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From: Rik Bergethon (rberg@RMI.NET)
Date: Wed Jun 28 2000 - 06:16:37 CDT
Roman Smith asks a good question: what are accepted table manners? I
think I have told you all this story before, so forgive me for repeating
it, it does have a point. One summer camp, I took one of the Moms along
as the second adult. Sunday night at the first meal, we had been sitting
at the table for about five minutes when Trina blurted out: "If you
guys expect me to stay the rest of the week, things are going to change,
right now!" She introduced some table manners under which we would live
for the rest of the week. Like I said, I didn't know you couldn't pass
diagonally, but across then down. Trina had an older daughter she had
been through Girl Scouts with, and was a girl scout leader for a while.
It was her idea, we team up our troop with a troop of Cadets, to work on
general social manners for teens. In Girl Scouts, this is one of their
activity badges and requirements, I think. We had four co-meetings with
a troop, which started with simple table manners, setting a table,
opening and holding doors for others, to how to pass someone in a narrow
hall or corridor, to proper table manners and restaurant etiquette, all
this according to GSA guidelines. Our co-meetings ended with us all
going out to a restaurant, where a special menu was prepared, private
dining room, no parents allowed to attend, and even the restaurant owner
discussing proper menu ordering, tipping, serving and bussing methods
(he expects from his servers), etc. The meal was simple (hamburger
steak, mashed potatoes, gravy, peas, and ice cream or pie for dessert),
fairly priced, and we all had a lot of fun. The boys got a little
interaction with female peers, and we all learned something.
So what guidelines do we use for table manners when teaching scouts
manners? Why not the Girl Scouts?!
Rik Bergethon
Pueblo, CO
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