SAN ANTONIO – Having good dining etiquette is more than just the process of getting food in your mouth, it’s also knowing how to talk to those on the table, Leland Stone, with the Roosevelt Library Social Club said.
The Roosevelt Library Social Club hosts dinners and teaches people of all ages about dining etiquette.
“The purpose of dining is really the art of conversation and the exchange of ideas and fellowship. It doesn’t really have anything to do with the food,” Stone said.
His classes are attended by people as young as 5-years old and from all backgrounds. He says everyone can benefit from the class.
“If you’re going for a job interview or just socializing with people, it’s nice to know how to convey food to your mouth correctly,” Stone said.
Alina Hagans, a fifth grader from Tomlinson Elementary School, attended an etiquette class as part of the Bloom Club. The fifth graders wanted an opportunity to have a fancy experience.
“We want to learn whenever we’re with our families, we want to know, like how to eat, how to be respectful and how to speak and use our utensils,” Hagans said.
School counselor Julia Harris-Styer says attending will give the girls confidence and establish self-esteem.
“They will have a little bit more self-confidence when they are in a position to be somewhere where they do need to use it, even at school,” Harris-Styer said.
The students were able to attend the etiquette class thanks to a private donor.
The class is about three hours and is served over a four-course meal, where the students learn how to properly use utensils.