Officers’ Club Holds Annual Ball

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29892, 4 August 1962, Page 2

Officers’ Club Holds Annual Ball

Military dress of the early 1900’s was side by side with modern Army trophies and drums at the Winter Garden last evening, when the Canterbury Officers’ Club held its annual ball. But the decor was brought alive by the two young drummer boys who stood to attention by the mess silver and drums of the Ist Battalion, Canterbury Regiment. The red-braided jackets and dark trousers striped down the side in red represented the uniforms of a sergeant bugler and colour sergeant of the battalion in the 1902-1912 period.

As tbs club’s president is an Army officer this year, the ballroom decor was an Army theme. Facsimiles of New Zealand and United Kingdom regimental badges decorated the mirrors round the ballroom. In a display bay, were dug-outs made of sandbags and tussock, and the battalion’s crest was the focal point of drawings depicting Army life, the work of the Southern Military District’s display department. Tin helmets and camouflage nets were hung across the ceiling. Floral decorations were In red and white, and in the sapphire room were red candles. Music was played for part of the evening by the Band of the Ist Battalion. About 50 persons attended a dinner held in the sapphire room before the ball. About 400 attended the ball. Guests were welcomed by

Canterbury C.WJ.—A full report on the Dominion conference of New Zealand Country Women’s Institutes held last week in Wellington was given this week to members of the institutes’ Canterbury federation by the federation president (Mrs L M. Kellaway). Congratulations were extended at the meeting to Mrs C. D. Newton on her election to the Dominion executive.

the club’s president (Major K. W. Hobbs) and Mrs Hobbs, and the secretary (Mr D. M. Thomson). Among the speci-ally-invited guests were the club's patron (Brigadier A. H. Andrews) and Mrs Andrews; the officer commanding the Canterbury division of the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve (Commander R. M. J. O’Connor) and Mrs O’Connor; the officer commanding the R.N.Z.A.F. station. Wigram (Group Captain S. G, Quill) and Mrs Quill; and Major F. S. Spring (representing the officer commanding the Southern Military District) and Mrs Spring. Mrs Andrews wore a fulllength gown of champaign delustred satin. Styled on classical lines, her dress was finished at one shoulder strap with a Genevan brooch. Mrs Hobbs chose brocade embossed with pink and jade flowers on an oyster background for her full-length gown. It was swathed at the waist, and had shoestring shoulder straps. Arrangements for the ball were made by a committee under Major Hobbs, Captain H. H. Wauchop, LieutenantCommander W. Harris (chairman of the club’s social committee), and Mr Thomson.