DEBUTANTES’ BALL

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 79, Issue 7101, 31 August 1949, Page 6

DEBUTANTES’ BALL

TE AWAMUTU OLD PUPILS ASSOCIATION DEFINITE SUCCESS OF ANNUAL FUNCTION The annual Debutantes Ball of the Te Awamutu Old Pupils’ Association, held in the College Assembly Hall last night, was a definite success for the younger set as well as the old, and w’as thoroughly enjoyed by everyone who was present. It can also be safely said that those who stayed at home missed one of the highlights of the year. The decorations were effective to the extreme and the stage was the most tastefully decorated and most certainly the prettiest setting of any ball the writer has seen this yfear. The hall proper was adorned with a galaxy of multi coloured streamers radiating out from three large spaced cardboard bowls suspended from the ceiling and full of balloons. At the sides of the hall small but effective clusters of various coloured balloons were suspended while the sills of the windows were decorated with lacopodium and crepe paper flowers. The stage, which had been transformed into 4he dais upon which the debutantes were to be received by Mr and Mrs S. C. Jeune of Morrinsville, was hung with pale pink crepe paper along the rear and in the wings. A border of mauve along the top of the crepe set it off nicely and the emblem of the Old Pupils’ Association was set in the centre at the rear. A low, semi-circular dais was set around the rear of the stage for the debutantes to, stand upon after they had been received, while ’at the back of that again was set with palm fronds and paper blossoms. T’he whole setting was highlighted with silver tinsel paper. The fore-part of the stage was well set with a low trellis-work fence to each side of the steps leading up to the platform. Kentia palms, asparagus fern, lyacopodium and potted conifers were used to good effect to complete the scene which was reminiscent of spring. The whole of the stage was lit by concealed lights from above.

The Ball started early and was in full swing from the first note of music played by Vercoe’s Ballroom Orchestra. At about 8.45 the presentation of the debutantes was held. Everyone was moved to the sides of the hall and a carpet was laid down the centre of the dance floor. Mr and Mrs S. C. Jeune took their places on the stage and were flanked by Mr and Mrs W. G. Parker and Mr Alan Bedford and Miss Nola Morris. To the tune of a Strauss waltz the first debutantes came forward with grace and decorum to be received, after which they moved to the back of the stage and took up their positions on the low dais provided for the purpose. The first ten took up their positions on that dais while the last seven formed up in a semi-circle in front of them.

Mrs Jeune was dressed in a lime green French crepe evening gown trimmed with gold sequins with pearl jewellery to match. Mrs Parker wore a floral velvet evening frock and Miss Morris a Pale green gown with a marquisette skirt and Swiss embroidered bodice. Each of them was presented with a spring bouquet by Miss Joan Moxham, Valma Parish, and Mary Ward, prior to the presentation of the debutantes. Mr Basil Pay announced each debutante as she reached the stage. The debutantes, in the order in which they were presented, with a description of their frocks, are as follows:

Miss June Young: Ivory georgette over satin with shirred fitting bodice and soft draped neckline edged with frills. The picturesque bouffant skirt was trimmed with a band of frills and worn over a hoop. Miss Nola Thompson: Frock of white organdie, the very full skirt gathered onto a fitting corsellette waist, three rows of frills adorning the hemline, with another three rows eight inches further up the skirt. The off-shoulder neckline was also trimmed with three rows of frills.

Miss Shirley Mawston: Frock of taffeta and lace. The skirt was a three-tired bouffant style, with a lace bodice featuring a Victorian neckline, trimmed with tiny lavender bows. She wore lace mittens with trimming to match.

Miss Heien Meads: A gown of French moire taffeta cut on classical lines. The slim fitting cap-sleeved bodice had a U-shaped scalloped neckline and was finished at the waist with matching scallops. The fully flared skirt was prettily finished at the back with a butterfly bow. The ensemble was complete with befrilled mittens.

Miss Barbara Lawson: A gown of white and net, featuring a fitting taffeta bodice with a deep befrilled collar of net. The fully flared overskirt of taffeta was cut to fall away at the back showing an underskirt of deep net frills. Mittens of net went to match. Miss Elaine Southcombe: A picture frock of tulle and silver lame. The slim fitting lame bodice was finished at the neckline with a floating sequined tulle scarf. The billowing skirt was of plain and frilled panels of tulle. Miss Shirley Sinclair: A gown with cloque bodice featuring off-shoulder neckline and shirred front. Her semiflared skirt was of tulle over net and was offset with a matching cloque peplum. Miss Ngaire McDonald: Cloque bodice and peplum featuring semi-off-shoulder, fitting bodice trimmed with deep frill round shoulder line, puffed sleeves. A full circular net over satin skirt, finished with net ruching and, satin bows. Miss Lorna Glass: A frock of luminous taffeta featuring a fitting bodice with a bertha neckline and flared frill. The skirt was fully flared, with a bustle bow.

Miss Beverley McCormick: Bows of lame georgette set off the four shirred panels in the full skirt of marquisette over taffeta, falling from a fitting bodice of lame georgette, featuring small shirred yokes and sweetheart neckline and topped with puffed sleeves of shirred marquisette. Miss Joan Ball ingem A frock of white ivory satin and lace. The bodice featured • a round lace yoke and the semi-off-the-shoulder neckline was edged with a satin frill. The small puffed sleeves were also edged with satin, and worn at the waist was a spray of lace'flowers on a fitting'* lace

band. The skirt gave a three-tiered effect, each tier being headed by a band of lace.

Miss Betty Smart: A gown of ivory illuminous taffeta and lace. The tightfitting bodice, with puffed sleeves, featured a square yoke of lace and was offset with a tuck and bow of taffeta. Her skirt was cut on very full lines and gathered into a low waistline. Miss Connie Helwig: A frock with a very full white net skirt, bodice and flared peplum of lace, over taffeta.

Miss Gwen Glass: A frock of marquisette and lace over satin. The fitting bodice was of marquisette with back and front yokes and puff sleeves of lace. The skirt was fully gathered from slightly below the waist with a flounce at the hemline. Miss Janet Dean: A frock of w.hite satin, made with a shaped neckline, cap sleeves and ruched front bodice. A gathered peplum fell from a narrow waist band over a flared skirt. The frock was finished with an organdie frilling which edged the neckline, sleeves, yokes and peplum. Miss Mary Harding: White georgette over satin, scalloped fissue neckline, tight fitting waistline, and full gathered bouffant skirt, with scalloped frills around hem.

Miss iNgaire McLeish: A frock of georgette with lace yoke, sweetheart neck’ine and full puffed sleeves. Full circular skirt of georgette offset with peplum elbow-length crocheted mittens.

Following the presentation of the debutantes Mr Jeune spoke a few words to the assembly, in which he said that the debutantes were worthy of presentation and that he had never seen a more attractive or charming group of girls. He also paid tribute to the Old Pupils’ Association for theexcellent decorations and the capable manner in which the ball had been arranged. The debutantes then filed to the centre of the hall where they were met by their partners and the Debutantes Waltz was performed. Following the waltz the debutantes and the official party went to a sumptions sit-down supper and the ball was continued.

At midnight a waltz was played and the balloons in the cardboard containers in the ceiling were successfully released among the dancers who performed a vigorous scramble in an endeavour to obtain a souvenir.

The ball was continued, until an early hour and was a marked success and a tribute to the committee • and workers of the*.Old Pupils’ Association.