A RITE of passage for generations of Korumburra kids, the annual debutant ball turns 40 on Saturday night this week, and there are bound to be plenty of people on the sidelines who strutted their stuff back in the day.
Always run by the Korumburra Lions Club, a magnificent innings it must be said with the likes of the late, great John Little and Norrie Little at the helm, until it was handed over five years ago to the Korumburra Secondary College Community Engagement Committee who have been the ideal vehicle to take it forward.
Old fashioned? Don’t you believe it!
No one can really tell you why but more and more kids want to be a part of it with the Community Engagement Committee doing two debs sets this year, one in May for 18 couples and another in November for a capacity 22 debs.
Maybe it’s because the girls don’t get much of a chance to dress up for a big night out these days.
Maybe it’s because the boys have really shined on to the big occasion and a chance to spend some quality time with the girls.
Whatever the reason, there’s no shortage of Year 11 students who want to be involved.
Looking back, there’s been quite a lot happen over the years.
The Lions District Governors and local Lions Presidents were regular “special guests’ to receive the debs, but there’s been a proliferation of politicians too, especially in an election year.
Former Gippsland South MP Peter Ryan, at one time the Deputy Premier, was a favourite with his wife Trish. Peter McGauran and his wife Trudy received the debs on a number of occasions too as has the sitting Member for Gippsland South Danny O’Brien.
It’s a smart play. Where else can you hope to meet more than 500 voters in the one room.
And there’s been no end of fun too, training hard to learn the dances and on the night, getting the hair, makeup and nails done (maybe a dash of spray tan too), it’s all a learning experience.
And the Korumburra Deb Ball managed to beat COVID, like few other events managed to do.
“No one missed out on making their deb because of COVID,” said Sam Norrey of the KSCCEG.
“We held the 2020 group over until 2021 and had two deb sets that year to catchup,”
The deb phenomenon has been a great fund raiser for the school since the CEG took it over and this year the funds are going towards of a community-wide initiative, to develop a new exercise pathway to which the shire and local service clubs, Rotary and Lions are contributing.
And there’s set to be several nods to the durable, elegant history of the Korumburra Debs with granddaughter of John and Norrie Little, Jaime Little, one of the lucky 18 and great grand daughter Lorelei Besley one of the flower girls.
But, you’ll only need to take a turn around the dancefloor on the night to see plenty of the history of the past 40 years of Korumburra Debutant Balls sprinkled liberally through the crowd.
It’s been a great tradition in the town, offering lessons in new skills and citizenship, a different sort of team work and challenge; one that generations of youngsters are all the better for.
Will it still be going in another 40 years – why not?
