High school seniors who are interested in participating in the Butler County Junior Miss Program still have time to sign up, organizers of the county program say.

The 2005-2006 Butler County Junior Miss Program is slated for 7 p.m. Saturday, September 17 at the Greenville High School Auditorium. This year’s theme will be &uot;Under the Sea with Junior Miss.&uot;

&uot;We want all 2006 graduating senior girls in Butler County to know there is still room for them to be a part of our program. However, we need to hear from them soon,&uot; April Smith, director of this year’s county Junior Miss Program, said.

Smith is asking all those who are interested in participating in this year’s program to contact her this week at 383-9406 (after 5 p.m.). Junior Miss applications should preferably be turned in no later than this Friday, August 19.

&uot;We want to have the chance to go over what the girls will need to wear and to bring with them. The absolute latest we can take an application will be on August 21, the day our rehearsals begin,&uot; Smith said. Participants are required to live in Butler County to be eligible.

Rehearsals will begin promptly at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, August 21, at Greenville High School.

The girls vying for the title of Butler County Junior Miss will be eligible for cash scholarships, along with the chance to represent Butler County and earn additional scholarship monies at the state Junior Miss program.

And there is good news on the national front for America’s Junior Miss (AJM). After an announcement in May the national program was shutting down due to a lack of major corporate sponsors, on Wednesday The Mobile Register reported the national program will continue in its home city of 48 years, Mobile (albeit with a slimmer budget and no national television contract).

According to The Register, the budget cuts will not affect the amount of scholarships given at the national level or the two weeks of activities the 50 state contestants participate in leading up to the national finals in June.

According to records, AJM awarded almost $145,000 in scholarships at tbe national level in 2005. It is the top scholarship program for high school senior girls in the nation.

Smith sees America’s Junior Miss as a wonderful &uot;once-in-a-lifetime&uot; experience for the girls who take on the challenge.

&uot;This is an excellent scholarship opportunity and a great, fun experience for the girls. We hope to see lots of Butler County senior girls on the stage next month,&uot; Smith said.

The Greenville Junior Women’s Club is the longtime sponsor of the Butler County Junior Miss Program.