Welcome

THE NORTHSHORE CHAPTER is in our 28th year for our Cotillion Chapters.  We are so glad that you will be joining us.

Catherine Lagarde is the Director for the Northshore Chapter.  Please register as soon as possible to secure your place.  The Northshore Chapter offers both the Junior Cotillion and the High School Cotillion programs.

Announcements

Registration is NOW open for the 2024 - 2025 Junior Cotillion and High School Cotillion Season!  

CLASSES:

JUNIOR COTILLION PROGRAM:

The Junior Cotillion program builds confidence, strengthens character, and teaches life skills to help students succeed in the future.  Students learn to treat others with honor, dignity, and respect.  Modern etiquette, social dance, and character development topics will be presented and discussed at each class.  

Life skills topics covered in class include:  first impressions, dining etiquette, shaking hands, body language, electronic etiquette, table manners, sportsmanship, character education, manners in the home and in public, social dance, and many more life skills.

We are dedicated to making a positive impact on young people and helping them become tomorrow's leaders.  Students learn skills they will use for a lifetime.

Junior Cotillion 2023-2024 Season:

Grades 5th - 8th

SCHEDULE: 

Year 1 Program:

(5th and 6th grade students who are brand new to Cotillion)

Sunday, September 17 - Pool Party (2pm to 3:30pm)

Sunday, October 15 - Introduction Class

Sunday, November 12 - Thanksgiving Class

Friday, December  1 - Holiday Class (Class time 5pm to 6:30pm)

Sunday, January 7 - Winter Class

Sunday, February  25 - Parents' Dip into Dancing Class

Sunday, March 24 - Black and White Ball

Year 2 Program:

(6th and 7th graders who have completed Year 1 Cotillion and 7th and 8th graders brand new to Cotillion)

Sunday, September 17 - Pool Party (2pm to 3:30pm)

Sunday, October 15 - Back to Basics Class

Sunday, November 12 - Positive First Impressions and Dressing for Success Class

Friday, December 1 - Five-Course Instructional Dinner, Table Skills and Dining Etiquette Class (7pm to 8:30pm)

Saturday, December 16 - Cultural Outing

Sunday, January 7- Social Networking Class

Sunday, February  25- Parents' Dip into Dancing Class

Sunday, March 24 - Black and White Ball

All classes are to be held at Tchefuncta Country Club, 2 Country Club Park, Covington, LA 70433.

Class Times:

Year 1 - 2:00 p.m. until 3:30 p.m.

Year 2 - 4:00 p.m. until 5:30 p.m.

TUITION:

Year 1 tuition is $365

Year 2 tuition is $385

COTILLION DRESS FOR CLASSES:

Ladies should wear conservative age appropriate dresses or skirts, short white gloves (this is a Junior Cotillion tradition), and dress shoes for dances.  Gentlemen should wear khaki or dress pants, dress shirts, ties and navy or dark blazers.  Hair should be neatly combed, fingernails clipped and clean, and shoes polished.  Dancing requires hard-soled shoes, no open-toe shoes.  No athletic shoes or flip flops, please.  Young ladies can receive a 10% discount on the short white Cotillion gloves at gloves-online.com by using the CODE:  NLJC.  Gloves can also be purchased at Party City, Buzy Bodies in Mandeville, Orient Expressed in New Orleans, other dance apparel stores and at our first class.

PARENTS' DIP INTO DANCING CLASS:

The last class before the ball is the Parents' Dip Into Dancing Class.  Parents are invited to join us for the last 30 minutes to learn the basic Waltz.  At the Black and White Ball, parents are invited to attend at the end of the ball and dance with their children. 

The Black and White Ball will be held at the Southern Hotel Property - The Greenwood in Covington, Louisiana.

Appropriate Dress for the Black and White Ball:

The Black and White Ball is a semi-formal event for which age appropriate dress is required.  Young ladies should wear formal or semi-formal, white or ivory dresses and white gloves.  Young gentlemen should wear black tie tuxedoes.  The NLJC Northshore Chapter has a deeply discounted rate for the entire black tie tuxedo ensemble, including shoes, with Tophat Tuxedos located at 1357 N. Causeway Blvd. Suite 5, Mandeville, LA. You can go online to schedule an appointment or just walk in for a fitting.  To receive the discount let them know you are attending the Junior Cotillion Black and White Ball.

HIGH SCHOOL COTILLION PROGRAM:

The purpose of the HIGH SCHOOL COTILLION program is to introduce participants to skills that will better prepare them for the future not only in high school, but in college and the world of work.  Participation in the Junior Cotillion program prior to participation in the High School Cotillion program is not a pre-requisite.

The High School Cotillion program will introduce new etiquette and character development topics which are pertinent to the high school years, such as interviewing for scholarships and jobs, positive self-esteem, and handling peer pressure.  This program will bridge the gap for today's high schooler between their education and the real world in a meaningful way.  It takes a lot to prepare for adulthood, but mostly it takes practice and experience.  From learning practical tips such as how to develop a resume or complete a W-4, to attending a theater outing and business dinner, students in our high school program are prepared to succeed in any environment.

The classes are held in a variety of formats and environments, both on and off-site, and includes lessons designed to appeal to students of all interest groups and career ambitions.  This curriculum is designed to specifically and intentionally to truly prepare our students to be the leaders of tomorrow.  

"To act and learn to treat others with honor, dignity, and respect because tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today."  -  Mission Statement

HIGH SCHOOL COTILLION 2023-2024 season:

Grades 9th - 12th:

SCHEDULE: 

Sunday, October 15 - Networking Social & Etiquette 101

Sunday, November 12 - The Starting Point in Life 

Saturday, December 16 - Cultural Outing

Sunday, January 7 - The Business Luncheon - 3 Course Meal

Sunday, February 25 - Transitioning from High School to College & Work

Sunday March, 24 - Spring Social

Classes are to be held at Tchefuncta Country Club located at 2 Country Club Park, Covington, Louisiana 70433.

Classes are held from 6:00p.m. to 7:30p.m.

TUITION:

High School tuition is $395

HIGH SCHOOL COTILLION DRESS FOR CLASSES:

All members are required to follow the Cotillion dress code for all events unless otherwise specified.  Ladies should wear knee-length dress or skirts with top and dress shoes.  Gentlemen should wear dress pants, long-sleeve dress shirt, tie, navy or dark blazer, or suit, and dress shoes.  No flip flops or athletic shoes, please.

PAYMENT:

Payments can be made online using PayPal at www.nljc.com/chapter/northshore, with Venmo at NLJC Northshore Chapter@Catherine-Lagarde, or a check can be mailed to:

NLJC Northshore Chapter

P.O. Box 1442

Covington, LA 70434

Please write checks out to NLJC Northshore Chapter.  Payment plans are available, contact the Director for more information.

To register, please visit the Classes or Registration tab.  Parents or students wishing to invite friends to join the Cotillion program please submit names now.  

For any questions or more information please contact Catherine Lagarde at 504-884-6575 or [email protected].

JUNIOR COTILLION $500 SCHOLARSHIP:

There is an opportunity to win a $500 scholarship to the camp or educational program of your choice.  In an essay of approximately 100 to 350 words, tell us "What Junior Cotillion Means to Me".  You may win the grand prize of a $500 scholarship.  Our very own Bobby Wallace, Mary Miller Kitchen and Addie Goings from the Northshore Chapter received the National Honorable Mention Award chosen in the top 10 in the nation for their essays in past seasons.  Let's try this year to get the winner from our Northshore Chapter.  More information is found in the booklet in Class 3.  Bobby, Mary Miller and Addie were recognized nationally by the National League of Junior Cotillions and in local publications.

2022 NLJC Honorable Mention Award2021 NLJC Honorable Mention Award

2018 NLJC Honorable Mention Award

About Director

DIRECTOR'S BIOGRAPHY

Catherine Lagarde received a BA in Journalism from LSU and a MBA from Loyola University New Orleans.  After receiving the Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholarship, she moved to England where she obtained a MA of International Relations from the University of Essex, England and attended the International Studies Program at the University of Cambridge, England.  She was an intern in London at Parliament in the House of Commons.

Upon returning to New Orleans, she worked in International Banking at Hibernia National Bank. She transitioned to the hospitality industry and was employed by The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans as the Assistant to the General Manager.  Upon leaving this position, she was asked to continue working with The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans in teaching Children's Etiquette Classes.  Catherine has been teaching etiquette classes since 2003.  She has taught Business Etiquette courses at Tulane University Freeman School of Business, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, Loyola University College of Law, Loyola University, and Saint Joseph Seminary College.  Children's etiquette classes have been taught for the Peyton Manning Foundation, Tiger Paws, Tchefuncta Country Club in Covington, in local schools, summer camps and to many organizations in various venues.  She has taught business and professional etiquette as part of employee training programs for The Windsor Court Hotel and in the medical industry.  She has also been an event and wedding planner to private individuals.  Etiquette articles have been written by Mrs. Lagarde for NOLA Baby and Family Magazine, The Times-Picayune, and she appeared on WDSU Channel 6 as an etiquette consultant to discuss etiquette issues.  She has been an etiquette consultant for Paramount Pictures.  She has also provided staffing services for hiring first-class employees, taught customer service skills to medical industry staff, and provided training in leadership for regional businesses.

In 2018, Catherine joined the National League of Junior Cotillions as the new Director for the Northshore Chapter.  She teaches life skills to 5th through 8th grade students in the Junior Cotillion program and 9th through 12th grade students in the High School Cotillion program.  She is married and has two children who were both students in the Cotillion programs.