The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-26
PLANNING A PUBLIC DINNER.
4 TASK THtT FEJ MN WANT
TO INDERTikE TWICE.
Details That One Never Thinks Of TIL
The, Have 10 Hc Discussed Win Hotel
Men. Florists, MuSieiins and souvenir
Pur,eyors Ono Mans Experience.

Pur, eyOrs One Mans Experience.
To make the arrangements for a big
public dinner is no cas, task. There
il an immense amount 8 detail to be
attended TO,
The banquet season Is nov a. ts height.
and every night the large hot'ls and restau-
rants house one or more big tinncr parties.
To arrange for dinner Of sH twenty-five
persons Is comparatively simle hut whom
one starts 10 plan a dinner Gr hundrnd.
two hundred or three hundred people j.
become, tremendous job. MIN who have
gone though it once seldom wEt to tackle
it again.
Yet. az n rule tho task falls o. the same
men year in and year out. II thy make a
success of the first banquet Of i society
or organization they are sure TO 70 called
on each year to shoulder the responsibility
again.
One man. a member Of well linwn or
ganzation of business men who hs just
gone though the experience, and credtably.
says he will never again attempt TO arange
banquet: and ne declares that nothing will
eyer make him change his mind.
at j. a thanSless job at the best. said
this man and I wouldn't tackle it gain
for love or money Thet made sucess
Of the undertaking is no inducemen 10
me to do such work again
Il little knew how much trouble ! ras
taking on myself but when ] did reahe
the amount of labor involved | buckld
down and tried 20 get results That our haI-
a,let went Of smoothly was a satisfaction
to me. but if it hadn't. who would have
la to shoulder ;he blame;'
The man was one Of a committee OF three
who were appointed by their society to
arrange the first annual banquet He was
the chairman Of the committee, and early
in the game discovered that the two other
committeeman hadn't much time to de-
vote to the task He STATED in to work,
and when the two other committeeman
found he wa making Roadway they told
him to go ahead and they would indorse
everything he did
SO this lone man started out. His So
ciety had decided TO have the banquet in
one Of the new hotels. and this was the only
aid it gave him except TO specify that the
dinner must not cost more than $40 a plate.
That is the average cost plate where wines
are served.
The chairman first wrote letters to all the
mPulIPIN OF iilt SfltlttNf uHNllls hfflH ~
notify him at an early date if they intended
to attend the banquet. Each member
was told that he had the privilege Of in
viting guest but that the member would
have to pay for the guests ticket
The replies came in slowly. Al the end
of week twenty members wrote that
they would be at the banquet Five Of the
twenty requested an extra ticket for q
guest,
Then the chairman went to the hotel where
the banquet was to be held. This was two
weeks before the date set for it. He con-
suited the proprietor and the first thing
the hotel man wanted to know was how
many persons we're going TO be at the
banquet.
That was the first snag the lone committee
man ran against He explained that the
members were q little slow in sen ding in
their requests for tickets.
But We'll have a great many more than
twenty at the banquet, said the com
mittee man.
i hope YOU will replied the hotel man
hut until you can give me a definite idea
OF how many viii be present | can't give
YOU any estimates.
The committeeman saw the force OF the
hotel keepers argument and took a chance
and said that he would guarantee that
50 men would be at the banquet. That
satisfied the hotel man and gave him some
thing 10 work on.
First h.e room where the banquet was to
be given was selected. In this particular
hotel there are banquet rooms of all sizes.
The small ball room was selected in this
case.
Then came the question Of tables Would
the committeeman want 70 seat his diners
at many small tables or al one large table?
The committeeman had never thought of
this and he asked the hotel mans advice
Some like the small tables best said
he, but it is a matter OF choice. If was
arranging for banquet Of jolly good
crowd of men ! would put them all at one
big table. IL keeps them close together
and some way or other | think they have
a better time than if they are separated"
II was decided TO have one long table
and the hotel man said he would have plans
drawn showing the seating capacity OF the
room and the arrangement OF the seats
going on a basis Of 80 people
Had the committeeman any suggestions
in regard To the menu? Yes, ne had and he
asked that several menus he got up for the
dinner and the final selection left TO him
Tho hotel man offered to arrange for
flowers and music. These come extra. and
the committeeman concluded he would
hire his own music and get his own florist
and thereby save his society some money
This initial work finished he started in
writing TO the member, asking them TO
hurry and send in their orders for -eata
In week fifty more requests for places at
the banquet came in. Meantime invita-
tons had been sent to a score OF prominent
citizens asking them TO the banquet as the
socety's guests and inviting them to make
a few remarks al the dinner
Two-thirds Of those invited sent regrets
and they were the men whose presence
was most desired. The other third signi-
fed their intention OF attending and ao-
cepting the obligation 10 make a speech
Then began the job Of placing the diners
at the banquet table. II every man liked
his fellow man this would be EASY NM az
the world is constituted IL is difficult
The men who invited friends wSnted
their friends next TO them. The late APP
phoants for seats demanded az good places
at the table "a the early ones Fverv man
showed the greatest interest in the Terson
who was 10 1T on either side of him