Social Amenities

Set of rules written or unwritten governing socially acceptable behavior within a society, organization, social

class, group, profession.

What is etiquette?

a. Introductionb. Conversationc. Business Cards

Basic Civilization(Day-to-Day Manners)

G – Gender : Present gentleman to the lady

A – Age : Young to the old R – Rank : Junior to the senior Others : A peer in your company to a peer in another company An individual to a group Handshake is firm, strong, warm and enthusiasticMaintain eye contact

INTRODUCTION

Stop, look, listen Don’t Panic Be generous with compliments and favorable personal remarks Accept compliments gracefully Avoid gossips Introduce yourself

CONVERSATION

bore wailer sentence finisher contradicter wandering eye story snatcher secret-teller non-stop talker snooper

You may not want to be a

Keep business cards handy, up to date and with no defects Wait for the proper time before giving out cards Do not force your card on a senior executive you

meet. Give only when it is asked for Be selective about the people to whom you give

your card Present the card in the fingers of both hands with

face up so that recipient can read it Don’t keep the card immediately. Read first

information on the card

Business Card Etiquette

Host/HostessGuest of HonorGuests

Social Events Player

a. Invitations and Repliesb. Attirec. Reception lined. Cocktail bard. Entering the dining area /seating plane. Conduct at table / Toastf. End of dinner

Intermediate Civilization(The Social Grind)

To welcome Past District Governor Danny Yu and Spouse Cynthia Yu

Past District Governor Josie Ang and Spouse John Ang request the pleasure of the company of

District Governor Ernie Choa and Spouse Celene Choa

at Dinner on Friday, February eighteenth,

Twenty hundred and eleven at seven o’clock

Rizal Ballroom, Shangri-la Hotel Makati City

R.S.V.P. Attire : Filipiniana FormalLinda Atayde 818-8888 Gentlemen : Barong Tagalog Ladies : Long Gown

Hosts’ namesOccasion

Venue (if address is not familiar to guest, attach a sketch)Time, date, day of the week, spelled out in full (no

abbreviation) R.S.V.P/ To remind/Regrets only

AttireIn the third person, paying special attention to titles

Contents:

Reception Line

Host, Guest of Honor, Hostess, Wife of Guest of Honor

or:

Host, Guest of Honor, Wife of Guest of Honor, Hostess

Attire

Formal : Black tie invitation - Men wear tuxedos Women wear long dresses or dressy evening separates Formal : Men wear dark suit and tie Women wear cocktail, long dresses or dressy evening separates

Semi-formal: Evening -Men wear dark suits; Women wear cocktail dress (Daytime) Men wear suits, women wear appropriate short dress or dressy suitBusiness Formal : the same as semi-formal Women wear more tailored dressy suits and dresses

Smart Casual : Dressed-up versions of casual looks

Fresh vegetables with dip : dip only once, never a second time after taking a bite

When hors d’oeuvres are served with toothpick, never put the used picks back on the serving platter or ash trays.

Don’t monopolize the serving table Smokers should take a hint when there

are no ashtrays

Cocktails before Dinner

Seize the moment to make new acquaintances

Take the time to check out the seating chart and meet your dinner partner

Gentlemen, escort your dinner partnerOnce seated at the table, wait for the hostess

to put her napkin on her lap, then follow

Cocktails before dinner

HOST

4th Most ImportantFemale --

3rd Most ImportantMale --

Most ImportantFemale --

2nd Most Important-- Female

4th Most Important-- Male

3rd Most Important-- Female

Most Important-- Male

HOSTESS

2nd Most ImportantMale --

• Host & Hostess sit on opposite ends of the table, or sit facing each other in the middle of the table.

• Male guest of honor or highest ranking male guest sits to the right of the hostess, while second ranking male guest sits to the left of the hostess and so on down the line.

• Highest ranking female guest sits to the right of host, while second highest ranking female guest sits to the left of host, and so on down the line.

• The guest of honor should be given a seat facing the door or windows, never with his back to the door.

• Couples do not sit beside each other. Neither do guests of the same gender.

• A considerate hostess will take extra efforts to match personalities and inclinations of dinner partners without compromising the order of precedence

SEATING ARRANGEMENT

Engage in a conversation with your dinner partners on both sides

When handling silver, observe the outside first rule; dry food on the left and wet food on the right

When challenged with difficult or uncommon food, watch hostess

Conduct at Table

Toasts are made to honor person/s and events. Generally a gentleman or occasionally, a lady offers the toast

Courteous guests rise when toasting, while honoree stays seated and does not drink the toast; Instead he/she may rise to return the toast and thank the toasters

Toasts

Guests again take the cue from hostess. By setting the napkin on the table, the hostess signals the end of dinner, rises and leads guests to another activity, say coffee or after dinner activity.

It is customary for the guest of honor to depart first and the guests follow

Ending Dinner

Cocktails or cocktail party: informal , runs for specific time (1 ½ - 2 hours), after 5 until just before dinner; finger foods and drinks served to guests who mostly are standing and circulating

Cocktail buffet: more formal. small tables and chairs are provided. Guests take their food from a buffet table

Cocktail reception: a formal event. Champagne is always served and food is more elaborate. Maybe before dinner or after an event.

Reception: large cocktail party; official in nature and there is always a reception line

BYOB, BYOF, Pay-Back party

Other Socials

Ensure that the party is run at “Performance Level”.

Confirm attendance of guest of honor before issuing invitation.

Know your guests.

Be prepared to address emergency situations.

Give special attention to guest/s of honor while ensuring that other guests are attended to as well.

Keep conversation running.

Keep yourself as well as the guests relaxed. 

Duties of Host

Be punctual. Guest of Honor must be the first to arrive and the first to leave.It is customary for guests to bring a gift for the hostess . A guest of honor may send a gift to the hostess before, during or after the event.Gossiping is strictly taboo. So are topics which are controversial in nature.

Guest of Honor and Guests

Speak in the language which can be understood by all. Avoid the temptation of conversing in the local tongue when others within the circle of conversation do not understand such dialect/language.

Do not overstay.

Thank you notes a day after the party are still in fashion.

Courtesy costs nothing

W. G. BENHAM

Thank you

WUFI Letitia Baldrige’s New Complete Guide to Executive MannersEmily Post’s EtiquetteThe Compleat Filipino by Conchitina Sevilla-

Bernardo

References