Rodeo season is behind us, Fiesta is in front of us, and in between we celebrate Texas Independence Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Contemporary Art Month, Spring Break, Siclovia and the return of daylight saving time. Mardi Gras and Valentine’s Day are over, but don’t fret — there’s plenty of celebrating going on!
Gourmet Soirée
The San Antonio Alumnae of Pi Beta Phi hosted a Gourmet Soirée featuring James Farmer, who presented a master cooking class followed by a luncheon at the San Antonio Country Club. Proceeds benefited literacy efforts at SA Life Academy and the book cart at Children’s Hospital of San Antonio as well as Pi Beta Phi national philanthropies. Co-chairs Caroline Schupbach and Lisa Sechler and alumnae club president Leslie Adcock thanked sponsors Peggy Mays, Susan Smith, Nita Kiolbassa and Margaret Gunn and committee members Courtney Glover Percy, Lisa Miller, Tracy Williams and Courtney Ogle. Leslie Kingman is the San Antonio Pi Beta Phi Foundation president, and Maria Morgan is the Foundation treasurer. Attendees included Betsy Baker, Michelle Cadwallader, Elizabeth Hale, Tricia Tobin, Susan Hall, Liz Ressmann, Mills Buchek and Linda Blount, to name a few.
Casino for a Cause
As mentioned in last month’s column, this newest fundraiser for the Junior League of San Antonio, Casino for A Cause: A Night in Monte Carlo, was held at the Pearl Stable. Chairman Whitney Ormond and committee Kim Batchelor, Dinah Hutson, Lindsey Jordan, Scotty 
Macdaniel, Elizabeth Miller, Suzanne Poynter, Katie Schook, Christina Thompson and Katherine Trumble rolled the dice right! It was a sold-out event with 400-plus attendees, including Kendall Mazurek, Lacie and Matt Brown, Sheila and Carter Mayfield, Meredith and Mike Howard and Alison and Charlie Bagley. Guests who were feeling lucky spun the wheel for gifts from Kendra Scott, and those who were glammed up — and there were many — posed for photos with Studio Benton. Looks like the ladies of the Junior League have another successful fundraiser, which in turn furthers the mission to promote voluntarism, develop the potential of women and improve our community. Well done!
German Club
By now you probably have heard about a few awesome parties taking place around town where members of the German Club have celebrated in grand style to honor their debutante daughters. I myself was curious since I have been invited to a few over the years and have several friends who have deb daughters and sons who are escorts, or they themselves have been debutantes. FYI for those who are new to this, a debutante is a young woman making her formal entrance into society.
The German Club history goes back 137 years to 1880, when an inspired group of young San Antonio men created a social organization known as the Ascension Club. The club was flourishing in San Antonio’s society, and in 1890, under the leadership of J. Riley Gordon, Oliver Warwick, George W. Martin and Francis L. Town, the name of the club was changed to the San Antonio German Club after a popular dance of the time known as the German, which had become a tradition during the club’s early years.
Each year since 1880, with the exception of the nation’s war years, the San Antonio German Club has had the privilege of presenting the debutantes of the season. The first celebrations were held in the historic old Casino Club, and through the years other fine establishments have hosted the Opening German, including Turner Hall, the Gunter, Menger and St. Anthony Hotels, La Villita and the Convention Center.
The 2016-17 board members include president Jamie Boothe Musselman Jr.; first vice president Christopher Towns Hodge; second vice president Christopher Noel Petty; third vice president Blake Todd Stouffe; secretary David Samuel Aycock; treasurer George Edward Hinchey; favors and dinner dance Stuart Lee Cavender Jr.; guests and publicity Sam Bell Steves III; new members and Fiesta parades Wallace Rogers IV; debutantes and meetings Andrew Jackson Lewis IV; and immediate past president Dunn Houston Armstrong.
This year, 20 young women, are making their debuts: Anna Charles Beck, daughter of Tisha and Kyle Beck, sponsors Brooke and Matthew M. Bell, and escort Taylor C. Thornton; Katherine Fae Biggs, daughter of Melinda and Brian Biggs, sponsors Brittany and Ryan C. Bader, and escort Brian S. Mitchell; Camilla Bright Brusenhan, daughter of Alicia and Harry Brusenhan, Jr., sponsors Becky and Loren Gulley, and escort Michael R. Kiolbassa Jr.; Sedley Hayward Clark, daughter of Sedley and Bradley Oxford and Kris and Christopher Clark, sponsors Natalie and Christopher T. Jones, and escort Jake Read Molak; Anna Leigh Curl, daughter of Audrey and Paul Curl, sponsors Jessica and James L. Drought III, and escort James G. Uhl; Amy Elizabeth Daniell, daughter of Kelly and James R.W. Daniell, sponsors Erin and William C. Spalten, and escort David Z. Rochelle; Raffaella Marguerite Gullo, daughter of Ruby and David J. Gullo, sponsors Gabby and William G. Marchbanks, and escort Clifton N. Molak; Anna Louise Heinemeyer, daughter of Susan and Christian Heinemeyer, sponsors Lisa and Bradley W. Johnson, and escort Samuel W. McAllister; Anna Louise Judson, daughter of Margaret and Jeffrey M. Judson, sponsors Meecia and Stephen M. Little Jr., and escort William C. Thompson; Kathleen DeBerry Keahey, daughter of Karla and Robert B. Keahey, sponsors Christy and Mark M. Meador, and escort J. Willis Bass; Mary Hilliard Larkin, daughter of Annie and John A. Larkin III, sponsors Amelita and David K. Mauze, and escort Coley M. Kellogg; Helen Margaret Liljenwall, daughter of Emily and Theodore Liljenwall, sponsors Sheila and Carter L. Mayfield, and escort W. Bondurant Foster; Embrey Ann Nichols, daughter of Lisa and Mitchell E. Nichols, sponsors Leslie and Daniel C. Mullins, and escort Ross H. Studer; Frances Carolina Roberts, daughter of Elizabeth and Barry C. Roberts, sponsors Jennifer and Charles Wade Hargis and escort Charles J. Fuhrmann III; Augusta Noelle Rosser, daughter of Brook and Sam Bell Steves Rosser, sponsors Ann and Dr. Richard W. Walton, and escort John Samuel A. Peacock; Diana Lynn Rubin, daughter of Drs. Stacey and James M.O. Rubin, sponsors Caroline and Orvis E. Meador III, and escort George V. Shaw IV; Virginia Armstrong Seal, daughter of Sharon and Stuart A. Seal, sponsors Josie and Clare E. Flesher, escort Richard A. Sparr III; Hilary Blue Shaw, daughter of Diane and George V. Shaw III, sponsors Catherine and David D. Hornberger, and escort Carter W. Thurmond, Jr.; Josephine Tinsley Simpson, daughter of Marnie and Barton T. Simpson, sponsors Mills and John W. Bucheck Jr., and escort Brandt P. Bakke; and Claudia Elizabeth Thornton, daughter of Carolyn and Dr. Mark L. Thornton, sponsors Melanie and Dr. Robert P. Thomas, and escort Samuel J. Hall.
Town Club
And the German Club has another tie-in. The purpose of the Town Club of San Antonio is to provide an organization through which a selected group of prominent young men may associate in cordial social relationship for the entertainment and pleasure to their mutual benefit and prestige. In 1945, several of SA’s finest war heroes returned from combat in WWII and decided to get together and start an organization of their own. Dues were $10 in the early days, and the members would host four parties throughout the year. Later, the Town Club partnered with the German Club and Order of the Alamo to bring in a big name band and share expenses. To this day, the Town Club maintains a diverse membership and has grown to more than 400 members. Parties include the Fiesta party, end-of-summer party, Steve Bufkin Memorial Stag Skeet Shoot, new member luncheon, Christmas happy hour and a few other mixers during the year.
Executive board of directors for 2017: Carl Fuhrmann, president; Jim Wolff, vice president; J.J. Feik Jr., secretary/treasurer and Brian Berryman, past president. A few members include Richard Sparr, Robert Keahey, Will Quirk, Triple Fuhrmann, Ty Edwards, David Dilling, Jim Ferguson, Matt Strange and Sean Gulley.
Cryotherapy nowavailable in ‘09
Cryofit opens at 6486 N. New Braunfels to offer whole body cryotherapy, infrared sauna, and recoverey compression boots to treat pain, inflammations, sleep deprivation, and stimulate brown fat production for a great calorie burn throughout the day. There are many additional benefits for all of the services they offer. Hours are M-F, 10-7 and Saturday, 10-4. Phone: 210-375-8097.
By Leslie Foley
