While paddles were being raised at The Family Place‘s ReuNight in the Nasher Sculpture Center Garden on Thursday, May 12, the SMU campus may have appeared empty with students heading home for summer break. But over at the campus’ Meadows Museum, the Crystal Charity Ball‘s Former Chairmen’s Dinner was taking place in its gorgeous galleries.
To start the evening underwritten by Bank of America, guests were welcomed by the Former Chairmen’s Dinner Chair Cheryl Joyner and her husband Richard Joyner and directed past a string trio to The Gates for the cocktail reception.
The 7:30 call for the annual group photo of the past chairs in the Algur Meadows Founder’s Room was delayed just slightly for a couple of late arrivals. Ah, but no one noticed. They were too happy catching up like outgoing Highland Park Mayor Margo Goodwin (2004) explaining her boot brace, Leslie Diers (2021) receiving a book of photos about her past tenure courtesy of husband Bryan Diers for Mother’s Day; Christie Carter (2016) reporting the death of Val Imm, who had been a good friend of her mother and, ironically, had died on her late mother’s birthday; and Jill Smith (2005) recalling how it had been at the 2018 former chairmen’s gathering that Highland Park High School classmates Gloria Eulich (2008) and Mark Varel had reconnected, resulting in their 2020 marriage.
But once the 22 former chairmen took their places underneath the Real Fábrica de Cristal chandelier and were picture perfect, the Grand Dames returned to the cocktail reception, where 2022 CCB Chair Susan Farris officially welcomed the guests and Bank of America President/CCB member Jennifer Chandler told that in addition to BofA’s support of CCB, she had personally witnessed why the group was smart and outstanding.
It was then time for the group to move to the oval-shaped Gene and Jerry Jones Great Hall with 18th century Spanish paintings on salmon-colored walls that was a showcase with round tables covered in whisper lilac clothes and lights dimmed to allow the candle-lit tables to gleam thanks to the gold chargers, wine and water glasses and small gold crowns filled with Italian confetti (aka sugar-coated Italian almonds imported from the Amalfi Coast).
Matching the look of the room was the feast coordinated by Cassandra that had all the flavor of Susan’s theme, “Splendido Italiano,” including Spring pea cappellacci pasta with roasted onion and mint broth, beef tenderloin with wild mushroom risotto, spring baby vegetables and vidalia onion and a “dolce al cucchiao” of tiramisu espresso of mascarpone with Ladyfingers in vanilla bean sauce.
For more looks of the night, check out MySweetCharity Photo Gallery.