Fishburne Military School’s New Virginia Gentlemen
Photo Courtesy of Old Dominion Cotillion
Chantilly, VA – Eleven Cadets from Fishburne Military School travelled on Saturday to take part in the 25th annual Debutante Ball hosted by Old Dominion Cotillion in Chantilly, VA. The Debutante Ball is the culmination of what is often years of work on the part of the young ladies involved in Cotillion, and it is the highlight of a week of activities leading up to the formal occasion.
This marks the fourth year that Fishburne Military School has been invited to provide the traditional military escort for the girls. The original introduction was provided four years ago by BG William Alexander, VA, former Superintendent of FMS when VMI declined to participate any longer. Training for this event involves lessons in etiquette, dance, and proper interaction with both young women and adults in a formal setting. The ball itself requires hours of practice in choreography and in the fine details involved in being a gentleman escort.
The elaborate and choreographed formal presentation of each Debutante, for example, requires the young lady and her escort to curtsy and turn from one corner of the dance floor to the other, in order for all in attendance to have a full view of the elegant debutante and her dashing escort.
The tradition of Cotillion dates to the 18th Century and, particularly in the Antebellum South, a Cotillion Ball served as an elegant rite of passage marking a young lady’s transition into womanhood
Photo Courtesy of Old Dominion Cotillion
and as a way for well-heeled families to formally introduce their daughters into society (and to suitable marriage prospects). Although modern Cotillion is more focused on education and service than on finding husbands for southern belles, much of the formality and tradition remains and serves as reminder to the participants of their inner elegance and dignity.
In a world where flip-flops have begun to find their way into the workplace, Cotillion give young ladies and gentlemen a chance to experience and cultivate something different…gentility punctuated with self-respect and price.
The Old Dominion Cotillion was founded in 1991 by Mrs. Sherry Presley “because we had a vision of something special we wanted for our daughters”. Over the years, the ODC has grown into a unique philanthropic and social organization which prides itself on “Volunteerism, Dedication, Integrity and Leadership”. Each year the young ladies of the ODC volunteer hundreds of service hours in support of the Katherine E. Hanley Family Shelter as well as the NoVA Fairfax Hospital Children’s Clinic and the Ronald McDonald House.
Cadets participating this year were: Brady McAllister (Fairfax, VA), Cody Chappel (Grottoes, VA), Luciano Dolfi (Stuarts Draft, VA), Jacob Fincham (Fredericksburg, VA), Thomas Fosdick (Staunton, VA), Alex Ralston (Nellysford, VA), Jacob Randall (Stafford, VA), Tyler Stiles (Williamsburg, VA), Justin Payne (Waynesboro, VA), Evan LaQuaglia (Upper Marlboro, MD), and Raymond Dua (Union, NJ).
Fishburne would like to thank the Old Dominion Cotillion for continuing to invite us to be a part of the Debutante Ball. The pageantry and traditions represented and upheld by ODC make this weekend a truly special part of our cadets’ education and experience.
Old Dominion Cotillion PHOTO GALLERY
Fishburne Military School is the oldest and smallest of all military schools for boys in Virginia. Its college-prep curriculum is built upon the structure of an Army JROTC program. FMS is designated as a JROTC Honor Unit with Distinction and may nominate qualified candidates to the United States Service Academies. Fishburne hosts one of only four Summer JROTC programs in the nation, accredited by US Army Cadet Command.
