It was a night shrouded in entertainment and mystery for the 165 attendants, Girl Reserves members and their dates, at the 87th annual Girl Reserves dance on Feb. 23. The guests entered at 5:30 p.m. masked and dressed their best for A Night in Venice: A Masquerade Ball.
“It was so fun taking a second to guess who is behind each mask. All the masks are so colorful and festive,” cabinet member Nicole Ford said.
The scene was a visual delicacy. Each girl wore a mask either purchased or custom designed. The masks came in every color and were adorned with beads, pearls, feathers, lace and other decorations. The hall at Heston Hills was decorated with a classy black, white and red color scheme and rose petals, lanterns and candles were scattered throughout the venue.
“We wanted the theme to be classy and romantic. We feel everyone wants to attend at least one masked ball in their lifetime, and we wanted to give our members just that,” Vice President Kayla Dunbar said.
After pictures and mingling, the guests sat down at their tables and, while sipping on their appropriately colored Shirley temples and sparkling grape juice, enjoyed a delectable candlelit dinner. Guests had a choice between chicken, prime rib and manicotti for their main entrée, but the real treat came during dessert. Guests lined up at a table holding rich fruit tarts, a flowing chocolate fountain, buttery sugar cookies, decadent chocolate raspberry cups and luscious peanut butter blossoms.
“Dinner was delicious! It was one of my favorite parts. I am happy that I chose the prime rib like I do every year. The dessert table is sinfully good too,” cabinet member Nicole Ford said.
After the guests’ hunger was sated, they rose and hit the dance floor. The dancing lasted five hours and the tunes ranged from modern hits to classic ballads. The students even grooved to the “Chicken Dance,” “Hokey Pokey” and wound a train around the ball room to the “Locomotive.”
Mid-dance the Girl Reserves took a moment to honor their cabinet, senior members and Points Queens. Each girl received a beautiful bouquet of red flowers and a round of applause. The Points Queens received an extra honor. The four queens, one from each grade, represent the members that performed the most community service throughout the year. Each girl had a sparkling tiara placed on her head and represents the purpose of Girl Reserves.
In order to be eligible for the dance, girls must earn a set number of community service hours, attend meetings and help fundraise. The dance is a celebration of the girls’ success. There was a 45 percent increase from the previous year in dance qualification, which is certainly something to rejoice.
“My favorite part about G.R. is working so hard throughout the year and then being able to come to the dance and celebrate…It is so exciting to see everyone make it here,” cabinet member Jenny Wurthrich said.
The dance ended at 11 p.m., and the couples left with new memories, a commemorative key chain and sore feet.
“A Night in Venice Masquerade Ball was a huge hit, a very positive night and a great time for all,” club sponsor Ingrid Voelker said.