25 ‘Debutized’ at Children’s Home Ball

Let us speak now of debs and dances and dinosaurs . . . .

A debutante ball can mean many things to many people: Some see it as simply a lovely way to raise funds for a worthwhile cause; others see it as an invaluable rite of passage in a young lady’s life, her “coming out.”

For the Children’s Home Society Newport Harbor Auxiliary, which held its 31st annual debutante ball at the Newport Marriott Hotel Friday night, it meant $30,000 raised for the statewide adoption agency, according to auxiliary President Sally Phillips. More than 400 attended.

For 25 young women--at an age when a degree of awkwardness retains its charm, when grown-up sophistication hasn’t quite yet stifled adolescent giggles--it meant traditional all-white gowns, opera-length gloves, nosegays of roses and freesia; it meant learning the waltz and the traditional St. James bow.

For their escorts, it meant manly composure on one hand and nervousness and occasional bewilderment on the other. (“It’s getting ugly around here,” said one young man readying himself to make his way with the other escorts to the Pacific Ballroom, “I mean, really complicated!”)

For the fathers, it meant pride.

And for everybody, it meant countless details.

Little details like family photos: Three rooms were set up for professional photographers, while any number of relatives brought their own cameras. (“Do you know what time the escorts are supposed to be here? I’ve been calling my daughter’s all day to get him here by quarter to 6 for a family picture, and there’s no answer!” lamented one deb mother.)

Little details like sick escorts. (“I mean, where do you find somebody at 3:30 the day before? And then he’s got to get in tails and everything!” said another.)

Little details like propriety, which, in the case of at least one debutante, meant getting alterations right down to the wire so her dress wouldn’t sneak down off her shoulder. (Bare shoulders for debutantes, unlike brides, are frowned upon. Although some were spotted, it is purely a matter of conjecture whether the dresses’ shoulders fell of their own accord or . . . .)

Big Bird Cage

The Pacific Ballroom was decorated in a burgundy, pink and white Victorian garden theme, with topiary trees, roses and other flowers, a gaslight, a bigger-than-life wrought-iron bird cage with stuffed doves and a park bench. (Chris Lindsay did the floral designs.)

Master of ceremonies Robert Beechner introduced each debutante and her father or presenter as the pairs passed through a rose arbor arch and around the perimeter of the dance floor. The debs then made the St. James bow.

If the father-daughter waltz seemed somewhat tenuous--some of the young women had only recently learned the step--the escort-deb waltz proved even more so, until, that is, the dancers began to introduce elements of swing. Finally, all pretense of tradition was thrown out as Barry Cole’s Sounds of Music orchestra switched to rock ‘n’ roll.

The contrast of those gowns with today’s dance steps brings us to the matter of dinosaurs.

Is the Event Outmoded?

Is the debutante ball an out-moded relic of times past? After all, introducing the young women to society infers they had in some way been kept from society to begin with--hardly the case today.

“Obviously, as far as coming out into society, Newport Beach is not really a ‘coming out’ place,” noted former debutante Anne DeWald, whose sister Colleen was among the debutantes this year.

“The purpose of the ball, as far as the girls are concerned, has obviously changed. It’s now more to recognize the girls for their academic achievement and community involvement. Twenty years from now? I think it’ll still be happening.

“It’s just a really neat thing for fathers and daughters to do together.”

One can only hope those being “debutized” in the year 2005 will retain the forthrightness of the current crop of debs, which was indeed refreshing.

Most Funds Raised

One debutante pointed out it is no longer just your parents’ friends you are introduced to. “No, no! You’re introduced to society at large! You get your pictures all over the papers.”

Another, asked what she felt distinguishes the Newport Harbor Auxiliary debs from those of other groups, giggled and rubbed her thumb and first two fingers in an international gesture meaning only one thing--money. (“She’s just kidding!” a friend quickly added with a laugh. “She must have had something on her gloves.”)

Kidding or not, the Newport Harbor Auxiliary did in fact raise more money last year for the Children’s Home Society of California than any other auxiliary in the state.

In his remarks, ball host and society board member Per Trebler noted that since its founding in 1891, the society has arranged the adoption of 42,000 children statewide--more than any other agency, public or private.

“But behind each number,” Trebler said, “is a human event like the one that ended happily just one month ago at our Orange County facility. A boy of oriental and black heritage was placed for adoption. As mandated by law, parents of like heritage had to be found--as you can imagine, a formidable task.

“The impressive networking skills of the Santa Ana staff were put to work. A foster home was found in San Clemente and soon received a rather frail little baby.

“Eventually a couple was found hundreds of miles away in Washington state. One month ago, two very nervous parents-to-be met what had become a decidedly robust child, and I’ve just learned that parents and child are doing wonderfully.”

The 1984 debutantes were Christina Rodgers, Kathleen Mears, Baret Bertea, Christine Porter, Colleen DeWald, Kelly Malcomb, Marel Doan, Denise Root, Kristin Kerrigan, Cynda Harwood, Susan Rumsfeld, Kathleen Wagenseller, Tracy Schmidt, Ann Auelmann, Julia Kerrigan, Wendy Barto, Alissa Westover, Fiona Young, Alison Spear, Michelle Davis, Gina Speers, Dana Davis, Karen Stahr, Nancy Waters and Michele Baron.

The ball chairman was Barbara DeMott.