Denizens of the Nomad Oasis at the Town Hall: A Brilliant Function The success of the second. annual Shriners' Ball, which took place on Thursday night at the Town Hall, has placed it among those yearly affairs so much looked forward to by the community of Shanghai. A very detinite.and distinct note was struck by the scheme of decoration and by the patrol of 24 men in ceremonial attire which placed it apart from all the rest.
The guests began-to arrive about 9.15, coming up the palm bordered stairways into the big ball room where they were met by the whole atmosphere of the East in colourful lighting, the smell of burning incense, and silver crescents glowing in big brazen bowls. Harry Kerry's orchestra furnished the music from their oasislike platform in the centre of the hall. All around the edge, set out from the wall far enough to permit the passage of people comfortably, were the tall pedestals bearing the brass bowls which contained the lighting ngements.* All the lighting' was indirect and the colours used were red and green and white turned on alternately throughout the evening. The wires, carrying the current were bound with yellow and red cloth and they hung between the bowls forming a part of the de-curative scheme.
Tue Granp Marcu.
At 9.30 the grand march began. It was preceded, however, by a military drill of the patrol, 24 men in the ceremonial uniform of the Order of the Mystic Shrine. After the drill, the members' ladies joined them to participate in the grand ch which was led by Mr. H. 8. Dickerson, captain of the patrol. At the conclusion of the march, ute pvening's dancing began, there being a programme of 16 numbers and several extras.
The dance programmes were designed with a Shriner's red fez on the cover with the words "Nomad Oasis" inscribed upon it and the Shrine emblem on the back.
A buffet supper was' served at midnight in the room just off the ball-room, after which the dancing continued until an early morning our. The dancing was_ especially enjoyable as the five or six hundred guests who attended did not crowd the floor too greatly, and the orchestra augmented by three or four pieces furnished splendid music. Arrangements for the bal! were in the hands of Mr. A. Davis and Mr. F. van Buskirk, the latter being president of the Nomad Oasis. Mr. F. A. Bowen acted as treasurer. Much credit is due to Mr. H. G. Landis who conceived and developed the entire scheme of decoration which was the outstand-jing feature of the entertainment.
Tue Rev. J. M. Blois has been nominated Vicar-Apostolic of the Mission to Middle Manchuria
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.