Adventure continues for Junior Miss

By Lily Voth
Published: June 24, 2008

Editor’s note: This spring, Lily Voth — daughter of Michael and Sallie Voth of Lynchburg — won the Greater Lynchburg Junior Miss competition, then went on to take the state title. That qualified Voth to compete at the national level.
We asked the Virginia Episcopal School graduate, who goes to college in the fall, to send us news of her time in Mobile, Ala., where she and the 49 other Junior Misses from across the country are preparing for the final competition on June 28.
By Lily Voth

It is Monday night at 9 o’clock (10 o’clock in Lynchburg), and I have finally found a small block of free time.

After taking a deep breath, some of the memories of the blurry past week begin to drift back slowly. Along with the extravagant arrival ceremony where we were greeted by hundreds of people waving signs and shouting, we have had:

—A tour of the U.S.S. Alabama, a battleship used during World War II;
—A line dancing lesson with a genuine caller named Lamar;
—A luau at Gordon Oaks Retirement Home;
—A ride on a float used in a Mardi Gras parade, a tour of the Mardi Gras Museum (Mobile is the site of the original Mardi Gras) and have attended a Mardi Gras Ball escorted by a Mobile boy my age;
—Two hours of signing autographs at the Bel-Air Mall;
—A church service;
—An almost-sunny day on Dauphin Island beach where my host family and I were awarded honorable mention in the sand castle contest;
—A raw oyster eating contest at Wintzell’s Oyster House;
—A sleepover party with ’tweens from local youth groups where we had manicures, hairstyling rooms, make-up applying lessons and massages!
—Oh, and don’t forget: almost eight hours of rehearsals every day but Sunday!

I bet you are asking, “When do you have time to eat and sleep?” Eating seems to come naturally to Junior Misses. There are mounds of fresh fruit and M&Ms everywhere we go. Junior Miss heaven!
The sleeping, however, does not come often enough or for long enough. I have averaged six hours a night which, on any other occasion, would make me extremely crabby. It is difficult, though, to be in a bad mood when you are constantly surrounded by 49 beautiful, talented and extremely eloquent young women.

I can not express the time I have had so far in Mobile. It has been nothing short of the best time of my life.

For pictures of the events, visit http://www.fpvision.com and select America’s Junior Miss as the function. Also, to view the final competition, scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. on June 28, visit http://www.nbc15online.com. In addition to the $50,000 scholarship the contest winner will receive, the contestants are competing for a $1,000 scholarship from one of their corporate sponsors; the money will go to the contestant who gets the most votes for best photo album at http://www.nbc15online.com/content/AJM/default.aspx. (Voting closes at 5 p.m. today.)