The 97th Annual Pageant and Ball

Ye Mystic Revellers is North Florida’s oldest Mardi Gras organization and has been responsible for bringing these special traditions to the greater Jacksonville area since 1923. Revellers is a unique social organization whose membership is a varied cross section of Jacksonville’s business and social communities whose primary focus is to continue our city’s rich Mardi Gras tradition. Each year as we approach Fat Tuesday, Ye Mystic Revellers produces the foremost black tie pageant and ball In North Florida which in true Mardi Gras fashion is always entertaining, and sometimes bawdy.





			

			

				
				
			

				
				
			

				
				
				
				
					

				

				
				
				

				
				
				
Our History

			

			

				
				
			

				

				
				
				

				
				
				
In 1904 George W. Hardee, a native of New Orleans and participant in the Mardi gras celebrations there, worked for the Federal Government in Tampa. Upon his urging, the society editor of the Tampa Tribune began promoting a Mardi Gras style celebration, based upon the pirate Jose Gaspar. Mr. Hardee became the first Captain of “Ye Krewe of Gasparilla”.


After his time in Tampa, FL, he then moved to Jacksonville. In 1923 he was involved in convincing the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce to start a Mardi Gras style celebration called the April Follies. Adopting a slogan of “Be Yourself”, Jacksonville did so in grand style, as thousands crowded the downtown area for the longest parade in history. One of the many private social organizations involved was the “Jesters”, a group of gentlemen whose membership was limited to 53, representing a deck of cards plus the “joker”. (Naturally, George Hardee was a charter member and later became the 6th Revellers King). After taking part in the opening day parade, the group assembled at the Armory for the Coronation Ball, the theme being “A Deck of Cards”.


During the following year the organization was renamed “Ye Mystic Revellers” because another local group was also known as the Jesters. After the bubble of the Florida Boom burst, the April follies were abandoned. However, Ye Mystic Revellers continued, expanding its membership and adopting a Friday before Ash Wednesday as the date for the annual Coronation Ball. Ye Mystic Revellers continues this storied tradition to this day serving as Jacksonville’s oldest Mardi Gras celebration, where we encourage everyone to just “Soyez vous-meme” or “Be yourself”.

			

			

				
				
				

				
				
				George W. Hardee
			

			

				
				
			

				
				
			

				
				

				
				
					

				

				
				
				

				
				
				
Past Captains

			

			

				
				
			

				

				
				
				

				
				
				
W.E. Arnold*

H.L. Covington, Jr.*

W.M. Mccrory*

Dr. Lynwood Evans*

P.H. Gaskins*

Frederick S. Cates*

James B. Waters*

Alexander Mitchell*

Robert S. Towers*

William H. Jeter*

Albion W. Knight*

James A. Yates*

Cyril C. Copp*

James C. Merrill*

John Marshall*

William B. Bond*

J. Taliaferro Lane*

Charles A. Luckie*

H. Richards James*

James A. Watson*

George Yocum, Jr. *

Dr. L.W. Holloway*

Frank M. King*

Sherman P. Hammatt*

			

			

				
				
				

				
				
				
Garner T. Gillette*

Stuart H. Richeson*

R. Kirvin Slade*

Coakley Taylor*

Malachi Haughton, III*

William E. Arnold, Jr. *

Frank L. Watson*

R. Eugene Orr*

James C Merrill, Jr. *

H. Thomas Rodgers, Jr. *

Walter B. Hawkins*

John A. Gilliland*

W. Delavan Baldwin*

Wayne K. Ramsey*

Judson B. Yerkes, III*

George J. Ellis*

Quinn R. Barton, Jr.

John H. Rogers

Harry G. Kincaid*

Camp Mason*

A. Lee Powell*

W. M. Mason, Jr.*

Harry F. Fromme*

Paisley Boney, III*

			

			

				
				
				

				
				
				
W. J. Knauer, Jr.*

J. Jerry Slade

J. Ellis Crosby, Jr.*

James H. Taylor*

Lewis S. Lee

John W. Simmons*

A. Palmer Knight

Tyler Potterfield

Robert B. Van Cleve*

Tom S. Lobrano, III

Richard M. Hart, Jr.*

W. William Allen, III

Thomas L. Barton

Downing Nightingale, Jr.

Warren D. Jolley*

Malachi Haughton, IV

William H. Jeter, Jr.

Rhodes Gay*

Fred M. Cone, Jr.*

Andreas R. Shaaber*

Robert C. Jones

W. Jerome Knauer, III

Timothy B. Gaskin

J. Demere Mason

			

			

				
				
				

				
				
				
G. Childress Lee

John R. Arnold*

Martin J. Mickler*

Robert F. Pavelka

Robert S. Steeg

Steven A. Shaaber

Ron R. Davis

David D. Bassett, Jr.

Stanton W. Hudmon

George E. Martin, Jr.

Wade McK. Hampton

Alan D. Weldon

Kevin E. Greene

William W. Allen, IV

J. Thompson Taylor

Robert B. Van Cleve, Jr.

David Thompson

P. Stockton Eller

Mark E. Holley

George E. Martin, III

D. Conor O’Leary

Jason C. Wilson

Carson Skinner


*deceased

			

			

				
				
			

				
				
			

				
				
				
					
			
				
				
					

				
				
				

					

					

						
						
						
						

						
					

				

					
				

				

				

			

				
				
			

				
				
				
				
					

				

				
				
				

				
				
				
Officers & Directors

			

			

				
				
			

				

				
				
				

				
				
				
John Naugle

Captain


Bert Ralston

Vice-Captain


Eric Roper

First Lieutenant


Jason Harrell

Second Lieutenant


Cameron Naugle

Secretary

			

			

				
				
				

				
				
				
Charlie Boyd

Treasurer


Jay Carney

Director


Jack Ball

Director


Edward Tennant

Director & Whiskey Man

			

			

				
				
			

				
				
			

				
				
				
				
					

				

				
				
				

				
				
				
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