Back in 1934 the Idlewild Club was just 50 years old, the Junior League was 12 years old, Neimans was 27 years old and the young people around town were “the Margaret’s” (as in Hunt Hill and Milam McDermott) and the Marcus boys. But there were four former Idlewild debs (Mary Blakeney, Bonnie Compton, Lucy Jo Davis  and Sally Dunlap), who felt young Dallas women needed their own social club. After all, the men had Idlewild, Calyx, Dervish and Terpsichorean. The gals should have a social club, too.

So, they created the Slipper Club. Over the years, the club changed with the times. It maintained its reputation for elegance, but in 1995 the membership realized that it could be both social and socially responsible by becoming a non-profit organization and raising funds for different charities each year.

Sara Huggins, Fritz Konker, Laura Koch and Genevieve Collins

Saturday the Slipper Club’s 16th annual charity gala, “An Arabian Night,” at Brook Hollow Golf Club proved once again that it has gorgeous members who know how to raise money for Heroes for Children and how to be ultra fashionable.

Perhaps the first indication that the night was going to be a step-above-gorgeous was the invitation. One of the prettiest to hit a mailbox in ages. Everything from the quality of paper, the design and the elements were right on target to set the mood for a black tie event. It was created by the Wilkinson Rhodes Events & Invitations that has just opened up shop here in Dallas. Seems Billinda Wilkinson has been ruling super-duper social events down in San Antonio and decided to expand to Dallas with her daughter at the helm.

Silent Auction in the terrace

Before the 400 expected guests arrived, Slipper Club President Christina Conway hosted a president’s dinner in the Oak Room. For some of the diners, it was a little hard to get to the Oak Room. After all you had to walk through the main ballroom and terrace. Like the invitation, it was beautifully done and kept the Arabian Nights theme going without being hokey. Despite a mammoth four-sided bar in the center of the room, loads of silent auction items and games throughout, there was still plenty of room for guests to dance to Motion. And dance they did.  

Olivia Liland and Matt Nunley

The guests looked like they had been the pick-of-the-litter for a Vanity Fair cover. Gala chair Olivia Liland greeted guests with Matt Nunley at her side. She was in a fabulous navy-blue sequined David Meister that she was hesitant about buying. It didn’t have the pizazz on the hangar, but once on and with that slit on the right side of the skirt, she fell in love with it because “it was so comfortable.”

The underwriting for the event was a huge success thanks to Lauren Chapman. According to one committee member, this was “one of our strongest years for underwriting historically!” She must get it from her mother, Vicki Chapman. To emphasize the fact that this was a fundraising event, representatives from Heroes for Children did a great job of explaining where the money was going.

Among the members and dates was Slipper Club advisor Barbara Paschall Averitt, who looked like she had just returned from the Auriga Spa, instead of supervising the Dallas Symphony Orchestra League’s mega-successful presentation ball weekend. But this is nothing new to Barbara. She’s seen all sides of the deb scene from making her debut in 1982, being president of the Slipper Club and serving as coordinator extraordinaire for all things débutante in Dallas.

President's dinner

In addition to hosting the dinner of “the best-looking and most lively crowd” ever seen at a president’s dinner, Christina and Olivia carried the success to the main event itself. In addition to the games, auctions, grown-up beverages and the setting that indeed looked like something out of Scheherazade’s dream of a palace, the gals arranged to have henna and hookah booths open up at 10. Only thing missing was Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves. Too bad. They missed a tale to behold.

MySweetCharity

Sorry, but March is starting to look like the grandmother of all months for things and people. Saturday, March 24th, alone looks like a major black-tie train wreck with Moonlight Ball, Savor The Symphony, No Tie Dinner & Dessert Party, and the Business Council for the Art’s Third Annual One-Day Event, all in one night.

Don’t even forget the festivities surrounding the official opening weekend of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge.

Whew! We’re already tired, but the elves are pumping up. No, not at the gym. . . at the triple espresso bar at MSC headquarters.

Get your bids in by 6 p.m. (CST) Monday, February 27, and you’ll help support our caffeine fixation and running shoes retirement fund.

First lighting test of Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge (File photo)

Okay, so the city mothers and fathers and TXDOT have decided that all the finishing touches aren’t quite up to snuff for traffic to start on March 5. They’re now talking about a March 29 opening.

Ah, but what’s a delay of a couple of weeks after waiting years for it to get up and going?

But the party planners are rip and rearing to get the celebration started. Think baby shower before the baby is born. So, if you want to hear Lyle Lovett on Texas Independence Day (March 2) and party with all types of rich-and-famous and wannabe-rich-and-famous folks, get your tickets now.

If your budget won’t allow you to join the swellegants on Friday night, you can party your hearts out Saturday and Sunday at both the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge Celebration on the not-open-bridge hosted by the Trinity Trust, and Bridge-o-Rama, which will be taking place on the west side of the Trinity.

And don’t forget the fireworks that will be all over the place. . . up in the sky.

Dallas International Film Festival 2012

Get the popcorn out. It’s movie time! Yes, there is the Academy Award presentation this Sunday, but it’s also time for the Dallas Film Society to start announcing all types of news for its April 12-22 Dallas International Film Festival. First out of the box, let’s give some credit to the group that will be supporting the 11-day festival with transportation. As presenting sponsor, Boardwalk Auto Group Volkswagen Dealers will provide a Volkswagen fleet to transport filmmakers and festival guests around town.

“For the last five years we have watched the impressive evolution of the Dallas International Film Festival,” said Scott K. Ginsburg, owner of Boardwalk Auto Group Volkswagen Dealers. “As the festival enters into its sixth year, we are thrilled to be a part of the celebration of the arts within our community. At Boardwalk Auto Group Volkswagen Dealers, we have a fierce commitment to integrity and service performance and in this we feel a natural synergy with the Dallas International Film Festival – it is renowned for its hospitality and putting the filmmakers and their work on a pedestal. We celebrate that.”

Before naming the films and the legendary names associated with them, you’ll want to know some basics about this year’s DIFF:

• There will be a Festival Village at Mockingbird Station, where filmmakers and film fans will have the chance to mingle and network at the Festival Lounge, and CBS Radio will present its first-ever Music Lounge showcasing local music to the public every evening for the festival’s eleven-day duration.”
• This year’s Dallas Film Society Honors will be held Friday, April 20, at the Hotel Palomar, where prizes will be awarded for various competitions.
• On sale now, passes range from $100 for a Festival Lounge Pass to $750 for an all-access Star Pass.

Now let’s get to the first-out-of-the-box lineup of the 180 films that will be presented. This initial group of 15 includes two world premieres and nine Texas premieres. They also have such familiar names as Lawrence Kasdan and Takashi Shimizu associated with a couple of the films. They’re all listed with descriptions after the jump. The one with Diane Keaton and Kevin Kline should be a fast sell-out.

• “America’s Parking Lot” (USA) Director: Jonny Mars — Two die-hard fans and leaders of the legendary ‘Gate 6′ tailgate party, spend their last season with the Dallas Cowboys at historic Texas Stadium. When the Cowboys move 20 miles west to Arlington, the shifting politics and economics of major league sports threaten to dissolve the friendships and traditions they have built over 20 years and they scramble to preserve their place in “America’s Parking Lot.” Category: Texas Competition
• “Andrew Bird: Fever Year”* (USA) Director: Xan Aranda — Filmed during culminating months of the acclaimed singer-songwriter’s most rigorous year of touring, Andrew Bird crosses the December finish line in his hometown of Chicago – feverish and on crutches from an onstage injury. “Fever Year” is the first to capture Bird’s precarious multi-instrumental looping technique and features live performances at Milwaukee’s Pabst Theater with collaborators Martin Dosh, Jeremy Ylvisaker, Michael Lewis and Annie Clark of St. Vincent. Category: Deep Ellum Sounds
• “The Atomic State of America”* (USA) Directors: Dan Argott and Sheena Joyce — Following the 2011 9.0 magnitude earthquake which hit Japan and caused chaos at the Fukushima Power Plant, the fierce debate over the safety and viability of nuclear power was back in the public consciousness. “Atomic States of America” takes the viewer on a journey to reactor communities around the country, exposes the truths and myths of nuclear power, and poses the question of whether or not man can responsibly split the atom. Category: Environmental Visions
• “Biba! One Island, 879 Votes”** (USA) Director: Benjamin Bloodwell — “Biba!” follows the rallies and debates of Trenton Conner and Henry San Nicolas in their battle for control over the Pacific island, Tinian. Along the way we learn about Tinian’s historic and geopolitical significance, being the launch point for the Enola Gay in World War II and presently the home of the Voice of America broadcasting towers, sending pro-democracy propaganda into China and North Korea. Category: Documentary Feature Competition
• “Bindlestiffs”* (USA) Director: Andrew Edison — Three high school virgins, suspended from school on a bogus graffiti charge, flee to the inner city in an attempt to live out the plot of The Catcher in the Rye – a book they neither have read nor understand. Starring John Karma, Luke Loftin, Andrew Edison and Will Fordyce. Category: Midnight
• “The Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best”* (USA) Director: Ryan O’Nan — A singer-songwriter hits the road with a self-appointed music revolutionary. Cast includes Ryan O’Nan, Michael Weston, Arielle Kebbel, Andrew McCarthy, Jason Ritter, Wilmer Valderrama, Christoper McDonald and Melissa Leo. Category: Premiere
• “Cinema Six”** (USA) Director: Mark Potts — Three small-town friends have to decide whether to keep their easy jobs at a movie theater or actually try to do something meaningful with their lives. Cast includes John Merriman, Mark Potts, Brand Rackley, Byron Brown, Lindsey Newell, Heather Wallis, Madi Goff, Chris Doubek, Cole Selix, Kevin M. Brennan, Maggie Carey and Barry Corbin. Category: Texas Competition
• “Darling Companion”* (USA) Director: Lawrence Kasdan — A story of a woman who loves her dog more than her husband and then her husband loses the dog. Cast includes Diane Keaton, Kevin Kline, Dianne Wiest, Richard Jenkins, Sam Shepard, Mark Duplass, Elisabeth Moss and Ayelet Zurer. Category: Premiere
• “Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel”* (USA) Directors:  Lisa Immordino Vreeland, Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt and Frédéric Tcheng — A look at the life and work of the influential fashion editor of Harpers Bazaar, Diana Vreeland. Category: Premiere
• “Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare” (USA) Directors: Matthew Heineman and Susan Froemke — “Escape Fire” exposes the perverse nature of American healthcare, contrasting the powerful forces opposing change with the compelling stories of pioneering leaders and the patients they seek to help. The film is about finding a way out, about saving the health of a nation. Category: Documentary Feature Competition
• “Girl Model” (USA) Directors: David Redmon and A.Sabin — GIRL MODEL follows a complex supply chain between Siberia, Japan, and the U.S. within the modeling industry. The story is told through the eyes of the scouts, agencies and a 13 year-old model. Category: Documentary Showcase
• “Luv”* (USA) Director: Sheldon Candis — Over the course of one day, a shy 13-year-old forms a bond with his troubled uncle as he shows the boy what it takes to be a man in Baltimore. Starring newcomer Michael Rainey Jr., Common, Michael K. Williams, Danny Glover, Meagan Good and Charles S. Dutton. Category: Narrative Feature Competition
• “Sironia” (USA) Director: Branda Dickerson — A singer-songwriter beat up by the L.A. music machine who moves with his wife to Sironia, Texas. Starring Wes Cunningham, Amy Acker, Tony Hale, Jeremy Sisto, Courtney Ford, Carrie Preston and Robyn Lively. Category: Texas Competition
• “Tormented”* (JAPAN/NETHERLANDS) Director: Takashi Shimizu — “Tormented” centers on a young boy whose family seems to be unraveling around him. His sister is grappling with the reality of life or death, while his father walks a line with insanity. The situation intensifies when the boy manifests a dangerous friendship with a stuffed toy rabbit that comes to life. Starring Teruyuli Kagawa, Hikari Mitsushima and Nao Ohmori. Category: Midnight
• “Where Do We Go Now?”* (FRANCE, LEBANON, EGYPT, ITALY) Director: Nadine Labaki — A group of Lebanese women try to ease religious tensions between Christians and Muslims in their village. Starring Claude Baz Moussawbaa, Layla Hakim, Nadine Labaki and Yvonne Maalouf. Category: World Cinema

“For each of the first five years of the Dallas International Film Festival we have worked to bring a vibrant mix of international excellence and artistry to the city of Dallas,” said James Faust, artistic director of the Dallas Film Society. “This year, I really feel the selection of films we have will offer even more to our audience. From the return to the big screen of a true film artist like Lawrence Kasdan to a return to our fest by Ryan O’Nan (star of 2010’s Target Filmmaker Award winner, THE DRY LAND) with an exciting directing debut, to great international selections from South Korea and Lebanon, these first fifteen films offer an excellent preview of what will be on tap for the 2012 DIFF.  This year also marks the return of DIFF’s beloved Deep Ellum Sounds section, so there truly will be a film for everyone. In 2012 that is what we want to convey: the Dallas International Film Festival is for all tastes and all walks of life. It really is for everyone.”

*             Texas premiere

**           World premiere

Dale Chihuly's Niijima Floats

Dallas Arboretum‘s VP of Human Resources Charlotte Morrison is putting the shout-out to the community for help. Seems that since they’re expecting a load of visitors during the recently announced Chihuly Exhibit (May 5 – November 5), they need volunteers to “help in areas such as art hosts, information booth staff, garden greeters, etc., but our major need will be art hosts who are stationed near the exhibit pieces to interact with our guests.”

Specifically, they’re looking for individuals to work a minimum of five two- or four-hour shifts and two shifts of 12 or more from groups/corporations.

So, you’re thinking, “Ah, come on. How many volunteers are they looking for? Give us numbers!” According to Charlotte, “In May we will need a potential of 4,000 slots to fill (based on two-hour shifts).”

Betcha want examples! So here’s Charlotte’s examples of support:

• Corporations/groups, committing 15 volunteers for a two-hour shift, taking the first Saturday of each month during the exhibit or all Monday mornings during May, and
• Individual help might be every Wednesday evening during one month, or the first Tuesday each month during the run of the exhibit, etc.

And the opportunities are not limited to daytime only. There are evening slots open, too.

If you’re interested in volunteering, contact Charlotte at cmorrison@dallasarboretum.org or by calling 214.515.6509.

Photo provided by Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden

Saturday, March 24: Frankly, many folks just don’t have the kind of money to get a Dallas Country Club membership. And then there’s that longer-than-a-cable on the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge waiting list just to be considered.

But then there’s also that palace of a clubhouse that has been years in the making. Just last week former President G.W. Bush had dinner there. It’s becoming the new hangout.

Aren’t you just a bit curious about what it looks like? Wouldn’t it be especially grand to see it filled with beautiful people in formal attire, who are raising money for a worthy cause?

Have we got a deal for you! Moonlight Ball Chairs Betty and Michael Bullington, along with Honorary Chairs Mersina and Phin Stubbs, have arranged to have the annual Ronald McDonald House of Dallas fundraiser at the DCC with Cuvee providing the music.

Last year’s gala had 300 guests and raised $160,000.

It’s always an elegant event and promises to be even more so during the opening months of Dallas’s newest country estates. . . uh, clubs.

Sponsorship opportunities still are available. Just check ‘em out after the jump.

Platinum Patron – $25,000
• One Patron Table for 10
• Best Seating
• Recognition in RMHD Ball Program & all media materials
• Recognition in RMHD Newsletter
• Platinum Patron Gift
• Invitation to Patron Party

Platinum Couple – $5,000
• Priority Seating for two
• Recognition in RMHD Ball Program & all media materials
• Recognition in RMHD Newsletter
• Platinum Couple Patron Gift
• Invitation to Patron Party

Gold Patron – $10,000
• One Patron Table for 10
• Priority Seating
• Recognition in RMHD Ball Program & all media materials
• Recognition in RMHD Newsletter
• Gold Patron Gift
• Invitation to Patron Party

Gold Couple – $2,500
• Preferred Seating for two
• Recognition in RMHD Ball Program & all media materials
• Recognition in RMHD Newsletter
• Gold Couple Patron Gift
• Invitation to Patron Party

Silver Patron – $5,000
• One Patron Table for 10
• Preferred Seating
• Recognition in RMHD Ball Program & all media materials
• Recognition in RMHD Newsletter
• Silver Patron Gift
• Invitation to Patron Party

Patron Tickets – $1,000 each
• Recognition in RMHD Ball Program & all media materials
• Invitation to Patron Party

Individual Tickets – $500 each

Saturday was not the best of days for outdoors events with the cold and damp weather. Ah, but two groups that are oblivious to such conditions are runners and lovers. So, the 450 runners who participated in the annual Generational Equity Cupid Dash for MakeAWay Charities probably weren’t bothered one iota by the crummy weather as they ran the 10K/5K/1-mile fun run around The Shops at Legacy.

For those who opted to take a pass on braving the outdoors, 141 chose to “Sleep in for MakeAWay” and donated from their beds. Too bad, because they missed a “surprise” moment. It seems that organizers created a new addition to the run — a “best love story contest.” Contestants submitted their stories on “How you met and fell in love.” The prize was a Zales bridal set (a round-cut diamond engagement ring with diamond-studded shank and frame and a matching diamond wedding band, all in 14K white gold and totaling 1-3/4 carats), and a his-and-hers hot stone massage package from Elizabeth Arden Red Door, which probably sounded darn good on Saturday.

Jill Hellwig, Julie Tornblom, Jay Hellwig, Demany Daniel, Heather Wilmoth, Matt Brown and Z. White

Demany Daniel submitted his story and the panel of judges deemed it the winner. Ah, but the story didn’t end with the judges’ decision. Nope. Demany surprised girlfriend Heather Wilmoth with a proposal at the run with balloons and hoop-la supplied by the Cupid Dash event production team. Demany’s string of luck held out nicely. Heather said, “Yes!”

Like we said, runners and lovers are oblivious to weather.

Photo credit: Jerry Glover

It’s rare that you have an announcement party on a Friday evening, but Mad Hatter’s Tea chairs Barbara Daseke and Carmaleta Whiteley promised it would be a quickie at Cicada in Snider Plaza — exactly one hour, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Oops, it didn’t work out that way. The guests were still there at 7:15.

The reason for the gathering was the announcement of the judges, categories and retailers involved in the April 12 “The Art of Nature” show-and-swell hatfest presented by Nancy C. and Richard R. Rogers at the Dallas Arboretum. This year’s luncheon/fashion show is expected to attract 600 chapeau-wearing ladies and gents with runway fashions provided by Forty Five Ten, Cicada, Betty Reiter and V.O.D.

Sharon Ballew and Carmaleta Whiteley

Carmaleta had to make the announcements solo. Seems her co-chair Barbara had a flat tire and was stuck elsewhere and Honorary Chair Nancy Rogers was MIA. Luckily Women’s Council of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden President Sharon Ballew was standing in the wings supporting Carmaleta.

This year’s judges come with blue-ribbon credentials from the art world, since the theme focuses on “The Art of Nature.” They will include

• Lita Asscher, President, Royal Asscher® Diamonds — Born in Amsterdam, Holland, Lita Asscher is President of Royal Asscher® of America and heiress to the world famous Asscher diamond dynasty. Her ancestors were responsible for such eminent achievements as the creation of the original 1902 Asscher Cut diamond, and the cutting of the largest diamond ever found, the 3105 carat Cullinan diamond for Great Britain’s Crown Jewels. Royal Asscher® is jeweler to the crown of many nations; the company has a legendary European heritage and an exclusive clientele of international royalty and celebrities.
  Brenda Bogart, artist, is blessed with an abundance of creativity as well as the talent and know-how to express it in many ways. She spent a number of years in interior design and was also the owner of an enormously popular children’s clothing business. In 2006 she picked up her paintbrush and began painting in earnest, exploring a range of themes in oil on canvas.
  Kenneth Craighead and partner, Steve Green, opened Craighead Green Gallery in 1992 in the Uptown Dallas Arts District. They relocated the Gallery to Dragon Street in the Design District. Craighead Green is recognized as one of the finest contemporary art galleries throughout Texas and the Southwest, representing over 40 artists of all mediums.

• 

  Billy Fulmer, Patricia Meadows and Shane Walker

  Patricia Meadows, President of Art Connections — Curator, consultant, juror, speaker, advocate for contemporary art and artists.

• Gail Sachson, MFA, has been a cheerleader for the arts in the area ever since 1978, when she founded ASK ME ABOUT ART, an educational service offering lectures, programs , writings and consultation. Sachson serves on a myriad of arts related and educational Boards of Directors, teaches “50 Reasons to Love Dallas” through  SMU/CAPE, blogs for KERA’s ART & Seek and is a Dallas Commissioner of Cultural Affairs  and a member of the Dallas Public Art Committee.
• Jeremy Strick, Director of the Nasher Sculpture Center since March 2009. Jeremy oversees collections, exhibitions, and operations at the 2.4-acre facility located in the heart of downtown Dallas’ Arts District. Opened in 2003, the Nasher Sculpture Center is home to one of the finest and most comprehensive collections of modern and contemporary sculpture in the world, formed largely by the late Raymond and Patsy Nasher. Previously, Strick served nearly ten years as Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA).

Disappointing news was that earlier-announced Bonnie Pitman had to withdraw from the judging duties due to health issues.

This year’s categories include:

• Gents Top Hats: Diamonds in the Rough
• Most True to Theme: Organically Chic
• Botanical: Nature’s Bounty
• Most Whimsical: Florals’ Follies
• Most Elegant: Nature’s Glamorous Jewels
• Best of Show: Horticulturally Hip
• Most Outlandish:  Mother Nature’s Humor

Steve Kemble

When word started making its way through the crowd including Steve Kemble, Shane Walker and Billy Fulmer that the party would continue at the Mansion for post-party drinks, the place began to empty. That is, except for Doris Jacobs, who had to join husband Jack at Cafe Pacific to celebrate his birthday.

And then there was Jan Strimple, who will be producing the Mad Hatter’s Tea fashion show. She was still having fun checking the clothes on the racks.

Antiques at the Alexander treasures

Saturday, March 3: The Dallas Woman’s Forum is going to benefit from a type of Antiques Roadshow event — Antiques at the Alexander. The plan calls for Dallas-area appraisal experts to be at the Alexander Mansion (the one on Ross, not in Garland) from 1 to 3 p.m. Here’s where it gets to be fun. You can bring your heirlooms or might-be’s for an on-the-spot evaluation.

Please don’t bring those bell bottoms that you wore to a Sonny and Cher concert. The types of items to be appraised include art, Asian art and antiques, books, china, clocks, collectibles, costumes and accessories, furniture (don’t bring the armoire or chairs; instead bring detailed photographs), fine and costume jewelry, needlework and textiles, porcelain, silver and toys.

But it’s not for free. Sorry. It’s $20 per item or $50 for three. In return you’ll receive the following:

• an individual appraisal consultation to learn the item’s history and current value
• complimentary champagne and “light bites” . . . of food, we think. Would hate to think guests would be bitten.

There will also be lectures each hour between noon and four costing $10 per talk. On the schedule are:

• Noon to 1 p.m. — Gloria Goodwin will give the “History of The Dallas Woman’s Forum and the Alexander Mansion”
• 1 to 2 p.m. — Margaret Gronberg will present “All That Glitters: The History of Jewelry”
• 2 to 3 p.m. — Cher Goodson will speak on “Taking Care of Your Antiques”
• 3 to 4 p.m. — Susan Sturdivant will explain “What’s It Worth? How Appraisers Determine Value”

And they’ve got a special package deal. For $75, you get three appraisals and three lectures! Proceeds from the day’s event go to the Dallas Woman’s Forum.

Photo provided by the Dallas Woman's Forum

The folks on both sides of the Trinity are in a countdown mode for the real live, official March 2-4 opening of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge (MHHB). Before going into brain overload, about 200 gathered Thursday at the Omni Dallas for the MHHB Celebration patrons party.

The program was not to start until 6:30 p.m., but due to a multitude of other commitments by guests, organizers kicked it off at 6:15.

Artwork by Emmanuel Ramirez

There was a lot to cover. Not only did Celebration Gala Chair Lynn McBee review all the plans for the weekend including the Bridge-O-Rama doings, but Toni Brinker also announced the winners of the children’s art contest. Area school children submitted art drawings of the bridge that might win prizes for themselves and their schools. Among the winners was the grand prize champ Emmanuel Ramirez‘s submission.

Al Hill Jr.

Another highpoint during the evening were the memories shared by the late Margaret Hunt Hill’s (MHH) children, Al Hill Jr. and Lyda Hill. Al recalled the story of his mother’s wedding to Al Hill Sr. in 1938 when she tossed the bouquet to a group of young women. Margaret Milam caught the bouquet, meaning that she would be the next to wed. Well, that didn’t happen for 17 years, but Margaret Milam claimed it was because she had to wait for the best man in the world — Eugene McDermott. In response to that, MHH said, “The second-best man in the world.”

Al summed up the friendship between the two women by saying that he was glad that Margaret McD would be riding over the MMHB in the days ahead, as well as over her own bridge in three years.

Next up were Ruth Altshuler, Gene Jones and Billie Leigh Rippey with tales of their late friend. One thing that has become very apparent to gatherings of late is you don’t want to follow Ruth on the podium. With a twinkle in her eye, she admitted that the late MHH could be intimidating. One time when meeting a young gal, who evidently was having “complexion challenges,” MMH said, “Hello, I’ll give you the name of my dermatologist.”

And then there was MHH’s answering machine message — “Leave your message.”

But there was another side to MHH that Ruth related. Prior to marrying Dr. Ken Altshuler, Ruth was married to the late Charles Sharp, who was a lovely and handsome man (Ruth has very good taste in men). Unfortunately, he battled Parkinson’s, but did not want to stay at home and let the disease alter his life. MHH and her late husband Al realized that attending events was challenging for the Sharps, so the Hills would arrive early and save two seats for Ruth and Charles.

Next at the podium was Gene, who acknowledged that no one should want to follow Ruth. Gene told of how MHH and her granddaughter Heather Washburne and husband Ray were in Washington D.C. for a Dallas Cowboys game. When the Joneses learned that Heather and Ray were then headed to Europe and MHH would be flying home alone, they insisted that she fly home on the Cowboys jet with them. MHH responded, “Yes, I can go.” But what about her luggage? MHH’s replied, “Heather can take care of it.” After flying home surrounded by players, coaches and Joneses, MHH said she had had a grand time being treated so royally adding, “I don’t ever ride first class.”

Billie Leigh was last up to bat and recalled how MHH was like a big sister for her and how they would kick off their shoes and watch old Doris Day/Rock Hudson movies. She also recalled that during MHH’s tenure as president of the Dallas Woman’s Club, MHH had a larger-than-life clock installed on the back wall of the DWC’s wall. The reason? To let speakers know “when to get off the stage.”

And then there was the time that Billie Leigh’s grandson Brent Besing was five-years old. Upon being introduced to MHH, the youngster extended his hand and said his name. MHH told him, “You extend your hand with a firm grip and saying your name.” Brent replied to Billie Leigh and MHH, “I see why you’re best friends.”