(Columbia) - The Miss South Carolina Pageant's attorney has issued a new statement about the inquiry into the program.
There had been accusations that some past winners hadn't gotten all of their scholarship money. Since then, the Secretary of State's office has begun an inquiry.
Here is the letter from the organization.
Dear Miss South Carolina Family:
Joe Sanders has asked that I write to all of you. My firm has had the privilege of serving as General Counsel to the Miss South Carolina Organization for decades. The Organization provides a truly amazing volume of charitable services to South Carolinians through Miss South Carolina, Miss South Carolina Teen, pageant contestants and Palmetto Princesses. We are all proud of the Organization’s 40 year commitment to instilling the spirit of public service into young women.
You have probably heard that the Secretary of State’s Office is reviewing filings of the Miss South Carolina Organization. Miss South Carolina is cooperating fully with the Secretary of State in the review, just as it does annually when filing the various reports that the state requires. The Miss America Organization has been fully supportive of the Miss South Carolina Organization throughout this process.
We had a very positive, fruitful and cordial meeting with the representatives of the South Carolina Secretary of State's Office on Monday, September 18th. In that meeting, we identified a few open issues, all of which involved how Miss South Carolina should show certain things on the annual filings it is required to make.
For instance, although Miss South Carolina contestants and winners may become eligible for scholarships, they must also follow through on applying for those scholarships. We explained in detail how a contestant must apply for her scholarship funds, and the sources of scholarship funds. Some scholarships are made available through colleges; some are made available by corporations or even individuals; some are paid by the Spartanburg Foundation (as a donor directed fund of the Miss South Carolina Foundation); and some are paid by the Philadelphia Foundation (as a donor directed fund of the Miss America Organization). None of those funds travel through the bank accounts of the Miss South Carolina Organization, so those scholarship funds aren’t reflected on the Miss South Carolina Organization's reports.
The Treasurer of the Miss South Carolina Organization will also be consulting with a representative of the Secretary of State’s Office to clarify reporting of goods and services that are given directly to the Miss South Carolina titleholder by pageant sponsors.
Over the years, when the Miss South Carolina Organization has run short of funds for operations, people associated with the pageant made loans or did not insist on required payments being made. The Organization needs to better memorialize those loans, although the Organization may never be able to repay them. We discussed this in our meeting with the Secretary of State.
You may have seen several articles in the Spartanburg Herald. The reporter at the Spartanburg Herald frankly does not understand much about the Miss South Carolina Organization. She clearly does not understand that scholarship payments originate from several sources, not just Miss South Carolina Organization funds. Nor does she understand that the payments Miss South Carolina makes to the landlord of the building in Liberty include not just a building, but all office equipment, computers, filing areas, telephones, furniture, and everything else that's needed to run an office.
The Miss South Carolina Organization will continue to work with the Secretary of State, as it does every year, to make sure that its reporting is as clear and accurate as possible. We fully expect the remaining issues to be resolved in the near future. In the meantime, the Miss South Carolina Organization will continue as the South Carolina affiliate of the Miss America Organization, offering young women the opportunity to build self-confidence, learn the value of public service and win scholarship eligibility.
Cordially,
Natalma M. McKnew
Leatherwood Walker Todd & Mann, P.C.
There had been accusations that some past winners hadn't gotten all of their scholarship money. Since then, the Secretary of State's office has begun an inquiry.
Here is the letter from the organization.
Dear Miss South Carolina Family:
Joe Sanders has asked that I write to all of you. My firm has had the privilege of serving as General Counsel to the Miss South Carolina Organization for decades. The Organization provides a truly amazing volume of charitable services to South Carolinians through Miss South Carolina, Miss South Carolina Teen, pageant contestants and Palmetto Princesses. We are all proud of the Organization’s 40 year commitment to instilling the spirit of public service into young women.
You have probably heard that the Secretary of State’s Office is reviewing filings of the Miss South Carolina Organization. Miss South Carolina is cooperating fully with the Secretary of State in the review, just as it does annually when filing the various reports that the state requires. The Miss America Organization has been fully supportive of the Miss South Carolina Organization throughout this process.
We had a very positive, fruitful and cordial meeting with the representatives of the South Carolina Secretary of State's Office on Monday, September 18th. In that meeting, we identified a few open issues, all of which involved how Miss South Carolina should show certain things on the annual filings it is required to make.
For instance, although Miss South Carolina contestants and winners may become eligible for scholarships, they must also follow through on applying for those scholarships. We explained in detail how a contestant must apply for her scholarship funds, and the sources of scholarship funds. Some scholarships are made available through colleges; some are made available by corporations or even individuals; some are paid by the Spartanburg Foundation (as a donor directed fund of the Miss South Carolina Foundation); and some are paid by the Philadelphia Foundation (as a donor directed fund of the Miss America Organization). None of those funds travel through the bank accounts of the Miss South Carolina Organization, so those scholarship funds aren’t reflected on the Miss South Carolina Organization's reports.
The Treasurer of the Miss South Carolina Organization will also be consulting with a representative of the Secretary of State’s Office to clarify reporting of goods and services that are given directly to the Miss South Carolina titleholder by pageant sponsors.
Over the years, when the Miss South Carolina Organization has run short of funds for operations, people associated with the pageant made loans or did not insist on required payments being made. The Organization needs to better memorialize those loans, although the Organization may never be able to repay them. We discussed this in our meeting with the Secretary of State.
You may have seen several articles in the Spartanburg Herald. The reporter at the Spartanburg Herald frankly does not understand much about the Miss South Carolina Organization. She clearly does not understand that scholarship payments originate from several sources, not just Miss South Carolina Organization funds. Nor does she understand that the payments Miss South Carolina makes to the landlord of the building in Liberty include not just a building, but all office equipment, computers, filing areas, telephones, furniture, and everything else that's needed to run an office.
The Miss South Carolina Organization will continue to work with the Secretary of State, as it does every year, to make sure that its reporting is as clear and accurate as possible. We fully expect the remaining issues to be resolved in the near future. In the meantime, the Miss South Carolina Organization will continue as the South Carolina affiliate of the Miss America Organization, offering young women the opportunity to build self-confidence, learn the value of public service and win scholarship eligibility.
Cordially,
Natalma M. McKnew
Leatherwood Walker Todd & Mann, P.C.
TKPN
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