BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CAMEO CLUB
By Dr. Al Mott

The Cameo Club started on the same day as the Ms Senior America Pageant on September 1, 1972. The event was at the National Guard Armory on the Boardwalk in Long Branch, New Jersey.

This noble tradition of having a women belong to a club for those who had been in the Senior America Pageant system on a local, state or national level was inevitable. As, Founder of Senior America, I wanted to have an opportunity for women to use their talents in a meaningful way not only in the Pageant but outside either as an individual or as a group to uplift and entertain.

When I needed a logo and a name for this concept, I remembered that my singing teacher had a theme of Cameo's throughout her home and she was very elegant. Henceforth, the "Age of Elegance" was born, and the 'right of passage' password was, in place to allow senior women to participate and the Cameo became the logo for the Senior America Pageant. The Cameo Club was a point of contact for mature women to formally have the opportunity to create their own showcase and be able to share their talent with others.

The Cameo Club was very special from its inception because the eighteen contestants, on that first fall day in September, all joined the Cameo Club once they heard that they were not going to go to "bored" meetings, but they would convene and perform at Nursing Homes, Veteran's and Children's Hospitals instead. The average age of the first Pageant contestants was eighty years old.

The Cameo Club began meeting at the Berkeley-Carteret Hotel in Asbury Park, New Jersey in 1972 as well. The meetings were all about service to others and not service to self. I spoke to the group and told them the story of the "Juggler of Our Lady." This well known story was about a Juggler who had no money to buy Our Lady, "Mary" a gift for her shrine. So when all the people left the festivities the Juggler spread his blanket out on the ground in front of her statue and started Juggling. He had nothing but his talent to give as a gift to the "Lady." Legend has it that the "Lady" smiled when he started performing, so he knew that his gift was acceptable to her and glorified God.

The Cameo Club was not formed for fun, although a lot of fun takes place, but for a purpose to share with everyone the priceless gift of a God-given talent. Talent was never relegated to singing, dancing or playing the piano, but the planned act of caring for someone else, by just calling a friend to offer a word of encouragement, or visiting a hospital or just smiling.

When I started the Cameo Club at the same time as the Pageant, I called this aspect of the Pageant a "Ministry of Love." I remember telling the group "The performer needs discipline' to prepare for each performance and in so doing adds to the health of the presenter and at the same time touches the life of the recipient, so that both improve the quality of their lives."

Today, we are announcing a new program, administered by the Cameo Club, to continue the same meaningful tradition as was set forth from the first day of its conception. With their banners and crowns and enthusiasm they could have easily been called "Ambassadors of Love."