When in doubt, choose kindness. — Sue Jacques, The Civility CEO®
On May 2015, ten young adults from Canmore Collegiate High School had the privilege of spending an evening with Sue Jacques, The Civility CEO®, to learn about dining etiquette while enjoying a delicious four-course meal at The Iron Goat, in Canmore, AB.
Cyd Fraser and Marty Avery were the driving force behind this event and made sure these handpicked teenagers, ready to explore the world in the next phase of their lives, had this experience in their pockets before they fly out of their nests. The objective was also to explore the initiative and, hopefully, make it part of the high school curriculum.
In an intimate setting at Iron Goat, Sue went through some fun, useful and valuable tips and stories about having confidence at the dining room table. How to hold the silverware (“Continental and North American styles”), what goes where (“Remember: BMW, Bread, Meal and Water”), how to eat the bread (“bread is meant to be broken into small pieces with your fingers, not cut with a knife”), what to do with your lettuce (“soft lettuce is meant to be folded with your fork and knife, not cut”), why you have a fork and a spoon to eat your dessert (“at a formal meal, dessert often includes a solid and a liquid component”) are just some of the topics she covered during this 3-hour formal dining tutorial.
Sue is the author of What The Fork? An Unpretentious Guide to Formal Dining for Informal People and a successful professional speaker, business consultant, confidence coach and writer. In the book, as in the What The Fork? event, Sue also covers topics like meeting people and making introductions, the responsibilities of being a host and a guest, gratitude and follow up, to mention a few.
The ten young adults spent the evening mostly quiet – probably taking in the overwhelming amount of information Sue shares during these events. Her stories enhanced the evening and made all she teaches feel obvious and natural. “There is much more to a meal than just the food. You need to know how to carry on a conversation, what to do if you find yourself in an awkward situation, and even where to put your smartphone and purse! It’s details like these that elevate simple eating to the level of formal dining”, explains Sue in her book.
Communication is key. How you introduce yourself is very important. Practice makes perfect. — Ken, from the movie Toy Story 3.
“The bottom line is this: at home, at work, in your community, and wherever your journey takes you, exhibiting respectful and mannerly behaviour has a positive impact on the relationships you develop”, says Sue, adding “the thing is, most people won’t tell you if you have annoying dining habits, even when they feel terribly uncomfortable with your actions”. That’s why it’s important to find a trusted ally, like Sue Jacques, The Civility CEO®, to help you enrich your dining and social skills.
Cyd and Sue, great to see it was a success. We all only have small opportunities to change and shape young people minds. — Frank Kernick, Spring Creek
I was impressed by those who attended. Shows initiative and that they care how they show-up and treat others. “Come work with us” I told them. —Michael Leslie, Assistant General Manager, The Iron Goat Pub & Grill
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Photos by Lua Williams Photography:
