News For Women Many Fathers Escort Daughter-Debutantes

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28268, 4 May 1957, Page 2

News For Women Many Fathers Escort Daughter-Debutantes

A feature of the Rangi-ruru Old Girls’ Association’s debutante ball held last evening in the Winter Garden was the number df proud fathers who escorted their daughters at the ceremony. The debutantes were presented to the president of the association (Mrs Colin Hart) by Mrs M. G. Patrick, principal of the school.

All the debutantes wore write, the dresses being mostly in the popular style of bouffant skirt and fitting bodice. Each girl carried a dainty posy of white chrysanthemums and spider lilies with a background of gold lace, with a fall of white satin ribbon. Miss E. Cornyns Thomas trained the debutantes for the presentation. Mrs Hart wore a gown of lilac grey French lace re-embroidered in silver and mounted on shimmering satin, with a fitted bodice and a skirt with a back emphasis falling into a fan of soft folds. A pink stole and accessories completed Mrs Patrick’s fullskirted blue-grey taffeta frock, which had a neckline and shoulder straps embroidered with diamantes.

Orchid pink was favoured by Miss Betty Webb, whose satin dress had gathered side panels and a fitting bodice relieved with a draped stole of orchid pink and silver.

Miss Cornyns Thomas wore a black frock patterned with large sprays of flowers. Bowls of autumn-coloured flowers and leaves formed the decorations, with gold candles in the candelabra on the supper table. The association’s shield, with monogram, was in a prominent position. Palms and white flowers formed the decorations about the orchestra’s dais, and bowls of white chrysanthemums and ivy trails hung above the dancers. The official guests at the ball were the Rev. M. W. Wilson, chairmar of the board of governors, and Mrs Wilson, Mrs Patrick, Mr J. L. Kerr, bursar, and Mrs Kerr.

Among those present also were representatives of the following kindred associations: Christchurch Girls’ High School, St. Margarets’ College Christchurch West High School. St. Mary’s College, Christs’ College and St. Andrews’ College.

The debutantes were:—Janice Bilbrough, Jillian Bradley, Alison Bruce, Elizabeth Boulton, Nance Buckley, Jenneth Clarkson, Jan Cooney, Pamela Cromb, Sallie Dawson, Esther Eaves, Patricia Eliott, Anne Fryer, Jane Gilbert, Robin Latter, Maureen Lester, Marion Mclntyre, Mhairi Matheson, Susan Martin, Jeanette Mclntosh, Philippa Mills, Robin Mathewson, Joanne Nixon, Ann Nicol, Jillian Perry, Maryann Reynolds. Sally Rich, Fiona Ridgen, Diana Richardson, Wendy Sim, Judith Smythe, Adrienne Spicer, Anne Stevenson, Gay Smart, Jane Stalker, Jennifer Thompson, Mary Walker, Valerie Wright, Janet Whitehead, Anne White. Pauline Witbrock.

The committee responsible for the organisation of the ball was:— Mesdames Colin Hart, W. McF. Robertson, J. R. Dawson, H. A. Bishop, J. Cuddon, J. Hewlett, J. S. Royds, Misses Natalie Lough, M. Walton, B. Hale, J. Hanna, J. Johnson. A. Kay, L. Innes-Jones, Betty Webb and M. M. Smith.