Queen herownself. These should be small round tables to allow for as much room as possible. (Maybe only 4-5 chairs per table?) See
http://www.orientaltrading.com/ for ideas. Put tiara in the search box! They also have some light up stuff, like shot glasses and rings that are neat. They also have table covers and gift bags, etc.
d. private donations from BQ Pageant sponsors/each sponsor will receive two free tickets to the ball and there will be a special table set up for them, as well.
Who can we ask for initial donations? IDEAS???
e. Tickets for the ball ($30.00 per person - tentatively). Queens and their escorts get in free, but the ball is also open to the general public after we figure how many will be left (250 total tickets)—black tie and queenly attire required!
f. Raffle to be held at the ball for item which is heretofore unknown. although I am thinking about a painting
g. T-shirts w/ theme picture (tiara and scepter) on front, First O-fficial Berry Queen Ball, September ?, 2008, and It’s Easy Bein’ Queenly in the Berry! on the back (red or white t-shirts). see attached I am thinking of asking Lipiri's if they will handle the t-shirts for us. Some of the t-shirts need to have “Stalk-Em Security” on the back instead of the “queenly” thing on account of the men might like some! We will only do pre-orders this year for the shirts. Forms will be handed out with the tickets to those attending and will be due back to Habitat in sufficient time to prepare the order for the Ball and Parade.
VII. Escorts
Gentlemen escorts will be either provided by the Queens In Waiting on their own, or the pageant committee will provide Stalk Studs (which I will gather or you can help me gather) who will escort the ladies to and from the “run-way” and be available for their opening dance at the ball.
E-mail me at
MsJerre@aol.com with ideas for the Stalk Studs.
VIII. Security
There will be Stalk-Em Security in black t-shirts walking with the float to protect our Queens and as front door security for our ball. These will be nominated and assigned by clubs and organizations around our great city and they will receive their t-shirts from Habitat. They will wear black t-shirts with red lettered “Stalk-Em Security” on them and will carry shortened Sticks of cane for “beating back” all of the throngs of admirers that will obviously be a problem for the queens along the parade route! Maybe they could have Tabasco “pepper spray”around their necks or some other such nonsense.
A liability note: For the ball, I suggest “Breath-Alizers”, a few of Iberia’s finest that check people to see if they need to call a cab or find a ride home. They will also ask about a designated driver so everyone can stay safe and happy in the Berry!
IX. MCs for the pageant are already booked! I will announce these later.
I have arranged for two costume consultants to help all the queen's with their costumes if they need.
X. Candidates for Judges? We need at least 3. E-mail me if you have ideas.
Judging categories: Creativity and Poise in walk (40 points), Musical choice and relation to theme (10 points), Philanthropic involvement (30 points, Essay (40 points), and Judges’ Interview (30 points).
XI. Queen’s bio:
Each queen will have one of these for the pageant walkout. (Part of this will be put in the program.)
Queen’s platform
Sponsor recognition
Queen’s hobbies, etc.
Intro of Stalk Stud
Queenly motto/advice to Wannabees
XII. HER ROYAL HIGHNESS-QUEEN OF THE BERRY
The winner of this event will serve as a representative for Habitat and will serve as a Bonafide Honorary Board Member for the period of one year, in which she will be a goodwill ambassador for our organization until such time as she turns over her crown for the next pageant.
XIII. Queenly Events:
Sunday, Sept. 23, 2007-Po-tential Berry Queen’s Tea-2:00 p.m. to 4:oo p.m. This will be an opportunity for queen wannabees to meet and discuss the specifics of the pageant. Honored quests will also be in attendance.
Friday, Sept. 12, 2008 Rehearsal for pageant, 6:00-8:00 p.m. Location TBA
Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008- Judges’ High Falutin’ Meet-N-Greet- Judges and Queens will visit with each other at BoJangles or Le Rosier (other ideas?) at 6 o’clock informally . Queen’s will be in tiaras, wigs, sunglasses, and boas only for this meeting—No dresses! The general public will be allowed to interact with them from 7:00 until 8:00 p.m. so’s to see what they’ll be missin’ at the ball if they don’t get a ticket!
Friday, Sept. 19, 2008- First O-fficial Berry Queen’s Ball begins at 8 p.m. and pageant will commence promptly at 9 p.m. Winners will be announced by no later than 10:30 p.m. and ball will end promptly at midnight.
Saturday, Sept. 20, 2008-“The Kane You Hang?“ Berry Queen’s Brunch at Clementine’s at 11:00 a.m. Luncheon will be held at the bar area and outside. Buffet will be set up outside in the courtyard with additional seating. Queen’s may come in tiaras, sunglasses, and t-shirts for this event. All winners are required to be present at this event as well as all board members. Buffet will be 15.00 per person and there will be a cash bar. Soda, tea, or water included with buffet. Saturday, Sept. 27, 2008-Sugar Cane Festival Parade-All queen’s will need to be there promptly for parade time in full queen regalia. Those who want to walk or ride behind the queen’s float must bring their own transportation and it must be pre-approved before the parade. Stalk Studs may pull the little-uns in wagons if they are decorated and really cute, which all queen’s chirren’ are, of course!
I NEED SOMEONE WHO HAS A FLATBED OR FLOAT TO LEND!
XIV. WEBSITES FOR QUEENLY MATERIALS
Newest board member, Queen Carmen speaks with our VERY special guests, Queen Mayor Hilda Curry and Queen Ellen Nora.
Some of the First O-fficial Berry Queen Candidates
Look at how cute we all are and look at ALL the hats!
Queen Margaret, Queen Jeneen, Queen Beth, and Queen de Bling
Queen Faye Dough Dough, Queen LeTigre, Queen Chris, Queen FonDYou and Queen Betty
Queen de Bling, Queen Hotstuff, and Queen Angel
Queen Carmen and Queen Beverly are all smiles!
Queen Jeneen, Queen Jessica, Queen Lauren, and Queen Kilowatt strike a pose!
Queen FonDYou's own table was full up with good eatin'!
Queen Ellen, Queen Sunflower, and Queen Mati' do a little catchin up.
The Berry Queens sure do like to stir things up a little when we get together...
