The 10 women vying for the Miss Gospel Bahamas crown were encouraged to identify their purpose and take full advantage of it, by reigning queen Shenique Gray at their recent High Tea and Hat Show Gala held in the gardens of the Bahamas National Trust. "Give it your all, no matter how hard or how tough it gets.  Remember that you have a goal.  Remember that at the end of the day you want to be crowned Miss Gospel Bahamas 2011." It was under Gray's reign that the inaugural tea party was held last year at her home. This year the event, held under the theme "Pretty in Pink, Pearls and Lace," was made bigger and better with the help of the Bahamas National Trust and its executive director, Eric Carey. Gray encouraged contestants to concentrate on God's purpose for their lives.  And she told them that she remembers all too well how it felt to be a contestant.  She advised the ladies to focus on actually getting what it is that belongs to them out of the pageant experience, because there can only be one queen crowned that night. "Just remember that every last one of you is a queen within your own right," she told the ladies as they put to good use the lessons they learned in table manners and deportment, and displayed elegance, etiquette and poise. The 10 contestants in this year's pageant stayed true to the pink theme in their table setting and attire. Showing off their church finery, the ladies presented the latest in stylish hat fashions. Some attendants took the spirit of the theme even further by dressing in shades of pink and sporting freshwater pearls. Former Miss Gospel Bahamas Moika Rolle encouraged the contestants to grow as women, individuals and ministers of God. Having lost both parents on the same day last year, the 2005 queen said she uses her Miss Gospel Bahamas experience to carry her through each day. The High Tea and Hat Show Gala concluded with the judges' panel announcing Gerissa Maurice as the winner of the table setting contest.  The judges thought the 19-year-old demonstrated best the use of proper place setting and good selection in china and utensils. The other contestants in this year's pageant are Nikirah Braynen, Aimee Ferguson, Sherlene Jean-Baptiste, Dianthus Johnson, Nehemie Louis, Candice Rolle, Lavette Smith, Andrice Strachan, and Cedrica Williamson. The 16th annual Miss Gospel Bahamas Pageant will be held Sunday, July 31, at 7 p.m. at the Wyndham Nassau Resort's Rainforest Theatre.

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