Pages and page escorts sharing honors at the White and Gold Ball included, from the left, in front, Clancy O’Connor Duggan of Meridian, Callie Frances Hall of Madison and Caroline Louis Parker, Madison Grace Thornton, Hannah Pappas Thornton, and Lauren Ann Graham, all of Meridian; in back, Baxter Brumfield Abernathy and Elisha Franklin Evans, both of Oxford; Matthew Swayze Myers of Jackson; and Duncan Matheson Graeber of Oxford.Special to The Herald

The Southern Debutante Assembly held its 2012 Presentation and White and Gold Ball on the evening of Dec. 28 at the Greenwood Country Club in Greenwood. Fifteen debutantes were presented to society at the event.
Candles flickered inside crystal hurricane lamps lining the drive to the clubhouse entrance. Twinkle lights and gold silk ribbon entwined both topiary flanking the double-door entry and the pine garland framing the entrance. Displayed on the doors were matching door pieces of white gladioli, Vendela roses, hydrangeas and silver dollar eucalyptus.
Members of the assembly’s Governing Board greeted the honorees’ guests as they entered the foyer. Several hundred attended from around Mississippi and other states.
On opposite sides of the foyer, consoles held matching arrangements of porcelana roses, hydrangeas, gladioli, bells of Ireland, genestra and Australian eucalyptus in silver urns, uplit by flickering votive candles.
Between the two sets of double doors leading from the foyer to the ballroom, a tall silver-gilt garden urn on a gilt pedestal held an imposing arrangement of white gladioli, bells of Ireland, Fuji mums, hydrangeas, stock, dendrobium orchids, genestra, English boxwood and Australian eucalyptus.
Along the walls of the ballroom, lighted sconces held sprays of areca palm fronds, snowflake chrysanthemums, dendrobium orchids, genestra and sprengeri fern.
The honorees were presented before a massive arrangement of antique hydrangeas, gladioli, bells of Ireland, Vendela roses, tuberoses, genestra and silver dollar and Australian eucalyptus, displayed in a silver-gilt garden urn atop a fluted terra cotta pedestal. Backing the arrangement was a white garden trellis entwined with glowing twinkle lights.
At the opposite end of the ballroom, the debutantes took their places on a dais in front of a garden trellis laced with smilax and twinkle lights. In front of the trellis stood four tall white columns, each topped with an arrangement of dendrobium orchids and sprengeri fern. Centered against the backdrop was a large arrangement of gladioli, Fuji mums, bells of Ireland, tuberoses, white Monte Casino asters, genestra and silver dollar and Australian eucalyptus. Two complementary arrangements flanked the dais.
The officers of the Cavaliers were introduced to the assembled guests. Serving this year were Robert Alexander Carson III of Marks, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Alexander Carson Jr.; George Richmond Poindexter of Inverness, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Vanlandingham Poindexter; and George Geoffrey Wilson Jr. of Glendora, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Geoffrey Wilson.
Hugh Anslum Warren III of Greenwood introduced the master of ceremonies for the presentation, Richard Lewis Scott Poindexter Jr. of Inverness.
Wearing white formal ball gowns, the debutantes carried hand-tied bouquets of porcelana roses, Vendela roses, genestra and Formosa fern.
The pages wore long gowns of holly berry red and carried nosegays of magnolias and variegated holly hand-tied with white velvet ribbon.
Throughout the presentation and introduction of the honorees, the Sessions of Jackson played traditional favorites. The band later played for dancing during the appointed hours.
Following the presentation, the honorees and their guests enjoyed dancing and visiting at tables positioned around the ballroom floor at the White and Gold Ball. Covered in white linen, each table was centered with an arrangement of dendrobium orchids and English boxwood, surrounded by flickering 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 an imposing arrangement of Vendela roses, white mountain lilies, tuberoses, hydrangeas and silver dollar and Australian eucalyptus in a large silver loving cup atop a silver-gilt pedestal.
Tables at opposite ends of the Garden Room held matching arrangements of hydrangeas, porcelana roses, dendrobium orchids and silver dollar and Australian eucalyptus in silver fluted vases on silver epergnes.
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. Tables positioned around the dance floor and skirted in holiday linens were centered with arrangements of Christmas greenery. On the buffet table, the centerpiece was an arrangement of Fuji mums, silver dollar eucalyptus and smilax.
Page escorts
Among those serving as escorts to the pages was Matthew Swayze Myers, son of Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Paul Myers of Jackson. He is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Clayton Swayze II of Benton.