Are you a locavore?

Locavore (n.) a person who attempt to eat only foods grown locally

The local "trend" has taken off, for sure. Everyone's talking about keeping business local, supporting your local community, etc. But are YOU supporting YOUR local?

Specifically, I'm talking about your local Miss America preliminary. The first step to becoming Miss America is your local pageant. Some are huge productions with long and storied histories, some are at a county fair, and some others are "one shot wonders" that exist for one year and then they're gone. But all are the necessary stepping stone to Miss Ohio ... and ultimately, Miss America.

However, the local pageant population is dwindling quickly in Ohio. Sure, there are the Claylands that stand the test of time ... with a Miss America and several Miss Ohios on their resume. But for every Clayland, there's three "one and done" prelims. How can we help these locals, these small businesses that are the beating heart of Miss America, to survive?

Certainly, the majority of that responsibility falls to the Executive Director of each local. But it's tough to keep the faith with a local pageant when there's no support from above.

One of my suggestions would be to have a "mentor" program. Assign a well-established local to a new local. Share ideas, be a sounding board ... you know, all the things a good mentor should do. The "Field Director" program was successful for a short while, but a new local needs more support and assistance than a board member with several other responsibilities can provide.