Roseneath Elvis Competition and Festival

Introduction

The Roseneath Elvis Competition and Festival took place in September, 2021; and even though it is now February, 2022, I thought you might enjoy reading about the event

This article is jammed packed with wonderful photos provided by photographers. Bill Watson and Tyler McEwan (photographer for The Printed Planet).  Since I was unable to attend, I reached out to those who were at the event for their input and memories of the competition and festival that was held under the dark cloud of Covid.  Thank you to ETAs Berry Chumbley and Paul Thain for answering my interview questions, to Dorian Baxter, aka Elvis Priestly, for his comments, to Tyler McEwan for insightful comments on photography, and all the others who contributed or are quoted throughout the text.  (Introduction, article, interviews and edits by Carolyn MacArthur, writer and editor for SIDEBURNS Magazine).

The “Best Elvis Competition”

“Bought an Elvis wig yesterday and it looks ridiculous lol”. From Darren Brown’s FB page. Photo Credit: Tyler McEwan.

The Keene Centre for the Arts Elvis Weekend was held on Labour Day weekend in 2021. The three day event began on Friday, September 3rd with what was billed as the “Best Elvis Competition”. The six contestants who competed at this inaugural competition and festival, held in Roseneath, ON, were Paul Thain, Berry Chumbley, ‘King’ Jim Robinson, Darren Brown, Ken Arndt, and Don McLean (aka The Chicken Man).   Each artist (not all were Elvis Tribute Artists) performed for a full half hour before a judging panel that included Daniel Jackman, Nigel Husing, and Dorian Baxter.  “Morning Drive & Midday On-Air Personality” Jim Glover (Northumberland 89.7) acted as emcee on Friday night of the event. 

As suggested in the second poster above, the competition finale was held on Saturday, September 4th, 2021. A three-way tie was declared by organizer Ida Brown. ETAs Berry Chumbley, Jim ‘King” Robinson and Paul Thain (Captain Elvis) all took home an equal share of the prize money.

The Sunday morning “Best Elvis Gospel show” tribute was hosted by Dorian Baxter, aka Elvis Priestly. According to this excerpt taken from a Facebook page, it sounds like the gospel show was a wonderful way to spend a September morning: When the Elvis Gospel show begins, we will serve you coffee and all of Elvis’s breakfast favorites. He (Elvis Priestly) will even renew your vows afterwards for a fee. It’s going to be so beautiful and romantic with lots and lots of Elvis music! When asked about his experience at the Roseneath Elvis Competition and Festival, Dorian had this to say about the three day event: My role was to be the chief judge for the Friday night competition and to be the Headliner for the Saturday night Elvis show and again for the Sunday morning Elvis Gospel Service. The Elvis competition met all my expectations and I can only give accolades to Ida and her amazing team for doing such an excellent job of everything. In retrospect I would not have changed a thing. It was very well organized and as usual the Elvis fans were just so friendly and so much fun to be with! It is my understanding that this is an annual event and there will be a competition/festival in 2022.

A glowing review indeed! But did others I asked share Dorian’s enthusiasm? Let’s see…

Photo of ETA Daniel Jackman was taken at the Scarborough Ribfest, 2018. “They have an annual Elvis show during the festival.” Photo Credit: D. Jackman.

From event judge, Daniel Jackman, who, himself, is an ETA: Even though It was a brand new competition, the atmosphere was fantastic. The audience really enjoyed the performers. People had a lot of fun. I hope they do the competition weekend again.

When asked if he would judge or maybe compete next year, Daniel replied, “I would judge again if asked. I like performing the most. I started doing a tribute to Elvis when I was a young teenager. I did my first live show about a year before Elvis passed.”

From Jim Glover, radio personality and Friday night emcee: We had a great time!! In the photos below, Jim is seen with Jodi Losee, also an on-air personality at 89.7 FM. Photos credited to: Bill Watson. Edits: C.M.

We have heard from a judge and an emcee; but what did the competitors think of the first-time Roseneath Elvis competition and show? ETAs Berry Chumbley and ETA Paul Thain, two of the three winners of the event, were kind enough to answer a few questions for this article.

An Interview with ETA Berry Chumbley

Q.  How did you first hear about the “The Best Elvis Competition” in Roseneath, ON? 

ETA Berry Chumbley performing at the 2019 Collingwood Elvis Festival. Photo Credit: Lori-Anne Crewe, LA Crewe Photography.

A.  I found out about the competition from a spectator who had been to other performances at Roseneath Fairgrounds.

Q.  What other ETA/Elvis competitions and festivals have you competed and attended in the past?

A.  I have competed for the past 6 years at many Elvis festivals.   I started out with my first one at the Tweed Elvis Festival, followed by the King Trilogy Competition by King Attractions, the Berry Rock and Roll Festival, the Collingwood Elvis Festival, Flaming Star and quite a few people’s choice competitions in various towns:  Ajax, Napanee, Belleville, and Collingwood.  Most of the time I finish in the top 5, some of which require the ETAs to step out of their comfort zone and perform all three of the eras of Elvis’s career,  the 50s, 60s  and 70s.

ETA Berry Chumbley performs at the Collingwood Elvis Festival. Photo credit: Lori-Anne Crewe, LA Crewe Photography.

Q.  What were your expectations when you registered to compete in “The Best Elvis Competition” held in Roseneath?

A.  Meeting new people and making contacts, and having the opportunity of performing in front of a live audience again.  Also working with the organizers and the ETAs who give their all for the people in the audience.

Q.  In what ways did the competition and festival meet or exceed your expectations?

A. This competition was very different than other competitions.  It was a small venue for an outdoor event, still very appropriate for what we have been going through with COVID. This was the first competition where the contestants are judged on a full 40 minute set of songs.  I love to entertain, not just compete.  I made some really good contacts for future events including a Feb. 12/22 Valentine’s Show with promoter Ida Brown at the Keene Art Theatre.

Q.  Describe how was the weekend was organized (parade, competition, headliners, gospel hour, food, accommodations, vendors—what we have learned to expect at most ETA competitions and festivals).

A.  There was a single car parade with Captain Elvis riding in a convertible to open the big Friday night show.  Great food was available for all.  We stayed on the grounds with our fifth wheel and offered it to the other headliners as a change room.  The church service was grand!  Singing gospel songs made famous by Elvis has to be one of my favorite times. All the ETAs took part in the service singing three or four gospel songs along with Preacher Elvis (Dorian Baxter).

Q.  What were the highlights for you personally over the weekend of festivities in Roseneath?

A.  Meeting the judges and Ida Brown and her husband, seeing some familiar faces and, of course, meeting new people.

Q.  If there is a repeat of this particular competition, will you attend and compete?

A.  Certainly we will do it again.  I am hoping that things open up to a point where more people will be allowed to gather and enjoy the competition.

Organizer Ida Brown taking care of business. Photo Credit: Bill Watson.

Q. Are there any changes you would like to see if “The Best Elvis Competition” and festival were to be an annual event?

A.    Add a couple more judges (5 to 7).  Standardized the score sheets so they are similar to those used at larger events to determine a winner (grand champion), second and third place.  The winner would then be asked to do a headliner show the following year.  There could also be a People’s Choice award added to the festival.  (These are only suggestions based on other competitions I have attended). Photos of judges credited to Bill Watson.

Q.  Please tell us about your upcoming ETA performance plans. 

ETA Berry Chumbley in a photo by Bill Watson.

·        I am booked in for 3 dinner shows for three consecutive nights in Gatineau at the Le Forum Jan. 28,29,30th, 2022

·        March 12/22 I am performing at the Keene Centre for the Arts 7:00

·        Feb. 19/22 Tweed Elvis and Bowl 7:00  

·        July 1st/22 Campbellford Canada Day Celebration (Headliner) Tribute to Elvis around 8:00 pm.

·        July 15/22 Trenton DBA Festival on the Bay (Headliner) Elvis 6:30-7:30 

·        Booked in for the Tweed Elvis Festival Aug. 25-28 2022.

Q.  Is there anything else you would like to add?

A.  I was one of six ETAs who performed at the Empire Theatre for the Tweed Virtual Elvis Festival 2021.  The festival can be viewed on the Tweed Elvis Festival web site at www.TweedElvisFestival.com

Tweed Elvis Festival’s Chris Tindale dances with Garth Brooks Tribute Artist, Darren Brown. Darren also competed in the 2021 Roseneath “Best Elvis Competition” as Elvis. Photo Credit: Bill Watson.

Thank you, Berry, for answering my questions about “The Best Elvis Competition”. C.M.

An Interview with ETA Paul Thain

Photo of ETA Paul Thain by Bill Watson.

Q.  When did your interest in Elvis first begin?

A.  My interest in Elvis began at 5 years old when I wore out “It’s now or Never” and other 45 records.  I was born July 9 1954, on the weekend the Elvis got his start.  His single “That’s Alright Momma” was played on the radio in Memphis that weekend.

Q.  How long have you been an ETA and when did you start performing?

A.  I played in bands as lead vocal and rhythm guitarist and we did Elvis medleys.  I have been an ETA since 2008 when I first went to the Elvis Fest in Collingwood. 

Q.  What is your stage name?  How did you come by this name?

A.   My ETA stage name is Captain Elvis.  I was a Captain at Air Canada for 38 years.   All the funds I earned as an ETA went to Dreams Take Flight, a charity that sends sick and challenged kids to Disney via Air Canada flights by funds raised by staff and other airport organizations.

Q.  What competitions, other than Roseneath, have you entered?  Have you won prizes? 

ETA Paul Thain in a photo by Tyler McEwan.

A.   I competed in many other Elvis festivals in the US and Canada:  Collingwood and Tweed in Canada, and Lake George NY and Saginaw Michigan.  I sometimes placed well in the semi-finals, but never won anything, which was not disappointing.  Competition is high and I started older in life, in my 50s, and I carry extra weight--so did Elvis; but folks like his early years appearance.  I performed on Royal Caribbean Cruise ships several times--this is a blast, and twice at charities in Mexico to raise funds for unprivileged children.  I have also performed many Gospel shows at churches, and that is the best!

For me, my own shows are the most fun; however the festivals are a must to learn what other ETAs do and how to improve your performance.

Q.  What is your best memory from the Roseneath Elvis Competition and Festival?

A.  My best memory of Roseneath was arriving in the white convertible driven by my friend Bob Conner.  The highlight was the Gospel show Sunday morning that was led by Bishop Dorian Baxter.  We sang many Elvis Gospel standards and the crowd was excellent! 

Q.  What would you suggest to improve the Roseneath competition/festival if it is held again in 2022?  If it is a go, would you enter again?

ETA Paul Thain arrives in style. Photo credit: Bill Watson.

A.   I discussed improvements with Ida Brown who put on the Roseneath Fest.  It should be exclusively an Elvis fest.  There were not enough ETAs, so other acts (good acts mind you) were included.  If it is billed as Elvis, it should be Elvis. There are lots of ETAs in Ontario who would come if it was sanctioned by Graceland.  However, that said, in times of this pandemic it is incredible that any festival was possible last year.   I would likely attend Roseneath in the future, mostly to support Ida, and because it is local to me. (We reside in Trent Hills in the summertime and Florida in winter--six and six.

ETA Paul Thain in a photo by Tyler McEwan.

Q.  What else would you like SB Mag readers to know about you as an ETA? 

A.  I love doing the work of Elvis Aaron Presley and my focus has been on nursing homes, church gatherings and charitable performances for handicap or underprivileged children.  I think this theme reflects well on the charitable heart that was the King of Rock and Roll.

Competitors Slide Show

Photographers Tyler McEwan and Paul Watson

Photographer Tyler McEwan.

The photos used in this article are credited to Bill Watson and professional photographer, Tyler McEwan.  Some of the photos have interesting hues, so I asked Tyler if he would share his experiences at the Roseneath Elvis Competition and Festival regarding shooting the event and his overall impression and memories of Elvis:

 The coloured lights were a pain actually.  Adobe Lightroom helps, but even that's not magic, so I took about 2500 pictures each night.  Digital is nice that way.  The real difficulty, however, was the ever changing light outside.  With the outdoor venue, as the sun went down, lighting changed constantly. Tack onto that moving musicians, and trying not to obstruct the audience, it was a challenge. Ordinarily, my photography is focused on things that don't move!  I met Ida, and all that changed.

The Elvis family was a pleasure to watch, with each performer bringing their own flare.  I grew up enjoying Elvis music on LP. I still have them (somewhere is one of the coloured records).  It was always a thing that Elvis died when I was only one.

Photos by Tyler McEwan

Photos by Bill Watson

The Van Rosi Duo

Four photos of Jimmy and Ligia Van Rosi are credited to Bill Watson.

Jimmy and Ligia Van Rosi, who were born and brought up in Kenya, East Africa, are the back-up band for Dorian Baxter (aka Elvis Priestly, here in Ontario. For over 30 years, this husband and wife team have offered a refreshingly different approach to easy listening and dancing music. Jimmy is a seasoned musician and vocalist with more than 55 years of experience in the entertainment business. He is a very versatile guitarist and plays bass, rhythm and lead guitars. Jimmy is also a proficient drummer. Ligia is an experienced keyboard player and vocalist. Over the years, this talented couple have played with many other musicians. When Cliff Richards and The Shadows were invited by the British Government to perform for Kenya’s first Independence Day celebrations on December 12, 1963, Jimmy and his band, The Spiders, opened for them. The band consisted of Jimmy on drums, Jimmy’s cousin, Frank Van Rosi, on lead guitar, Jimmy’s brother, Charles Van Rosi, on bass guitar, David Andrade on rhythm guitar, and Warren MacMahon as the lead singer. Warren won 1st prize as the best singer in a talent competition organized by promoters of the celebrations and was awarded a trophy by Cliff Richard. In 2002, when Brian “Licorice” Locking, one of the Shadows bass players, visited Toronto, Jimmy had an opportunity to perform with him.

The Six Competitors

The Three Winners

ETAs Berry Chumbley, Paul “Captain Elvis” Thain, and “King” Jim Robinson share a happy moment as the three winners of the first ever Roseneath Elvis Competition and Festival, 2021. Phot credit: Paul Watson.

Is this the Last Thing I Will Ever Write?

I had hoped that by the 70th anniversary of an event that forever changed my life and affected the lives of many others, I would have written a few pages for a book that I feel is my destiny to write.  Here it is, January 27th, 2022, and I have nothing tangible to share.  Years and years of thought on what I would say and how I would say it have not produced one single page. 

In 2020 I made a stab at writing my memoirs by enrolling in a McMaster University project.  I was assigned a volunteer student whose role in the project was to record our conversations, ask questions, and type manuscripts.  After a few zoom sessions, it became clear that she was not fully invested in the project, so we parted ways.  Something good did come from the experience however.  On my own, I managed to write an amusing story from my youth about a beauty pageant that my cousin and I put on in my backyard.  I was invited to read “Beauty Pageant Day” in the video finale of the course. 

I have given a lot of thought about what I might call my book and I came up with two possible titles: “Daddy’s Girl, but Mommy’s Baby”, which apparently I said to a reporter who came to my aunt’s house to “interview” me--a 3 ½ year old child; and “Where’s My Pal?”, which I paraphrased from a line in another article that was published in a local newspaper about my family’s tragedy.  My mom told me years later that she and my dad were not aware that my dad’s sister had allowed reporters to talk to me and take photos.  Neither did my parents provide photos of my siblings for the articles.  How could they?  Everything was lost in the fire.    

With years of thought put into what I will write, and two working book titles and a list of titles for chapters, why then have I not been able to put pen to paper?  I do not think I am experiencing conventional writer’s block which is described as a condition of being unable to think of what to write or how to proceed with writing.  I am never at a loss for writing prompts.  If I think it, I can write it.  What I think I suffer from is a “mental block” that won’t let me dig deep into my past. 

I sought out professionals whom I thought might help me unleash whatever is blocking me from writing about my past.  I even went as far as taking the 1952 articles with me in the hopes that they would be useful in helping banish whatever was the root cause of my mental block; but conversations always came back to the here and now.  It seems no one was trained to handle someone with a decades old tragedy.  Getting proper help was becoming a lost cause, that is, until a young Naturopathic intern made a suggestion.  As a follow-up to my appointment, my ND intern sent links to video talks by BC psychiatrist Dr. Gabor Maté on the subject of trauma. Sydney thought I would find the videos informative and helpful.  She was correct. 

Dr. Gabor Maté has spent years working on the connection between early childhood trauma and its behavioral effects on adults.  Early childhood trauma generally refers to ages 0-6, but Dr. Maté theorizes that trauma can begin even before birth or be present in an individual “even if they have no memory of the trauma.”   When I heard Dr. Maté make that statement in his talk, it felt as though he was speaking directly to me.  For the first time I was discovering how being a ‘victim of trauma’ had affected my life, even if I remember nothing.  Dr. Gabor Maté’s words were a revelation.    

My mom tried to create memories for me by telling me wonderful stories about my siblings.  One of my most cherished memories that she shared happened on the day Mom and Dad brought me home from the maternity ward.  All three of my siblings wanted to be the first to hold me, so Mom asked them each to hold out their hands face up and then she gently placed me across all six hands. That way, each one of the three could claim that they held their new baby sister first.  Mom knew that such stories would keep Donald, Arlene, and Leonard’s memory alive and provide me with a connection to my past. I could have asked my mom anything during our talks and she would have given me an answer; but I never asked her anything about the night of the fire because I knew it would make her cry.   

I have zero recollection about the events of January 27th, 1952.  Anything I learned over the years came to me from outside sources—relatives, friends, newspapers.  “Little pitchers have big ears”, and I probably heard a lot that I should not have been party to. I often wonder how could I not have heard the sirens, the commotion, and the cries in the night from the safety of neighbour’s house that was the width of a driveway away?  I think God or Nature in his/her infinite wisdom protected my 3 ½ year old self from what was unbearable to see and hear.  In doing that, the crucial years of my development were erased. My first memory of my own existence started in Grade one just after I had turned six.  Caught between my past and my present, I remember sitting at my desk, the kind where the seat is attached, and leaving room for Arlene to sit beside me.  My heart aches at the image of that sad little girl waiting for a sister who will never arrive.  I was deeply scarred by a trauma I couldn’t even remember. I would like to tell that little six year old girl that there will be happy times in her future; but I know the scars of trauma will be with her all through her life and shadow every thought she has and colour every decision she makes.

It is all very complicated.  I need to unbury hidden parts of my life, lay them out for scrutiny, and then, hopefully, put them to rest.  Ultimately it will free me by allowing me to better understand the whys of how my life played out; but I have to question if I want to put myself through such a painful process.  I may have to satisfy my need to write my memoirs by sticking to the happy tales of my past and skipping the darker, not-so-happy, stories. It will be an incomplete memoir; but maybe that is okay.

A major issue I grapple with is that my story involves people I love dearly, and not just my parents and siblings.  Studies have shown that trauma does not stop with an individual; it is generational.  What happened to my parents affected me, and consequently my children, and maybe even my grandchildren.  Curiously, trauma that causes emotional stress can also manifest in physical ailments, as explained by Dr. Maté in his book, When the Body Says No:

Emotional stress is a major cause of physical illness, from cancer to autoimmune conditions and many other chronic diseases. The brain and body systems that process emotions are intimately connected with the hormonal apparatus, the nervous system, and in particular the immune system.  

In video talk on the subject, Dr. Maté demonstrated his theory by sharing a personal story:

As a child of the Holocaust, Dr. Maté was given over to his aunt in order to save his life.  Being separated from his mother caused such trauma for him that to this day if his wife is late picking him up at the airport, he gets a pain in his chest--a physical manifestation of his early childhood trauma.  He knows as a psychiatrist that his fear of abandonment (separation from his mother) has once again crept back into his life.  Not everyone can relate to this seemingly irrational response to waiting for someone who is not on time; but those of us who have suffered early childhood trauma understand all too well.

Until next time, C.M.

Stories from “The Crick”

Introduction

All of my childhood, and most of my adult years, were spent living in Stoney Creek, Ontario, or “The Crick” as it is known by locals. My old neighbourhood in the Worsley and Millen Road area provided wonderful memories, events and people for my writing. While the storylines are true, they are written from memory and from my point of view. Family and friends in the photos that I share are real people, but in my stories they are represented by fictional characters. Names have been changed to protect identities, and any reflection of persons living or deceased is purely coincidental. I hope my memoir stories bring you the same joy in reading them, as they did for me in writing them. C.M.

New Neighbours:  Part Three

From January to March of 2021, I was part of McMaster University’s Memoir Writing Project. Paired with a McMaster student, I had an opportunity to share and record my memoires through one-on- one Zoom meetings. With helpful suggestions and encouragement from Dr. Ellen Ryan and her assistant, Stephanie Wickens, I began, once again, to write my memoirs. I wanted readers to “feel” my childhood adventures, so I decided to “story tell” my memoirs with detailed description and conversation.

Carolyn MacArthur, writer and editor of SIDEBURNS: The Ultimate ETA Fan Magazine.

By the end of the three month project, and after reworking earlier writing attempts, I documented enough stories to create “New Neighbours, Part One, Two and Three”. I have chosen to share “Part Three: Beauty Pageant Day” with you as it was the story I was asked to read at the finale of the writing project on March 26, 2021.

I wish to extend a grateful thank you to Dr. Ryan and Stephanie for providing an amazing opportunity to write. Thank you to author and speaker, Viga Boland, for her wonderful courses on memoir writing. Thank you to all writers and readers who continue to find tremendous value in the written word. And thank you to all of you who read my writing and take time to comment. Best regards, Carolyn MacArthur.

Beauty Pageant Day

A Memoir Story by Carolyn MacArthur

I was fascinated by the beauty pageants that my cousin, Benji, and I watched annually on TV.  After much phone discussion with Benji, and Twila, who was part of our party-line phone plan and who often listened in on my conversations anyhow, we decided to run our own contest.

            We all agreed that the following Wednesday was the perfect day for our beauty pageant.  Since it was the fifth week of summer vacation, we were sure that mothers in our neighbourhood would happily let their daughters participate in our contest because they were so tired of hearing, “I’m bored!” from their unimaginative offspring.

             We made a long list detailing all the things we would need to make our beauty pageant a big success.  I had a bag of dresses that family and friends gave to Mom so I could play dress-up.  Not every kid was so lucky.  It was unlikely that the Chabot girls had bags of anything old since space was at a premium in their crowded house.  Also, Mrs. Chabot was an excessively neat person who wouldn’t allow dust to settle let alone keep bags of used, outdated, ill-fitting clothing.  I would lend Chantelle and Bernadette dresses and accessories that were not just suitable, but flattering. I wanted every contestant to have an equal advantage so our contest would be fair.

            I had already picked the dress I would wear from the bag of wrinkled garments.  It was a lovely mauve crepe dress that once belonged to our dear family friend, Mrs. Bunting, or ‘Button’, as I lovingly called her.  Button, a short, buxom woman who was as wide as she was tall, often wore this dress when she came to visit.  The dress would look quite nice on me once I gathered the extra fabric of the plus-size dress around the back of my petite frame and secured it with a belt.  The folded material would act as a train, giving my gown extra pizazz.  The gaping bodice that fit snuggly on Button’s large bosom, hung loosely on my preadolescent body.  It would need to be secured with an eye-catching rhinestone brooch. 

            My mom would allow me to cut only enough ribbon from her roll of broad satin to make one over-the-shoulder sash for the winner, so Benji and I decided we would make place cards numbered 1, 2, 3, indicating the winner, first runner up and second runner up.

            “We will need nice flowers for the winner.  Won’t we, Benji?”

“I have the flowers looked after.  Do you like roses and carnations?”  Benji asked knowing very well that I would squeal in delight.

            “Roses and carnations!”  I screamed into the receiver not disappointing Benji. Barely taking a breath, I went on. “But how and from where?  We don’t have any money.  I can ask Mommy, but…” 

Benji jumped in. “Roger and I will stop at the cemetery on the way to your house.  There are sure to be lots of fresh flowers available.”

            “Oh,” I added cautiously after a long pause.  I was remembering the corsages that Benji made for my mom and Aunt Betty when they were going to a dinner dance.  Mom wouldn’t say anything to hurt her nephew’s feelings, but silently she cringed at the notion of wearing a corsage made from cemetery flowers no matter how nice they looked or how thoughtful the gesture.  The corsage made it as far as the car that night, but never did see the light of the banquet hall. 

            “That will be really nice!” I continued, masking my concern and trying to hold onto my enthusiasm.  Benji was older than I was, a teenager in fact, having just turned 13 on his last birthday.  No matter what I thought, or what trepidations I might have about the source of our flowers, I bowed to his judgment.  After all, the best I would be able to come up with would be bunches of flowers from my dad’s greenhouse, mostly dahlias and asters, and a few weeds from my backyard.  Roses and carnations really would make more lavish bouquets. 

            One of the biggest and most exciting moments of any beauty pageant is the placing of the tiara on the head of the winning contestant, and we really wanted a tiara for our winner.  In my circle of ordinary people, a few I asked didn’t even know what a tiara was; others offered hairbands; and absolutely no one that we knew had a real tiara to lend us. 

            “Why don’t we make one out of paper?” Twila suggested, wanting so much to have one of her ideas considered.

            “Yuck!” I retorted. “Sorry, Twila,” I added quickly realizing I may have hurt her feelings.  Twila, however, was not offended.  She knew me well enough to know that I often blurted out things that I instantly regretted.

            “If we can’t get a real tiara, we will just have to forget about it.  Probably no one will even notice,” Benji concluded, and Twila and I saw no reason to disagree with the master planner.

 “Does anyone have old drapes or curtains that we can use as capes?”  Benji resumed. 

            “Yes!” Twila and I chimed in, so happy to move on from tiaras.  Twila’s mom had just bought new drapes for their living room and she already said we could have the old ones.  Benji suggested that if the drapes came with cords, we could use them to attach the drapes to the shoulders of the winners. 

Benji had so many brilliant ideas and he sure knew a lot about staging a big event.  It didn’t register in my naïve eleven year old mind that Benji was different than the other boys I knew.  We got along so well, more like friends than cousins.  None of the boys in my neighbourhood or at school knew as much as Benji did about the topics that interested me— fashion, gossiping, drawing, dancing, and, of course, beauty pageants. 

            Benji was the second son in a family of four very good looking boys.  Philip, or “little Phil”, was the eldest, and six years my senior. I rarely saw him. Roger was two years younger than Benji, and Russell was the baby.  Other than occasionally amusing me, Russell was of little interest.

            Roger was closer to my age, but I had a much different relationship with him than I did with Benji. Roger liked that I was a bit of a tomboy.  When he came to visit, we would play safari in the waist high weeds in my backyard or try to build a fort with leftover wood.  But when it came to making up dance routines, putting on plays, or running a beauty pageant, Benji was my favoured cousin.

            The girls in my neighbourhood had crushes on both Benji and Roger and were so excited that they were going to judge the beauty pageant.  Not one of the girls questioned the boys’ ability or commitment in making sure the contest was fair or that the chosen winner was the most deserving. 

            The big day was fast approaching and there were still finishing touches that we needed to address.  We definitely needed an audience.  What would a contest be without one?  We decided that we would invite all the little kids from my street, which tallied only a few, and all of the siblings of the contestants.  The audience may end up being smaller in size than we wished, but at least it would be enthusiastic, we reasoned.  The two Muskoka chairs my dad made would be reserved for the judges.  The contestants would claim the picnic table with two attached seats, which meant that audience would have to sit on the grass. 

            On the day of the event, Benji and Roger rode their bikes from their street in East Hamilton to my house in Stoney Creek.  Uncle Philip, surprisingly, had left change on the table so they could take the bus, but they opted for bike riding.  It would have been nice to take the bus instead of pedaling the long distance on a hot August day, but they sensed trouble if the local guys saw two boys toting bunches of flowers.  Besides, if necessary they could make a quicker exit from the cemetery on two wheels than they could on two feet.

            They arrived on our doorstep midmorning.  Mom’s initial response when she opened the door was one of pleasant surprise.  She wasn’t expecting Benji and Roger to be holding large bouquets of flowers. 

            Mom welcomed them with, “Well, what a lovely surprise!  What beautiful flowers.”  The sight of the Miller boys and their flowers triggered something in her memory. “Little buggers,” she thought.  “They’ve been at the cemetery again!”

            “Come in, boys,” she said warmly, holding the door open for them.  “Carolyn!  Benji and Roger are here,” Mom shouted towards my bedroom.

            I did a quick check in the mirror, and brushed my hair to the side with my fingers. I was always very excited when the boys came to visit.  Today would not be as long a visit as I wished since they had to ride their bikes home. Sometimes Uncle Philip would drop Aunt Betty and the three younger boys off at our house on his way to work.  On those special days, we had lots of time for fun.   Today their visit would be all business.

            “Hi Cuz,” I said to Benji, while acknowledging Roger with a quick wave and a smile.

            Benji, in a whispered voice, asked, “Did you ask your mom yet?”

            “No,” I replied.  “I was hoping you would ask her for me.”

            “Ok.” Benji retorted. Then in his most pleasing voice, asked, “Aunt Eloise, would you let Carolyn go to Cherry Beach with us after the beauty pageant?”

            “Absolutely not!” was my mom’s swift reply.

            Undeterred, Benji explained to his aunt that beauty pageants winners always receive a trip to a sandy beach somewhere exotic as part of their prize package. “So, we are offering our pageant winner an escorted bike ride to Cherry Beach on the rocky shores of beautiful Lake Ontario,” Benji said, hoping his Aunt Eloise appreciated his attempt at humour.  Then Benji ended his spiel with a wink and what he thought would surely be the clincher, “Should Carolyn win, it would be nice if she could accept the prize.”

            Benji’s sales pitch amused Mom and she softened her stance.  She knew I was not fond of deep water since the time a big wave pulled me under, so I would be content dog paddling in the shallow water in my prize destination.  Besides, Benji and Roger were excellent swimmers thanks to Uncle Philip’s “sink or swim” lessons he taught by throwing them in the lake when they lived in a cottage at Cherry Beach.  

            “Okay,” Mom relented. “Just keep a close eye on Carolyn in the water.”

            Mom served an early lunch of baloney sandwiches and Kool Aid.  She knew we still had some setting up to do before the pageant began. 

            The contestants began arriving just after twelve o’clock.  Twila was the first to arrive already wearing her neatly pressed pageant dress.  Teresa and Francine arrived next.  Francine wanted to participate, and Teresa, her older sister, came along for moral support.  Lola Lester came dressed in the same dress she wore to my birthday party.  Still absent were Chantelle and Bernadette.  I knew their older sisters, Pamela and Janine, weren’t coming; but where were my new friends Chantelle and Bernadette?

            Benji suggested I start getting ready since the audience was arriving a little early.  Some of Chantelle and Bernadette’s brothers were amongst the early group.  Twila ran up to them to ask about their sisters.

            “My mother said they can’t come because they have to watch David,” Bernard offered as an explanation. 

            “Can’t they bring him with them?” Twila asked with a hint of urgency in her voice. Twila had her own reasons for wanting Chantelle and Bernadette there.  If they didn’t compete, there would be only four contestants, and that meant that there would be three winners and one loser.  Twila feared she might be the latter.  “Run home and tell your mom that David can come, too.  There are more than enough people here to watch him.”

            Minutes later, Bernard reappeared with Chantelle, Bernadette and baby David in his buggy.  Benji was just about to step up onto the cistern to announce the starting of the pageant when he caught a glimpse of Twila and me whisking Chantelle and Bernadette into the garage where their outfits were waiting.  Benji announced that there would be a slight delay.  None of the audience, which had grown exponentially since mothers as far as two streets over learned we were “offering” two hours of free babysitting, heard a word he said.  They were rolling around on the grass, playing tag, and in a couple of strange cases, taking a midday nap. 

            I gave a wave from the garage door that signaled to Benji that Chantelle and Bernadette were ready to compete.  Benji, with his best Bert Park’s imitation, but thinking his acting skills were wasted on this crowd, announced the opening of the beauty pageant.  To everyone’s surprise, the formerly rowdy audience settled down nicely.  Maybe they had worn themselves out, or perhaps they sensed the verbal thrashing they would get from their siblings competing in the contest if they disrupted this big event and jeopardized their sister’s chance of winning.

“Our first contestant, Lola Lester, hails from Roxborough Road,” Benji began, using his very convincing emcee voice. “She is in grade five at Mountainview School, and her hobbies are skipping, drawing, and reading.”  Lola walked the length of the broken sidewalk, did her best to complete a pivotal turn and walk back unscathed to her place on the picnic bench.

“Francine Smith is our youngest competitor,” Benji informed the audience.  “She is in grade four at Memorial School where she enjoys recess, lunch, and throwing her ball against the wall.”  Some of the younger kids started to giggle, but one stern glance from her sister Teresa put an end to it.  Francine made a hurried walk to the picnic table, grateful that she hadn’t burst into tears in front of everyone.

Bernadette entered the staging area to a round of cheers from her four brothers.  Benji noted that Bernadette attended St. Francis Xavier School where she excelled in religion classes.  Bernadette took her time on the runway sidewalk enjoying the attention she rarely received at home.  She was all smiles when she took her seat.

Chantelle entered to the same brotherly cheers as Bernadette.  “Chantelle Chabot also attends St. Francis Xavier School.  She is in grade 5 where she enjoys reading and helping with the younger students.”  Chantelle didn’t milk the attention like Bernadette.  She walked with confidence, but sighed with relief when the compulsory walk was over happy to be out of the limelight.   

Twila was all smiles when she entered.  Benji had warmed up to Twila during our planning phone calls.  He didn’t know the other girls as well, although he commented on how pretty the Chabot girls were.  Benji announced Twila as “a contestant who is a lot of fun, who works hard, and has an interest in plants.”  Twila was bubbly as she did her walk.  She felt that she may even have a chance of placing in the competition.

I was the last contestant.  If I had an unfair advantage in the pageant, you would never have guessed it.  Benji’s comments about me were no more glowing than those of the other contestants.  “Carolyn is in grade five at Memorial School.  She loves cats and art.”  As I took my first step, it was obvious I was well prepared.  I wasn’t cocky, but I did display certainty in my walk; and my pivot was exceptional.  I looked at the audience, waved my gloved hand, and smiled my best smile. I was mimicking all the contestants I had seen in the numerous pageants I had watched on television.  My mom’s gunmetal taffeta dress, which I ended up wearing after giving into Bernadette’s request to please let her wear Button’s mauve crepe, dazzled in the bright August sun.

The talent portion of the competition and the answering of the questions, which inevitably ended with “and world peace”, were omitted from our pageant.  The audience was being picked up sporadically by moms missing their kids.  Chantelle and Bernadette were told to be home by three to start dinner preparations.  And Benji and Roger really wanted a swim in the lake before the long bike ride home.   

For the first time all day, Benji seemed nervous.  He cleared his throat, and announced the winners.  “Thank you to everyone who entered our contest.  In third place, we have Miss Twila McAdams.” Twila wasted no time in running up to the cistern to accept her card and flowers from Roger. 

“In second place, we have the lovely Miss Chantelle Chabot .”  Chantelle seemed surprised.  She was sure Bernadette was going to place before her. “Please let Bernadette come first,” Chantelle prayed with sisterly love as she accepted her bouquet and second place card.

“And in first place, we have Carolyn Sykes.”  I was so happy that I won! I jumped up and down, twirled, and fell a couple of times before Benji could place the banner over my shoulder.  My joy and excitement were short lived, however. In the midst of my victory celebration, I saw in the distance that my two new friends were crying.   

Bernadette, upon learning that as a runner-up she was invited to join us for a swim at Cherry Beach, burst into tears. Chantelle, knowing very well that there was no way their rigid father would ever bend to such a notion, was sobbing in solidarity.

Lola, who had been watching the drama unfold, quickly rode her bike home to get her bathing suit and towel knowing very well that rewards and duties fall on the next in line if a contestant cannot fulfill their obligation. And Lola considered herself next in line before Francine who was more than a year younger.

With the joy and tears of the Miss Stoney Creek Beauty Pageant behind us, and after we posed for a photo, our happy group of five headed to Cherry Beach for a swim in the cool water of Lake Ontario.

The End