WHAT'S IN A PICTURE?

NEW JERSEY CAMEO CLUB SHOWCASE, The Regency in Toms River, July 23, 2009

Recently, one of my Cameo Club sisters gave me this picture, since I am in it, as a keepsake. (I am the lady on the far right, chest out, proudly wearing my MS NEW JERSEY SENIOR AMERICA 2007 banner). As I gazed further at it, a proverb came to mind, "a picture is worth a thousand words". So, I would like to share my thoughts on what I see in this photo and what it means to me.

It was a very hot summer day, the kind of day that one should stay home and avoid the hot sun and oppressive humidity. Yet, our sisters turned out in large numbers to entertain for the residents at the Regency. The center is dedicated to working with people who are in all stages of Alzheimers Disease. The NJ Cameo Club joins with the Regency, by bringing our own kind of love and cheer to these very special and needy people.

The next thing I noticed, was the wide age range and the variety of our active performers. Of course, I wouldn't point them out specifically, but they are between 60 and 85. Each "elegant lady", can charm a crowd in her own unique way. We have singers of the old songs, big band, popular, country, and opera. And then, there are the dancers, who do ethnic and jazz tap. Do you like impersonators of famous Hollywood stars? There are there!

The photo shows the different ranks of the sisterhood, a kind of protocol. Bernadette Dudek, MS NEW JERSEY SENIOR AMERICA 2009, our reigning Queen, is the only one who wears both crown and banner. Past Queens wear banners that show the year of their reign. The rest of the ladies have all been contestants in past MS NEW JERSEY SENIOR AMERICA PAGEANTS. They have joined the NEW JERSEY CAMEO CLUB, and perform in all our shows. At present, NJCC has 55 members, most of whom are still active performers, who also perform during the year. The photo shown here represents just a small portion of performing members.

We are fortunate to have 2 National Queens from New Jersey, and in this case, I will point them out. Laverne Stokes, dressed in clown costume, is MS SENIOR AMERICA 1985, and in the center dressed a dark blue gown is Sandra Greco, MS SENIOR AMERICA 2003.

Lastly, the photo shows that our ladies come in all shapes and sizes. Our ladies illustrate one of the goals of Senior America, and its affiliated State pageants: and that is, "it is the search for inner beauty". This point will be emphasized in the months ahead, as we prepare for the MS NEW JERSEY SENIOR AMERICA PAGEANT 2010.

Well, there you have it. I invite you, who are currently reading this article, to look at the picture for yourself. See what you can find, and let me know. At the bottom of the page, there is a pencil. Click on it, write down your thoughts and impressions and send them to me.

Lastly, if you can imagine yourself in this picture, then you should think about becoming a contestant in next year's pageant. Call our MS NEW JSERSEY SENIOR AMERICA State Pageant Director, Johanne Santori, 609-822-7441, and request an application.