As the mother of two sons, Pam Dorrell did not think her life would ever include crowns and gowns, but when she was asked to serve as a Miss Mississippi Pageant Hostess, things changed.

“I had two boys. I figured I wasn’t trained enough to deal with girls and crowns and all that,” Dorrell said. After trying it out she decided it was something she did enjoy and now serves as the Hostess Chair for the group.

“I just loved it. It was right up my alley to be with a bunch of girls after I had two boys,” Dorrell said.

Beginning at the first of the year, Dorrell said she begins seeking out women who would like to serve as a Miss Mississippi Pageant Hostess starting first with those that have previously served. She then fills the open positions.

She said the number of hostesses varies from year-to-year depending upon the number of contestants who will compete.

“We love teachers to be hostesses. We know they have the summer off, and we know if they can handle a class room, they can handle two girls,” she said.

Pageant hostesses provide two important jobs, to assist pageant contestants with any needs they may require and to transport them to and from required activities.

Cellphones are confiscated from the girls each morning before all activities begin making their only source to the outside world their hostess, said assistant hostess chairman Mary Beth Grogan-White.

Pageant contestants are assigned a hostess through a lottery system, said Grogan-White.

A salad luncheon is held in February, and during the event the hostesses will draw numbers, she said.

Later in the year when the contestants arrive for orientation, each contestant will select her preliminary competition number, and that number will then be matched with the hostess’s number.

Each hostess is responsible for their contestants throughout the week, Grogan-White said, adding occasions have arisen when hostesses will provide help to one another.

This year, along with Dorrell and Grogan-White, 33 women will be serving as Miss Mississippi Pageant hostesses which includes floaters, dorm moms and hostess emeritus.

Both Grogan-White and Dorrell said they enjoy the camaraderie the pageant hostess create.

Each year, the hostesses participate in a special tradition.  On the final day of the competition, they present to their contestants a gift, and then they perform their own version of the pageant.  Dorrell says this creates the best memories for the contestants and their hostesses.

“The skit came about just as a send-off and a little happy for the girls at the end of the week. It is a spoof on what the pageant is about,” said Grogan-White.

During the competition phase of the Miss Mississippi Pageant, the hostesses occupy an upper level room of the Vicksburg Convention Center where they can have a bird’s eye view of the performances and show.

Following the crowning of the new Miss Mississippi, the hostesses hold their own crowning.

“As soon as the winner is announced, the hostess whose girl was chosen is crowned by whoever was the winner from the year before, and she is presented with a pin,”  said Grogan-White.