Society of Martha Washington

The Society of Martha Washington was formed in 1939, in Laredo, Texas. The Society hosts the Colonial Ball, which is an annual debutante ball where young women make their debut into society. The Colonial Ball is held at the Laredo Civic Center and is a part of a citywide festival called the Washington's Birthday Celebration, which takes in February of each year.[1][2] The Society of Martha Washington helps Laredo present an image of “racial and national harmony” by working in conjunction with the Princess Pocahontas Council, and the Abrazo Children.[3]

Contents

Membership

Membership into the Society is exclusive yet there are no racial or ethnic discriminations.[4] Unlike the debutante balls, from the early 1900s, up north where racial and ethnic differences were implicated in defining social class, Laredo's elite consists of bicultural individuals.[5] The Society was founded with bicultural roots. In fact a good number of the girls who are presented are Latinas.[6] Member's who are chosen into the Society usually come from a small group of old families.[7]

The Pageant

The society chooses two prominent members of Laredo's society to portray President George and Martha Dandridge Washington. The debutantes and their escorts that are presented either have family in the Society or they are invited as guests. The participants portray contemporaries based on the story line, which changes every year, that come out to honor the President and his First Lady.[8]

Debutantes

Each girl wears an elaborate hand made colonial dress. Over a corset and bloomer, the debutantes wear beautiful colonial style dress. Linda Leyendecker Gutierrez is the official dressmaker for the pageant. Silks, satins and velvets from all over the world are uniquely designed with beads, lace and ribbon to create the perfect debutante dress. The dresses can weigh up to 80 pounds because of the amount of intricate beading that goes on the dress.[9]

References

  1. ^ Kendall, Diana E. The Power of Good Deeds: Privileged Women and the Social Reproduction of the Upper Class. Lanham: Roman & Littlefield Publishers, 2002. Print.
  2. ^ Kendall, Diana E. The Power of Good Deeds: Privileged Women and the Social Reproduction of the Upper Class. Lanham: Roman & Littlefield Publishers, 2002. Print.
  3. ^ Young, Elliott. "Red Men, Princess Pocahontas, and George Washington: Harmonizing Race Relations in Laredo at the Turn of the Century." The Western Historical Quarterly 29.1 (1998): 48-85. Print.
  4. ^ Kendall, Diana E. The Power of Good Deeds: Privileged Women and the Social Reproduction of the Upper Class. Lanham: Roman & Littlefield Publishers, 2002. Print.
  5. ^ Elinse Chenier “Class, Gender, and the Social Standard: The Montreal Junior League, 1912–1939”The Canadian Historical Review688. Print.
  6. ^ Mitchell, Claudia A., & Reid-Walsh, Jacqueline (Eds.). Girl Culture: An Encyclopedia [Two Volumes]. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2008
  7. ^ "Once Upon a Time in Laredo." National Geographic Nov.-Dec. 2006: 94-109. Print.
  8. ^ Brezosky, Lynn. "Laredo Pulls out All Stops for First President's Birthday | The Bryan-College Station Eagle." 8 February 2007. Web. 16 September 2010. <http://209.189.226.235/stories/021807/texas_20070218015.php>.
  9. ^ Horvart, Marian T. "The Debutante Ball in Laredo - Cultural Page." Tradition In Action @ TraditionInAction.org. Apr.-May 2006. Web. 16 September 2010. <http://www.traditioninaction.org/Cultural/C021cpDebutantBallLaredo.htm>.