Debs tradition is a ball

MARGARET Pike is predicting Healesville’s annual debutante ball is a tradition which is here to stay for a good while yet.
This year’s Rotary Club Debutante Ball was the last for Mrs Pike who has retired as coordinator after nine years and 13 spectacular balls.
While the ball is a fund-raiser for Rotary, Mrs Pike said it is not a big money maker.
“It’s hard work and, like other Rotary activities, it comes down to doing something for the young people in the town as a community service.”
The tradition attached to the debutante experience and the opportunity to get dressed up is part of the attraction for many of the young people, according to Mrs Pike.
“For some of these kids it’s the only time in their life they are ever going to get dressed up. For the boys in particular, probably 75 per cent of them will never wear a suit again,” she said.
After seeing 250 couples through their paces, Mrs Pike said the overwhelming benefit was that young people have the opportunity to achieve something they, and very often their parents, would not have thought possible.
Rotary president Allan Davidson said Mrs Pike had done an exemplary job taking the ball from the ECA Centre at Healesville High School to the Lilydale International.
“Margaret transformed the ball into a much more professional style deb ball making sure every aspect of the event from the training of the debs right through to the final night was carried out with perfection.
“It’s a very big job and she took on full responsibility and ran thoroughly excellent balls,” Mr Davidson said.
Mrs Pike said while there were kids who wanted to do their deb, she felt sure Rotary would continue the tradition.
“If numbers had dwindled, you might think maybe it was time to do something different, but they haven’t.
“It’s very obviously still something the kids and their parents want.”