Pageant presented by Macy's and the International Society Daughters of Utah Pioneers

On the evening of April 26th, 2008, the Little Theater at the Conference Center in downtown Salt Lake was a hive of activity with 33 young women vying for the title of Queen of The Days of '47.  The day started early with stage practice, followed by judging with the five distinguished judges.  An early afternoon contest saw the young women in street dress as they responded to questions from the Master of Ceremonies, based upon information provided in each young woman's pageant application.  Final judging began at 6:00 p.m. as each participant was escorted to the stage in evening wear.  A group of ten were selected as finalists and the culminating judging took place as each contestant was questioned on furthering the freedoms provided by our American patriots and pioneers and what she would like to be remembered for, should she become the Queen of The Days of '47.  The 2007 Royalty members bid a fond farewell with a video memorializing their activities and experiences while the final ballots were tabulated.  Amidst great anticipation and as the audience held their breath, the 2008 royalty members were announced:

Queen:  Callie Cockrell (center), 1st Attendant:  Starlee Holman (left)

and 2nd Attendant:  Kristalee Bird.

Callie Cockrell of Salt Lake City is the daughter of John and Shauneen Cockrell.  Callie was Chair for Operation Smile Collegiate 2008 5K fundraiser “Smile for Every Mile,” raising over $4,000.  She was recognized for over 100 hours of volunteer work in the Salt Lake City community.  Callie created a presentation that promoted the importance of nutrition, fire prevention and personal hygiene, used by orphanages around the world.  She hopes to obtain a degree in Broadcast/Journalism from BYU.  An interesting fact is that Callie has ridden “a camel and a donkey, hiked the ruins of Petra in Jordan and met the Ambassador of China.”  She said, “My pioneer ancestors have been beacons of light and strength for me.”

Starlee Holman lives in Salt Lake City with her parents, Kevin and Marla Holman.  Starlee volunteered for “Race for the Cure,” Memory Grove Cleanup and art projects at Shriners Hospital for Children.  She graduated from high school with honors in GPA and Citizenship and is now participating in the Honors Program on the University level and is on the Dean’s list at the University of Utah.  Starlee said, “Everyone in my family has red hair.”  She has donated some of her red hair to Locks of Love.  She is “grateful for the sacrifices my ancestors made to come to Utah and help settle this great land. I am glad I have their great example. Serving in the royalty will be my way of paying tribute to the amazing legacy I have.”

Kristalee Bird is a resident of South Jordan and is the daughter of Dennis and Merrily Bird. Kristalee had the opportunity to give the welcome speech to the Ambassador of South Africa when he visited Utah in preparation for the Olympics. She has been awarded superior ratings in piano competitions and was given a presidents award in Academics in High School.  Krista has "enjoyed working as a river guide with rafting tours” and would like to complete an “Iron Man” race one day.  She is working toward a double major in Spanish and Communications. “I may not have been chosen to live in the pioneer days, but I can look to the examples they set of faith, determination, love and unity to help me through my life trials now," she stated.

Bette Barton, President of the International Society Daughters of Utah Pioneers remarked that, “The pageant has been an annual event since 1931 when Margaret Young was crowned Queen of the Covered Wagon Days.”  In 1947, The Days of '47, Inc. was organized and the royalty pageant was one of the events promoted by the new organization. The pageant rules require that participants are women with a Utah pioneer ancestry, are between ages 18-25, have never been married and uphold high moral standards. The contestants are judged by their accomplishments, poise, stage presence, service and communication skills.

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For more information about the Royalty Pageant, click here. 

For more information concerning the International Society Daughters of Utah Pioneers, contact:

Bette Barton or Janice Betts, 801.532.6479

royalty@daysof47.com

To schedule an appearance by the 2008 Royalty members, contact our Royalty chaperons:

Candy Dolan

277-1020 or 558-7089

candise.dolan@hsc.utah.edu

and

Jennifer Day

694-3256 or 417-0177

redutedaisy@comcast.net