2672 Hastings & Prince Edward Regiment Royal Canadian Army Cadets Corps

Jason J. Bell CD Telephone / Téléphone 705-740-7410

Captain / Capitaine Email: co2672RCACC@gmail.com

Commanding Officer / Commandant LHQ Location / Endroits de LHQ:

Hastings & Prince Edward Regiment The Armoury, 220 Murray St.

2672 RC(Army)CC / 2672 RC(Armée)CC Peterborough, On K9H 2S8

OPERATION ORDER

1085-29 (OPI)

30 Sept 2013

Distribution List

BARRACK ROOM DINNER AND DANCE 2013

Ref A: Event Calendar, B: 2672 Mess Dinner Handbook - Website

Task Organization: Capt Bell

1. SITUATION

2672 Hastings & Prince Edward Cadet Corps will conduct their Annual Barrack Room mess/mixed dinner

on 23 Nov 2013 for the Commanding Officer to meet and speak to all his cadets, guests, and parents of

2672 Corps. This will include a dance at the end of the dinner for all to enjoy and socialize. Although

officers / cadets meet in the mess on a footing of social equality, it nevertheless must be understood that a

mess dinner is a formal parade. Officers / cadets will be excused only by their Commanding Officer or

equivalent (OPI) for good or substantial reasons. Please direct questions to the OPI.

2. MISSION

Mess dinners originated about 200 years ago, the purpose being the same then as it is now: to afford the

opportunity for seniors and juniors to meet on a friendly but formal occasion; and, to enable the officer in

command to speak to his unit as a group. The traditional formality of the dinner fosters a fellowship which

would be lacking at less formal functions. This event will include Officers, NCO’s, Cadets, Parents and

guests.

3. EXECUTION

a. General Outline. The exercise will be conducted on 23 Nov 2013. The location will be at the

Peterborough Curling Club, located at 2195 Lansdowne St W, Peterborough, ON K9J 6X4. This is a

Mandatory Training Exercise. The exercise will be conducted in 3 phases:

(1) Phase 1. Planning and Prep

(2) Phase 2. Execution

(3) Phase 4. Clean Up

b. Groupings and Taskings.

(1) Groupings and Taskings:

a. Planning: OPI, Support Committee, SEC OIC

i. Arrangements for facility, caterer – Support Committee

ii. Arrange and reserved DJ and act as liaison - OPI

b. Exercise Support: Refer to Section OICs.

SECTION OIC’s

a. MC – RSM, CWO Dee.

b. Vice MC – TBD (Junior NCO)

c. Ticket Sales, Nominal Role, Guests – Support Committee

d. Master Seating, Place cards, VIP’s – Mrs. Bell

e. Set up – OCdt Burke

f. Head/Common Table Decor– Support Committee

g. Fallen Table – Lt Handy

h. Prizes / Draws– Support Committee

i. Facility and Caterer Liaison – Support Committee / Capt Bell

j. Program – Capt Bell

k. Other – As assigned.

c. Coordinating Instructions:

(1) Timings.

(1) Dinner Served at 1800 Hrs, Meet and Greet 1700 Hrs. The exercise will be

completed around 2400 Hrs.

(2) Boundaries. All personnel will remain in designated areas only

4. SERVICE SUPPORT

a. Personnel. Only cadets that have reserved a seat by signing up with the Support Committee will

attend the dinner. Deadline for ticket sales is 01 Nov 2013. Only Pre-arranged ticket sales for

parents and guests will be permitted. Lateness is unacceptable and entry may not be permitted.

Tickets are $25.00 per guest. A cadet deposit is no longer required.

b. Accommodations. This is not an overnight exercise.

c. Feeding and Rations. This is a catered meal. Alcohol will NOT be served at this dinner.

Any toasts will be substituted with an alternative such as grape juice etc.

d. Transport. Each cadet will arrive and depart from the Peterborough Curling Club by their

own method of travel. However, the Support Committee has arranged limited bus

transportation to those in need, if arranged before the event.

e. Personal Electronics. Cell phones, Ipods, MP3 Players etc of any nature are not

permitted. Cameras for the purpose of taking pictures are permitted.

f. Stores. All gear/equipment will be brought by staff as assigned.

g. Basic Rules of the Mess

i. Do not leave the table during the meal unless permitted to do so by the MC;

unless permission is given at a cost. (The cost is a act of something)

ii. Do not eat until the Guest of Honour as started their meal.

iii. Do not discuss political or other controversial subjects;

iv. Do not act in a boisterous manner;

v. Do not propose a toast;

vi. Do not talk after the MC summons attention until he/she has finished

speaking; and

h. Medical. All minor injuries will be reported to Lt Dodds, Med O of the exercise and

treated on location of injury as required. Any serious injuries will be reported

immediately and evacuated to the local hospital through 911 services.

i. Dress. Mess Standard or Mess Service for CIC officers. All non-uniformed personnel and

guests will be semi-formal. Dress for all cadets will be C-6 (Mess Dress) Recruits will

wear a recruit uniform which consists of a white dress shirt, black bowtie, black dress

pants and shoes, Dress jacket optional. Female hair may be down.

5. COMMAND AND SIGNALS:

a. Command Structure: OPI: Capt Bell

Support Contact: Mrs. Orrell

Section Heads: As indicated

//Signed//

J. J. Bell

Captain

CO 2672

Annexes:

Annex A. Floor Plan – Sample – Detailed Plan to follow at a later date

Annex B. 2672 Mess Protocol

Annex C. Menu – To be finalized

Distribution List

Action

Section Heads

Info

Staff

Cadets

Parents

Guests

DRAFT FLOOR PLAN DIAGRAM – SUBJECT TO CHANGE – SAMPLE ONLY

FLAGS

HEAD TABLE - 19

5 tables

Stairs

Lower deck

5 8 8 8 5

6 6

8 8

8 8

8

8

Notes: x 8 per round table

257 total with this set up

Prizes

STAGE / DJ (need to bring Table x2)

Kitchen

Door

GAP HERE GAP HERE

REF: CHAPTER 4 & 7

2672 MESS DINNER GENERAL 1. Normally, there will be only one Officers' Mess on a base, in which case the Base Commander, or his representative, will occupy the senior position at the mess dinner. In the event that a particular unit holds a mess dinner, the unit Commanding Officer will fill the senior position. Thus, although the term "Base Commander" is used throughout this chapter, it should be interpreted to read "Commanding Officer" when the mess dinner is a unit function. For the purpose of a cadet mess dinner, the term “Officer” means Officers, Civilian Instructors/Volunteers, Cadet NCO’s, and Junior Cadets. This Mess dinner will include parents and guests. PURPOSE 2. Mess dinners originated about 200 years ago, the purpose being the same then as it is now: to afford the opportunity for seniors and juniors to meet on a friendly but formal occasion; and, to enable the officer in command to speak to his officers as a group. The traditional formality of the dinner fosters a fellowship which would be lacking at less formal functions. 3. Some units, bases, ships or the services of other nations have highly individualized customs and traditions quite different from those of your own mess. When entertaining guests, a prior brief explanation of your own idiosyncrasies is a courtesy that is normally greatly appreciated and reduces the potential for embarrassment. ATTENDANCE 4. Although officers meet in the mess on a footing of social equality, it nevertheless must be understood that a mess dinner is a formal parade. Officers will be excused only by their Commanding Officer or equivalent (PMC) for good or substantial reasons. DRESS 5. The dress to be worn at dinner will be specified well in advance and indicated on the invitation. Serving officers wear either Mess Kit or CF Mess Dress at dinner, depending on unit tradition. Retired officers may wear either Mess Dress (with permission of the officer commanding a Command) or appropriate civilian formal attire with miniature medals. 6. Officers of other services wear the appropriate equivalent of Mess Dress. Civilian guests wear appropriate formal attire while lady guests wear formal evening dress.

BEFORE DINNER (ASSEMBLY) 7. Invitations to dinner will be worded "1700 for 1800". This period is designed for a cocktail and to allow hosting officers to peruse the seating plan, seek out and identify their guests, and introduce themselves. Hosts should be there 10 minutes prior to the starting time. The remainder of the time can then be comfortably spent partaking of a glass with friends before dinner. 8. A Refreshment drink is the normal pre-dinner drink chosen by generations of sagacious officers for the following reasons:

a. It comes in small quantities; and b. It is a fortified wine which serves as a "warm through" for the wine that follows.

9. When the Base Commander and/or the senior guest arrives, all members shall rise as a form of courtesy. If the arrival of the Base Commander and/or senior guest should be unnoticed by some, the PMC or any other senior officer present should attract attention by discreetly calling "Gentlemen". 10. If a member is unavoidably late for assembly, he shall, as soon as possible after arrival, make his apologies to the Base Commander and the PMC. MEET AND GREET 11. Beverages will normally be served from the hour of assembly until five minutes prior to the commencement of dinner. Officers should not normally be served beverages prior to the arrival of the Base Commander. In the event that the Base Commander or senior guest is unavoidably late, the PMC may commence the beverage period. This procedure is essentially an Air Force custom. 12. During the beverage period, all officers shall pay their respects to the Base Commander providing this may be done without undue interruption to conversation with the senior guests. beverages shall not be carried into the dining room when dinner is announced. SEATING PLAN 13. The seating for a mess dinner is formally arranged, and a plan is drawn up and displayed. Individual places at the table are marked with a name card.

a. Shifting of places is not permitted. b. Guests sit to the right of their hosts. If an officer is hosting two guests he sits

between them. If he has more than two guests the host should have his guests disposed on either side of him in two groups.

c. Guests should not sit beside each other if it can be avoided.

14. The success of a dinner is often directly proportional to the amount of time that has been spent on the seating plan. The organizer must:

a. carefully consider each person attending the dinner. b. avoid concentration of junior officers or senior officers.

c. look at the personalities involved and distribute the more witty and outgoing

individuals to liven up the entire dinner.

d. avoid placing long-winded individuals or bores as Vice President; and

e. for dinners where ladies are present, consider the group and determine how best to separate couples or if it is in fact desirable to do so.

15. If no seating plan is provided, or if the seating plan provides only for the President and mess guests, officers take their places at the table without regard to rank or seniority.

MESS DINNER ETIQUETTE 16. Officers shall not smoke from the time of assembly until permission is granted by the PMC following the Loyal Toast. This rule may be occasionally waived as noted in the preceding paragraphs. 17. Every officer must ensure that all guests are being properly hosted. Although guests are normally greeted in the foyer by the Base Commander and PMC, officers must come forward and assist guests in obtaining no expenses of their own. 18. Since a mess dinner is a formal function, protocol dictates that officers conduct themselves in a manner befitting the occasion. To ensure that all members are afforded the same opportunity to enjoy the evening in the good company of their fellow officers, members are reminded that it is considered poor taste to:

a. engage in heated discussion of controversial subjects, discuss topics inappropriate to the occasion, use language offensive to others, or make comments which might be embarrassing to mess guests;

b. act in a boisterous manner;

c. propose spontaneous toasts; and

d. talk after the PMC calls for attention or raps for order

e. Every officers' mess has basic rules which should be strictly observed. The rules may vary according to unit tradition but the main principles are based on established custom. An officer should make himself acquainted with the mess rules immediately on arrival at a unit.

f. The mess is intended to foster informal relationships between officers of different ranks, but senior officers should always be treated with the respect due their rank, age and experience. Officers are expected to enter into conversation in the mess with senior officers and guests, but should not monopolize the conversation or become excessively argumentative and dogmatic in the opinions expressed.

g. One of the customs universal throughout the Service is that when the Commanding Officer or an officer of senior rank enters the ante-room all officers should stand up and greet him. When these officers leave the ante-room all officers will rise. There is no need to stand rigidly to attention as the mess is not a parade ground. This does not apply in the dining room.

PERSONAL GUESTS

a. Mess rules usually will state when and where guests are allowed in the mess. An officer who invites a guest must have consideration for the guest and his fellow members and be present when his guest arrives. It should be remembered that an officer is responsible for his guest. An unwise choice of guests is a reflection upon the officer who extended the invitation.

DINNER 19. When dinner is announced, the PMC shall inform the Base Commander and all will proceed to the dining room preceded by the PMC who shall escort the senior guest of honour, and the Base Commander who shall escort the next senior guest. NOTE: (If a band is present, a trumpeter will sound a fifteen minute call and a five minute call to

signify the time remaining until the dinner commences. Use this time wisely, since once you sit down to eat, you do not usually leave the table until the end.)

20. On entering the dining room, officers and guests are to take up their respective positions and remain standing behind their chairs. The PMC will rap for silence and request the Chaplain or another mess member to say grace or he will say grace himself. As soon as grace has been concluded, all officers and guests will be seated. No member shall leave the dining room without prior permission of the PMC. 21. If a band is in attendance they may, during dinner, play regimental, branch or command marches for the enjoyment of diners, but members will not stand for marches while dinner is being served. If the marches are played following dinner, diners may rise to attention in recognition of a particular march. Diners should not feel insulted if the band fails to play a particular march, since the duration of dinner or the limited repertoire of the band may make it necessary to restrict the performance. It is customary to applaud at the end of each piece of music. EATING A MEAL 22. A mess dinner is a formal, multi-course meal. You will be confronted by a formal place setting with your cutlery and several glasses, one of which will already be full of sherry and another with water. Before proceeding with the actual dinner a couple of general points must be emphasized. Keep your elbows off the table! A mess dinner is not a race; relax and enjoy it. Do not shovel your food into your mouth. Do not gulp your water and wines. As far as which knife or fork to use - start at the outside and work in. THE PLACE SETTING 23. After being seated you will notice several things. First, your linen napkin will be on the left side of your place-mat or dinner service if a tablecloth is used. Wrapped in your napkin you will find your dinner roll. You will also notice that you do not have a side plate. Place the roll on the place-mat and spread the napkin on your lap; do not tuck it in anywhere. THE APPETIZER 24. Directly in front of you will be the first course; this will be the salad, either a green mixed salad or a fruit salad. You eat the salad with the fork on the extreme left. No knife is used with the salad; if you can't pick something up with your fork - leave it! Don't push food onto your fork with your thumb. Wine is not consumed with the salad; the vinegar in the salad dressing spoils the taste of the wine. Shrimp cocktail is also a favourite appetizer; it may or may not be accompanied by a glass of sherry. THE SOUP 25. The next course to be served is the soup. Use the large round spoon on the extreme right. The sherry is drunk with the soup. Before the next course is served, as well as removing the soup bowl, the wine stewards will remove your sherry glass, whether you have finished it or not. THE FISH (Not for our Dinner) 26. You will now be served a fish course and white wine. The fish course may be as simple as a fillet of sole or as exotic as escargots. You utilize the next knife and fork that are beside your place-setting. Remember that the knife and fork have been placed as they are for a reason; you use the fork in your left hand and the knife in your right. This may be awkward for you at first but with practice you will master it. Practice this at several meals before the mess dinner. After your fish service and white wine glass have been removed, you will be served the main course and the red wine. THE MAIN COURSE 27. You will now use the last knife and fork beside your place setting. The main course is normally beef but could be something else such as Cornish game hen. In this case, remember - don't pick up your food with your fingers. You must be satisfied with what you remove with your knife and fork. During this course your wine glass will be refilled several times. Do not feel compelled to empty it every time. Know your limitations. It is not acceptable to get drunk at a

mess dinner and thus embarrass yourself. As with your previous course, your red wine glass will be removed at the same time as your plate. THE DESSERT 28. Now time for dessert. For this course use the cutlery that is set in front of you. Unless you are being served ice cream parfait, a spoon and a fork will be set before you. It is not mandatory to use both. This is the end of the meal but not the end of the dinner. THE LOYAL TOAST 29. At the conclusion of the meal, all china, glasses, etc. with the exception of the toasting glass, candelabra and table decoration shall be removed and the waitresses will bring the port decanters. One decanter will be passed to the PMC and the other to the VPMC. 30. The PMC shall test the wine then pass the decanter to his left for the next officer to fill his glass. This is the signal for all who have decanters in front of them to fill their glasses and pass the decanter to the left. It is permissible to substitute water for wine when drinking the toast. 31. When the decanter returns to the PMC, he fills his glass, raps for silence and rising alone, will say (in either of the official languages), "Mr. (or Madam) Vice, the Queen of Canada" -

"Monsieur (ou Madame) le vice-prsident, la reine du Canada". Mr. or Madam Vice stands and says in the other official language "Gentlemen (or Ladies and Gentlemen), the Queen of Canada". Normally, up to this point, no one excluding the PMC shall have touched his glass. When the VPMC says "Gentlemen, the Queen" all will rise, raise their glasses and repeat the toast "The Queen" or "La Reine". Although the added phrase "God Bless Her" has been customary to a few field officers, for most it is neither required nor desired. (Note that per IAW CFP 262, Chapter 5, the port glass may be left on the table until the band has stopped playing. One should note that the custom varies between elements or units. If there is no band in attendance, all members rise to their feet, pick up their glasses, and repeat the toast.) OTHER TOASTS 32. If officers are present from other than Commonwealth countries, and if they have been designated as official head table guests, the heads of the foreign countries concerned will be similarly toasted. A few moments after the Loyal Toast, the PMC will rise and request the VPMC to propose the appropriate toast. The procedure followed is similar to that for the Loyal Toast. The PMC may on appropriate occasions call upon other officers to propose toasts, e.g., to the Branch in the case of a Branch dinner. If a band is in attendance, authorized marches (outlined in CFAO 32-3) may be played. Officers rise and stand to attention for their respective march and toast their affiliation at the conclusion of the march. FOLLOWING THE TOAST 33. On completion of the toast (or toasts), the bandmaster and the chef may be invited by the PMC to join the Base Commander at the table for a glass of wine. Following the toasts, coffee is served and the PMC gives permission to smoke; he does this either by lighting a cigarette or by passing a cigarette to a neighbour. If there are any speeches, they follow at this point. Indication that a dinner is officially over is given by the PMC standing up until noticed by all members. If the Base Commander and the guest of honour leave immediately, it is customary for the members to stand until they have left the room. The PMC and VPMC accompany the official guests to the lounge. Decorum must be maintained throughout the dinner. AFTER DINNER ENTERTAINMENT 34. Following the dinner, the members should retire to the ante-room or lounge. Most dinners are followed by a program of entertainment or games; this is the most relaxed part of the evening, affording an opportunity for all members to become better acquainted. Members should not leave the mess until the Base Commander and the senior guests have left. If a member is required to leave before the Base Commander, he should first pay his respects to the Base Commander or senior officer present and finally to the PMC.

DIFFERENCES IN MESS DINNERS 35. There are differences in mess dinner procedures. For instance:

a. Air element units normally do not allow smoking during the pre-dinner assembly, whereas Sea and Land element units permit the officers to smoke.

b. Seating arrangements vary between elements. Although the table arrangements

will be in a "T", "U" or "E" formation, the location of the PMC and VPMC differs. For example, the Base Commander will normally be seated at the head table, during both a Sea element and Air element mess dinner. However, Sea element procedures may place the PMC next to the Base Commander; whereas, Air element procedure will place the PMC at the end of the head table to the right of the Base Commander. Take careful note of the seating plan to ensure you know the procedures being used.

c. The port is always passed to the left in preparation for the Loyal Toast. In the Air

element, only one decanter will be passed, but Sea element procedure allows for two decanters to be circulated with the officer filling his glass from one and passing the other on. This alternating procedure continues until all glasses are filled.

d. Air element procedure allows for the saying of grace before the start of the meal.

However, Sea element procedure normally dictates that grace will be said both prior to dinner and on completion of the meal.

36. Tradition may produce minor variations in procedure, but the overall purpose and the formality of a mess dinner will always remain. There is no substitute for good manners; when in doubt, take your cue from the head table. THE MENU 37. The organizer's lot is a thankless one; for in addition to reflecting on where diners will sit in order to make things go smoothly, he must, with the chef's assistance, orchestrate a menu that will satisfy a wide range of palates but does not overwhelm those on the receiving end. 38. As a general rule, avoid:

a. dishes which may be unfamiliar or risky (haggis is not a wise choice); b. dishes which cannot be eaten by members of various religious faiths (e.g., pork

for those of the Jewish faith);

c. dishes which are difficult or undignified to eat (e.g., game hens or boiled lobster);

d. dishes which are difficult to serve at once for the number of people attending (e.g., filet mignon, while very suitable for twenty, may suffer when prepared for eighty through no fault whatsoever of the cooks).

39. The menu should be balanced and interesting and provide an opportunity for the cooks to demonstrate their talents. A typical sequence of courses might be: Appetizer Crab Cocktail Soup Consommé Royale Fish Filet of Sole Joint Veal Cordon Bleu Fresh Vegetables, Potatoes Sweet Lemon Parfait Savoury Welsh Rarebit Dessert Cheese, Mints, Nuts, Fruit 40. Appropriate wines are served with various courses. Sherry is served with the soup, white wine with fish or poultry, and red wine with red meat.

TABLE MANNERS FOR FORMAL AND INFORMAL OCCASIONS 41. Posture. One should always sit in an erect position, never loll or lounge or prop the elbows on the table. When not occupied with knife and fork, the hands should rest on the lap. Elbows are kept close to the side at all times. The body should be approximately six inches from the table. 42. Drawing designs on the tablecloth with knife and fork, crumbling of bread, beating a tattoo on the table with the silverware, playing with the wine glasses, etc. are all in bad taste. Gentle manners and quietness in eating mark the well-bred person. 43. Serviette. The table serviette is partly unfolded, not in view of those present, but on the lap, and laid flat across the knees. Never tuck it in front of your tunic. After the meal, the serviette is not folded but laid carelessly on the table. 44. Silverware. The silverware is laid out in the order in which it is to be used; the knives to the right of the plate and the forks to the left. 45. How to Use Utensils. Soup is always taken from the side of the spoon. The motion of the spoon is from front to back of the plate; never tip the plate to get the last drop, or blow on the soup to cool it. 46. If consommé or bouillon is served in a double-handled cup, a teaspoon or bouillon spoon is used first. After part of the bouillon is consumed, it is permissible to lift the cup to the lips with the right hand. 47. A knife is held in the right hand, cutting edge down, with the index finger extended along the back of the blade. (Never cut bread with a knife; break the bread with the fingers.) 48. The fork is held in the left hand, prongs down; to eat the food that the knife cuts. Vegetables may be eaten by holding the fork in the right hand, prongs up, or in the left hand, prongs down. In the latter case, the knife is used to help place food on the fork. CONVERSATION 49. One should not speak with food in his mouth, or gesticulate with utensils in his hands. The conversation should be tactful, kind, responsive, brief and cheerful. Additionally, one never asks for anything that is not offered, such as butter, vinegar, catsup, as this is a reflection on the dinner. Food should not, at any time, be piled up on the fork. Lumps of sugar should not be taken from the bowl with the fingers. If tongs are not provided, a clean spoon should be used. 50. Tea or coffee cups should not be suspended in the air but raised to the lips, short sips being taken, and the cup replaced in the saucer. A teaspoon is not used to taste the tea or coffee but to stir it only. 51. Dos and Don'ts

a. Lumps of sugar should be removed with tongs or a clean spoon. b. Tea or coffee should not be held in the hand suspended for long periods. After a

short sip, they should be returned to the saucer.

c. Teaspoons are not used to taste the tea or coffee but to stir the ingredients.

d. Toothpicks are to be used in private only.

LEGEND

1. Napkin 8. Fish Knife 2. Fish Fork 9. Soup Spoon

3. Dinner Fork 10. Bread and Butter Plate

4. Salad Fork 11. Butter Knife

5. Soup Bowl and Plate 12. Desert Spoon and Cake Fork

6. Dinner Plate 13. Port Glass

7. Dinner Knife 14. Red Wine Glass

15. White Wine Glass

MENU

French Onion Soup

Caesar Salad

Parsley Garlic Roasted Potato

Caramelized Carrots and Onions

Roast Beef with Gravy and Horseradish

Rolls & Butter

Coffee & Tea

Black Forest Cake