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YOUNG ballgoers with no self respect or self control may well have banned themselves from participation in an increasing number of social functions in Lithgow.
In recent days there has been an increasing flow of comment on drunken young people who marred an otherwise successful Catholic Ball two weeks ago.
Now one of Lithgow’s most successful ball committees has announced it will be banning anyone under 18 from attending its annual functions.
A spokesperson for the Lithgow Highland Ball Committee said that increasing problems had influenced the decision to introduce the age bans beginning this year.
The Highland Ball is always a sell out but this year for the first time there will be no one under 18 admitted.
It will be an unfortunate consequence of the actions of a minority but if nothing else this will mean there are no under age drinkers at the ball.
The committee is counting on most people over legal drinking age having a greater sense of personal responsibility.
The spokesperson said that formal balls had become increasingly popular with younger teenagers in recent years but immature behaviour had become an increasing problem.
She said the ban would make the role easier for security personnel supervising the functions.
The Highland Ball will be held on September 16.
It is likely that other organisers of such functions may be forced to introduce similar bans to combat anti social and what has been described as ‘trashy’ behaviour.
Typical of the total absence of self respect was one young man who was ejected by security after vomiting before even the official proceedings had begun and later boasted on social media ‘... Catholic Ball 2016 — best 30 minutes of my life’.
All class.
But judging by further reports coming in it seems as though there were more bombed out binge drinkers at the Catholic Ball this year than you would expect to find in Kings Cross before the lockouts came into play.
Another correspondent has now told the Mercury that a teenage girl from a neighbouring group had vomited on her table before nine o’clock.
“We had to take the table covering off to dispose of the mess,” she said.
“Another male patron was so drunk on the other side of the ballroom he vomited on the table before the debs had even been presented.
“Another young drunk actually got into fisticuffs with a security person.
“It was foul,” she said.
“I won’t be going again unless there are some changes.
“Perhaps it’s time to tell the known offenders not to come back until they grow up rather than throw up.”
And the complaints kept coming.
Another woman who put her comments in writing, together with identifying herself, said she was one of the disgusted ball goers.
“I, like I’m sure many many other patrons, was absolutely disgusted to see a young man, totally legless after allegedly vomiting on a table, being escorted out by the security guards at 8.15pm (not 10.00pm as quoted in The Saint Column).
“This was even before the official presentation of the debutantes at 8.30pm.
“What is wrong with this young man in particular to be later boasting on social media saying ‘Catholic Ball 2016 … the best 30 minutes of my life’”.
She said this young man should be totally ashamed of himself when he has embarrassed himself ‘and shown his true character and immaturity’.
“My suggestion to the ball committees would be, like in many sporting clubs etc, if your behaviour is found to be unacceptable due to over consumption of alcohol, then you should be banned from attending that function again,” she concluded.