During the summer, Petticoat Lane chapter in Lafayette held a most unusual fundraiser: Etiquette Teas for 6 - 11 year old girls.  They were a huge success, and parents are begging for more!

Regent Claire explains:

"We had three groups of girls.  The first two were 6 - 8 years old and the third were 9 -11 years old.  We began by seating them and talking a little bit about the meaning of etiquette and why it is so important.  We taught the girls  the proper way to introduce themselves, and then let them practice.  They were shown the way a lady should sit.  Then we moved to the table where we explained and demonstrated the correct way to seat oneself or be seated at the table.  We talked about how to place a napkin in ones lap and the proper way to pass things or ask to be passed them."

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The girls were offered tea or lemonade and shown the correct way to hold a cup and saucer, and told that at the table it is not necessary to lift the saucer, however when standing you must hold both.  A history of the pouring of tea was read and the story of how "Tea Time" came about.

We served "Fairy sandwiches" (bread and butter with sprinkles,) egg, cucumber and cheese sandwiches, sausage rolls and scones with jam and cream.  We talked about only serving with serving utensils not with the utensils with which they were eating.  A discussion was had about covering mouths when coughing and sneezing and always saying please and thank you.

We finished by letting the girls tell us what they considered to be good manners or bad manners.  One little girl said "It's bad manners to put your feet on the table."  Another was all excited because she was starting her first year of school and was looking forward to being able to carry a tray.  Naturally they mentioned burping and passing wind as being no-nos, and one little girl said that the latter was an affliction of her father's."

Kudos to Petticoat Lane - what a wonderful fundraiser.