The Southern Debutante Assembly held its 2011 Presentation and White and Gold Ball on the evening of Dec. 29 at Greenwood Country Club in Greenwood. Fourteen debutantes were presented to society at the event, which marked the assembly’s 50th anniversary.

    Crystal hurricane shades holding flickering white candles lined the drive to the clubhouse entrance. Pine garland entwined with gold silk ribbon and clear twinkle lights framed the double doors, which were flanked by garden urns holding evergreen topiary. The doors displayed matching swag door pieces of dendrobium orchids, Virginia roses, white antique hydrangeas, white Fuji mums, gypsophila and plumosa fern.

    Members of the assembly’s Governing Board greeted the honorees’ guests in the foyer. Several hundred attended from around Mississippi and other states.

    Consoles on opposite sides of the foyer held matching silver vases with complementary arrangements of dendrobium orchids, bells of Ireland, White Lion hybrid lilies, antique hydrangeas, silver dollar eucalyptus, genestra, gypsophila and plumosa and sprengeri fern, uplit by twinkle lights entwined in the fern on mirrored bases. Evergreen garland laced with twinkle lights framed the mirrors above the consoles.

    Between the two sets of double doors leading from the foyer to the ballroom, a tall wrought iron garden urn on a fluted pedestal displayed a massive arrangement of white gladioli, dendrobium orchids, porcelana spray roses, Virginia roses, White Lion hybrid lilies, antique hydrangeas, Fuji mums, bells of Ireland, pussy willow, English boxwood and plumosa fern.

    Inside the ballroom, lighted sconces held informal arrangements of gypsophila, magnolia leaves, sprengeri fern and areca palm fronds.

    The honorees were presented before an imposing arrangement of Virginia roses, gladioli, antique hydrangeas, White Lion hybrid lilies, bells of Ireland, pussy willow, tree eucalyptus and plumosa fern in a tall garden urn on a fluted wrought iron pedestal placed in front of a lattice screen laced with twinkle lights.

    At the opposite end of the ballroom, the debutantes took their places on a dais in front of a garden trellis entwined with Jackson vine and twinkle lights. Four tall columns stood at intervals before the trellis, each topped with an arrangement of dendrobium orchids and plumosa fern. Centered before the trellis was a massive arrangement of antique hydrangeas, White Lion hybrid lilies, Virginia roses, gladioli, bells of Ireland and tree eucalyptus.

On fluted pedestals flanking the dais, wrought iron garden urns held complementary arrangements of Fuji mums, bells of Ireland, gladioli, Virginia roses, pussy willow, tree eucalyptus and sprengeri.      The officers of the Cavaliers were introduced to the assembled guests. Serving this year are David Schilling Bouchard of Starkville, son of Mrs. Dennis Ford Bouchard and the late Mr. Bouchard; James Howard Evans of Greenwood, son of Katherine Ann Cole and Mr. Howard McTyiere Evans III; Fitz Robert Morgan IV of Greenwood, son of Mr. and Mrs. Fitz Robert Morgan III; John Savage Morgan Jr. of Southaven, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Savage Morgan; and Frank McClelland Mitchener Turnipseed of Sumner, son of Mrs. Mitchener Turnipseed and Mr. Richard Keith Turnipseed.

    Hugh Anslum Warren III of Greenwood introduced the master of ceremonies for the presentation, Orman Lanier Kimbrough III of Winter Park, Fla.

    In white formal ball gowns, the debutantes carried hand-tied bouquets of Virginia roses, genestra and tree fern.

    The pages wore long gowns of holly green and carried nosegays of magnolias and variegated holly hand-tied with white velvet ribbon.

    Throughout the introduction of the honorees, the Sessions of Jackson played traditional favorites. The band later played for dancing during the appointed hours.

    After the presentation, the honorees and their guests enjoyed dancing and visiting at tables positioned around the ballroom floor at the White and Gold Ball. The tables were covered in white linen and centered with arrangements of dendrobium orchids, gypsophila and plumosa fern, surrounded by flickering white votive candles on a mirrored base.

    In the Garden Room, opening from the ballroom, buffet tables were skirted in white linen overlaid with gold embroidered silk organza. The focal point of the center table was a commanding arrangement of antique hydrangeas, Virginia roses, bells of Ireland, pussy willow, White Lion hybrid lilies, genestra and tree eucalyptus in a tall silver vase. On the buffet table at each end of the Garden Room, a multi-tiered epergne held a smaller complementary arrangement.

    In a separate area of the clubhouse, Johnny Jennings of Greenwood played current favorite tunes for the pages and page escorts, who enjoyed refreshments, dancing and visiting.    Positioned around the dance floor were tables skirted in red linen with centerpiece arrangements of Fuji mums, gypsophila, plumosa fern and Jackson vine. The buffet table held a crystal vase with an arrangement of Fuji mums, silver dollar eucalyptus and Jackson vine.

 

Debutantes presented

 

    The debutantes introduced to society included Sarah Catherine Billups, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. William Alonzo Billups III of Meridian. She was presented by her father and escorted by her brother, William Robert Billups of Meridian.

 

Pages to the debutantes

 

    Pages to the debutantes included:

    Darden Majure Pilkinton, daughter of Mrs. Todd Clarence Tauzin of Ridgeland and Dr. James Clark Pilkinton of Boligee, Ala.

    Anabella Raye Sherman, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Elliott Sherman of Beverly Hills, Calif.

    Leah Margaret Thompson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Russell Lee Thompson of Meridian

 

Page escorts

 

    Among those serving as escorts to the pages was William Tate Thompson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Russell Lee Thompson of Meridian

 

 

Parties honor

participants during Golden Season

 

    In association with the Southern Debutante Assembly’s Presentation and White and Gold Ball, held in December, several parties honored the debutantes, pages, page escorts and others.

 

Luncheon at

The Alluvian

 

    Honoring three of the season’s debutantes, a luncheon was held Dec. 28 in the Terrace Room of The Alluvian in downtown Greenwood.

    Honored debutantes were Sarah Catherine Billups of Meridian, Callie Ferrell Creekmore of New Albany and Josephine Katherine Howard of Sidon.

    Christmas trees flanked the fireplace in the Terrace Room, and the centerpiece at each of the tables was a miniature Christmas tree. Each debutante received the Southern Debutante Assembly’s gift of a silver box with the assembly crest.

    Honoring their daughters with the luncheon were Mrs. William Alonzo Billups III, Mrs. Samuel Joshua Creekmore IV and Mrs. William David Howard.

 

Bowling and Pizza Party

 

    Leflore Lanes in Greenwood provided the setting for a lunchtime bowling and pizza party for the pages and page escorts on the day of the Presentation and White and Gold Ball.

    Pages honored were Madeline Aylett Beard of Madison; Bentley McClain Blair of West Point; Swayze Lynn Harris and Evelyn Claire McIntyre, both of Columbus; Anabella Raye Sherman of Beverly Hills, Calif.; and Leah Margaret Thompson of Meridian.

    Page escort honorees were Ernest Harriman Abernathy of Oxford, Joel Harper Hudnall of Madison, Tillman Ladner Thomas of Jackson, William Tate Thompson of Meridian, Collins Wilbourn Vise of Atlanta, Healey Shea Vise of Jackson and Warren Reed Williams of North Carrollton.

    The bowling theme was reflected in the tablecloths, paper plates, napkins and cookies decorated as bowling pins, as well as the centerpieces, which were bowling balls made of flowers with colorful balloons attached. The guests received bowling pins that they passed around to be autographed by all the participants and to be kept as mementos of the party.

    Parents honoring their sons and daughters were Mr. and Mrs. David Hazard Beard Jr., Mr. and Mrs. William Key Blair Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Yandell Swayze Harris, Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Michael McIntyre, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Elliott Sherman, Mr. and Mrs. Russell Lee Thompson, Mr. and Mrs. John Dixon Abernathy, Mr. and Mrs. Joel Harvey Hudnall, Mr. and Mrs. Earle Tillman Thomas III, Mr. Guy Thompson Vise III, Mr. and Mrs. James Wilbourn Vise and Mr. and Mrs. James Barney Williams III.