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Dinner Nights
Mess dinners provide an opportunity for mess members to meet on a formal but friendly occasion, allowing the CO to address the members as a group. By custom and tradition mess dinners are considered to be a parade and as such, attendance is compulsory except for members excused by the CO.
Normally, that would be for a Regimental Dinner Night. However, for a Normal Dinner Night that is all days except Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, when it is Supper Night, which meant that one could come and have dinner when he wanted within the stipulated hours.
The dress will be mess dress.
The time of the Dinner will always be known (e.g. "1900 for 1930 hrs" or "1930 for 2000 hrs"). You are required to be there by that time. There is no such thing as being sociably late. The expression 1900 hrs for 1930 hrs is not designed to give you flexibility. You are required to be there at 1900 hrs. This pre-dinner gathering is to enable members to meet.
The mess Havildar will inform the PMC/ senior officer when dinner is ready. If the CO of he is present and is ready, the PMC shall inform the CO and, having received permission, pass word to the bugler or piper (if in attendance) to play "Mess Call." Mess calls will normally be given 15 minutes and five minutes before entering the dining room. This allows members time to finish drinks and/or visit the facilities before dinner. The CO and PMC (or other officers designated to do so) will lead the assembly into the dining room.
Note, I forgot to mention that there is also the "Dress Call", which is given 30 minutes before the Dinner Night, so that all officers start getting dressed.
All members should look over the seating plan, usually posted near the dining room, and make sure they know where they are seated well before the move to the dining room is made.
During Regimental Guest Night or Regimental Ladies Night, one should pay particular attention to the person who is seated to your right. As a general rule you should entertain the guest on your right prior to going into dinner and see that he finds his seat. Similarly you should entertain this person during the dinner. At a "Dining In," where the officers and their ladies are present, each officer should escort the lady to his right to her chair and assist her in taking her seat.
In Regimental Dinner Nights or Ladies Night, before each place setting at the Mess table will be a small card displaying the officer's name. This is provided as an aide to finding one's seat. Some place cards are very simple, of white card stock with typewritten names. others may be more ornate with the Regiment's cap badge emblazoned on them, or for special dinners the badges of the individual officers (a trick which requires a little more work on the part of the officer tasked to organize the dinner).
Regiments will decorate the mess table with memorabilia or trophies.
Because the dinner is a formal function, special rules will be observed. These include that no diner may:
a. smoke during the meal, even if held in a facility which allows smoking;
b. commence a meal before the PMC or senior Officer on Normal Dinner Nights, who will likely pause until the head table has been served;
c. discuss political or other controversial subjects;
d. act in a boisterous manner;
e. propose a toast;
f. talk after the PMC summons attention until he has finished speaking; and
g. leave the table during the meal unless permitted to do so by the PMC.
At the conclusion of the meal, all china, silverware, placemats, flowers, and glasses, with the exception of the port glass, will be removed from the table. If you failed to finish something because the discourse over dinner was so engaging, surrender it to the wait staff with grace.
When the table is cleared, the port decanters are placed on the table in front of the PMC. If a large number of diners are in attendance, decanters will also be placed in front of the VPMC (also known as Mr Vice) and at the end of each wing table on the left-hand side. When they are in place, the PMC and VPMC unstopper the decanters, charge their glasses, and then pass the decanters to the left. Other members having had decanters placed in front of them, will also fill their glasses and pass the decanters to their left. Whether the decanter touches the table or not is a matter of mess custom, there is no standing Army custom one way or another. Some Regiments have affected local custom in this regard, in some cases, such as banging the decanter on the table before passing it, these customs are best practiced only in their own messes where the responsibility for the tables and decanters lies with that regiment's officers. No one should touch their port until the Loyal Toast (i.e., the toast to The President) has been proposed. If someone does not drink alcohol due to medical or other reasons, they may drink the Loyal Toast with water.
Following the toast(s), coffee will be served, and in the increasingly rare instance that the dining location permits smoking, the PMC gives permission to smoke by lighting a cigarette or by passing a cigarette to a neighbour. Waiters will place ashtrays on the table, followed by the serving of liqueurs.
If a band is in attendance, regimental marches may be played as directed by the PMC.
Officers will stand for their own regimental march.
During coffee, the CO will ask the mess Havilday to bring the Band Major and/or piper to him.The mess Havildar will bring a chair (or chairs as needed) to be placed behind and between them for the band director and piper. The CO will invite the band Major or piper to have a drink. The Mess Havildar personally brings the drinks on a tray. After his drink, the band Major or piper asks permission to retire, and the extra chair(s) is removed. The CO may ask the mess Havildar to bring forward the chief cook; the same procedure applies as for the band Major or piper. As the cook is concluding his visit with the CO, the Mess Havildar will normally bring the remainder of the kitchen or catering staff into the dining room, the assembly will express their gratitude for the kitchen and serving staff's efforts with a round of applause.
Should there be any speeches, they follow at this point. In some messes, speeches or presentations may be done before the dinner, specifically to keep them brief as well as to avoid prolonging time spent at the table following the meal. The PMC will get everyone's attention by rapping the gavel three times and will call upon the CO to speak if he desires to do so. Indication that a dinner is officially over will normally be given by the PMC standing up until noticed by all members. If the CO and the guests of honour leave immediately, it is customary for the members to stand until they have left the room. The PMC accompanies the guests to the lounge.
Members should not leave the mess until after the CO/ senior officer during Normal Dinner Night and guests in a Regimental Guest Night have departed.
Enjoyable, right?
Dinner Nights
Mess dinners provide an opportunity for mess members to meet on a formal but friendly occasion, allowing the CO to address the members as a group. By custom and tradition mess dinners are considered to be a parade and as such, attendance is compulsory except for members excused by the CO.
Normally, that would be for a Regimental Dinner Night. However, for a Normal Dinner Night that is all days except Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, when it is Supper Night, which meant that one could come and have dinner when he wanted within the stipulated hours.
The dress will be mess dress.
The time of the Dinner will always be known (e.g. "1900 for 1930 hrs" or "1930 for 2000 hrs"). You are required to be there by that time. There is no such thing as being sociably late. The expression 1900 hrs for 1930 hrs is not designed to give you flexibility. You are required to be there at 1900 hrs. This pre-dinner gathering is to enable members to meet.
The mess Havildar will inform the PMC/ senior officer when dinner is ready. If the CO of he is present and is ready, the PMC shall inform the CO and, having received permission, pass word to the bugler or piper (if in attendance) to play "Mess Call." Mess calls will normally be given 15 minutes and five minutes before entering the dining room. This allows members time to finish drinks and/or visit the facilities before dinner. The CO and PMC (or other officers designated to do so) will lead the assembly into the dining room.
Note, I forgot to mention that there is also the "Dress Call", which is given 30 minutes before the Dinner Night, so that all officers start getting dressed.
All members should look over the seating plan, usually posted near the dining room, and make sure they know where they are seated well before the move to the dining room is made.
During Regimental Guest Night or Regimental Ladies Night, one should pay particular attention to the person who is seated to your right. As a general rule you should entertain the guest on your right prior to going into dinner and see that he finds his seat. Similarly you should entertain this person during the dinner. At a "Dining In," where the officers and their ladies are present, each officer should escort the lady to his right to her chair and assist her in taking her seat.
In Regimental Dinner Nights or Ladies Night, before each place setting at the Mess table will be a small card displaying the officer's name. This is provided as an aide to finding one's seat. Some place cards are very simple, of white card stock with typewritten names. others may be more ornate with the Regiment's cap badge emblazoned on them, or for special dinners the badges of the individual officers (a trick which requires a little more work on the part of the officer tasked to organize the dinner).
Regiments will decorate the mess table with memorabilia or trophies.
Because the dinner is a formal function, special rules will be observed. These include that no diner may:
a. smoke during the meal, even if held in a facility which allows smoking;
b. commence a meal before the PMC or senior Officer on Normal Dinner Nights, who will likely pause until the head table has been served;
c. discuss political or other controversial subjects;
d. act in a boisterous manner;
e. propose a toast;
f. talk after the PMC summons attention until he has finished speaking; and
g. leave the table during the meal unless permitted to do so by the PMC.
At the conclusion of the meal, all china, silverware, placemats, flowers, and glasses, with the exception of the port glass, will be removed from the table. If you failed to finish something because the discourse over dinner was so engaging, surrender it to the wait staff with grace.
When the table is cleared, the port decanters are placed on the table in front of the PMC. If a large number of diners are in attendance, decanters will also be placed in front of the VPMC (also known as Mr Vice) and at the end of each wing table on the left-hand side. When they are in place, the PMC and VPMC unstopper the decanters, charge their glasses, and then pass the decanters to the left. Other members having had decanters placed in front of them, will also fill their glasses and pass the decanters to their left. Whether the decanter touches the table or not is a matter of mess custom, there is no standing Army custom one way or another. Some Regiments have affected local custom in this regard, in some cases, such as banging the decanter on the table before passing it, these customs are best practiced only in their own messes where the responsibility for the tables and decanters lies with that regiment's officers. No one should touch their port until the Loyal Toast (i.e., the toast to The President) has been proposed. If someone does not drink alcohol due to medical or other reasons, they may drink the Loyal Toast with water.
Following the toast(s), coffee will be served, and in the increasingly rare instance that the dining location permits smoking, the PMC gives permission to smoke by lighting a cigarette or by passing a cigarette to a neighbour. Waiters will place ashtrays on the table, followed by the serving of liqueurs.
If a band is in attendance, regimental marches may be played as directed by the PMC.
Officers will stand for their own regimental march.
During coffee, the CO will ask the mess Havilday to bring the Band Major and/or piper to him.The mess Havildar will bring a chair (or chairs as needed) to be placed behind and between them for the band director and piper. The CO will invite the band Major or piper to have a drink. The Mess Havildar personally brings the drinks on a tray. After his drink, the band Major or piper asks permission to retire, and the extra chair(s) is removed. The CO may ask the mess Havildar to bring forward the chief cook; the same procedure applies as for the band Major or piper. As the cook is concluding his visit with the CO, the Mess Havildar will normally bring the remainder of the kitchen or catering staff into the dining room, the assembly will express their gratitude for the kitchen and serving staff's efforts with a round of applause.
Should there be any speeches, they follow at this point. In some messes, speeches or presentations may be done before the dinner, specifically to keep them brief as well as to avoid prolonging time spent at the table following the meal. The PMC will get everyone's attention by rapping the gavel three times and will call upon the CO to speak if he desires to do so. Indication that a dinner is officially over will normally be given by the PMC standing up until noticed by all members. If the CO and the guests of honour leave immediately, it is customary for the members to stand until they have left the room. The PMC accompanies the guests to the lounge.
Members should not leave the mess until after the CO/ senior officer during Normal Dinner Night and guests in a Regimental Guest Night have departed.
Enjoyable, right?