ANNUAL BALL

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27051, 28 May 1953, Page 2

ANNUAL BALL

FORTY DEBUTANTES PRESENTED

A .brilliant gathering, carried out with exceptionally fine organisation and distinguished tty some pleasant innovations, was the annual ball Of the Christchurch High School Old Girls’ Association, held at the Winter Garden last evening. Members of the committee bad each been assigned a special task and these tasks were carried out with a thoroughness characteristic of this association. The guests were met in the entrance hall and escorted to the lounge, where they were received by the president of the association (Miss O. L. Eslick) and some of her committee. Early in the evening the very important event, the presentation of the 40 debutantes, took place and was a charming ceremony. The debutantes, all former pupils of the school and all wearing attractive white frocks, were presented by Miss E. Cornyns Thomas to Miss Eslick and to Miss J. I. Stewart (headmistress of the school). The girls, each carrying a posy, the gift of the association, curtsied to Miss Eslick and Miss Stewart, who shook hands with each and wished her well. Then the 40 debutantes danced a graceful gavotte for which they had been trained by Miss Thomas, who was also responsible for the presentation ceremony. After the applause that greeted the gavotte, the debutantes and their partners took part in a waltz reserved for them.

Among the 500 guests were the parents of many of the girls, some of whose mothers had themselves been pupils Of the school.

Miss Eslick wore a frock of deep fuchsia taffeta, with softly folded berthe and narrow loose panels at one side of the skirt lined with turquoise taffeta. She wore a shoulder spray to tone and carried a bouquet, the gift of the association. Miss Stewart's frock of periwinkle blue faille had a cuffed neckline and a tiny coatie to match. She wore a deep red shoulder spray. Miss Kissel, convener of the ball committee, wore a frock of narrowly striped red and black tie-silk. Specially invited guests were Miss Stewart. Miss M. Samtlel, Miss D. Bone, Mrs G. Maginness, Miss A. Freeman, Miss Milnes (representing the staff of the school), Dr. and Mrs R. Page (Parent-Teacher Association), Mr C. Perkins (auditor) and Mrs Perkins, and representatives of sister associations of the Avonslde Girls’ High School, Christchurch -West High School. St. Margaret’s College, Rangiruru, and St. Mary’s Convent. Miss Samuel, a former headmistress of the high. school, wore a frock of pervenche blue silk crepe and a spray of deep cream flowers. Miss Bone wore an uncommon frock of steel grey and green shot taffeta. Miss Cornyns Thomas’s frock of green and lilac shot taffeta had a draped collar outlining the decolletage and was worn with » toning shoulder spray. Members of the organising committee were: Mesdames R. Glen, D. Millar, R. Michel, R. Owen, M. Greager, N. Hilyard, E. J. Gunn, J. Johnstone, Misses Kissel, Eslick, M. Sheppard. J. Hitchen, M. Foote, J. Mahalm. J. Taigel. The debutantes were: Misses Elaine Adams, Robyn Arnold, Robin Barnes. Barbara Barton, Marie Bennett, Lorraine Blow, Beverley Bowbyes, Rayma Braun, Rhoda Burgess, Jennifer Cloudesley. Noeline Corkin, Rosamunde Cdnnal, Paula Daly, Alison Dailey, Gail Dehnonte, Dorothy Eslick, Raewynn Fairbrother, Heather Fraser. Helen Hastings. Dorothy Haworth, Jennifer Henderson, Dawn Heslip, Loma Inwood, Leona Jackman. Elizabeth Kay. Mary Knowles, Margaret Kummer, Diena Lee. Joy McDowell, Robyn Manton. Jill Okey, Jennifer Owen, Alison Perham, Patricia Perkins, Josephine Sheppard, Jocelyn Stoddart. Margaret Vass, Janet Waites. Heather Wilson, Adele Woodward.