I am so honored to represent such a strong community that holds such pride and tradition. – Charlotte Madden, Miss Shamrock 2025
This Monday, North Scott Junior Charlotte Madden was crowned Miss Shamrock 2025 at the Miss Shamrock Pageant in Emmetsburg, IA. Emmetsburg has a long history of Irish lineage and is well known for their extravagant St. Patrick’s festivities, extending through the whole week leading up to the holiday. Contestants participated in a private interview, business wear/personal introduction, formal wear, and talent.
The Miss Shamrock pageant dates back to 1962, part of the rich Irish culture of the town. Ever since fleeing from British Rule and famine, reflecting their culture in the town’s values has been a priority for the people of Emmetsburg. The St. Patrick's Association of Emmetsburg says, “St.Patricks in Emmetsburg, like Christmas, means coming home for the holiday, where family and friends join together for a glorious time!” Their mission in promoting these St. Patrick's festivities and Irish culture in general is to establish a town identity, promote Irish culture, and preserve a strong heritage of traditions for generations to come. Throughout the week they have a parade, Irish tea and coffee to enjoy, a bean bag tournament, live music, a pageant – of course, and many more activities. These St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in Emmetsburg commemorate the heritage and history held dearly by town citizens.
Charlotte was inspired to run in the Miss Shamrock pageant because of her family roots in Emmetsburg. Her grandma, great aunt, aunt, and cousin are all previous winners of the Miss Shamrock pageant, and Charlotte says she is honored to continue this tradition. Her mother, Mary Beth, stated, “Charlotte could not have performed any better; she was simply amazing; I'm so proud of her courage. She continues the family tradition of her grandma Ann, Aunt Tracy, and cousin Lillian. It has been so much fun!” St. Patrick’s Day has always been an important celebration in their family, filling the house with decorations and making an effort to recognize the holiday with family and friends. Charlotte says, “I remember volunteering back in 2021 at the Irish coffee and tea with my grandma and thinking to myself, ‘wow, this would be a really cool opportunity for me to do when I am older.’”
Charlotte put a lot of time and effort into preparing for the pageant: she had to come up with a performance for the talent category, she met with a former Miss Iowa pageant winner, and she studied the history of Emmetsburg. When it came to what talent she would compete with, Charlotte says, “I thought of my strengths and decided to pick a musical theater song because I know that is something I can do well with.” Charlotte is actively involved in Lancer Productions, Speech, and North Scott Singers, and Jazz Choir here at North Scott, displaying many of her vocal and theatrical talents. She says, “I was really fortunate to be able to perform the solo for a prior competition at the state thespian festival and get some feedback for it.” She performed “Show Off” from The Drowsy Chaperone. Another way she prepared for the competition was by meeting with a former Miss Iowa pageant champion. She taught Charlotte how to walk on stage, how to answer interview questions, and what it takes to be a well-rounded contestant. She also made sure to know plenty about the history of Emmetsburg prior to competing. She talked about how her mom helped her remember facts with flashcards and by quizzing her on her resume. Charlotte says, “I overall put a lot of time and effort into preparing and it was all worth it!”
Charlotte’s elaborate preparation made the pageant itself go smoothly and brought her many precious memories. She said despite being nervous during the rehearsal, the actual pageant was relatively stress-free since there isn't a lot of time to process it all when moving from one thing to the next. In addition to that, Charlotte said the other contestants were super nice and they spent a lot of time connecting over similar interests as opposed to worrying. Charlotte says, “One of the most memorable things that I remember from the night of the pageant was after I got crowned there was a group of little girls who were a little shy to come up to me but they just wanted their photo taken and it just meant the world to me.”
Since the Miss Shamrock Pageant is the first big event of the week, the winner has many duties throughout the remainder of the week’s festivities. Charlotte says, “It is an honor to be an ambassador of the St. Patrick’s Association.” In this role, she will attend a meeting with the Irish Dignitaries that come to Emmetsburg from Ireland for the week. She also attends all of the local events for St. Patrick’s Day like the chamber coffee event, fish fry, BINGO, parade, scholarship run, new Trick band, and much more. Charlotte says, “The one thing that I’m looking forward to the most is stopping at the Kid’s Tent before the parade and getting to interact with all of the children.”
When reflecting on the experience, Charlotte noted, “Overall I am just so grateful to have this opportunity and experience and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world! I'm so fortunate to have a family who came and supported me on the day of the pageant and for all the sweet people who have texted me congratulations; I am just so grateful to have such a supportive community.” Next time you see Charlotte in the halls, just know you’re walking among royalty.
