Palms sweaty, as you gaze across the table at that beautiful face, you want nothing more than to prove that you are the cultured gentleman she’s expecting. Trying your best to disguise the fact that all you can think to do with eight pieces of silverware is build a fort, you boldly select a random fork and begin to dig in. Your attempt to maintain your composure on this ever-so-important first date, however, is disrupted by the echo of your mother’s voice once wisely advising you to participate in Cotillion.

To avoid such a nightmare, more than 400 northshore sixth-to-ninth graders dedicate one afternoon each month from September to March to learning the social graces. From dress to fine dining and social dance, from manners to character building, Cotillion has helped many young ladies and gentlemen. Drew Falconer reflects at age 20, “I can guarantee that the lessons learned in Cotillion helped me in terms of the transition from adolescence to adulthood, and will surely continue to aid me in the future. Besides, you never know how far a little culture will get you in the mind of a girl.”

As for those young gentlemen who still have doubts, the following Top 10 list might lead them to ask themselves – and their buddies – “What’s a few afternoons?”

Top Ten Deal Sealers for Guys

10. It’s something different to do on a weekend.

9. While all your friends may go to one or two dances a year – if they’re lucky – you can go to two more!

8. It’s an excuse to eat great food!

7. You get to go on field trips with your friends.

6. You can win the girls over as the next Rhett Butler, the perfect southern gentleman.

5. You can trick telemarketers into thinking you are the man of the house!

4. You can learn in six months what you failed to learn up to this point.

3. You can get brownie points with mom to use for future negotiations.

2. Where else can you dance with so many charming girls in one afternoon?

And the Number One Deal Sealer for Guys…

1. The chicks dig it!

For more information, contact Mark or Debbie Grush at 643-9785.