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2004

Victorian Christmas Ball

Presented by We Make History this was our fourth annual Grand Ball celebrating the season Victorian style through live, period music, historic dance and fashions circa 1840-1900, caroling, drama, gift giving and more. At Christmas we welcome all ages to join in the festivities and the hall was resplendent with the laughter and joy of several generations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lord Scott,

My name is Joey N.  I am a student at Chaparral High School and attended the Christmas Ball on November 27th.

I wanted to thank you and your organization for providing this wonderful opportunity to so many people, including myself. For the entire night, I felt transported back to the Victorian Era and all of its glory. The atmosphere and mood were delightful.

I will be honest in saying that I do not usually consider myself to be a very capable dancer, yet I found myself to enjoy the dances at the Ball very much.  I have never had more fun at any dance oriented event. Having had such a positive experience at the Christmas Ball, I plan to attend many more of your events in the future. Being engaged in history is the best way to study it, and the historical balls give me an opportunity to truly be engaged in our nation's history.

Also, I was very excited to hear your ambitions of building a Historical Ballroom in Arizona. Having such a ballroom is a wonderful way to preserve the extravagance of history before it is forgotten by future generations. The road to making this wonderful ambition a reality may be slow, but I know that I, and many others, will offer their support and encouragement to see that this dream does indeed turn out the way you intend. 

Again, I had a wonderful time at the Christmas ball and hope to see you at the next!

Regards,

Joey N.

Paradise Valley, Arizona

 

 

 

Kind Comments from our Friends

 

Dear Lord and Lady Scott,
Three cheers to Lord and Lady Scott for the wonderful job they did on the Victorian Christmas Ball!  Hip-hip hooray, hip-hip hooray, hip-hip hooray!  We thoroughly enjoyed our time with you at the Victorian Christmas Ball! Thank you! We are very excited about your vision for a building to host the grand balls and other family oriented themes. We will begin now to pray for this great endeavor. We have an idea for the grand opening of this building. Why not have a ball like they did in times gone by when they began the ball at eight, danced until mid-night, shared an elegant buffet supper, and then danced until the break of dawn? Also, we wanted to mention that we spoke with an elderly lady at the last Regency Ball and she shared with us how much she enjoyed the beautiful dancing and that she thought she would never again see this kind of dancing again in her lifetime. With shining eyes she shared with us some of the wonderful balls that she had been to as a young lady back east. She told us that she had a box filled with "dance cards" from that time in her life and that being at the Regency ball brought back such sweet memories. We enjoyed our visit with her and thought we would pass this information on to you. 

We are thankful for you and your family.  Please keep us informed in regards to family memberships and such. We will continue to keep you in our prayers.

Blessings to you and your family and a very Merry Christmas.
Your Brother and Sister in Christ,
The Andrewson Family

Mesa, Arizona

 

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Lord Scott,

My name is Joey N.  I am a student at Chaparral High School and attended the Christmas Ball on November 27th.

I wanted to thank you and your organization for providing this wonderful opportunity to so many people, including myself. For the entire night, I felt transported back to the Victorian Era and all of its glory. The atmosphere and mood were delightful.

I will be honest in saying that I do not usually consider myself to be a very capable dancer, yet I found myself to enjoy the dances at the Ball very much.  I have never had more fun at any dance oriented event. Having had such a positive experience at the Christmas Ball, I plan to attend many more of your events in the future. Being engaged in history is the best way to study it, and the historical balls give me an opportunity to truly be engaged in our nation's history. 

Also, I was very excited to hear your ambitions of building a Historical Ballroom in Arizona. Having such a ballroom is a wonderful way to preserve the extravagance of history before it is forgotten by future generations. The road to making this wonderful ambition a reality may be slow, but I know that I, and many others, will offer their support and encouragement to see that this dream does indeed turn out the way you intend. 

Again, I had a wonderful time at the Christmas ball and hope to see you at the next!

Regards,

Joey N.

Paradise Valley, Arizona

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Dear Lord Scott, 

Once again, it was just a wonderful evening.  I can't tell you how much we enjoy this Ball.  Thank you so much for all you do to make it a memorable event.  We are amazed at how wonderful it is, and always wonder how you manage to do it.  If you ever need any help, please don't hesitate to ask!  We want you to enjoy the evening too. 

Thank you again.

Bill and Mikki

Chandler, Arizona

 

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Lord & Lady Scott,

Thank you so much for your generous invitation to the Victorian Christmas Ball.  The event was outstanding!  Linda and I had a wonderful time and look forward to attending another of your events in the future.  Getting to know the two of you has certainly been a blessing.

Love,

Cal and Linda

Higley, Arizona

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Thank you for all of your hard work in putting the Victorian Ball together.  My husband and I had a terrific time and really enjoyed ourselves. We will be recommending this event to our friends and family.

The Hill Family

Chandler, Arizona

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Lord Scott

My congratulations to you and all of your wonderful guests on an excellent evening of music, dancing, and pleasant conversation.  This has to be the most impressive ball to date.  It seems as if each group outdid the last with beautiful gowns, stylish uniforms and other impressive and fashionable clothing from the Victorian era.  What a feast for the eyes!  The group of students who accompanied me all had a most amazing and memorable time, and we stayed to enjoy every last note of music.  Our only disappointment was that the evening seemed to end all too soon.

From your opening remarks, it appears that this ball presented you with some difficult last-minute challenges which you overcame remarkably well, and had you not said anything, no one would have known the better.  I also enjoyed the singing during the breaks.  Ironically, I had just remarked to one of my friends after the impressive group of Confederate men and women had finished singing stating, "someone has been practicing".  You then commented that, "their performance was their rehearsal."

Thank you for all of your valiant efforts and those of Lady Scott and your team of volunteers to provide another first-rate evening of entertainment and friendship.  As an aside, the Ball paid off in another way as I am on Weight Watchers, and despite my imprudent over-eating during Thanksgiving, I was down another pound at my weigh-in today.

I Remain
Your Friend and Servant

Mike C.
Glendale, Arizona

PS   I had such a good time that I had trouble falling asleep afterwards.  I can assure you that all in my party are still abuzz about Saturday evening.

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Lord Scott,

What a wonderful night that was!! My name is Jennifer P. and I attended with my school (Chaparral HS). I wanted to thank you for hosting such a memorable night for me.  I look forward to the many balls to come!!! 

Miss Jennifer P.

Phoenix, Arizona

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Just a quick thank you note for all of your hard work and dedication. Our family had a wonderful time! My second favorite part of the evening was being able to reconnect with several people with whom I have been blessed to "make our own history" through the years, but whom I have not seen in some time as my children are now grown and graduated from homeschool.

My favorite part was that my grown son and my husband were so willing to give me the gift of the ball, to participate willingly and make the evening so special for me.

Blessing on you and yours this Christmas.

Karen T.

Cornville, Arizona

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Dear Lord Scott and family, 

Thank you very much for the time and effort you put into making this ball so pleasant and meaningful for our family.  This was our second ball to attend as a family and it was most enjoyable.  It has given our children a chance to exhibit the graciousness they have been taught.  It is also a time for them to apply their conversation, etiquette, and dance skills. Thank you for allowing our younger two children attend.  At almost 10 and almost 8 they did a wonderful job of following the dance steps. Conner even did the shoe dance and a sweet young girl chose his tiny shoe!!!  We have told many people about your wonderful, family oriented dance and we pray that you can continue providing such a wholesome form of entertainment for all ages. 

May your Christmas be blessed for your family. 

Sincerely,

Dr. & Mrs. Michael T. and Children

Scottsdale, Arizona

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Lord Scott, 

The spirit of the season was abound at the ball. Miss Susie and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and the company of so many fine ladies and gentlemen.  The singing of the carols was a pure joy,  verily we have a choir in  our midst. The dancing was not only great fun but much needed recreation after the Thanksgiving feast. I extend my heartfelt wish that your holiday season is a joyous one. 

Your humble and obd't servant, 

Jack

Fountain Hills, Arizona

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Dearest Lord & Lady Scott,

I received your most recent letter and was reminded of what a beautiful and pleasant evening we experienced at the Christmas ball.  It was a pleasure to see so many dressing in period clothes and such fine clothes they were too! Thank you for your efforts and I am sure Richard is in agreement with me on this:

You have been blessed to bless others and we do count you and yours among our blessings.

We look forward to seeing you in Prescott next Friday.

Rita S.

Phoenix, Arizona

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 Good morning Lord Scott.

Ben and I had a wonderful time at the Christmas Ball. The dancing was lively, the friends a joy to be with, the refreshments delightful, and the skit, perfect! The Monk sisters have lovely harmony, and the gentlemen of the 1st Virginia sing with such melodic fervor, it makes my heart glad to hear them! 

For myself, it seems each new event brings a fresher understanding of the vision for We Make History. I have witnessed over the last year a transformation not just in my brother and I, but also in numerous young "regulars" who attend the events. It goes beyond merely learning the dance steps and dressing period correct, down to the very attitudes we/they have toward life itself. Exploring history through this group has sparked in me a desire to go beyond the confines of my own "small world" in every area of life.

Sincerely,

Your friend,

Miss Mathewson

Hereford, Arizona

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 Dear Lord Scott,

It was a lovely evening last night. I was very impressed, not only at the number in attendance, but the number in historical costume, and the number of young people. It all made for a wonderful energy.

Best wishes,

Becky N.

Tucson, Arizona

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Lord Scott,

Thank you for such a fun night!! This was my first ball and I absolutely loved it!! I hope I can come to the next ball!!

Sarah E.

Glendale, Arizona

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once In Royal David's City

Cecil F. Alexander

 from "Hymns for Little Children" 1848

Once in royal David’s city
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her Baby
In a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little Child.

He came down to earth from Heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall;
With the poor, and mean, and lowly,
Lived on earth our Savior holy.

And, through all His wondrous childhood,
He would honor and obey,
Love and watch the lowly maiden,
In whose gentle arms He lay:
Christian children all must be
Mild, obedient, good as He.

For He is our childhood’s pattern;
Day by day, like us He grew;
He was little, weak and helpless,
Tears and smiles like us He knew;
And He feeleth for our sadness,
And He shareth in our gladness.

And our eyes at last shall see Him,
Through His own redeeming love,
For that Child so dear and gentle
Is our Lord in Heav’n above,
And He leads His children on
To the place where He is gone.

Not in that poor lowly stable,
With the oxen standing by,
We shall see Him; but in Heaven,
Set at God’s right hand on high;
Where like stars His children crowned
All in white shall wait around.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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