February 10, 2012

 

Jr. Miss Antelope Valley Executive Board

jmavsparklequeen

 

 

Dear Board Members,

 

We are the Sponsoring Organization for the Leona Valley Community Queens.  As such, we sponsor each young lady who becomes a Leona Valley Community Queen in their respective Antelope Valley Pageants.  This has been a long tradition in our community, and the entire community takes pride in the young ladies who serve as our Community Queens each year.

 

We are disturbed by and concerned about certain aspects of the Jr. Miss Antelope Valley Pageant this year, as well as aspects of how this particular pageant is handled.  In that light, we have several questions we are posing to you so that we can gain a better understanding.

 

·         How does the Jr. Miss AV Pageant group qualify as a tax-exempt organization?

 (We have been unable to find a listing for your group on the State of California Department of Justice Attorney General’s website for exempt organizations.  As well, we find no listing in GuideStar.)

 

·         To whom is the Jr. Miss AV Pageant Executive Board accountable?

            (This would be financially accountable as well as accountable for policies, procedures and   practices.)

 

·         What is the policy, procedure or practice by which the paperwork submitted by the contestants for your pageant is reviewed for compliance with your specified rules and standards?  Who is responsible to perform this verification step?

 

·         What practices are in place to safeguard the personal and private information that is provided to you by each of the contestants? 

 

·         It has been asserted that at least one parent of a contestant in your pageant had a listing of some personal information of all the contestants.  What has your investigation of this assertion determined with respect to the validity of the claim as well as the source of the personal information that was obtained by this parent?  ( A parent of one of our Community Queens has an e-mail that originated from a parent of one of your contestants, in which the parent admits to having a listing of certain personal information for all your contestants, in case you are not aware of this e-mail.)

 

·         How is the amount of the scholarship determined that is awarded to the AV Jr. Miss who is crowned in your pageant?  What is the amount of the scholarship for this year?

 

·         We have been told that a portion of the money raised by the contestants in your pageant is given to a local charity.  How is the amount of the donation to that charity determined?

 

·         Who oversees the financial dealings of the Jr. Miss AV Committee and to whom is a report of the financial results provided?  Are the financial records subject to independent internal or external audit?

 

·         What is your perspective and current opinion on the proper and reasonable resolution to the dilemma that exists regarding Jr. Miss Leona Valley, Aspen Brito, having been crowned Jr. Miss AV?   Within the same evening your Board decided she should be striped of her crown and title, although the paperwork she submitted to your Board had been accepted more than 6 months earlier as qualifying her for your pageant.  Where does the actual responsibility rest for the problem that was raised by another parent?

 

As her sponsoring organization, we fully support Aspen Brito in her role as Jr. Miss Leona Valley and the title she won of Jr. Miss Antelope Valley.  Our community is proud of Aspen and has found her to be a fabulous role model.  We need not list all her terrific attributes, as obviously those were abundantly clear even to the judges of your pageant.

 

We aim to see a positive outcome to the situation regarding her title and crown, and trust that all parties involved will be able to “take the high road” in working together towards a resolution.

 

Regards,

 

 

 

Rich Thomas, President

 

cc:  AV Fair Board

       Office of the District Attorney, Los Angeles County