America Homecoming Queen Scholarship

helpless
Sat, 10 Jul 2010 11:53:39 +0000

Yes! They do use their BBB membership as an endorsement in their marketing packet. There have been complaints made to the BBB in Tennessee (where AHQ offices are located, and where BBB directs the complaints.) So far, there has been no response from the BBB. When inquiring about a response, we have been told that there are no complaints registered. (“sorry, we did not get it.”) One loses faith in the process, which is long and tedious. Speaking on the phone with them, when they discover it is a “pageant-type” complaint, they are not the least bit interested, did not even know which category for a consumer to complain to. With BBB not knowing how to file their own paperwork, no wonder they can’t figure out what has happened to the complaints. In the meantime, BBB continues to show “no complaints.” I have not given up. Two things that make AHQ armor hard to penetrate: 1) non profit status. 2) only one girl per year per state actually can make a complaint. Although mulltiple girls and their families sign up to participate, the “damages” for a BBB complaint only apply to the AHQ State winners. (according to BBB) There is so much more to this than anyone realizes. Wish we had some help. Road blocks everywhere. To get legal help…must have attorney in Tennessee. These are girls and families looking for scholarship money…none to waste on legal fees. So the victims continue, year after year. AHQ sends out press releases on the state Queen. The state Queens solicit donations for the “scholarships” from their friends, families, communities, and statewide businesses. These girls are accomplished and have stellar reputations. It is humiliating to go back to their state and communities and say “we’ve been had.” Most families do not want their daughters involved in a public expose’ and most cannot afford an attorney to fight this…really fight this. One feels very alone and helpless in this fight. It is the right thing to do to press on and make everyone aware of the AHQ organization. The experience the girls have with each other is wonderful. The problem is when the girls get home after nationals, the real truth about the scholarship money begins to reveal itself. By this time, the girls are so deep in the program and the publicity of it, they are too ashamed to tell the truth. AHQ depends on this “secret shame” to continue year after year. After contacting some of the past national winners, we found they won’t discuss the program. They just put their crown on the shelf and try not to tarnish their “glory.” The irony here, is that the program touts these girls as “leaders and role models.” It just seems to me that protecting their “sister Queens” is showing real leadership and being a real role model. One misconception that is outdated is that the “Homecoming Queens” of today are the popular pretty girl-the head cheerleader type. The fact is most of the girls, we have met are the sweet, hardworking overacheivers, that do a lot of volunteering in their schools and communities, and very few of them have ever done any “beauty pageant” programs. I am not going to argue the “beauty pageant” VS the “scholarship and acheivement” programs, but they are very different. The “Todders and Tiara” graduates will not likely be in the AHQ program. That misconception is what is hindering “the powers that be” from taking this program’s deceptive practices seriously. THIS IS NOT ABOUT THE PRETTIEST GIRL NOT WINNING. THIS IS ABOUT SOLICITING YOUNG NAIVE GIRLS, SEEKING SCHOLARSHIP MONEY FOR COLLEGE, INTO A PROGRAM THAT PROMISES MUCH AND DELIVERS LITTLE. THIS IS ABOUT BLOWING THE WHISTLE ON A PROGRAM THAT IS VICTIMIZING THESE YOUNG GIRLS AND THEIR FAMILIES. THIS IS ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE AHQ PROGRAM CONTACTS THESE GIRLS DIRECTLY THROUGH THEIR OWN SCHOOLS. When a young girl is handed the AHQ envelope from their principal, counselor, or teacher, it gives this program legitimacy. No one from the school checks it out, they just hand the envelope addressed to the “Homecoming Queen” over to an unsuspecting and inexperienced 17 or 18 year old girl. It is probably true that some of these girls see a crown in their future, but most of these girls are looking at the promise of scholarship money for college. My best opinion, after researching this program, is that this was probably a descent program in the past, but something has gone terribly wrong. This program is still advertising a “Wheel of Fortune” event from 1992. If a girl is looking for the scholarship money and an above board program…this is NOT it! Oh so many things that this program is NOT! The AHQ people are big on dropping names and telling stories, but check out what exactly your girl is going to receive if they are selected their state or national Queen. At least ask last year’s Queen what her rewards were for all of her hard work. I am doing the best I can, but I need some help! I will say one thing good…the girls participating are some of the sweetest girls in the world! I love them all…and will continue my fight for them. If you can help, send me a private message on this forum. I am not soliciting money, I am asking for legal help or guidance on how to bring the AHQ people to full disclosure before another young girl gets a letter from her school. Nationals for 2010 started this morning, by Wednesday night, this program will have a new national Queen, and the process starts all over again. Even if no one contacts me, at least tell your local school officials to check out this program. They can start with one question: “How much scholarship money (exactly) did the queen from my state receive last year, and the year before?” Then follow up with,“When and how is the scholarship money paid to the state and national queen?” Over the next few months, the girls that are at nationals today for the 2010 competition, are going to be finding out what they should have known before going to nationals. They will be sadly disappointed with the $200 they may or may not receive from AHQ. Very few of them will tell anyone. They are too embarrassed.