2015-2016 Participant Packet
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CONTENTS
Page
MISSION STATEMENT............................................................................................................................... 3
PROGRAM COMMITTEE ........................................................................................................................... 4
RESPONSIBILITIES OF PARTICIPANTS ................................................................................................ 5
RESPONSIBILITIES OF PARENTS ......................................................................................................... 6
RESPONSIBILITIES OF SPONSORS ......................................................................................................... 7
ATTIRE FOR ACTIVITIES……………………………………………………………………………………8
ABSENTEE PENALTY FEE ........................................................................................................................ 9
PATRON JOURNAL DONATIONS .......................................................................................................... 10
FINANCIAL INFORMATION.................................................................................................................... 11
TICKET INFORMATION ......................................................................................................................... 12
ATTIRE FOR FORMAL EVENT .............................................................................................................. 13
TERMINATION OR WITHDRAWAL OF PARTICIPANT .................................................................... 14
DEADLINE DATES .................................................................................................................................... 15
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MISSION STATEMENT
Recognizing the importance of the transition to young adulthood,
the L’Elegance Cotillion-Beautillion program
is structured to provide high school seniors, affiliated with the Seventh-day
Adventist Church, with balanced spiritual, civic, educational, cultural, and social
experiences.
The L’Elegance Cotillion-Beautillion coordinates
an educational scholarship fund-raising program
for college bound high school seniors.
The L’Elegance Cotillion-Beautillion
culminates its program in a presentation of the
participants in a formal event.
L’Elegance Cotillion-Beautillion is a non-profit, self -supporting program. The Emmanuel
Brinklow Seventh-day Adventist Church and the L’Elegance Committee members DO
NOT receive stipends or salaries for sponsorship and operation of this annual event.
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L’Elegance Cotillion-Beautillion
PROGRAM COMMITTEE
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Jackie Praylo-Johnson
443-756-1230
TREASURER
Will Kitching
FINANCE COORDINATORS
Nadia Chevalier
Haley Seymour
410-372-7466
301-758-6154
ACTIVITIES COORDINATORS
Karee Dudley
Elle Westney
443-629-6306
301-366-5112
JUNIORS COORDINATOR
Tisa Thomas
240-723-9078
PARENT COORDINATORS
Dawn Holland
Tayna Frett
301-755-4309
571-265-7697
PUBLICITY COORDINATOR
Mylon Medley
301-728-5672
SOUVENIR JOURNAL COORDINATOR
Joan Burrows
240-381-0806
SPONSOR COORDINATOR
Terry Barnes
240-464-4404
TICKETS/SEATING COORDINATORS
Barbara Howard
Doreen Hines
301-785-5828
240-832-1039
DRESS COMMITTEE
Beverly Passard
Debby Dudley
301-604-9609
443-621-4460
L’Elegance EMAIL ADDRESS
CotillionBeautillion@gmail.com
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RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PARTICIPANTS
REQUIREMENTS

Be a high school senior who attends a Seventh-day Adventist Church or has an affiliation with a Seventhday Adventist Church

Adhere to the principles and practices as outlined in the L’Elegance Participant packet

Be recommended by a member of the L’Elegance Committee or Church Official (Pastor, Elder, Ministry
Leader, etc.) of the local Seventh-day Adventist church

Plan to attend university/college in the following academic year

Successfully complete the Interview process
RESPONSIBILITIES

Follow the Payment Schedule for the Participation Fee on or before the due date (See page 11)

Attend and be punctual at activities - including the workshops, outings and promenade rehearsals

Write and submit Biography for the souvenir journal on or before Friday, October 2, 2015 to
CotillionBeautillion@gmail.com

Bring three (3) photographs (baby, elementary/middle school age and current) to the interview on
Sunday, October 4, 2015

Create, type, duplicate and mail/email letters to solicit donations for scholarship

Select an escort by Sunday, December 6, 2015 and provide escort with program and attire guidelines

Must secure a minimum of $1500 in patron donations for the journal on or before January 17, 2016

Must sell at least (6) six tickets to the formal event by Sunday, February 7, 2016

Write and submit the Formal Presentation to be read at the formal event of 150 words or less on or before
Sunday, February 21, 2016 to CotillionBeautillion@gmail.com

Follow the attire guidelines for ALL activities and the formal event
SPONSOR SELECTION

The Debutante/Beau should select her/his own Sponsor (ONE SPONSOR ONLY of the same sex)

The Sponsor’s contact information (name, number, email) must be provided to the Sponsor Coordinator.

The Debutante/Beau can ask the Sponsor Coordinator to assist in selecting a sponsor, if needed
*** Participants are asked to support all of the elements of L’Elegance, the Committee and abide by the
established guidelines to ensure a successful Program ***
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RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PARENTS
Provide Support to the Participant
 Encourage the Debutante/Beau to attend workshops and other activities. This is particularly important for
activities involving the purchase of tickets
 Encourage communication between the Debutante/Beau with her/his Sponsor
 Arrange transportation for the Debutante/Beau to and from all activities and promenade rehearsals
 Assist the Participant in the selection of appropriate formal attire
 Provide the Escort’s parents with the Formal attire guidelines and the promenade rehearsal schedule for the
formal event
 Write and submit the Biography for the souvenir journal on or before Friday, October 2, 2015 to
CotillionBeautillion@gmail.com
 Bring three (3) photographs of Debutante/Beau (baby, elementary/middle school age and current) to the
interview on Sunday October 4, 2015
 Create, type, duplicate and mail/email letters to solicit donations for scholarship
 Write and submit the Formal Presentation to be read at the formal event of 150 words or less on or before
Sunday, February 21, 2016 to CotillionBeautillion@gmail.com
Provide Support for Parent Activities
 Attend each Parent Meeting
 Attend the Dedication Service, Promenade Rehearsals (Promenading Parent) and the Tribute Dinner
 In the event that one parent is unable to present the Debutante/Beau at the formal event, the participating
parent is encouraged to have an escort
 If the parents or guardians are unavailable for the promenade, an alternate adult must be identified
 Regularly check for emails received from L’Elegance Cotillion-Beautillion
Provide Financial Support
 Follow the Payment Schedule for the Participation Fee (See page 11)
 Must secure a minimum of $1500 in patron donations for the journal on or before January 17, 2016
 E-mail CotillionBeautillion@gmail.com with the typed patron names on or before January 24, 2016
 Must sell at least (6) six tickets to the formal event by February 7, 2016
There will be Parent Meetings on the following dates:
* Sunday, October 18, 2015 @ 2:00pm – 4:00pm Emmanuel Brinklow SDA Church
* Sunday, December 6, 2015 @ 2:00pm – 4:00pm Emmanuel Brinklow SDA Church
* Sunday, February 7, 2016 @ 2:00pm – 4:00pm Emmanuel Brinklow SDA Church
*** Parents are asked to support all of the guidelines of L’Elegance to ensure a successful Program ***
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RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SPONSORS
Provide Emotional Support to the Participant
 Get to know the Debutante/Beau and establish regular communication with the Participant and her/his
parents
 Encourage the Debutante/Beau to attend workshops and other activities. This is particularly important for
activities involving the purchase of tickets
 Help the Debutante/Beau resolve any concerns or problems associated with participation in the program
 Communicate any concerns or problems to the Sponsor Coordinator
Provide Physical Support to the Participant
 Ensure that the Debutante/Beau and her/his parents know where and when each activity will be held
 Assist the Participant in resolving transportation issues to the activities
 Attend the “So You Think You Know” workshop, the Dedication Service, the “Get Lifted” Spiritual
workshop, the Tribute Dinner, Final Promenade Rehearsal and the formal event
Provide Financial Support to the Participant
 Donate, at a minimum, as a “sapphire” patron ($75.00) in the souvenir journal
 Help the Participant to obtain other patron donations for the souvenir journal
 Purchase a ticket ($75.00) and help to sell additional tickets
Sponsorship should begin as soon as possible. It will continue throughout the program. In addition to developing
a sisterly/brotherly relationship with the participant, the goal of sponsorship is to help ensure the
Debutante’s/Beau’s maximum participation in the program.
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ATTIRE FOR ACTIVITIES
Business:
Females: Dark Colored Suits, Pantsuits or Tailored Dresses and Dress Shoes
Males: Dress Slacks, Shirts and Ties or Suits and Dress Shoes
Casual:
Jeans, Sweatshirts, Tennis Shoes, Sneakers
Church:
Females: Suits, Dresses, Skirts and Dress Tops and Dress Shoes
Males: Dress Slacks, Shirts and Ties or Suits and Dress Shoes
Dressy Casual:
Khakis, Dress Slacks, Skirts, Shirts, Polos
NO JEANS, SWEATSHIRTS, TENNIS SHOES, SNEAKERS
UNPLUGGED
Cell phones, IPods and all other electronic devices must be turned off during ALL activities
JEWELRY
No jewelry is to be worn by the Debutantes, Beaus or their Escorts during any of the activities
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ABSENTEE PENALTY FEE
Participants and Parents must be committed to attend ALL scheduled meetings, events, activities,
and rehearsals in order to maximize the benefits of the L’Elegance experience. While the L’Elegance
Committee hopes that all events and activities will be attended, there is an allowance for missing up
to three (3) activities or events during the program. However, an Absentee Penalty Fee of $50.00
will be assessed for each missed event and activity beginning with the fourth (4th) and each
one thereafter. Parents are responsible for contacting the Activities Coordinator to see if their child
has missed any L’Elegance activity.
Promenade rehearsals are an important part of the program. In accordance, it is expected that all
rehearsals be attended by the Participant, Promenading Parent and the Escort. An Absentee
Penalty Fee of $25.00 will be assessed for each missed rehearsal beginning with the second
(2nd) and each one thereafter. The Absentee Penalty Fees are deducted from the Participant’s
scholarship check.
A tardy = 15 minutes late after the meeting/activity has started. Two (2) tardies are equivalent to one
(1) missed activity. Attendance will be taken at every meeting/activity. It will be the responsibility of
each Participant to sign the Attendance sheet.
Participants should be picked up from all activities by the specified time on the Activities
Calendar. If arrangements need to be made, please contact the Activities Coordinators as
soon as possible.
For emergencies, the parent should contact L’Elegance Activities Coordinator Karee Dudley at
443-629-6306 or Elle Westney at 301-366-5112 at least 48 hours in advance or at the earliest
time possible.
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PATRON JOURNAL DONATIONS
PATRON JOURNAL DONATION CATEGORIES:
Gold
$500.00 and above
Silver
$250.00 -$499.99
Emerald
$125.00-$249.99
Sapphire
$75.00-$124.99
Ruby
$50.00-$74.99
Diamond
$35.00-$49.99
Pearl
under $35.00
PAYMENT OPTION: Online Payments only
ONLINE PAYMENTS: Access: www.emmanuelbrinklow.org
Click on Ministries, select L’Elegance Cotillion-Beautillion and scroll down to the Contribute link
DONATION REPORTING: Regular Financial Summaries will be provided to the parents by the
Finance Coordinators
TUITION SCHOLARSHIP CHECKS: Funds raised by the Participant will be dispersed in the
form of an educational scholarship check no later than June 30th. An equal dollar amount is
deducted from each participant based on the cost of the Souvenir Journal. A separate fee of 3% (of
the total monies donated) is assessed by PayPal for the processing of the online donations.
Therefore, the total amount dispersed will never be 100% of the total funds raised. The check will
be awarded after all program expenses have been paid.
The scholarship check may be made payable to the University/College or to the Participant and a
Parent.
The Participant will be required to provide to the L’Elegance Committee a copy of their
University/College acceptance letter before the scholarship check is released.
NOTE: Any of the Scholarship funds received, that are used for personal living expenses (i.e.
room and board, clothing, supplies, etc.) may be considered taxable income to the Recipient. The
Emmanuel Brinklow SDA Church will assume, based on the instructions given, that the income is
not taxable. However, if any funds are not used for tuition and related educational expenses by the
Recipient or Parent, such funds are taxable, even though a 1099 was not issued. You should
consult your tax preparer if you have any questions on the taxability of your scholarship funds.
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FINANCIAL INFORMATION
 PARTICIPATION FEE - $550.00
Includes the following:
Four (4) Formal event tickets –
One (1) for Debutante/Beau, Two (2) for Parents and One (1) for Escort
ACTIVITIES COSTS:
CONTRACTED SERVICES:
Welcome Party
Etiquette Luncheon
NBA Basketball Game
Tribute Dinner
Refreshments
Other related expenses
Plaque company
Photographer
Banquet facility
Sponsor gifts
Videographer
Choreographer
Florist
 PAYMENT SCHEDULE -
$300.00 or $550.00 - Deposit or Full Payment due by Friday, October 2, 2015
$250.00 - Balance due by Friday, December 4, 2015
50% - Refunded for terminations/withdrawals on or before Friday, December 4, 2015
0% - Refunded after Friday, December 4, 2015
(See page 14 for more details on Terminations/Withdrawals)
 METHOD OF PAYMENT ONLINE PAYMENTS only
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TICKET INFORMATION
TICKET PRICE: $75.00
(Same price for children)
All tables seat 10 people
Each Debutante/Beau has a Head Table, four (4) of the seats at the Head Table are paid from the
Participation Fee.
THE FOUR (4) TICKETS ARE FOR THE FOLLOWING PERSONS:
Debutante/Beau (1)
Parents/Guardians (2)
Debutante’s/Beau’s Escort (1)
The Debutante/Beau must sell or pay for the remaining six (6) tickets at the Head Table. The Sponsor
should purchase one of those six tickets. The Head Table must be paid for by Sunday, February
7, 2016.
The participants are encouraged to sell as many tickets as possible. The Debutante and Beau who sells
the most tickets will be recognized at the formal event as the “Most Represented Participant”.
TICKETS MAY ONLY BE PURCHASED ONLINE at
www.emmanuelbrinklow.org
***Deadline date for ticket sales will be Sunday, April 3, 2016***
Head and Guests Tables will be assigned on FIRST COME, FIRST PAID BASIS
If multiple Guest Tables are needed, please purchase them at the same time as the Head
Table. Guest Tables purchased later may not be located adjacent to your Head Table.
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ATTIRE FOR THE FORMAL EVENT
DEBUTANTES
BEAUS
Floor length gowns
Black “tails” tuxedo
FULL SKIRT (A-line or fuller/no form fitting styles)
White formal shirt
Dresses must not drag on floor (NO TRAINS)
White pique vest
Any fabric
White pique bow tie
Color - Snow White (no cream, ivory or eggshell)
Black formal shoes, black socks
Embellishments, if any, should be clear or white
(Tuxedos will be pre-selected)
Covered shoulders (NO SHAWLS)
Short or long sleeves
Modest neckline (No low front or low back)
White gloves (Short gloves for long sleeves/Long gloves for short sleeves)
White Shoes, Sandals or Ballet flats
BEAUS’ ESCORTS
DEBUTANTES’ ESCORTS
Floor length gown
FULL SKIRT (A-line or fuller/no form fitting styles)
Dresses must not drag on floor (NO TRAINS)
Any Fabric
Any color, except white
Covered shoulders (NO SHAWLS)
Black “suit” tuxedo
White formal shirt
Black cummerbund
Black bow tie
Black formal shoes, black socks
(Tuxedos will be pre-selected)
MOTHERS
FATHERS
Formal attire in any color, except white
Formal tuxedo
(Pre-selected or personal choice in black)
JUNIOR DEBUTANTES
JUNIOR BEAUS
Dresses will be selected by the Junior
Coordinator, along with the Junior Debutantes
Black “suit” tuxedo
White formal shirt
Bow tie and cummerbund matching Jr Deb dresses
Black formal shoes, black socks
ADDITIONAL EXPECTATIONS:
Hair accessories (Tiaras, headbands, etc.) should be modest and not covering any portion of the face.
No jewelry should be worn
The Dress Committee must approve all Debutante dresses no later than February 28, 2016 and all Escort dresses
no later than March 13, 2016.
Non-compliance with the above guidelines will risk participation in the formal event.
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TERMINATION OR WITHDRAWAL
OF PARTICIPANT
The L’Elegance Cotillion-Beautillion Committee reserves the right to terminate a debutante or beau
for non-compliance with the guidelines in the participant packet and the provisions of the
Parent/Participant Commitment Agreement. In addition, termination can occur if the debutante
or beau has not demonstrated the high moral, Christian character and attitude that is conducive to
the success of the L’ Elegance program. The decision to terminate a participant will be made by the
L’ Elegance Committee.
The parent or participant may appeal the L’ Elegance Committee’s decision to terminate within
seven (7) days upon the receipt of the Termination Notification email. The L’ Elegance Committee
may reconsider the decision and written notification will be forwarded to the Parents. This
decision, of the L’ Elegance Committee, on the reconsideration request will be final.
The parents and/or the participant have/has the option to withdraw from the L’Elegance program
at any time upon written notification to the L’ Elegance Committee Program Director.
The amount of the participation fee that will be refunded upon the termination or withdrawal is as
follows:
On or before December 4, 2015
50% *
After December 4, 2015
0%
*All unpaid Absentee Penalty Fees will be deducted from the refund, if any. The balance of the
refund will be mailed to the parents within ten (10) days of the notification of the termination or
withdrawal.
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DEADLINE DATES
Friday, October 2, 2015


JOURNAL BIOGRAPHY DUE
PARTICIPATION FEE DEPOSIT DUE - $300.00 or FULL PAYMENT - $550.00
Sunday, October 4, 2015

THREE PHOTOGRAPHS DUE at Interview
Friday, December 4, 2015

PARTICIPATION FEE BALANCE DUE - $250.00
Sunday, December 6, 2015

ESCORT INFORMATION DUE
Sunday, January 17, 2016

$1500 IN DONATIONS DUE - LAST DAY FOR PATRONS’ NAMES TO BE
INCLUDED IN THE JOURNAL
Sunday, January 24, 2016

EMAILED PATRON LISTS DUE
Sunday, February 7, 2016

HEAD TABLE TO BE PAID IN FULL (SIX TICKETS SOLD)
Sunday, February 21, 2016


FORMAL PRESENTATION DUE
MANDATORY PREVIEW OF DEBUTANTES’ DRESSES (Last Names A-K)
Sunday, February 28, 2016

MANDATORY PREVIEW OF DEBUTANTES’ DRESSES (Last Names L-Z)
Sunday, March 6, 2016

MANDATORY PREVIEW OF ESCORTS’ DRESSES (Beaus Last Names (A-P)
Sunday, March 13, 2016

MANDATORY PREVIEW OF ESCORTS’ DRESSES (Beaus Last Names (Q-Z)
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