Staff Report

Are you a sophomore, junior, or senior young woman with a Boyd address and want to represent your community as Miss Boyd in 2021? If that’s you, listen up! The Boyd Area Chamber of Commerce is actively seeking interested contestants to apply for the Miss Boyd 2021 contest, after the Miss Boyd contest of last year wasn’t able to be held, due to health concerns.

Returning to pre-pandemic summer events in the soon-to-be present, Boyd will be hosting its traditional yearly Ringelspiel festival from May 28 through May 30, of which the Miss Boyd contest is a part. Potential duties of Miss Boyd will be to go around to neighboring towns for parade duty, while past Miss Boyd winners have also been guests of King Boreas at the St. Paul Winter Carnival. Carol Pilgrim, tasked by the Chamber with organizing this year’s event, had more to share when queried this past Monday, including the upcoming meeting at Lotz Park.

“It’s going to be in the small pavilion at Lotz Park at 7 p.m.,” Pilgrim said of the May 23 event to help gauge interest and meet interested young women.

“We just want to know how many are interested at this point,” she said of the annual crowning event of the Ringelspiel festivities, when one of the contestants will be chosen to represent her community as Miss Boyd with others as attendants, titled “First Princess” and “Second Princess,” respectively.

The last Miss Boyd contest to be held (in 2019) was presided over by Village President Randy Setzer, while the coming May contest (if similar) will be presided over by the recently elected Village President Bob Geist, taking over for Setzer as he steps aside from his Presidential duties. The 2019 Miss Boyd contest saw Monica Derks crowned, with Jade Fredrickson as First Princess and McKenzie Derks as Second Prin- cess. There was no Miss Boyd contest in 2020, as there was no Ringelspiel on account of the pandemic.

Although Pilgrim said she was new to the contest, past pageants have included a slate of questions, with contestants judged based on their poise and how they answer the questions. Miss Boyd 2018 (who crowned successor Monica Derks in 2019) was given the Bill Darby Senoior Scholarship for her efforts on behalf of the community during her tenure as Miss Boyd. Representing Boyd with Mercier in 2018 were first princess Alexis Dahl and second princess Isabella Benson. The Miss Boyd contest stretches back many years, even decades. The following list is a partial rundown of Miss Boyd winners through the years: 2019 Monica Derks; 2018 Megan Mercier; 2017 Katie Gadke; 2016 Katie Mercier; 2015 Marissa O’Hair; 2014 Ashley Starck; 2013 Roxanne Chojnacki; 2012 Mariah Mercier; 2011 Hailey Milas; 2010 Deanne Derks (“closest competition in history”); 2009 Karissa Setzer; 2008 Hailey Grunewald; 2007 Ashley DeMars; 2006 Jordan Kott; 2005 Mandy Derks; 2004 Kasie Tervelt; 2003 Mary Webster; 2002 Kimberly Kowalczyk; 2001 Laura Backhaus; 2000 Laurie Peterson…and many more before!

With such a long tradition interrupted briefly by COVID, Miss Boyd is a way to represent the community and also get your picture in the paper— why not?

Again, details are available by contacting Carol Pilgrim at 715-703-8813, while contestants must meet age requirements and also have a Boyd address.

Maybe you know someone named in the list above, or maybe you want to add your own name to it. Whatever the case, now is the time for interested and potential candidates to find out more information. Parents are welcome to attend as well.