Director's Corner

Hello, my name is Penny Perkins and I am the youngest, oldest and only child of Jerry and the late Dorothy Perkins. I live here in Bladen County with my father, my cats Bonkers and Spring and my dog, Sunday.

This is the first time I have ever done anything like this, so please bare with me if something doesn't look right.  I got the idea to do this from a friend and former title holder of mine, Michelle Fisher. I saw her website and thought, why can't I do one. I enjoyed hers and one night while sitting at work I decided to try it. If you need more information than I can give you, please visit her website at www.freewebs.com/michellespageants or her new website for the Kelly Spring Festival Queens, www.freewebs.com/michellespageantstwo. She would love for you to visit hers also. She voices my opinion as well as hers. Please check it out and see the passion some of us have for pageants.

I have been involved in pageants for the past 16 years. I am a former director of the North Carolina Tobacco Festival of Clarkton Pageant. Myself and a friend of mine decided we wanted to start the Tobacco Festival Pageant back up and we put it together in two weeks. Granted, we only had one division then but as the years passed, it grew. On the 50th anniversary of the Tobacco Festival, the pageant disbanded. The Tobacco Festival is now the Clarkton Farm Fest. Back in 1996, myself and another friend of mine decided we wanted to get back into pageants and started the White Lake Water Festival Pageant again. I am currently the director of the White Lake Water Festival Pageant.

Some of you may know me by my deep roots here in Bladen County, as my family has been around for a long time, or you may recognize me from hearing my voice across the airwaves of Bladen County. To add more stress and make things more complicated, I am also an E911 Dispatcher for the Bladen County Sheriff's Department. I dispatch for Bladen County, Elizabethtown, Bladenboro and White Lake Police Departments. I also dispatch for all Bladen County Fire and EMS Departments. I am a state and national certified Emergency Medical Dispatcher.I have been a firefighter, first responder, was on Bladen County Water Rescue for 5 years and was also an EMT and finally I come inside out of the field and sat down behind the radio. I am also certified in several other aspects of fire and rescue, along with more certifications for my job.

I have served as auditor, judge and director for many years. The best part of it all is making such wonderful friends along the way and sharing memories that will last a lifetime. I have worked with some very wonderful young ladies over the years and they all have a special place in my heart. No matter how far away or how little we keep in touch, they will always be "My Girls". Please feel free to contact me at isabella248@gmail.com. See you at THE LAKE!

Good evening everyone, my name is Heather Guyton Thompson, and I am the Assistant Director to the White Lake Water Festival Pageant. In addition I served as the co-chair of the 2007 White Lake Water Festival, and remain a committee member. I am the only child of Isaiah “Ikie” Guyton & Elizabeth “Libby” Libby. I am married to a wonderfully handsome man, Patrick Thompson of Bladenboro (aka our curtain man!). He truly is the love of my life, without his patience and support I would not be able to accomplish so many goals. In fact, we love the lake so much, we were married at The White Lake Water Park!   We have two insane children: a Parson Russell Terrier named Jumpin’ Jack Flash and a Siamese cat named Miss Priss.

I have been involved in pageants since I was four years old, and it has always been a passion of mine. The very first pageant I entered, I won. I was told, a couple of years ago by a judge, that I was the cutest little thing, and I won because my favorite television show was “Days of Our Lives.” Not many four year olds said that! Throughout my life I have competed in numerous pageants, always to be the first runner-up. However, I did win a few along the way but nothing compares to the accomplishment of entertaining an audience, so I turned in my tiaras, for dancing. There are too many pageants to list that I have served as an entertainer or choreographed routines. In fact, in 1996, at the very first White Lake Water Festival Pageant I served as an entertainer, in a bikini and a hula skirt to be exact! Nowadays, I spend my time coaching young ladies for pageants, and assuring their director that they are dressed appropriately and uphold themselves to be worthy of their title.

Many people feel that pageants are out-dated and rely too much on beauty; however, nothing captures an audience more than a young lady stepping out on the stage and owning it. It takes a lot of guts and determination to be a queen and pageants are not for everyone. You either love it or hate it.

 A few years ago I was coaching a little girl for the White Lake Water Festival Pageant, and Penny was short on back stage help. She pulled me from the audience and I have been hooked again! I love working with all of the young ladies, whether it is preparing them to walk across the night of the pageant or taking them to various events. Working with pageants is truly a rewarding and challenging hobby.

In my spare time, when I have some, I enjoying photography, dancing, reading, and cooking. However, my full time job as a teacher takes most of my time.  If you have any questions, comments or would like for my best friend, Nicole Martin Garner, and I to choreograph feel free to send me an email and I will see you at the Lake! HGUYTON@ec.rr.com