Guidelines for Hosting Monthly Teas

Tea Hostesses

Hospitality Tea Sign Up Sheet 2023 – 2024

Date
Member
Member
Member
Member
Sept.
Board & Committee Heads
Board & Committee Heads
Board & Committee Heads
Board & Committee Heads
Oct.
 
Nov.
 
Jan.
 
Feb. 13
Lisa Accardi Kate Meader Sue Willis Vicki Bourneuf
Mar. 12
 Mimi Emmons Gerry Herbert Karen Guerin Gigs Cunningham
Apr. 9
Rosalie Hughes Mary Flaherty Linette French Jill Carter
Apr. 9
Maureen Quine  
May 14
Dona Shea Perry McIntosh Joline Hentschel Nancy Davis
June
Annual Meeting
Gina Milne Diane Connolly Peg Ris Christine Lundberg

Instructions below

Hospitality Sign Up Sheet – Prep Week for Christmas Fair 
2 or more members each workshop day to provide beverage/ food @ 8:30 a.m.

DateMemberMember
Monday December
 
Tuesday December
Wednesday December
 
Thursday December


Friday December


Please note:  Circle members are very grateful for your service.
Food and beverages should be set up and ready to go by 8:30 a.m.
Hostesses are responsible for cleaning up at the end of that day’s workshop.
Prior to the day, communicate with your team members to determine your roles.
Familiarize yourself with the coffee maker.
Take an inventory of the food from the previous day and plan accordingly.

Guidelines for Hosting Tea at Meetings

Added September 2023, Lida Bernard, Hospitality Chair

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SEWING CIRCLE TEAS

What you will need:

Table cloth – bring your own or use the ones that belong to the SC. Where they are stored is yet to be determined.
Paper napkins
Cups and saucers in cabinet in kitchen
Silver tea service in cabinet in kitchen
Centerpiece
Candles- optional
Food
Tea sandwiches (thin bread) cut in fourths
Cookies or squares
Fruit plate
Beverage(s)
Milk for tea
Thin slices lemon
Sugar- in cabinet in kitchen
Tea bags – in kitchen cabinet – 4 bags per pot
Or other beverage in warm weather
 

Arrive 30-45 minutes before meeting. Doors should be unlocked.

Start to heat water for tea. I use 4 bags per pot. You will probably need 2 or 3 pots.
The water in the glass pots on the hot plates will stay heated on the hot plates.
 Fill the silver tea pot with hot water to keep it warm until you add the tea bags. Remove the tea bags after about 5 minutes.
Sue, or I will help you use the hot plates.
Ask someone to sit at the table and “pour”. In the “olden” days… this was a position of honor! It is nice to practice some of the traditions the Sewing Circle ladies used many years ago.

Just before the meeting is adjourned, pour the tea in the silver pot and bring out the food.
Please do not hesitate to call me if you have any questions. 978-290-0643
Thank you!!

Lida
September 2023
Revised January 2024 SAB

We are grateful that you volunteered to serve tea for the members of the Annisquam Sewing Circle. It is a lovely tradition and we thank you for keeping it alive. The Hospitality Chair will send the hosts a reminder prior to the meeting.

Prior to the meeting: The four-team members should make a plan to share the responsibilities. If for some reason you are unable to participate, please find someone to replace you. Provide savory and sweet tea items – sandwiches, cookies, scones, tea breads and gluten-free options. Fruit is appreciated and chocolates will win you great affection. On average, 30-40 members attend the meetings. This translates to roughly, 5-6 dozen tea sandwiches and 4-5 dozen sweets. A number of attendees do not partake in the tea so don’t worry about the amount; there is always plenty of food. 3-4 choices of sandwiches and 3-4 types of savory/sweets, 1-pint milk and one lemon sliced for the tea, cocktail sized napkins and some optional decorative element for the table.

In the library kitchen, you will find: Black tea, decaf tea, and sugar in the upper left cabinet, the cups, and saucers are in the right cabinet and the tablecloths in the lower cabinet, two electric kettles and two ceramic pots for steeping tea and dishtowels.

In the Hall kitchen. Supplies are in the locked cabinet on the Walnut Street end of the kitchen.. Check with ASC president for the location of the key.

In the Circle cabinet in the adjacent hallway, you will find: The silver service and spoons stored in a container. The ASC president holds the key to the cabinet. When holding meetings in the Hall the sugar, tea, cups, saucers, flatware and tea service are in the cabinet in the kitchen. Check with the president for the location of the key. There are two electric pots for heating water in the cabinet beside the refrigerator.

The day of the meeting: Arrive 30 minutes in advance to set up. The tea service is set up at both ends of the table with food arranged between. (Set up additional teacups/saucers on the side shelf in the library or table in the Hall.) In the kitchen, fill silver teapots with the boiling water and leave to warm up. Refill kettles and boil more water. Put 5-6 tea bags in each of the ceramic teapots and add only enough boiling water to cover the tea bags and leave to steep. (When it is time to serve, you will add the additional boiling water to one ceramic pot leaving the other to steep.) Decaf tea prep is optional. During the meeting, the president can request two members to pour tea. Let her know. Five minutes before the meeting adjourns, fill silver teapots with tea from one ceramic teapot. It may need a little water to dilute. Leave the other ceramic teapot as a backup. Set one silver teapot at each end of the table and fill the smaller silver teapots with boiling water. Some members prefer weaker tea.

Cleanup: Washed cups and saucers are matched and returned to the kitchen cabinet. Wash and dry all silver, put a paper towel inside to absorb the moisture, rewrap, place in the storage container and return to the storage cabinet. Lock the cabinet and return the key to the president. Put dish towels on the rack to dry.

Rev. 2019