Miss Hamilton/Miss Hamilton’s Teen pageant set for Saturday

Special to the JR

HAMILTON — The Miss Hamilton and Miss Hamilton's Teen Pageant will be held this Saturday, Aug. 10, at 6 p.m. at the Bevill State Community College auditorium in Hamilton.
The Miss Hamilton Pageant is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The annual competition was founded in 1974 by several local women's organizations. The Coterie Club, Cosmopolitan Club and Twentieth Century Club served as the original sponsors.
The non-profit organization is now managed by a volunteer board of directors and operates in cooperation with the Hamilton Area Chamber of Commerce.
The competition began as a closed pageant for young women in the Hamilton area. Over the years, the board has elected to expand those boundaries and now attracts young women from across the state.
In 2016, a teen division was added, allowing for two titles to be awarded each year.
Titleholders compete in private interview, onstage question, evening gown, fitness and talent. Each titleholder also spends her year of service managing a community service initiative of her own choosing and representing the Hamilton area across the state at events and appearances.
Each titleholder also works with the board to prepare for state competition at Miss Alabama and Miss Alabama's Teen.
The first Miss Hamilton was Sandra Tice (Seals), who now serves as a "Backstage Mom" at the Miss Alabama Pageant.
The current titleholders are Miss Hamilton 2024 Jayla Duncan, the competition's first African American titleholder; and Miss Hamilton's Teen 2024 Megan Malloy.

An award-
winning pageant
Over the years, the Miss Hamilton Board of Directors have earned numerous awards, including Best Set Design 2016,  Best Public Relations in a Small Market 2017, Outstanding Closed Pageant of the Year 2017 and Director of the Year 2024.
Titleholders have earned awards such as Fourth Runner Up to Miss Alabama, Teen Preliminary Evening Gown, Miss Alabama's Teen Top Ten, Non-Finalist Talent Award, Miss Alabama Preliminary Evening Gown Winner, Community Service Runner Up, STEM Scholarship Runner Up, STEM Finalist, Community Service Finalist and Non-Finalist Interview Award.
“We are incredibly proud to make these opportunities available to the young women of Alabama,” said Miss Hamilton Director Amanda Clement Tice, who was chosen as last year’s director of the year.
“We are ever grateful for the support of the community and local businesses who make the scholarship awards possible. This work also depends on the dedication of volunteers who give their time to serve on the Miss Hamilton Board of Directors.
“Celebrating our 50th anniversary is special, and we invite everyone to join us at the upcoming competition this weekend.”
Tickets for the pageant will be sold at the door and cost $15 for adults. Children age four and under are free…