Young Women

Dinner is eaten on the run. Television and movies celebrate rude behavior. E-mail and text messaging have eroded the art of conversation. Social graces seem to be disappearing. But if you walked into a meeting room at Hagerstown Presbyterian Church recently, you might have been pleasantly surprised. Here, a small group of young women has been leading a charmed life. They have learned about good posture, how to set a dinner table and the importance of saying "please" and "thank you. " This isn't exactly etiquette boot camp, but one message has been drilled home -- first impressions are lasting impressions.

Three local women were recently recognized by Church Women United in Washington County. Debra Banks of New Joys Fellowship, Meloney Smith of Zion Baptist Church, Lara Shepherd of First Christian Church, received the Outstanding Young Church Women award. The award recognizes the valuable contribution young women are making in their local congregations, schools, community and business.   Nominated by their congregation for this award, Banks, Shepherd and Smith join the 26 other young women recognized since 2002.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - Five young women will compete for a crown, scholarships and other prizes at the Miss Berkeley County pageant at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, at Apollo Civic Theatre, 128 E. Martin St. Each contestant, young women from Martinsburg, Charles Town, and Glengary, W.Va., will showcase a talent during competition. The winner will receive the crown, scholarship money, flowers, gift certificates and a place in the Miss West Virginia Scholarship Pageant later in the year, which is preliminary to the nationally televised Miss America pageant.

BOONSBORO - The Colorado sky was a blinding blue on this particular summer day. And standing atop a mountain looking down on a view that she could only describe as "breathtaking," the 20-year-old confessed to having a life-changing experience. Gone was the low self-esteem and the fear of failing. Instead, she saw a future overflowing with potential. "I felt a sense of peace," the young woman said. "I knew I could trust myself to handle any challenge that was ahead of me. " It was the opportunity to "do something different, something exciting," that drew nine residents of San Mar Children's Home to participate in Adventure Experience Inc., a program designed to challenge individuals physically, emotionally and spiritually through a variety of outdoor trials.

Fifteen young women will go after the Miss Washington County and Miss Western Maryland pageant titles Saturday night at Hagerstown Community College's Kepler Theater. And four teens will vie for the title of Miss Western Maryland Outstanding Teen 2007 Pageant director Barbara W. Carson said the featured guest will be the reigning Miss Maryland, Brittany Lietz, and the winner of each title will advance to the Miss Maryland Scholarship Pageant in June. Here are this year's Miss Washington County and Miss Western Maryland contestants (in alphabetical order)

Eight young women were crowned Honor Stars recently at Bethel Assembly of God in Hagerstown. As part of the Missionettes' ministry, these young women completed a three-year Stars program consisting of 27 badges, nine honor star steps, scripture memorization and reading the entire New Testament. They are, from left, Emily Tritsch, Rachael Toms, Jaime Young, Hayley Bond, Cayla Broadwater, Amy Taylor, Malea Snyder and Alyssa Beattie.

On Dec. 28, four young Washington County women were presented at the annual Assembly Club of Hagerstown Ball at Fountain Head Country Club. The ball preserves an early Southern tradition, one introduced at the Assembly Club of Hagerstown in 1930. Abigail Lindsay Urner and escorts Todd Hart Hershey of Keedysville and Wyatt Reeder of Hagerstown led the couples in a circular promenade before more than 200 onlookers. Courtney Marie Peterson was escorted by James K. Peterson of Sharpsburg and Elias Nicholas Orfan of Hagerstown.

The fifth annual Miss Appalachia competition is Saturday, Jan. 19. Young women ages 13 to 17 may enter the Outstanding Teen competition, and those ages 18 to 23 may enter the Miss competition. There is also a sign-up for girls ages 3 to 9 for the Princess program, and 9 to 12 for the Preteen program. The Princess program is a mentoring program only. The winners will compete for the title of Miss Maryland in June in Hagerstown. Deadline to enter the Miss Appalachia competition is Sunday, Dec. 30. The winners will  serve as a role model for young women and  as an ambassador for The Miss America Organization.

chambersburg@herald-mail.com CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - Timothy Gaughenbaugh knows he's not the typical Wilson College graduate. At 39 years old with 22 years of work for the federal government under his belt, he said he has encountered some odd glances from people who think of Wilson only as a women's college. But in cap and gown and as speaker for the College for Continuing Education's Class of 2002, Gaughenbaugh accepted his bachelor of arts diploma Sunday after addressing about 115 graduates.

The Lions Club of Halfway celebrated its annual education night recently. The Lions are one of the official scholarship sponsors for the Miss Washington County-Miss Western Maryland Scholarship Foundation, which is committed to giving scholarship assistance to young women ages 18 to 24. The Rev. Jan Dorsey introduced Miss Washington County Carrie Shank and Miss Western Maryland Autumn Smith. Both young women spoke briefly regarding their platforms. Western Maryland's Outstanding Teen, Lindsay Hanna, was introduced by pageant Executive Director Barbara Carson.

1. Paintings and posies "Art in Bloom" features about 25 arrangements designed by garden clubs, students and organizations from across the region, in addition to works by two youth groups, that will interrupt art with flower arrangements. Event is 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 23, at Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, City Park, Hagerstown. Free. Go to www.wcmfa.org . 2. Dancing for a cause Dance Like No One is Watching event will be from 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, March 23, at Women's Club ballroom, 31 S. Prospect St., Hagerstown.

Plenty of people have chuckled into their bran muffins over the Miss America “scholarship” pageants, and I confess to perhaps - not often, but on occasion - parlaying the label into a cheap laugh or two. But it is amazing how your mind can be changed when you have the chance to actually meet these young women in person, and are given a free dinner and a couple of gift bags full of swag. This situation began a couple of months ago when I received a text asking me if I'd care to help judge the Miss Washington County/Miss Western Maryland pageant this month.

Wilson College abandoned a 144-year commitment To the editor:  On Jan. 28, The Chronicle of Higher Education published a letter by Notre Dame of Maryland University President James F. Conneely in which he declares the continuing need for women's colleges. His position is in sharp contrast to the recent decision by the Wilson College Board of Trustees to abandon the 144-year commitment to women's education.  I was one of many alumnae who worked to encourage Wilson College to remain true to her mission of educating women.

The fifth annual Miss Appalachia competition is Saturday, Jan. 19. Young women ages 13 to 17 may enter the Outstanding Teen competition, and those ages 18 to 23 may enter the Miss competition. There is also a sign-up for girls ages 3 to 9 for the Princess program, and 9 to 12 for the Preteen program. The Princess program is a mentoring program only. The winners will compete for the title of Miss Maryland in June in Hagerstown. Deadline to enter the Miss Appalachia competition is Sunday, Dec. 30. The winners will  serve as a role model for young women and  as an ambassador for The Miss America Organization.

The world opens up for high school graduates. Options abound - work, the military, college, marriage. But two local young women - Diane Draper of Williamsport and Jensen Roman of Falling Waters, W.Va. - took a less common path after school. They each wrote and published a novel. In getting their stories into print, Draper and Roman had to confront obstacles - friends' doubts, family expectations and the authors' own fears and insecurities, not to mention the challenge of sticking with the solitary work of writing for months and months.

Six members and two staff members from Girls Inc. of Washington County traveled to New York City March 14 to attend the Girls Inc. Celebration Luncheon. The luncheon is a gathering of nearly 1,000 business and community leaders committed to the Girls Inc. mission of inspiring all girls to be strong, smart and bold. The luncheon is an opportunity for Girls Inc. to recognize individuals who, by their work and example, are creating a better future for girls. The luncheon awards are presented by Girls Inc. scholars, who are outstanding young women who have demonstrated leadership in their communities and schools.

In honor of national Women's History Month, a group of women of all ages came together Monday night to share stories of celebration and to remind younger generations that gender is never a limitation for achievement. Three successful women from the community spoke before a crowd of about 100 people during the second annual Circle of Sisters Celebration in the banquet room at Next Dimensions Dining and Catering near Funkstown. “The event is a way to bring the women of the community together to celebrate some of our achievements, some of the women who have inspired us to become leaders and also to model leadership behavior for a second generation,” said Shalom Black Lane, an organizer from the Washington County Commission for Women.

In the more than 20 years Barbara Carson has been with the Miss Washington County/Miss Western Maryland Scholarship Pageant, she has seen her share of changes. Most noticeably, the dwindling numbers of young women as contestants. "There are so many things out there for young women to do and different ways to get scholarship money," said Carson, president of the organization. "They're choosing other avenues. " Yet scholarship money continues to be one of the biggest draws to participate in the scholarship pageant.

On Dec. 28, four young Washington County women were presented at the annual Assembly Club of Hagerstown Ball at Fountain Head Country Club. The ball preserves an early Southern tradition, one introduced at the Assembly Club of Hagerstown in 1930. Abigail Lindsay Urner and escorts Todd Hart Hershey of Keedysville and Wyatt Reeder of Hagerstown led the couples in a circular promenade before more than 200 onlookers. Courtney Marie Peterson was escorted by James K. Peterson of Sharpsburg and Elias Nicholas Orfan of Hagerstown.

Some young women in the Eastern Panhandle have found second families made of peers and adult mentors who are guiding them through the maze of motherhood. On the first and third Thursdays of every month during the school year, women ages 15 to 21 gather at Rosemont Grace Brethren Church in Martinsburg to chat, learn parenting and life skills, and grow their faith in God. They come with children in tow to share a meal, then the little ones are put in the care of volunteer baby-sitters in another part of the building so the women can have some enriching time with their peers.