Redstone Club holds 106th annual Christmas Ball
The Redstone Club’s 106th annual Christmas Ball was held recently at the Country Club of Birmingham.
The president of this year’s ball was R. Holman Head, who attended with his wife, Margaret. The ball chairman was J. Arthur Smith IV, whose wife, Ashley, oversaw the event invitations. The floor committee chairman and emcee for the procession was James M. Dixon, at the ball with his wife, Marilyn. Sybil Brooke Sylvester of Wildflower Designs provided flowers and decorations for the event, held in the country club’s East Room on a surprisingly warm first night of winter.
This year’s presentation class included 15 young women, all college seniors from a wide range of schools. The presentees wore traditional long white dresses and gloves. Overseeing the class were the members of the Ladies Committee: Cary Walheim, Marilyn Dixon and Jennifer Evans.
At the Ball luncheon, which took place at the Mountain Brook Club the preceding day, the presentees for 2013 were introduced to the club membership and received a bit of historical background on the event and the club itself. One of the highlights of the luncheon was the re-introduction of the presentee class from 1963, of which 23 of 30 women were in attendance to celebrate their 50th anniversary. The returning “golden girls” regaled the group with recollections (some admittedly foggy) of their own big night five decades previous. Allison Murray herself a member of that class, served as the 1963 presentee chair.
More than 700 members and their guests attended this year’s event. The Ball followed on the heels of an earlier members-only cocktail party and dinner, spread between Birmingham Country Club’s East Room and dining rooms. Music chairman John R. Simpson arranged the evening’s accompaniment. For the cocktail party and the presentation, the Sonny Harris Trio Band set the musical atmosphere. Following the presentation, the Atlanta Party Band entertained the crowd.