Robbie Tillman has been cat-and-mouse 14 years for this moment.
The 17-year-old was aloof a toddler aback his ancestors abutting the Columbus affiliate of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. As the years passed, he watched abounding of his earlier accompany participate in the organization’s biennial beautillion ball.
“I’ve had the advantage of growing up in Jack and Jill, seeing added adolescent men like myself go through the accomplished action and acquaint me about it,” said Tillman, a inferior at Columbus Aerial School. “I would go to the brawl and see them in their tuxedos, attractive actual poised, and accessible for success, and as a adolescent actuality it absolutely resonated and I capital that in my future.”
Now, Tillman and 20 added adolescent men are advancing for their about-face as beaux at the 20th Biennial Beautillion Ball. The accident will be captivated Dec. 16, 7 p.m., at the Columbus Convention and Trade Center. Tickets are $50 and charge be purchased no after than Monday.
This year, nine of the beaux are associates of Jack and Jill. Twelve others are youths from the association who accept been mentored by the organization.
“We absolutely accept a actual accomplished accumulation of guys this year,” Tillman said. “The overseers of the affairs do a acceptable job training and giving us mentoring advice.”
The beautillion, which focuses on the development of adolescent men, alternates years with a bounded babe for adolescent women organized by the Orchettes Civic and Social Club. Both programs aim to accord atramentous adolescence the abilities they charge to be acknowledged in society.
Jo Anne Hill, the beautillion brawl chairperson, said this year’s accident is cogent because of the 20-year milestone.
“The Beautillion Brawl was started out of a charge for this alignment to accept activities and contest for, primarily, bodies of color,” she said, “because aback our Jack and Jill affiliate started 50 years ago, there weren’t the opportunities for bodies of blush that we accept today.
“I anticipate the acceptation of the 20th is that we are in a time in our city, in our association and our nation breadth there’s generally so abundant negativity apropos our adolescent people,” she said. “This is an befalling to advertise that these 21 beaux, indeed, are focused, they are bent and they are polished.”
Beaux present ability to Habitat Home recipient, Brandy Anderson, at a brunch and aptitude appearance captivated at Green Island Country Club. Pictured, from larboard to right, are Robbie Tillman, Jerry Santiago, Brandy Anderson (recipient), Bryce Boston and Garrek Fuller.
Special to the Ledger-Enquirer
The adventure started with the appliance process, which began in September aback the alignment placed applications at all breadth aerial schools. The applicants had until Dec. 20 to apply. To qualify, they had to accept at atomic a 2.5 GPA, a advocacy from a advice advisor and affirmation that they had been complex in extracurricular activities.
Once interviewed and again called for the beautillion ball, the adolescence had to participate in assorted activities, such as a retreat at Pine Mountain, team- architecture projects, a career success workshop, a mother-and-son brunch and an amenities clinic.
“They abstruse how to tie a bow tie,” Hill said. “They abstruse how to sit at a table for three hours with their backs erect. They abstruse that aback a woman comes to the table at a academic event, they angle until she is seated. They abstruse how to accurately eat American appearance and all-embracing style. They abstruse how to say, ‘Thank you,’ and accept a close handshake while attractive the actuality who is talking to them in the face.”
The beaux additionally abstruse how to accord aback to the community, allowance to body a Habitat for Humanity home for Brandy Anderson, a distinct mother, and her two children.
“That was a continued action that a lot of us weren’t accustomed with,” Tillman said of the association project. “Just accepting the abode ready; it wasn’t in the best shape. We had to do things central and alfresco the home, and it was actual advantageous to see the buyer of the abode actual blessed with the assignment that we had done.”
On Nov. 18, the beaux captivated a brunch and aptitude show, breadth they presented allowance cards to the ancestors for groceries. They’ve additionally calm shoes for added Columbus families in charge throughout the year.
Austin Baker and his mother, Dolly, appear a Jack and Jill admirer brunch and aptitude appearance at Green Island Country Club. Baker is one of 21 beaux in the 20th Biennial Beautillion Brawl appointed for Dec. 16 at the Columbus Convention and Trade Center.
Special to the Ledger-Enquirer
One of the teens, Kysmen Wood, has his own T-shirt business and advised T-shirts for the group.
“And back August, they’ve been practicing the presentation that will go alternating on Dec. 16,” Hill said. “Of course, they’ll accept a flit with their belle and with their mom, but they will additionally present themselves in their own way based on what they’ve been practicing back August.”
Fifty percent of gain from the accident will go to the Jack and Jill of America Foundation to abutment association projects nationwide, and 50 percent will go to bounded charities called by the beaux. In the past, the beautillion brawl has aloft anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000, Hill said.
Austin Baker, 17, is addition inferior at Columbus Aerial School. He has been in Jack and Jill back aboriginal grade, and he — like Tillman — is attractive advanced to assuredly actuality a beau.
“It brings calm a accumulation of adolescent African American males who are activity bottomward the appropriate clue in activity and exposes them to altered things,” Baker said. “I anticipate it’s one of the bigger contest in Columbus.”
For added advice or to acquirement tickets, email Colgabeautillion2017@yahoo.com or go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jack-and-jill-columbus-ga-chapter-beautillion-ball-tickets-39537828710
2017 Jack and Jill Beautillion Beaux
Clyde Albright
Austin Baker
Bryce Boston
Myles Collier
Colby Edmond
Garrek Fuller
Nicholas Hallet
Desmond Hamm, Jr.
Andrew Jackson
Brandon Mahone
John Malone
Jerry Santiago
John Andrew Sims
Robert Tillman
Aundre Turner
Jourdan Watson
Jalen Wiley
Deondrae Williams
Jalen Williams
Jason Williams
Kysmen Wood
