A Cloverdale teen has been crowned Miss British Columbia Job’s Daughter for the coming year, a title that’s earned her the role of provincial ambassador.
In May, Regan Hasegawa launches an adventure that will take her to communities across B.C., visiting all the cities and towns where there are Job’s Daughters chapters, known as bethels.
“I’m thrilled, I’m absolutely thrilled,” says Hasegawa, a Grade 11 student at Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary. “I have lots of plans.”
Her main goal is to boost membership in the international fraternal organization, which teaches leadership, teamwork, public speaking and a host of other skills, along with fostering friendships. It’s open to girls aged 10 to 20 who are related to a Master Mason.
Hasegawa will promote Job’s Daughters – affectionately known as “Jobies” among members – throughout the province by appearing at parades, events, ceremonies and conventions. And don’t forget to look for her in the upcoming Cloverdale Rodeo parade.
She also plans to post frequent Twitter updates and has set up a Facebook account to help reach out to members and prospective members in a more modern way.
“I think it would be great for people to see what we’re actually doing in the community,” she says. “It’s kind of a hard thing to explain to an outsider who’s never taken part in any Masonic function before. My goal as Miss British Columbia is to show other people in B.C. how awesome
‘Jobies’ is.”
She points out Job’s Daughters has shrunk from a high of 63 bethels in B.C. to less than 20 in 2011.
“It’s just sad, because Job’s Daughter’s has just given me so much in my life, valuable life lessons,” says Hasegawa, who joined at age 11.
The organization has members in Canada, the U.S., Australia, Philippines and Brazil.
Members perform service projects in their community. They run their own meetings, voting on everything in order to decide activities and plan events.
“I just tell people that it’s an organization for young women who would like to be leaders in their community, take part in helping other charities, learn public speaking, self-esteem and self-confidence,” she says.
It’s shaping up to be a full year for Hasegawa, who works at PriceSmart in Cloverdale, and will be an assistant track and field coach at her school.
She’ll be selling Miss B.C. J.D. Bubblegum Tea as a way to help finance her travels.
Last spring, she was diagnosed with Lupus, an autoimmune disease. It forced her to take a break from sports and dancing.
Prior to her diagnosis, it was difficult not knowing what was wrong. Jobies were there to help.
“I got awesome support from my bethel,” she says. “The Job’s Daughters are like a family. That’s one of the things I’m really blessed to have, is my bethel, because they’re there to support me in everything I do.”
She will also represent B.C. at the Job’s Daughters international convention in St. Louis, Missouri, this July. While there, she’ll compete against 30 other young women for the international title. The competition includes interviews, memory work recitation, a written test and stage presentations and spontaneous questions.