The Inner Beauty Pageant: Miss Hanover Competition

by Audrey Dittmar '23



When you hear of The Miss Hanover Area Pageant, I’m sure you immediately believe it’s just another small-town beauty pageant smack dab in the middle of nowhere, but this event is much more than that. The pageant is held by the Hanover Area Jaycees, a community service based organization, so it’s only fitting that it is actually based on community service and the contestants are judged on their current work and future plans to improve the community.

It’s actually even a requirement for the contestants to help the jaycees make their famous apple syrups and jellies at the Apple Harvest Festival for at least five hours and to write an essay based on what community service means to them; this essay is considered during their judgment. 

Even after the pageant, the court of winners' work isn’t done. The entire court is composed of the three runner ups and the winner (Miss Hanover). They take part in a number of charitable events and Miss Hanover also has many duties to fulfill around the community on her own. These girls will participate in such activities until the next court is chosen at the following year’s pageant. 

Miss Hanover and, occasionally the court, work alongside the Hanover Area Jaycees constantly to help better the community for their entire run. So, you could say Miss Hanover is still a beauty pageant, but mainly an inner beauty pageant. 

“ The Miss Hanover Pageant separates our town from the rest, 

it’s an amazing tradition that the community supports greatly.”

-Finley Miller


During the summer before their senior year, any girls within the Hanover area are allowed to sign up and compete in the pageant. The only requirements are that you are a senior girl at one of the local high school’s around Hanover, including: Delone Catholic, Southwest, Hanover High School, New Oxford, and Spring Grove. 

From there, girls will then enter the rehearsal process where they learn their opening number, evening gown walk, perform their talent, and practice how to answer the questions they will be asked either on stage or during their interview. This experience teaches many social skills, such as public speaking, self-confidence, and community involvement. 

The director of the pageant and 5 year member of the Hanover Area Jaycees, Robin Lombardi-Weaver, states that this experience “gives them (the contestants) growth and maybe a new confidence that they might have not had.” 

The grading process of the competition is broken into three categories: Evening Gown (20%), Talent (30%), and Interview (50%), which are carefully considered by a small group of judges who the contestants meet both at their interview and at the pageant itself. 

In the interview, contestants are asked a series of questions about their prior community service experience and how as Miss Hanover they could carry out their own projects. The interview is the most important part of grading the contestants, considering it is worth fifty percent of the final score, and it is absolutely no surprise that the 2022-23 winner of the Miss Hanover Area Pageant and winner of the Interview Award, Finley Miller, stunned the judges with what she had to say during her own interview.

With the Miss Hanover title, Finley has been able to start her own non-profit organization. When asked about her organization, Finley states “My nonprofit is called the Essential Project and it provides feminine products to young girls who don’t have access to them. It also is meant to empower girls through the hard time of middle school and high school.” 

The Miss Hanover Area pageant has become a staple of the area and, according to Finley, “separates our town from the rest, it’s an amazing tradition that the community supports greatly.” The community benefits so much from all the court and Miss Hanover does for them.

By taking part in events such as both holiday parades, Jaycee for Joy, the Christmas tree lighting, etc. they take charge and vibrantly handle each of their titles. Not to mention, each group of girls that compete with one another create such an incredibly close bond. 

The Miss Hanover Area Pageant is a gift, and allows girls to blossom in their community and step into roles in which they can make their voices heard, teaching all of them the true meaning of the “beauty” of this pageant.


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