My home was never one where we used the fine china or crystal or the good silver all the time. The closest we came to using fine china, in my opinion, was at cookouts when my dad and his friends came in with duck or quail after a day of hunting. The women would prep and cook them on the grill, and then put them on the long buffet table, along with the other food. We’d line up, and go down the table, putting food on our hard-as-cardboard, plain white paper plates, adding baked beans, deviled eggs, potato salad, slaw and rolls, completing what we thought to be a delicious southern meal.
I always liked those hard paper plates. The flimsy ones were not only too little, but had to be held with two hands, which meant you had to set it down at your spot, and then run back to get your desert. You had to work fast when you had those flimsy paper plates in order to make it to the desert table in time. If you got there too late, the best brownie was gone, the one in the middle that always was the chewiest. Hard paper plates could make a difference in how the whole day ended up. So to me, they were fine china.
Although we didn’t use our fine china for eating our everyday meals, we did learn the correct and proper way to conduct ourselves. Which is why I find it exciting to plan these Etiquette Dinners here at Davidson. Our next one is this Monday, April 2nd at 5:45pm, in the Lilly Gallery. Ms. Savannah Shaw will be our speaker, and will present tips on everything from using the correct fork, how to conduct a conversation at the dinner table in a business setting, to the appropriate way to use finger bowls. Attire is business casual, but come anyway if for some reason that’s not possible for you.
You’ll need to register in the Career Services office in 414 Union, bringing $10 (cash or check) to hold your seat. (The $10 will be returned to those attending the dinner.) Registration will continue right up to April 2nd.
Bring your friends or members of your organization for a fun evening, and an informative one. I promise there won’t be any flimsy white paper plates, and you’ll get the best brownie there.