By Heather Clower
The Parsons Advocate
Little Jaelyn Myers is no rookie when it comes to the world of pageantry or being crowned. The eight year old daughter of Jason and Beki Myers actually has 29 crowns currently and is awaiting five more. Her most recent victory was being crowned as the Little Miss of the Military Star Charity Pageant. Being mostly an online and via telephone competition, her mother had to help young Jaelyn beginning with submitting an entry form, a photograph, and an essay. Of the approximate 20 entries for the Little Miss category, three, including Jaelyn, were called to do a phone interview. When asked why it was important to her to run for this title, she responded, “I want to be a Military Star Queen so I can represent and give back to my community and volunteer and provide services just like the soldiers and service members provided and currently provide unconditionally for me.”
During the process of helping Jaelyn, B. Myers was approached by the directors of the Military Star Organization and asked to participate in the adult division. There are several categories to make up what they consider a full court, including Mini Miss, Petite Miss, Little Miss, Young Miss, Jr. Miss, Teen Miss, Mss, Ms. And Mrs Military Star. Even though up until now, she had never participated in a pageant, she accepted the invitation. The mission of the program is to promote and raise funds for the veterans and wounded warriors throughout the reign of each queen, which is something that means a lot to B. Myers, as she comes from a long line of military personnel. Her brother, Retired Sergeant Harry C. Fisher III was a bronze Star recipient in the Army, her uncle Scott McVicker is a Retired Army Sergeant, another uncle Bob McVicker is retired from the Navy, along with numerous other family members serving. Each who wins a crown is required to appear on at least six military based organizational events, which parades do not count towards.
B. Myers is unsure of how many were against her for her title, but she knows she was one of three to be contacted for an interview. During this process the type of questions asked were such as who she considered her role model, to which she answered her Grandmother, along with her greatest accomplishment which she easily answered with “being a mother.” In addition to Jaelyn earning a spot to represent W.Va. as a Military Star Queen, so did her mother. B. Myers, alongside her young daughter, travelled to Linesville, Pa. to be crowned Little Miss and Ms. Military Star Queens.
The goal is for the program to hit all fifty states, but currently only have representatives from Pennsylvania, California, Massachusetts, West Virginia, Wyoming, and Ohio. Of those states, Pennsylvania is the only one boasting a full court.
Since earning their titles, the Myers’ ladies have been travelling the state to volunteer and spread awareness for our veterans, their families, wounded warriors, and every aspect of the military. For Veterans Day, they were provided hundreds of American Flags that they took throughout several local cemeteries to place a flag on the grave of every soldier laid to rest.
They also attended the local schools’ Veteran’s Day Programs. B. Myers shared a statistic she learned at Belington Middle School. One of the speakers announced that W. Va. has the highest percentage of veterans out of all 50 states. Where most states average around six percent, W.Va. population consists of 10% veterans. “I was so proud to represent the Military Star Organization even more after that,” B. Myers proclaimed.
With attempts to grow this wonderful organization, the directors have reached out to B. Myers requesting she join the board of directors and have already set a date for the W. Va. Military Star Pageant for October 17, 2021. “I already have sponsors,” she excitedly said.
Even though so many honors have been won for Little Miss Jaelyn, her mother said, “Every single title we bring home means something. We’re out here representing for a reason,” she concluded, be it cancer research, Alzheimer’s, or the military. “My heart is so full, literally.
