The Society of Martha Washington was formed in 1939, in Laredo, Texas. The Society hosts the Colonial Ball, which is an annual debutante ball where young women make their debut into society. The Colonial Ball is held at the Laredo Civic Center and is a part of a citywide festival called the Washington's Birthday Celebration, which takes place in February every year.Kendall, Diana E. The Power of Good Deeds: Privileged Women and the Social Reproduction of the Upper Class. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2002. Print. The Society of Martha Washington helps Laredo present an image of “racial and national harmony” by working in conjunction with the Princess Pocahontas Council, and the Abrazo Children.Young, Elliott. "Red Men, Princess Pocahontas, and George Washington: Harmonizing Race Relations in Laredo at the Turn of the Century." The Western Historical Quarterly 29.1 (1998): 48-85. Print.
Membership Membership of the Society is exclusive, yet there is no discrimination based on race or ethnicity. Unlike the debutante balls from the early 1900s up north, where racial and ethnic differences were implied as a definition of social class, Modern Laredo's elite consists of bicultural individuals.Elinse Chenier “Class, Gender, and the Social Standard: The Montreal Junior League, 1912–1939” The Canadian Historical Review 688. Print. The Society was founded with bicultural roots. As a result, a good number of the girls who are presented are Latinas.Mitchell, Claudia A.; Reid-Walsh, Jacqueline (Eds.). Girl Culture: An Encyclopedia [Two Volumes]. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2008 Members who are chosen for the Society usually come from a small group of old families."Once Upon a Time in Laredo." National Geographic Nov.-Dec. 2006: 94-109. Print.
The pageant The society chooses two prominent members of Laredo's society to portray President George and Martha Dandridge Washington. The debutantes that are presented every year as well as their escorts, either have family in the Society or are invited as guests. The participants portray contemporaries based on the story line, which changes every year, that come out to honor the President and his First Lady.Brezosky, Lynn. "Laredo Pulls out All Stops for First President's Birthday | The Bryan-College Station Eagle." 8 February 2007. Web. 16 September 2010.
See also Las Marthas, a 2014 documentary film about two women taking part in the Society of Martha Washington ball
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