Lejeune hosts Marine Corps Ball etiquette class for military spouses
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — Cyndi Fox, the wife of II Marine Expeditionary Force Commanding General Maj. Gen. Raymond Fox, remembers attending her first Marine Corps birthday ball.
“I was scared and nervous — I didn’t know what to expect,” she said.
She’s not alone.
Marine Corps Community Services is hosting a ball etiquette class for military spouses on Friday. The class helps those new to military life learn from seasoned spouses about what to expect at the Marine Corps Ball.
“Camp Lejeune is so big and we have so many young spouses and you can tell they just are hungry for information about the Marine Corps,” Fox said.
Alaina Hess was one of those young spouses. As a newly married Marine Corps wife, Hess will be attending her first ball this month. She said the main reason she went to the etiquette class held in October was to learn more about the Marine Corps and what she should expect at the ball.
“I was nervous about how to dress,” Hess said during a break in the class. “But now I’m excited to go and I’m excited to see all the ceremonies.”
Hess was one of about 40 Marine Corps spouses at the Midway Park Chapel learning about appropriate attire and behavior, as well as the many Marine Corps traditions and customs guests should be aware of when attending the ball.
“I’ve learned that even though I know some of (my husband’s) command through volunteering... I probably shouldn’t address them the same way I do in my normal atmosphere,” Hess said. “I should still be a little bit more formal at the ball, which I didn’t even think of until I came (to the etiquette class).”
L.I.N.K.S. program trainer Barbi Suggs took the young spouses through a traditional Marine Corps Ball, starting with a social cocktail hour and then formal ceremony during which Suggs went over the “Dos and Don’ts” of watching a traditional ceremony. Following the ceremony, Suggs reviewed a formal dining place setting, and explained which utensils and glasses get used at which point in the meal. Suggs also covered the “Art of Conversation” in which she helped the spouses generate talking points and told them which topics to avoid bringing up at the ball, like politics, religion and gossip.
A portion of the three-hour class was dedicated solely to attire and teaching the spouses that formal gowns are usually tea- to floor-length. The ball, she said, is not the time to wear revealing gowns.
“Myself being a military spouse and going to balls, I’ve seen some things that probably just weren’t the best decision to wear,” Suggs said, adding that wives should use their husband’s dress as an indication of what’s appropriate to wear.
“He’s in his dress blues, and he looks hot. You can look hot, too, but just do it appropriately,” she said.
Suggs also coordinated a small fashion show in which L.I.N.K.S. volunteers modeled appropriate ball gowns to the women in the class. She also had a slide show of inappropriate gowns up on the stage, most of which consisted of low necklines, short hemlines and little fabric.
Fox was the guest speaker at the class, and during her speech she engaged the audience with humorous tales of her experiences attending years’ worth of Marine Corps Balls.
“I’m just glad I came — I’m really glad,” Fox said. “The fact that they had so many people sign up for this .... means there’s a need out there. These spouses want this stuff and I think the more knowledge they have, the more empowered they get, the more they can survive this crazy Marine Corps culture.”
Suggs said L.I.N.K.S. plans to host a few more etiquette classes before ball season officially starts next month, and the program is looking at hosting other types of etiquette classes for retirement ceremonies, graduations and other Marine Corps traditions.
amanda.wilcox@jdnews.com
On your best behavior
MCCS offers these guidelines for Marine Corps spouses to follow when attending an official birthday ball:
Do talk about:
- Casual interests
- School activities
- General topics
Don't talk about:
- Politics
- Religion
- Personal issues
- Gossip
- No swearing
The Ceremony
- Do not arrive late.
- Turn off your cell phone.
- Do not have side conversations.
- Do not eat, drink, chew gum or use tobacco products.
- When colors are being rendered, do not do any of the above.
- Taking photos is acceptable.
Dancing
- Remember you are at a formal event, not a nightclub.
- Be respectful of others.
- Remember your actions could leave a lasting impression that could make a negative or positive impact on your Marine.
- Use your best judgment.
