Chester Mayor Wants Local Kids Allowed In Morristown Dance

CHESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — Chester Mayor Tim Drag has expressed his desire to allow local kids to participate in a decades-old dance that is not open to Chester kids.

The Morristown Cotillion was founded in the late 1940s by mothers who wanted to introduce their children to a formal social event. Young kids would learn the ins and outs of ballroom etiquette, wearing long white gowns and tuxedos with tails.

Nowadays, organizers have swapped out a ballroom orchestra for a DJ, and the kids rock bright dresses and sports coats with flashy neckties.

The event is meant to provide local kids with the opportunity to “dance with their classmates, meet new friends and have fun.”

Drag has reached out to cotillion organizers, looking for clarification on why Chester kids, who often do activities with Morristown kids like recreational sports, are unable to attend the bi-annual dance.

“While I recognize that this is a private event, excluding Chester children seems unnecessary and counterproductive,” Drag wrote in a letter. “As a municipality, Chester has invested more than $3 million over the past four years to renovate and improve our sports facilities—not only for our own youth, but also for the benefit of neighboring communities, including the Mendhams. Chester is now home to several regional programs, including the Twin Boro Bears, Chester-Mendham Baseball, CM LAX, and West Morris Soccer. We have always welcomed children from surrounding towns, as they are both our neighbors and our friends.”

Drag said that as of Thursday, he has not heard back from the Morristown Cotillion organizers. Time will tell if Chester kids will be invited to the event.