The Mystery Ball, which took place Friday, Feb. 24, was the first ball for new members Mrs. Jake Lastinger, Mrs. Adam Steel and Mrs. Coleman Brice.

VALDOSTA – The ladies of the Mystery Ball Club celebrated the arrival of spring with “A Night in the Garden.”

“Surrounded by lush flowers and greenery, butterflies danced along with the crowd,” organizers said in a statement provided last week.

Guests entered the Valdosta Country Club through an arched garden path into the lobby. Here they found a forest scene highlighted by a centerpiece of migrating butterflies. In the lounge, garden insects and forest creatures hid among tables of greenery. The ballroom tables were covered in fuchsia rosette cloths sprinkled with butterflies and flowers. The room was uplit with fading pastel colors and Japanese lanterns over the dance floor.

At 9:30 p.m., Mrs. Joe Tillman, president, led the 70 costumed members onto the dance floor to the classic “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles. Members performed a choreographed dance to their theme song. The newest members, Mrs. Coleman Brice, Mrs. Jake Lastinger and Mrs. Adam Steel, were front and center. Following the lead out dance, guests joined in and danced the night away to the exciting vibes of The Maxx from Atlanta.

The ladies of the Mystery Ball Club wore black dresses and elbow-length hot pink gloves with a matching pink shoulder length wig. The costume features a cape with colorful butterfly wings and a butterfly mask with a silver veil.

The Mystery Ball Club was founded in 1932 by 70 Valdosta women and has hosted the Mystery Ball each and every year since with the exception of the World War II years (1943-45) and 2021 due to the pandemic.

Many of the members today are descendants of those original founding members.

Officers for 2023 are Mrs. Joseph Tillman Sr., president; Mrs. Chris Milstead, vice president; Mrs. Chuck Steel, recording secretary; Mrs. Tripp Templeton, corresponding secretary; Mrs. Turner Brice, treasurer; Mrs. Howard Dasher, finance chair; and members at large, Mrs. Tom McTier and Mrs. Butch Burgsteiner; Mrs. John Peeples, parliamentarian; and Mrs. Evan Miller, historian.

The following out-of-town guests and their hostesses participated in the evening:

Mr. Jack Barclay and guest of Brighton, MA and Ms. Catherine McCulloch of West Palm Beach, Fla., guests of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Barclay; Miss Maggie Bird and Mr. Chandler Barnes of Boston, guests of Mr. and Mrs. Brother Bird; Mr. And Mrs. Zach Soper of Tifton, guests of Mr. and Mrs. Coleman Brice; Mr. and Mrs. Austin Wetherington of Brookhaven, guests of Mr. and Mrs. Turner Brice; Miss Merry Parker Whidby and guest of Atlanta guests of Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Burns; Mr. and Mrs. G.W. Harrell of Tallahassee, Fla., guests of Mr. and Mrs. Len Carter; Mr. and Mrs. John Paul Cocke of Boston, and Mr. and Mrs. Nick Craig of McDonough, guests of Mr. and Mrs. Luke Cocke; Mr. and Mrs. Whit Fackler of Brookhaven, and Mr. and Mrs. George Thornton of Edgefield, S.C., guests of Mr. and Mrs. Dan Coleman; Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Crago of St. Pete, Fla., and Mr. and Mrs. Louis Jones of Georgetown, S.C., guests of Mr. and Mrs. Kenny Crago; Miss McCulley Cregger and guest of Atlanta, guests of Mr. and Mrs. David Cregger; Ms. Lindsey Walters and guest of Fitzgerald, guests of Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Dickey; Mr. and Mrs. Glenn S. Hough of Mount Pleasant, S.C., guests of Mrs. James Gray Jr.; Ms. Corie Black and guest of Destin, Fla., guests of Mr. and Mrs. Chip Gregory; Mr. and Mrs. John Landrum of Cumming, guests of Mrs. Archie Griffin; Mr. and Mrs. Harley Hatcher of Orange Park, Fla., and Mr. Reynolds Henry and guest of Atlanta, guests of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Henry; Mr. and Mrs. Cavan Perry of Nashville, guests of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Langdale; Miss Isabel Langdale and guest of Atlanta, guests of Mr. and Mrs. Pope Langdale; Mr. and Mrs. William Kenneth Bell of Brentwood, Tenn., guests of Mr. and Mrs. Jake Lastinger; Mr. and Mrs. Fred Deloach III of Sandy Springs, and Mr. and Mrs. Edward Sterry of Tampa, Fla., guests of Mr. and Mrs. John Lastinger; Mr. and Mrs. Ken Morrison of Nashville, guests of Mr. and Mrs. Lee Mackey; Mr. John Eunice and guest of Atlanta, and Miss Mary Catherine Mackey and guest of Atlanta, guests of Mr. and Mrs. Mac Mackey; Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Parker of Jacksonville, Fla., guests of Dr. and Mrs. David Parker; Mr. and Mrs. Josh Carroll of Jennings, Fla., and Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Odom of St. Simons, guests of Mr. and Mrs. Chad Shenton; Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Greenway of Macon, guests of Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Smith; Dr. and Mrs. Alex Bartholomew of Griffin, guests of Dr. and Mrs. Briggs Smotherman; Miss Allie Smotherman and guest of Jennings, Fla., guests of Mr. and Mrs. John Smotherman; Mrs. And Mrs. John Wilker of Fairhope, Ala., guests of Mrs. Frank Strickland; Mr. and Mrs. Jerry McGee of Jacksonville, Fla., guests of Mr. and Mrs. Cal Stubbs; Mr. and Mrs. Dan Stubbs of Atlanta, guests of Mrs. Joe Stubbs; Mr. and Mrs. Robert Matthews of Gainesville, guests of Mrs. Charles Templeton; Mr. and Mrs. Scott Lewis of Cumming, guests of Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton Tillman; Mr. and Mrs. John Kirk Tillman of Chamblee, and Mr. and Mrs. Kaleb Tillman of Augusta, and Mr. and Mrs. Mike Wheeler of Monticello, Fla., guests of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Tillman.