While the Katy Trail Art Society top donors enjoyed a casual, outdoor dinner at Bilboquet learning about its latest installation and Jeanne Phillips and Condeleezza Rice were the stars at the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth’s annual Neil Mallon Award Dinner at the Hilton Anatole Hotel, the Turtle Creek Conservancy held an intimate seated supper for its top supporters like Lynn and Peter Dauterman, Michael Faircloth with David Davis, Lisa Cooley with Tracy Lange and the late Turtle Creek residential Realtor Judy Pittman‘s niece Camille Fournier and her husband Dave Fournier on Wednesday, November 9, at the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek.
Despite the legendary hotel being filled to the max with parties and guests, attendees at the Conservancy’s inaugural Luminary Supper were directed to take the winding stairs in front of the Mansion restaurant for the dinner.
When some of the 32 guests accidentally took a left turn when they should have turned right at the top of the stairs, they discovered the crowd in the Sheppard Ballroom wasn’t exactly what they expected: a room filled with Gen X-ers.
Retracing their steps to find the correct location, many Mansion vets were then surprised to discover a gem of a space called the Hunt Suite.
Just before entering the charming suite, complete with a fireplace, TCC President/CEO Tiffany Divis pointed out a photo of the original Mansion built by cotton baron Sheppard W. King in the 1920s. Tiffany proudly noted that a copy of the photo also was on the Wall of History at Arlington Hall.
Allan McBee was solo, since wife Lynn McBee was in NYC theater-hopping with Christie Carter and Paige McDaniel… Louise Griffeth was still accepting kudos for the Sons of the Flag luncheon held earlier in the week. She told how one of the vets on stage had spoken a bit longer than planned. When someone questioned if his expansive talk was a problem, Sons of the Flag founder and moderator Ryan “Birdman” Parrott had said that a World War II vet was entitled to talk as long as he wanted… Honorary Co-Chairs Pat and Charles McEvoy reported that the 2022 Zoo To Do the previous Saturday had been a remarkable success, with more than 750 guests and a lively auction.
Fittingly, the four tables of eight diners each were designated by one of four flowers that grow at Turtle Creek Park: Azalea, Hydrangea, Magnolia and Hibiscus.
Tiffany said that, once plans for the dinner had been announced, the top-tier donors had amazed the staff’s expectations.
She laughed that since the second Luminary dinner may require an additional table, she had already decided on naming the fifth table “Wisteria,” because it grows throughout the Park. This year alone it sprouted three times over the summer.
When one guest asked what was in the little box tied up with a ribbon on the plate, Tiffany said a sweet little turtle. The gent registered a look of surprise saying, “Should we let him out?” Tiffany calmed his fears explaining it was a chocolate covered treat in the shape of a turtle. Whew!