12 • Thursday, January 26, 2012
Social
104 Years of Tradition
T Redstone Christmas Ball debutantes include, from left: Hillary Marbury, Maggie Elliott, Photos courtesy Dee Moore Corbett Wicks and Tucker Bolvig.
Presented at the Redstone Club’s 104th Christmas Ball were, from left: Curry Stevenson, Lauryn Simpson, Jemison Matthews and Virginia Weatherly.
This year, Redstone Club Christmas Ball debs included, from left: Katherine Murray, Virginia Rushton, Evelyn Drennen and Bess Ager.
Presented at the 2011 Christmas Ball at the Country Club of Birmingham were, from left: Eliza Fite, Bradshaw Ratcliffe, Walton Newman and Mallie Drew..
Among Christmas Ball debutantes were, from left: Kate Shannon, Sarah Seibels, Elizabeth DeBardeleben and Susan Puffer.
OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal
20 Young Ladies Presented at Annual Redstone Club Christmas Ball
he Redstone Club’s 104th annual Christmas Ball was Dec. 17 at the Country Club of Birmingham President of this year’s ball was Felix M. Drennen III, who attended with his wife, Elizabeth (“Betts”). Ball chairman was James W. Gewin, at the event with his wife, Lee. The floor committee chairman was James M. Dixon, who was at the ball with his wife Marilyn. The decorations for the ball were provided by Sybil Brooke Sylvester of Wildflower Designs. The inspiration for this year’s décor came from the architecture and ambiance of the country club’s East Room, where the presentation of the debutantes and the ball were held. An arched gazebo-styled structure, erected in the center of the ballroom, resembled the columns and arches flanking the sides of the room and was softened with sheer white swagged draperies. Seven additional crystal chandeliers added sparkle. The room’s columns and arches were dressed with holiday greens and fresh holly boughs, red ilex berries, tiny white lights and dangling red Sugar Pine cones. An updated version of an early 1920s decoration from an original Redstone Ball was a new addition to this year’s décor. An image of the Redstone Club’s mascot, known as “The Growler,” was projected by a Lucite disk above the entry point for the presentees, creating the effect of a full moon over the festivities. The evening began with a Member Cocktail Party. The Sonny Harris Trio Band provided music for the members-only party in the East Room. The members then moved into the dining rooms for dinner. On the menu were a bibb and arugula salad with Mandarin oranges, dried cranberries, candied pecans, feta cheese and D’Anjou pear vinaigrette dressing; bacon cheddar corn muffins and lavash; grilled filet mignon with mushroom jus served with caramelized onion and white cheddar galette potatoes and asparagus, baby carrots and sunburst squash medley. For dessert, the chef served key lime tart in short crust shell with traditional key lime filling, mixed berry coulis garnished with a white chocolate decoration and freshly brewed coffee and tea. The Members Only Dinner was filled to capacity. Tables were decorated with platinum pleated satin tablecloths and surrounded with golden wooden chairs throughout the original section of the country club. Mercury glass containers held candles. The center of each table held crystal containers filled with spring blossoms in white and flesh tones. In addition to honoring the 2011 presentees, it is a Redstone tradition to give special recognition to women celebrating the 50th anniversary of their Christmas Ball presentation. Ten of the 1961 presentees attended the luncheon at the Mountain Brook Club Dec. 16: Adele McNeel Bibb (Mrs. Charles Henry Colvin III), Margaret Hail (“Brownie”) Brown (Mrs. E. Barry Evans), Frances Beverley Davies (Mrs. John G. Harrell), Helen Mushat Morris (Ms. Helen Morris Camp), Donie DeBardeleben Neal (Mrs. Sykes Martin), Lucy Melissa Prater (Mrs. William Daniel Allison), Frances Montgomery Schultz (Mrs. Paul M. James), Bonnie Oats Shaw (Mrs. William C. Bailey), Elizabeth Holt Smith (Mrs. Elliotte M. Harold) and Eleanor Elizabeth Turner (Mrs. Jack S. Allison). Mrs. Colvin and Ms. Camp co-chaired the committee responsible for getting the 1961 group together again. At the luncheon, the Redstone member sponsors made a short introduction to the club membership of each young woman to be presented at the ball. Each 2011 presentee received a traditional “Growler”
amethyst and silver bracelet, a time-honored tradition as old as the club itself. Twenty young women were presented at the ball: Bess Bouchelle Ager, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Francis Minor Shepard Ager; Elizabeth Cunningham DeBardeleben, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Whitney DeBardeleben; Evelyn Adams Drennen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Hagood Drennen; Hillary Benners Marbury, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Collier Marbury; Julia Jemison Matthews, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. George Wheeler Matthews III; Virginia Pulis Rushton, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Deakins Ford Rushton; Sarah Laetitia Seibels, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Goldthwaite Seibels III; Elizabeth Tucker Bolvig, daughter of Mr. Christoffer Peter Bolvig III and Mrs. Caroline Stevens Bolvig, sponsored by Mr. Frank Wilson Tynes; Margaret Alice Drew, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mark Livingston Drew, sponsored by Mr. Ehney Addison Camp III; Margaret Ann Elliott, daughter of Mr. Edgar Meador Elliott IV and Mrs. Vicki Shotts Elliott, sponsored by Mr. David Alan Elliott; Anne Eliza Fite, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Larry Blackwell Fite, sponsored by Mr. Herbert Cannon Stockham; Katherine Earle Murray, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lee Bradley Murray, sponsored by John Reese Murray III; Virginia Walton Newman, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Lucian Newman III, sponsored by Dr. Charles Glenn Cobbs; Susan Gabriella Puffer, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John William Puffer, sponsored by William Bew White III; Elizabeth Bradshaw Ratcliffe, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lester O’Neal Hamiter, sponsored by Judge Jack D. Carl; Katherine Candler Shannon, daughter of Mr. Michael Sherrod Shannon and Mrs. Winn Cole Shannon, sponsored by Mr. Henley Jordan Smith III; Lauryn Frances Simpson, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Lloyd Clark Simpson, sponsored by Mr. Herbert Cannon Stockham; Rebecca Curry Stevenson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Avery Stevenson III, sponsored by Mr. Herbert Cannon Stockham; Virginia Manning Weatherly, daughter of Mr. Robert Stone Weatherly III and Mrs. Mary Frances Young Weatherly, sponsored by Mr. Robert Stone Weatherly Jr.; and Nora Corbett Wicks, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Kenneth Wicks, sponsored by Mr. Henry G. Seibels Jr. The 2011 Redstone Club officers, board members and chairmen are: Felix M. Drennen III (wife, Elizabeth “Betts”), president; R. Holman Head (wife, Margaret), vice president; J. Arthur Smith IV (wife, Ashley), secretary-treasurer; board members Gregory S. Curran (wife, Emily), William K. Hancock (wife, Susan), William E. Matthews V (wife, Elizabeth) and J. Bailey Knight III (wife, Margaret); Richard Murray IV (wife, Nora); William O. Byars (wife, Mary Elizabeth “Betsy”), camp chairman; George C. Thompson (wife, Nancy), traditions chairman; J. Reese Murray III (wife, Marilyn), finance chairman; and C. Hartwell Davis Jr. (wife, Martha), past president. Members of the 2011 Dance Committee were: James W. Gewin (wife, Lee), chairman; William K. Hancock (wife, Susan), co-chairman; John R. Simpson (wife, Leslie), music chairman; James M. Dixon (wife, Marilyn), floor committee chairman. Floor Committee members were James Alison, Daniel Coleman, John Scott Doyle, William Spencer Ragland, John Carl Shearer and William Shields Tynes. Ladies Committee members were: Mrs. James H. Emack Jr., Mrs. J. Matthew B. Moor and Mrs. J. Arthur Smith IV. Mrs. Jack D. Carl was in charge of invitations.