Mess Dinner Tradition

[Sig_Des]

Anyone know what the traditional reason is for members not getting up from the table to go to the bathroom at a men's mess dinner?
is this an forces-wide tradition, or is it unit level?

Example: At our Regimental Men's Mess Dinners, tradition dictates that we cannot get up from the table during the course of the program, ie the meal, the toasts, the anthems, until we have our "7.62" minute break, where we can get up and go, followed by the speeches.

If someone gets up during this time, their chair is removed, and they have to request permission from the PMC to rejoin the table in front of the whole regiment, which can be embarassing for them and amusing for us. I remember one member, who had been at the sauce a bit, crying when she found her chair gone.

This also makes for some improvisation on members parts...many are the guys who would rather relieve themselves in a cup under the table than be faced with the embarassment of the Regiment.

My question is: Does anyone know the story behind this tradition?

 

[PViddy]

I believe we follow similiar traditions in the AF.  if you needed to be excused permission from the PMC must be sought.  It was considered "offensive" to the PMC and the head table if you just got up and left.  Therfore you must wait till the break or....come up with other means.

As far as the chair going missing, that is just all in good fun as the PMC is also responsible for the entertainment for the evening somtimes via the Vice PMC.  Chairs will go missing, name cards switched, people will be "set up" etc.

As i don't know the full story behind where this rule of etiquette came from, i will leave it to the forum elders...lol.


cheers

PV

 

[Michael OLeary]

The "tradition" of not leaving the room until the dinner concluded is most likely an exaggeration of previous custom and allowances, complicated by not exactly outlining all the options to subalterns.

A few relevant extracts:

Customs of the Service
(Advice to those newly commissioned)
by A.H.S.
1939

To indicate that dinner is concluded and those officers who wish to leave the table may do so, the President will stand for the second time. If an officer for purposes connected with duty or any other urgent reason desires to leave the dinner table before such an indication has been given, he must walk round to the President and ask permission to leave.

And from my own site's page on Mess Dinners:

http://regimentalrogue.com/srsub/mess_dinners.htm

32.    Traditionally, officers were expected to remain at the table throughout the meal, regardless of duration and the possible effects of consuming wines with each course. More experienced officers may recall dinners last four hours or more with copious quantities of wine. Despite the inevitable cautions to remain in place by those who delight in seeing others in discomfort or embarrassing situations, officers who must leave the table for urgent reasons should do so. If time permits, a note passed to the PMC via the Mess Sergeant requesting permission to leave the table should be proffered. In any case, the immature taunts of others for summarily leaving the table remains preferable to the potentially more embarrassing results of 'toughing it out.'

 

[Sig_Des]

Awesome link, thanks.

Anybody have any good mess dinner stories?

 

[dutchie]

Awesome link, thanks.

Anybody have any good mess dinner stories?

None that are fit for public consumption. 

 

[Fishbone Jones]

While we don't strictly enforce it anymore, we do honour the tradition of it, by only getting up for the bathroom if, you must. As it has now been recognised you can do yourself serious physical harm, the PC police have overruled the old tradition, using the safe medical argument. But again, it's for the bathroom only. Not to go out in twos and threes to loiter, chat or smoke.

Female guests were never required to remain at the table till the end. They were allowed to refresh themselves as they saw fit. And there was always plenty of fellows to escort them away from the table. Just make sure you come back when she does.

 

[The_Falcon]

Thats what kilts and empty wine bottles are for!  ;D

 

[geo]

By tradition, members were prevented from leaving the table prior to the toast to the Queen.
There is no rule that stipulates when the toast to the Queen takes place.
Many years ago, to take into acount the weakening blader control of some WW2 old timers, the toast to the Queen was moved to the start of the Dinner............
From then on in - it is acceptable for members to excuse themselves from the table to take care of business......
Many messes have moved speaches to the begining of the dinner - do the talking while everyone is still relatively sober... possibly between the soup and the main course,

In the end - each Regiment has it's own tratidition to follow - the question becomes - what is tratidion and what is a custom without standing?

Chimo!

 

[Gayson]

We have that rule in my unit for our regimental christmas dinner.

Last year was my first one and no one warned me about this rule.  I though I was going to explode!  :-X

 

[the 48th regulator]

Thats what kilts and empty wine bottles are for!   ;D

heheheheee how true it is...just don't use the warm wine bottle!

that's all I will say...

dileas

tess

 

[swanita]

Self catheterization anyone?!?!?  ;D 

 

[geo]

Hmm.... you can always volunteer to be 3rd vice and have an excuse to duck out to work out matters with the Caterer...... timing is, as always, important.

 

[Part-Timer]

Does puking on the RSM's oxfords count? ;D

 

[Sig_Des]

Does puking on the RSM's oxfords count? ;D

Good God......Yes!!!!

 

[The_Falcon]

heheheheee how true it is...just don't use the warm wine bottle!

that's all I will say...

dileas

tess

That doesn't always work 2 years ago they were putting the "refilled" bottles in the snow to chill them ;D  One poor unfortunate soul who shall remain nameless here (not me, I was quite sober, and knew what was going on),  did not notice the pungent odour before consuming the "wine".

 

[North Star]

Yeah...never a fan of the bottle thing. The staff having to deal with drunken subbies is bad enough...the last thing I want to shaft them with are bottles of pee.

I remember serving a mess dinner as a Pte once before they did away with the practice... was an ok job... free booze, good food, etc. Thankfully, no bottles of piss. Had there been, I would have returned them to their owners in a violent fashion, irregardless of rank.

 

[Spanky]

Mess dinner stories?  I'm not sure I can remember too many first hand, but I did hear about some the next morning. :blotto:

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Mess dinner stories?   I'm not sure I can remember too many first hand, but I did hear about some the next morning. :blotto:

Don't you dare!!

 

[Spanky]

00:54:27?  What are you doing here?  Aren't you supposed to be at a dinner?  Don't worry I won't relate any stories about you...... no one would buy it anyway.  Everyone knows you would NEVER misbehave at a mess dinner. 

 

[George Wallace]

A good question to ask first.....are you thinking of a 'true' Mess Dinner or a Formal Dining-In?  It seems that many today confuse the two.