FIRST CHARITY BALL

Taranaki Daily News, 25 June 1931, Page 5

FIRST CHARITY BALL

ARCHBISHOP O’SHEA ATTENDS. MANY DEBUTANTES PRESENTED. The inaugural charity ball held last evening in the Agriultural Hall, New Plymouth, set a standard which it will be very difficult to surpass. From every point of view the function was a success. The gaily decorated hall was thronged with about 700 dancers. The proceeds of the ball, which should be very substantial, will be given to the Society of St. Vincejit de ’Paul for the relief of the poor. The hall was decorated with thousands of streamers of pink, yellow, mauve and green which hung in festoons from the roof. Below the streamers hundreds of coloured balloons floated. Attention focussed immediately on the centre of the hall, where a great bell of streamers and balloons completed, the scheme. The walls were hidden with puuga fronds. Perhaps the most interesting portion of the decorative schema was the entrance hall, which was converted into a leafy walk opening on to a lounge. Along the sides of the pathway through the entrance hall were pungas arranged like a waving avenue. The lounge was also decorated with greenery and fronds. On the tables in the supper room were vases of Iceland poppies, maidenhair fern, autumn leaves and chrysanthemums. A striking feature of the evening was the presentation of 26 debutantes to His Grace Archbishop O’Shea, coadjutor Archbishop of Wellington. His Grace was escorted to the dais by the Rev. Dr. A. Mcßae, the Rev. Father- P. J. Minogue, the Rev. Father Janies Henley, Mr. McKay, chairman of the committee, and. Mesdames McPhillips and McHardy. The Mayor of New Plymouth, Mr. H. V. S. Griffiths, and Mrs. Griffiths were also present. Each debutante, escorted by her partner, approached the dais, where she was presented to the Archbishop. His Grace then made a short speech in which he congratulated the fathers Minogue and Henley, the members of the Vincent de Paul Society and those who had organised the ball. He congratulated the debutantes on making their first appearance, and said he hoped that their future social triumphs and successes would be, as on this occasion, in connection with gatherings organised for the best of all purposes—charity. Ha also referred to all those who had assisted the society to organise the ball, the object of which was to relieve the distress iu the town. "If a cup of cold water given to the thirsty goes not without ■ its reward,” said. His Grace, “how much must come to those who do so much in the cause of charity?” Replying, Father Minogue thanked the 'Archbishop for coming from Wellington for the occasion. The debutantes were: Misses Joan Franklin, Kitty Larmer, Mary Larnier, Peggy Simpson, Gladys Tempero, Peggy Austin, Sybil Courtney, Winifred Monaghan, Eileen O'Dea, Rita Dodunski, Connie Dodunski, Winifred Quinn, Edna Lagor, Annie Duggan, Reida Parker, Josephine Morgan, Patricia Yore, Mary Brophy, Nina Smith, Elsie Cooney, Betty Flyger, Patricia Wilson, Verna Jones, Ursula Jernes, Lcnorc Dunlop and Mavis Kurta. The chief' master of ceremonies was Mr. G. F. Daly, who was assisted by Messrs. H. Crawshaw, J. Bennett. F. Quinn and J. J. Norris. The decorations were carried out by Messrs. C. Hannan, F. Quinn, G. F. Daley, J. J. Norris and helpers, while electrical effects were very strikingly arranged by Messrs. D. Riordan and II Thomson. Supper arrangements were carried out by Mesdames McPhillips and Avery and an energetic committee. Excellent music was supplied by Boulton’s Orchestra. The chaperones were Mesdames D. L. McKay, T. McPhiH’qw, A. Lile, E. J. Ferguson, A. Avery, A. McHardy, H. W. Broad, C. E. Monaghan, G. Grace and T. Gardiner.