Schumacher the beagle, who presides over the Jan Miller-Jeff Rich palazzo, is so blasé about guests coming and going that he often snoozes through an entire event, no matter how highfalutin it is. For instance, last Tuesday Jan and Jeff hosted the patron party for the February 18th Billiard Ball benefiting the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Dallas.
All generations were jolly-on-the-spot including Nancy Dedman and her daughter Patty Nail, Susan and Tom Stanzel and daughter BB Co-chair Rachel Trow- bridge and Myrna and Bob Schlegel with daughter Krystal. And all had good reason for being there. For instance, as Event Co-chair Chris Trowbridge put it, this year’s ball is practically a sell-out as a tribute to the Dedman family, which has been a driving force since the ball’s inception nine years ago. . . . Rachel in
addition to co-chairing the event is also the granddaughter of the late Frank Heller who along with the late Clint Murchison (first owner of the Dallas Cowboys) founded
B&GC back in the 1960’s. . . The Schle- gels were there to sup- port their good buds Bar- bara and Steve Durham, who are being honored this year at the ball.
But all was not about the B&GC. There was good stuff making the rounds, like Nancy’s just returning from the Jean Paul Gaultier couture show in Paris, where she sat front row across the way from Catherine Deneuve. . . . Carol Seay was showing off her black stole that she received for her birthday last week. . . While some thought Bob was in great spirits due to his sale of Pavestone, he was really proud as a peacock about daughter Krystal’s new fashion blog.
The Miller-Rich team and household are old hands at these types of gatherings and at having the accessory du jour ready — a wireless microphone. With Chris Trowbridge calling the group to order in the great room, he told how having Bobby Nail (aka Patty’s husband) on the B&GC board had “reinvigorated” the Billiard Ball, as Nancy and Patty sat on the couch proudly looking on. He also advised that for all practical purposes, the event was down to a couple of seats being available. Chris then introduced the Durhams to the crowd but there was no need to. Everyone knows who they are.
Chris said that when the announcement of the 2012 Billiard Ball was made the very first check they received was from Ebby Halliday: “I don’t think the stamp was even dry!” (Ebby couldn’t make the party due to a cold, but she sent her right-hand-gal-pal Betty Turner and Mary Vlamides to represent her.
As Chris was thanking all, Rachel and co-chair JB Hayes stood inches away. At one point in handing out the accolades, Rachel leaned over and whispered something to Chris. He then said, “. . . and Jan and Jeff have a beautiful billiard ball in the back.” Laughter followed and he realized he meant “billiard room.”
Following Chris was B&GC Board Chair Gregg Ballew, who reported that 1,200-1,300 kids a day are served in Dallas including Garland student “Xavier,” who has been going to B&GC in East Dallas for 10 years. While Xavier stood on the sidelines appearing to be shy, his personality proved that first impression to be totally wrong. Wanting to go to college for a double major in “nuclear engineering and the art of dance,” he said he believed “it takes a village[to raise a child], and my Boys and Girls Club is my village.” Which colleges does he have his hopes set on? The Julliard School, New York University or SMU.
With such young talent in the room, it went without saying that Jan wasn’t going to let the opportunity slip away without a demonstration of Xavier’s dancing skills. Nope. “You are awesome,” she said to him. Then she requested he do a hip-hop dance. Unfortunately, she realized that the Miller-Rich collection of music was lacking in the hip-hop category, but Xavier proved his ingenuity by asking the crowd to clap. As the beat was set, Xavier showed his stuff and earned a rousing applause from all. Even Schumacher woke from his nap to see what all the hub-bub was about.