Three generations later

Last night I had the opportunity to co-host the White Rock Youth Ambassador Pageant with Bob Davidson, a distinguished toastmaster and husband to White Rock mayor Catherine Ferguson.

The theme of the evening was “news,” which, as a journalist, I had a lot of fun playing with. The 10 candidates performed a dance number to a song from the film Newsies, and I sported (at one point) an outfit that I thought was the epitome of journalism cool: A tan trench coat, a fedora and an eight dollar cigar, (which was only three-quarters of a cigar by the end of the show due to my over-zealous cigar-chomping skills, or lack thereof).

It was my first time emceeing the gala, but what made the night special was that my sister, @ChloeWoodin, was the outgoing Miss White Rock. Our family has been a pageant family for quite some time now, but my sister and I have seldom shared a stage at the same.

Three years ago, I was crowned Miss White Rock 2008, and spent the most wonderful year with my White Rock Youth Ambassador team. In 2009, I crowned a fellow high school band student and friend as the new queen of White Rock. A year later, she crowned my sister.

Last night, Chloe crowned her successor, officially ending the Woodin sisters’ days as royal ambassadors… At least for the time being. From August 2008 to July 29, 2011, one of us has worn a tiara to city functions, fundraisers and other community pageants, (apart from a couple of weeks in August 2009). There was a short period when we were both ambassadors: She was Miss White Rock, and I was a British Columbia Ambassador.

Besides that, our reigns have been separate. And in a sense, I’m glad they were. We have each had our moments in the spotlight, and had we ever reigned together, neither of us would have grown as much.

Last night was a night to remember, and I am so very proud of her and what she and her team have accomplished this year.

I should also thank my co-host Bob, who let me announce the new Miss White Rock (which was the best part).

Congratulations to Alexandra Barberis, the new queen, and her team. And to the retired sparkleheads…

“Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes shine to the stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait. The grip of your hang, the irresistible surge of will and energy to execute your ideas,” Henry Ford.

Tweet me!

@HayleyWoodin