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It’s been said that behind every successful woman is a tribe of other women who have her back.

Holly Shirley and Deborah George of the soon-to-be-open, Holley House, plan a new program for girls in the Greater Brewton area.

Named the Blueberry Trail Maids, 10 high school juniors (rising seniors) will be selected as ambassadors for the Holley House and the local community.

“We will take five girls from T.R. Miller and five girls from W.S. Neal,” Shirley said.

The program will kick off with the girls’ debut at the annual Blueberry Festival held in June and will meet monthly for programs to help empower local girls to become the best they can be.

Shirley said that they plan to teach the participants things like etiquette, how to write a letter, send an email, job interview skills, how to balance a checkbook and more.

“We will fundraise all the money,” she said. “If they are selected, they are going to have to volunteer and do community service, but there will be no money from parents.”

Shirley said she found a blue formal gown that the girls will wear with long white gloves and matching pearls. They will also have a blue everyday party dress.

“They will greet special visitors who come to town and represent the Holley House in the Christmas Parade and the Martin Luther King Jr. parade as well as the Blueberry Festival,” Shirley said.

Shirley said they may take the girls to the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery.

At the end of the year, the girls will be honored with a formal dinner where they will invite their parents and guardians and a date.

“We will invite others and honor them,” Shirley said. “We just want to help get them prepared for life. We hope this will help them form friendships, and help prepare them for college.”

Applications will be available March 2 at TRM, WSN and Merle Norman. They are due April 1 and interviews will be scheduled later in the month. Selection will be complete by May 1.