A search is on throughout the City of New Orleans for a certain young lady between the ages of sixteen and nineteen. The right girl will be selected Maid of Orleans of the 2012 Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc Parade. The winner will represent Joan of Arc as she rides in costume armor on horseback from the Bienville Statue to the St. Joan of Arc Statue at Decatur and St. Philip.
As the golden statue of Joan was a gift to New Orleans from France, the Joan of Arc Parade is a gift to New Orleans from residents and supporters who love the city and our French heritage.
Special handmade ‘gifts’ are created by the krewe and presented to very lucky parade-goers along the short route. The chosen Maid of Honor may designate a ‘page’ of her own to hand out rare and special favors. Each Maid of Orleans traditionally has her page offer select members of the crowd one of 16 handmade wooden swords.
Candidates for Maid of Honor will be asked to recite some passages in French and address the crowd.
“We look for girls who reflect Joan’s legacy,” offered Joan of Arc Project Founder Amy Kirk Duvoisin.
She continued, “leadership abilities, a passion for making change, a commitment to community, a sense of responsibility, etc. The winning Maids we have had over the past two years were very different yet both possessed a confidence, maturity, and grace that seemed to reflect Joan of Arc. This is such a great age for young women {between 16 and 19 years}…where you feel invincible… you are right at that cusp where you are developing your own persona, but you are still within that protective bubble of high school and family, so you can really take risks and accomplish things with a degree of boldness that may not be as possible a bit later.”
The Joan of Arc Parade website offers information on the selection of a girl to ride in the January 6, 2012 procession:
Following in the footsteps of Orleans, France, where they select a young woman to lead their annual parade May 8 in honor of both V-Day and Joan's lifting of the siege of Orleans, we select one young woman age 16-19 (the ages of Joan's most notable feats) who best represents what Joan embodied: loyalty and love of place, dedication to community, and courage. Minimum requirements include some French language skills and the willingness to learn to ride a horse for the parade if no previous horse riding experience exists.
Joan’s 600th birthday is January 6, 2012. Each year, the birthday of Joan of Arc, Maid of Orleans, is celebrated by the Joan of Arc Project. The organization was founded in 2008. The first Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc Parade was celebrated in 2009. The Maid of Orleans tradition began in 2009. Blair Davis won the title in 2010. The 2011 title was granted to Mallory Young.
Do you know a girl who would make a good candidate for Maid of Orleans?
Those interested should email stjoankrewe@yahoo.com for an application. The deadline is December 6, 2011. This deadline is annually set one month from the Twelfth Night parade.
The krewe is also looking for new members to join. Click here and scroll to the bottom of the page for more information.
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