Wondering about Thanksgiving Etiquette?

 Below is an article from the Emily Post Institute about Thanksgiving Table Settings.  Thought it might come in handy for those sitting down at the table this year and wanting to make it all 

Etiquette Special: Thanksgiving Day Table Setting We're coming to you a day early this week, in hopes of helping you set a beautiful Thanksgiving Day table. NOV 22   READ IN APP   Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Unsplash With one of our biggest Thanksgiving hosting tips being to set your table the day before your big holiday meal, we thought it’d be wise to send you this article a day early this week. We hope that you and your family and friends are getting ready to enjoy a wonderful holiday together this year and that this guide will help you plan the perfect setting for your Thanksgiving Day meal. Your House, Your Style, Keep It Consistent If you’re hosting Thanksgiving this year, the style and formality of the event are entirely up to you. There is no “one right way”. Some folks want a casual vibe for the holiday; others prefer a more formal feel. While it is up to you, consistency is key. You want to avoid confusion. Asking folks to show up for a formal holiday and then delivering very casual entertaining standards would be confusing and awkward, as would telling everyone that it will be very casual and then presenting a very formalized experience. Keeping it consistent is considerate. Table Setting Basics Here are some of the most basic table-setting considerations to think about as you plan your holiday. Then, we’ll review table setting diagrams for different levels of formality and how to tackle each. Your Meal Your meal determines what you need on your table. Long gone (like really long gone) are the Victorian days when you’d set out every piece of tableware you had. Instead, today, you set what is appropriate for the meal. Only having one course - the main course? You may find yourself only needing an entrée fork and knife, especially if you choose not to set out dessert utensils during the meal. Conversely, if you’re serving multiple courses, you’ll need to think about what is being served and what utensils are needed. This goes for beverages as well. Alcohol-free homes can decide if they’d like to use wine or even champagne glasses for non-alcoholic beverages. Some hosts still like to pair a beverage with each course, even without wine. And for those who do serve alcohol, it’s fine to limit the offering or go full throttle with pairings; do what feels right for you and your guests (and the glassware you have to work with.) When it comes to dessert, you get to decide if your utensils will be set throughout the meal or whether they will arrive at the table with the dessert. How you serve your meal may also impact what decorations you can fit on your table. A buffet or plated service allows for more decoration at the table. A family-style service (where dishes are on the table and passed between guests) yields less room for decoration, but in many ways, the food serves as decoration. Decorations Once you’ve figured out your service and what elements will be at each of your place settings, you can think about the rest of the table. Everything from the tablecloth and napkins to the candles and even the salt and pepper shakers can be decorative elements, and of course, you’ll make a decision about a centerpiece. Here are some elements to consider: Tablecloth, napkins, placemats, runner, candle sticks/votives and their holders, a large floral centerpiece, multiple smaller flower arrangements, confetti, salt and pepper shakers, place card holders, place cards, napkin holders, and figurines. If you're choosing a large centerpiece, whether it’s simply floral, a mix of florals and fruit (we sometimes had chili peppers in our arrangements - that was always a hit!), or a collected arrangement of items (figurines, gifts, knickknacks) no matter what you choose be sure that guests can see each other. We find it limits conversation and can create a more divided feel at the table if guests can’t see each other easily. If you’re looking for a fun way for kiddos to help out, having them make or decorate place cards is a great activity. Not only does it allow for both participation and creative expression, but it also helps kids know who is coming to the gathering and can help them prepare for the meal by knowing who they will be sitting next to during it. Table Setting Tips Set only what you need for the meal you are serving. Set your utensils from the outside in toward the plate in the order they will be used. The napkin is set to the left of the setting. For formal settings, it is not placed under the fork. In other instances, you might choose to set the fork(s) on top of the napkin to save space at a crowded table. Some choose to put the napkin on the plate or charger if either is set in order to save space. Often, this is done when a napkin ring is used, but it isn’t a rule by any means, simply an option. We suggest you avoid putting the napkin in one of the glasses as it can be tippy. Use FOrKS to help you remember the order of a setting from left to right. (F) Forks, the (O) plate, moving to the (r) right of the plate, are the (K) Knives, followed by the (S) Spoons. Glasses are set at about a 45-degree angle off the tip of the knives and can be either set in a line that cascades down the right side of the setting or they can be grouped in the upper right corner of the setting. Just remember, whichever way you choose to set your glasses, guests should be able to easily reach for the glass that corresponds to the course they are eating without having to reach over other glasses. The dessert fork and spoon can be set ahead of time at the top of the place, centered over the space for the plate (or the charger if it’s present.) The spoon is placed on top with its handle pointing to the right, and the fork just below with its handle to the left. Or they may be brought out with the dessert. If you only need one of the two types of dessert utensils, you may leave the other unset. Table Setting Guides + Examples Now that you’ve thought about the meal you are serving and the style of gathering you’re hosting this holiday, it’s time to set to the table!  Items are set from left to right in the following order. CASUAL Option 1: Napkin, entrée fork, [plate - not shown], entrée knife, water glass CASUAL Option 2: Napkin, entrée fork, [plate - not shown], entrée knife, large spoon, water glass, wine glass INFORMAL Option 1: Across the top of the setting - bread plate with a butter knife, dessert fork (handle pointing left), water glass, white wine glass, red wine glass, and champagne glass cascading down the right side of the setting. Across the center of the setting - napkin, appetizer fork, entrée fork, [plate - not shown], entrée knife, appetizer knife, and large spoon INFORMAL Option 2: Across the top of the setting - bread plate with a butter knife, dessert spoon (handle pointing right), water glass, wine glass. Across the center of the setting - napkin, appetizer fork, entrée fork, [plate - not shown], entrée knife, appetizer knife, and small shellfish/oyster fork FORMAL Option 1: Across the top of the setting - on the left, a bread plate with a butter knife; in the middle, centered above the plate, is a dessert fork (handle pointing left) above the dessert spoon (handle pointing right), water glass, wine glass. Across the center of the setting - napkin, appetizer fork, entrée fork, salad fork [plate - not shown], entrée knife, appetizer knife, large spoon, and small shellfish/oyster fork FORMAL Option 2: Across the top of the setting - on the left, a bread plate with a butter knife; in the middle, centered above the plate, is a dessert spoon (handle pointing right) above the dessert fork (handle pointing left), water glass, wine glass. Across the center of the setting - napkin, fish fork, entrée fork, [plate - not shown], salad knife, entrée knife, fish knife, large spoon, and small shellfish/oyster fork. We hope this is helpful and that your Thanksgiving meal is everything you hope it to be.  Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at 4-H and special thanks to the Emily Post Institute for sharing these holiday table tips.

A Great Opportunity!

Hey Folks we have a great opportunity and I need your feedback as soon as possible. James Bass with UNCP has approached us about having a Theater Arts 4-H SPIN Club that would be able to attend shows at GPAC. He would be able to get sponsors for the youth tickets and then any parents who want to attend would buy their own tickets. We are still working out the details on how that would work. We would provide transportation to and from the Theater for our families taking part. This is the plan for 2024.

That being said...a sponsor has stepped forward to offer tickets for the upcoming show on November 20th for our youth. The show is Million Dollar Quartet Christmas. Please click this link for all the details. https://www.uncp.edu/million-dollar-quartet-christmas. If you have 4-H members who would be interested in this opportunity please let me know ASAP. You can email me at sadejarn@ncsu.edu or call our office at (910) 671-3276. If parents/guardians would also like to attend please let me know and I will see about getting a group rate for our adults and what that pricing looks like.

If we can get a group together we would leave our office Monday at 6:30 pm.

Thank you for considering this opportunity. This looks like a great show and I hope we have some youth that will be able to take part in this experience.

Shea Ann

Upcoming Opportunities

   So excited to offer selections for November and December as we start to finish off our year.

November 14-Dirty Rascals Jr. Master Gardner 4-H Club Meeting- JMG's will be meeting for their final meeting of the year.  They will be celebrating the holidays with some games, and snacks.  We will also talk holiday facts and fiction when it comes to traditional holiday plants.  Come planning to have all sorts of fun.  To register you can go to our App and Register under Programs or click this link:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dirty-rascals-jr-master-gardener-4-h-club-meeting-nov-tickets-755745714777?aff=oddtdtcreator

November 16 &21- Will be the last two meetings for the 4-H Family Holiday Crafting Club.  Expect reminder emails for those registered through eventbrite.

November 28-Young Leaders 4-H Club meeting.  Members will meet at the office for fun, networking, and to conduct business.  You can register on the app under programs or go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/young-leaders-4-h-club-meeting-november-tickets-755746587387?aff=oddtdtcreator

December 8 starting at 6:30pm will be our annual 4-H Appreciation Night.  This is the night we honor all of our 4-H Volunteers and Members for the outstanding work you have done in 4-H.  It doesn't matter if you are new to the program or if you are a seasoned veteran, you and your immediate family are invited to attend.  We will have food, games, and fun at our Holiday Luau.  We will have more details as we get closer to the event and we hope you will join us.  Please note there is no cost to the program but members and volunteers must be active in 4-H Online to be recognized.  To register to can go to the app or by clicking this link:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/4-h-appreciation-night-holiday-luau-tickets-755746166127?aff=oddtdtcreator

Don't Overlook Thank You

The following article was written for the Robesonian by our own, Shea Ann DeJarnette, Extension 4-H Agent.

My parents are loving this. For my entire life they made me sit down after every holiday, birthday, and major event, and write thank-you notes to family and friends. Now I can hear some of you thinking, “Is that a problem?”, or even more so, “Good for them.”  For me, sitting still and writing a thank-you letter was the longest, most boring, most tedious thing you could ever make me do. I literally thought my brain might explode. It was a huge process, with the draft my parents had to correct (rightly so, because my spelling was/is atrocious) and often, the rough draft had to be re-written before the final draft was done in -gasp- ink.

Today I will tell you, I greatly appreciate having the skill of writing thank-you notes. Thank yous come in many forms. However, I will say there is something uniquely special about getting a handwritten thank-you note. A note someone took the time and thought to write, address an envelope (which is apparently a dying skill, along with being able to read and write in cursive), and even buy a stamp and mail. A thank-you note requires effort and is a treat which I sincerely appreciate.

Writing a good thank-you note isn’t really terribly difficult. It can be anywhere from three sentences to 15, depending on the room you have on your note card. Make sure you include the date and salutation at the top. For example, “Dear Joanne,” or “Dear Mrs. Smith,” is the perfect opener. Get right to the point in the opening sentence:  Thank you so much for having me as a guest for Thanksgiving. Follow that up with why or what was so wonderful about what you are thanking them for. For instance, you might say something about how wonderful the meal was or how special it felt to be included in their celebration.

Then I will start another paragraph with a point of conversation or other shared interest. It might be commenting on how much I liked a certain dish, or how much I enjoyed the conversation concerning (insert topic here) because it reminded me of (insert what polite/happy memory it triggered for you). This will allow the person receiving the card to know how much the experience meant to you.

Lastly, I end the note by thanking the person again for their kindness. Then close by saying “Sincerely,” or “All the best,” and sign my name. It is really a simple process, and when done in a timely manner, means the world to those who receive them.

Thank-you notes don’t discriminate based on age. Even children can take part. Maybe they draw a picture, or if they are learning to write they print “Thank You” in their own writing. Perhaps they stand next to you and tell you what they would like in the card as you put pen to paper. It is a skill that is never too early to learn, and more so, it allows children to learn how to express gratitude.

So as the seasons change and we think about gratitude, don’t overlook the importance of the thank-you note. It will show a grace and appreciation that can take you far in life.

P.S. Thank you to my parents for their patience teaching me this invaluable skill.

For more information, please contact Shea Ann DeJarnette, 4-H Youth Development with North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Robeson County Center, at 671-3276, by E-mail at Shea_Ann_DeJarnette@ncsu.edu or visit our website. Shea Ann is also licensed by the Emily Post Institute as a child etiquette teacher.

Be A Hunger Hero

All high school youth are invited to join us for the 2024 North Carolina Youth Institute on April 5th, 2024 at NC State University’s Plant Sciences Building on Centennial Campus. The NCYI is an exceptional opportunity that ignites a passion for solving global hunger through an engaging exploration of agriculture and food systems. It is an educational initiative of the World Food Prize Foundation and is designed to spark emerging leaders in developing innovative solutions for our world’s most pressing grand challenges surrounding feeding a growing population. 

The NCYI is hosted by NC State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s 4-H Youth Development Program and the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences and is a part of the World Food Prize Foundation’s Global Youth Institute. Youth come to campus in the spring of each year to attend the day long institute at NC State University and share their research paper among peers and a panel of judges. Hands-on workshops, field trips, keynotes and career development will round out the event. There is no registration cost to participate in the Institute. 

INTERESTED? CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE. 

If you have any questions or to learn more about the process of this program, contact the North Carolina Youth Institute State Coordinator, Liz Driscoll at liz_driscoll@ncsu.edu or (919) 886-3424.

Read more at: https://growforit.ces.ncsu.edu/2023/11/be-a-hunger-hero-north-carolina-youth-institute/

Giving

   

This is the season for giving and we are asking for your help.  One of our 4-H Endowments that would benefit our youth in perpetuity is close to being finished and we would like your help getting it to the top.

    Robert Wilkes 4-H Entrepreneurship Endowment is to honor the outstanding career of a gentleman who supported Robeson County 4-H Youth Development programs for more than 50 years.  Always being a visionary, he successfully moved into different positions and finally bought a business and expanded it to fill a growing need within Robeson County.  His vision allowed him to be successful in business, family, and with friends.  

  Mr. Wilkes had a vision for 4-H in Robeson County to make sure every child has the opportunities he had to learn in a safe and nurturing environment and achieve their full potential in this ever-changing global society, so they too can be the best in their chosen field.  It is fitting that this endowment will be utilized for youth achievements in the area of entrepreneurship and leadership.  Always blazing a path, Robert is opening the door for current and future entrepreneurs encouraging, supporting and envisioning our futures.  

  Robert passed away prior to seeing this dream come to fruition.  Can you help us make this happen?  There are two ways to give.  You can purchase a Down-Home Goodness Cookbook created by our 4-H members, volunteers, and supporters for just $10.  All the proceeds go to the Endowment.  You can purchase the cookbook at our office at 455 Caton Road, Lumberton, NC 28360. or email Shea Ann DeJarnette at shea_ann_DeJarnette@ncsu.edu.  If you would like to purchase a cookbook and have it sent please know that shipping and handling charges will be added.

You can also give online directly to the Robert Wilkes 4-H Entrepreneurship Endowment for Robeson County by going to.....http://go.ncsu.edu/robertwilkesendowment

JMG News

BIWEEKLY UPDATE | NOVEMBER 2023 Fall Festival Recap!! Register Now for JMG NLT Pear and Pomegranate Crumble

FALL FESTIVAL RECAP:

Thank you to everyone who came out to the Fall Festival in The Gardens! We had an AMAZING turnout, with over 1,200 people in attendance!!! Over at the JMG booth, we made 200 total monster plants for kids and families to take home and have their very own creepy creation! Keep an eye out for more fun events at The Gardens!!

TAMU Gardens Website

Don't forget to register!

Registration Opened: September 18th, 2023 Registration Closes: February 12, 2024

What: An Engaging and Hands-On National Leader Training When: February 20th - 21st, 2024 Where: Online via Zoom

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at jmgnltconference@gmail.com

Find more NLT info here!

Pear and Pomegranate Crumble!

Check out this warm and cozy homemade dessert brought to you by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension's Dinner Tonight! It's the perfect winter treat with yummy fruits that are finally in season!

You can find the recipe here!

Junior Master Gardener Program | juniormastergardener@gmail.com

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