THE CROWD:

Seventeen accomplished and motivated young ladies put on their finest white dresses and came ready to be presented to society as the 2008 Medallion Debutantes of the Assistance League of Newport-Mesa.

The recent Sunday evening affair was the 18th such debutante presentation by the league. Chaired by Judy Weightman, the lovely party transformed the ballroom of The Balboa Bay Club and Resort into a floral wonderland.

Master of ceremonies duties were shared by Robert Johnston and Carter Ford. The pair welcomed the girls, their escorts, parents and friends to this rite of passage and evening of memory making.

Front and center alongside the pageantry and formality of the evening is the message concerning the importance of community service.

The debutants, once enlisted in the ninth grade, enter a comprehensive four-year program indoctrinating them into the world of volunteerism.

Joining what is known as the Assisteens Auxiliary, Orange County’s first such organization formed in 1962, the girls serve philanthropic programs sponsored by the Newport-Mesa league including the Cheri Harris Children’s Dental Health Center, Operation School Bell, Kids on the Block and a host of community outreach programs.

In addition to teaching the values of helping others, the program offers instruction on building self-confidence, organizational skills, work habits, life lessons, focusing on educational goals, athletic pursuits, family and personal values, including etiquette, fashion and manners.

Some might say that such “old world” values are greatly missed in the modern world, and the passing on of fine tradition is a welcome change in an otherwise self-absorbed society.

All the young women were praised for their accomplishments.

However, four debutants were honored for exemplary service to others. Christina Brookes, Joanna Brookes, Elizabeth McKelvey and Lauren Wheeler each accumulated more than 100 hours of service during their senior year in high school.

As the presentation was made, each deb was given a gold medallion necklace to commemorate their achievements.

The 2008 class included Christina Brookes, Joanna Brookes, Karissa Dempsey, Kelly DeYoung, Keelyn Dennis, Alexandra Harzan, Whitney Hockinson, Rachael Hupp, Mallory Martin, Hailey McCarter, Elizabeth McKelvey, Ashley O’Connor, Mallory Olson, Courtney Sands, Jessica Scully, Lauren Wheeler and Olya Zamucen.

An estimated $202,000 net was raised at the 11th annual Crean’s Clambake and Rockin’ Lobster Bake.

The summer event on the California Riviera unfolded under the balmy skies of Sandy Canyon Golf Club welcoming more than 150 guests in support of The Children’s Bureau of Orange County.

Co-chaired by the unstoppable foursome of Sarah Corrigan, Yolanda De La Paz, Holly Kerslake and Irene Tomkinson, the party was a lively gathering of well-meaning neighbors who had come to make a stand against child abuse.

The Orange County chapter of The Children’s Bureau, an L.A.-based organization, was founded by Donna Crean in 1987 and has assisted more than 7,000 children and their families each year through a variety of programs and services, including counseling, foster care, adoption, parenting assistance, financial assistance and more.

Major sponsors of the evening were U.S. Bank, Disneyland Resort, AcrA Aerospace Inc., Heritage Bank, California Bank & Trust and Impac Funding Corporation, along with individual donors Crean, Holly and Mark Kerslake, Deborah and Henry Mayhew and Harriett and Sandy Sandhu.

THE CROWD runs Thursdays and Saturdays.