Fall Feast: Table Settings

Table Settings

2005 Feast Setting Notes

Molly Rosen, Patty Brown

Table setting is a big job! You will want 2-3 people. Generally speaking, it involves getting the supplies out of the shed, taking inventory and purchasing extra supplies, getting it to the feast, setting up, and then cleaning up. You can get helpers at the Feast for set up and clean up.
It is important for the table setting team to arrive by 8:00 (or even a little earlier) as you need to clean and cover the tables for the cooking teams ASAP.
Read through this folder (back through 2002-3, as the pictures are helpful) and the site map. The steps are listed below with some detail. Feel free to call with questions!
1. Carry supplies home from PTA shed: Coordinate access with 2nd grade teacher.
The supplies will fill your entire car and shed access times are better before or
after school.
2. Inventory and clean supplies.
3. Find out from teacher and Feast chair how many kids and adults will be attending.
4. Shop for additional supplies (save receipts for reimbursement).
5. Assemble/organize supplies.
6. Transport supplies to Feast.
7. Set up at Feast.
8. Collect after Feast.
9. Transport home.
10. Clean and inventory supplies.
11. Write Feast summary.
12. Return supplies to PTA shed.
Detail for items 1-12
1. Inventory supplies. Touch base with the Feast Chair or teacher if you can't find
everything as some items may have been packed with other teams' boxes. You
will need to purchase items with an asterisk (*) on the inventory list. You may
want to get (and assemble) extra sets of utensils/napkins since there were more
adults in 2005 than we planned for.
2. Figure on 8 kids per table (since kids' tables are set with the coffee cans (3) and
serving pans (2)). Adults eat buffet style. Plan on having 9 coffee cans for the
buffet and 6 pie pans for serving. *Check with Feast Chair whether salmon, corn
and lobster teams will bring own pie pans and serving spoons (they didn't in
2005, and we had not planned for needing serving supplies for them).
3. You can also turn in your receipts for a donation letter if you prefer.
4. Wrap up the utensils in napkins and tie with yarn.
5. Cover the coffee tins with aluminum foil.

First thing is to clean and cover the tables in the lower area (where the cooking is done). Then you can start on the upper tables where everyone will eat. At the Feast, some kids will be assigned to table setting during the last half hour before
eating. Supervise their getting the coffee cans filled up and bringing them to the tables. Cover the food with aluminum foil to keep it warm before eating. When setting up tables, tape table number, feast schedule and etiquette sign on each table. Tape a garbage bag to the end of each table. Set out dessert plates on the gingerbread table. Set up the adult buffet. Remind folks to save forks for dessert. 8. Collect supplies after the Feast. Discard forks, spoons, knives, plates, bowls, cups and pie tins. Collect everything else into extra garbage bags for transport home and cleaning.

2005 Inventory

Item Description What is needed 2005 Inventory Purchase
(*)
Items for Kids' and Adult Tablesetting One for each child and adult
Divided Plates 4 *
Bowls 23 *
Forks 0 *
Spoons 400
Knives 0 *
Napkins 700
Apple juice Confirm that 2006 Feast Chair that drink person for provide individual glass apple juices for each child
Small dessert plates (set on dessert table) One for each child and adult 34 *

Items for Kids' Table (for serving)
Large coffee cans (for clam chowder, venison stew and rabbit stew) 3 cans per kids' table -26
Ladles (for chowder and stews) 3 per kids' table -22
Pie pans 2 per kids' table 0 *
Serving spoons (for duck and squash) 2 per kids' table -20
Table signs
Note: We recommend going back to the old system of using either masking tape and markers or clear packing tape and paper sign to label with 3 coffee cans. The chowder and stew signs get very messy and are a nuisance to clean. 2003 Feast pictures show you what the signs look like, and the 2002 pictures show you what it looks like to put the labels directly on the cans. Clam chowder Venison stew Rabbit stew Table number Etiquette Schedule 10 each

Other items
Trash bags One per table plus -10 for clean-up 55
Yarn Enough to wrap up napkin and utensils for each person 1 skein
Paper towel rolls One per table plus extra for clean up 11
Brown paper for covering cooking and eating tables Four 20' and eighteen 10" 1 sheet *
Duct tape One roll One roll
Masking tape One roll 3 rolls
Aluminum Foil One roll 3 rolls
CupS for hot drinks (adults) (drinks person brought them in 2005) ? Are they needed? If so, one per adult 93

Station signs (First Aid, etc.) 1 set 2 sets
Staple gun (heavy duty) 1-2 Bring own
Scissors 2 Bring own
Markers (in case needed) 2 Bring own
Hand broom (to clean off tables) 1 Bring own
Greenery, gourds and pine cones for decoration 20 Indian com
Rags/towels for cleaning tables 5 Bring extras

(See 2005 File below for tabulated inventory list.)

(Also see 2005 File below for hand-drawn illustration.)

Example Table Settings Photos:
Table Settings Photo 2003
Table Settings Photo 2003
Table Settings Photo 2002

Previous Feasts:

Table Settings 2005
Table Settings 2004
Table Settings 2003
Table Settings 2002
Table Settings 2001
Table Settings 2000
Table Settings 1999
Table Settings 1998
Table Settings 1997

Comments:

2006 Feast Setting Notes
(A hard copy of this is in the Table Setting folder if the inventory chart below is hard to read)

Doris Lew and Kelly Jonick
Table setting is a big job! You will want 2-3 people. Generally speaking, it involves getting the supplies out of the shed, taking inventory and purchasing extra supplies, getting it to the feast, setting up, cleaning up after the feast, and putting it all away. You can get helpers at the Feast for set up and clean up.
It is important for the table setting team to arrive by 8:00 (or even a little earlier) to the park as you need to clean and cover the tables for the cooking teams ASAP. If it rained the night before-- the tables will be muddy and will need to be covered with plastic (instead of paper), because half the tables are under trees and the trees will continue to “rain” on the tables. Use paper towels to dry the tables as the cloth towels will get muddy and stay muddy. Read through this folder (back through 2002-3, as the pictures are helpful) and the site map. The steps are listed below with some detail. Feel free to call with questions, (Kelly Jonick,
(510) 531-1198.
1. Carry supplies home from PTA shed: Coordinate access with 2nd grade teacher, the keys are in the Principal’s office. The supplies will fill your entire car. The shed access times are better before or after school.
2.Inventory and clean supplies.
3.Find out from Teacher and Feast chair how many kids and adults will be attending.
4.Shop for additional supplies (save receipts for reimbursement).
5.Assemble/organize supplies.
6.Transport supplies to Feast.
7.Set up at Feast.
8.Collect after Feast.
9.Transport home.
10.Clean and inventory supplies.
11.Write Feast summary.
12.Return supplies to PTA shed.

Detail for items 1-12
(1-6) Before the Feast.
Touch base with the Feast Chair or teacher if you can't find everything as some items may have been packed with other teams' boxes. You will need to purchase items with an asterisk (*) on the inventory list. You may want to get extra sets of utensils/napkins for the adult helpers (number may not be set). In 2006, we had 60 children so we planned for 30 adults. We did not make fancy sets for the adults but had a box of utensils on the table for the adult to help themselves. Wrap up the utensils in napkins and tie with yarn for the children’s sets.

Count on 8 kids per table (since kids' tables are set with the 3 coffee cans and2 serving pans/pie plates. Adults will eat buffet style. Plan on having 9 coffee cans for the buffet and 6 pie plates for serving. Check with Feast Chair whether salmon, corn, squash and lobster teams will bring their own pie pans and serving spoons – we have serving spoons for the children’s table. Cover the coffee tins with aluminum foil.

You can also turn in your receipts for a donation letter if you prefer.

(7-9) At the Feast
First thing is to clean and cover the tables in the lower area (where the cooking is done). Then you can start on the upper tables where everyone will eat. Kids eat on the right set of 9 tables and the adult’s eat on the left set of tables. At the Feast, some kids will be assigned to table setting during the last half hour before eating. Supervise their getting the coffee cans filled up and bringing them to the tables. Cover the food with aluminum foil to keep it warm before eating. When setting up tables, tape table number, feast schedule and etiquette sign on each table. Tape a garbage bag to the end of each table. Set out dessert plates on the gingerbread table. Set up the adult buffet. Remind folks to save forks for dessert.

Collect supplies after the Feast. Discard forks, spoons, knives, plates, bowls, and cups. Recycle as much as you can. All aluminum foil/pie tins, apple juice containers and paper can be recycled, collect in a separate plastic bags and take home to recycle. Garbage maybe left in secured plastic bags for the park rangers to pick up. Collect everything reuseable into extra garbage bags for transport home and cleaning.

Description What is needed 2006 Inventory Purchase (*buy*)

Items for Kids' and Adult Tablesetting
Divided Plates 1 per person 0 *buy*
Bowls “ 0 *buy*
Forks “ 0 *buy*
Spoons “ 300 +
Knives “ about 25 *buy*
Napkins “ about 600+
Apple juice Confirm that 2007
Feast Chair that drink person
for provide individual glass apple juices for each child 0 *buy*
Small dessert plates (set on dessert table)
1 per 0 *buy*

Items for Kids' Table -----(for serving)

Large coffee cans (for clam chowder, venison stew and rabbit stew)
3 cans per kids' table about 30
Ladles (for chowder and stews)
3 per kids' table 21
Pie pans 2 per kids' table 0 *buy*
Serving spoons (for duck and squash)
2 per kids' table 20
Table signs --
We used sticker labels and leaf signs --see photos for examples --
Clam chowder--Venison stew--Rabbit stew--
Table number--Etiquette--Schedule 10 each

Other items---
Trash bags
One per table plus -10 for clean-up about 10 *buy*
Yarn
Enough to wrap up napkin and utensils for each person
1 skein
Paper towel rolls
One per table plus extra for clean up (13)
3 (do not store extra too bulky) *buy*
Brown paper for covering cooking and eating tables
Twenty two sheets @10" each 0 *buy*
Duct tape One roll 0 *buy*
Masking tape One roll 3 rolls
Aluminum Foil One roll 3 rolls
Cups for hot drinks (adults)
(drinks person brought them in 2006) one per adult 50

Station signs (First Aid, etc.)
1 set not in box ? Maybe stored elsewhere
Staple gun (heavy duty) 1-2 Bring own *
Scissors 2 Bring own *
Markers (in case needed) 2 Bring own *
Hand broom (to clean off tables) 1 Bring own *
Center piece decorations
Indian Corn, pine cones' not in box ? May be stored elsewhere
Rags/towels
for cleaning tables 10 10+

2006 Feast Setting Notes, November 8, 2008

Table Settings
2007 Feast Setting Notes
Karen Bloom and Jasmine Justi

It is important for the table setting team to arrive before 8:00 a.m. (or even a little earlier, Sara Green, the lead second grade teacher, arrived at 7:30 a.m.), as you need to clean and cover the tables for the cooking teams first thing in the morning. Also, you should put the red station signs at each correct location right away, both in the lower area for cooking and the upper area for serving dessert, beverages, etc. so people can find where they need to go and where they can get needed supplies.

So that you don’t have to read through 10 years of notes, we’ve compiled everything you need right here except for photos, which can be found earlier in the folder. Our notes and the site map should be enough to get you through from start to finish. The steps are listed below with some detail. Feel free to call with questions! (Our phone numbers are on the inside cover of the folder.)

1. Carry supplies home from PTA shed: Coordinate access with the lead 2nd grade teacher, currently Sara Green. The key to the shed can be found in the office by asking the administrative secretary. Because of the coffee cans (see note below) and paper towels, the supplies will fill your entire car. It seems shed access times are better before or after school.
2. Inventory all supplies and clean supplies as needed.
3. Find out from lead teacher and Feast chair how many kids and adults will be attending. This is key so you know how many additional supplies to purchase.
4. Shop for additional supplies (save receipts for reimbursement or as a donation).
5. Assemble/organize supplies. Prepare anything that can be prepared in advance (coffee cans covered with foil, labels on pie plates for serving, tie cutlery into individual napkins for kids, etc.)
6. Transport supplies to Feast.
7. Set up at Feast, first the cooking area, then the kids and adults eating areas.
8. Collect all reusable supplies after Feast.
9. Transport home.
10. Clean and inventory supplies.
11. Write Feast summary.
12. Return supplies to PTA shed.
Detail for items 1-12
2. Inventory supplies. Touch base with the Feast Chair or teacher if you can't find everything listed as some items may have been packed with other teams' boxes or otherwise misplaced. You will need to purchase items with an asterisk (*) on the inventory list.

3. Figure on 8 kids per table. Once you know how many kids, you can calculate how many tables you will be required to set. Each kids’ table will require three (3) coffee cans and five (5) foil pie pans. Currently, the coffee cans hold the liquid items: Clam Chowder, Venison Stew, and Rabbit Stew. However, we are rethinking the necessity of foil covered coffee cans when TAP Plastics makes a tub exactly the same size that could be reused each year (see http://www.tapplastics.com/shop/product.php?pid=196& for the 2 quart mix cup for example). Each coffee can (or other liquid serving container) requires a ladle. The foil pie pans are used for serving Duck, Lobster, Salmon, Corn, and Squash. Each pie pan requires a serving spoon except for Corn, which would require tongs, but the corn is cool enough to use one’s fingers for serving when it is time to eat.

Adults eat buffet style. You may want to plan for a holder or holders of some kind for the cutlery for the adults. In the past, volunteers planned on having 9 coffee cans and 10 pie pans for serving at the adult buffet, but this year we chose to use the large foil rectangular roaster pans for each food item instead, so we brought 8 of those labeled with handwritten white stickers, one for each of the foods: Clam Chowder, Venison Stew, Rabbit Stew, Duck, Lobster, Salmon, Corn, and Squash. Lobster usually does not have any “leftovers” for the adults so one foil roaster was left clean.

4. You can also turn in your receipts for a donation letter if you prefer not to deplete PTA funds by getting reimbursed. I found wonderful ladles and serving spoons at the dollar store. We had a difficult time purchasing plastic knives without getting a whole multi-pack including more forks and spoons so after the Feast, when I found packs of just knives at Whole Foods, I bought them out for you. Foil pie plates and roasters, disposable plates and cutlery, hot and cold cups, etc. are readily available at the grocery supermarkets or Target types stores.

5. Wrap up the utensils in napkins and tie with yarn. Cover the coffee tins with aluminum foil and label three for each table either with the cute leaf signs or with handwritten (or computer generated) white labels or using either masking tape and markers or clear packing tape and paper signs to label with three (3) coffee cans. Multipurpose stickers/labels can be found in your supplies. If you wish to go high-tech, you’ll need to purchase label sheets. The chowder and stew signs can get very messy and can be a nuisance to clean. If you do use the adorable leaf signs, we would suggest wiping them down right away during clean up at the Feast and not waiting until you get home to clean them. 2003 Feast pictures show you what the signs look like, and the 2002 pictures show you what it looks like to put the labels directly on the cans.

Some previous volunteers suggest organizing the supplies by table at home by counting out the eight (8) divided plates, cutlery sets, etc. for each table and placing them in a garbage bag which will be attached to the end of the table. We used duct tape for this purpose. However, there is enough time during the morning to do this on site and gives the students something to do when they are assigned to our table setting station.

7. Upon arrival, the first thing is to clean and cover the tables (with paper cut from the rolls that are stored in the hallway of the school) in the lower area (where the cooking is done). Then you can start on the upper tables where everyone will eat. When setting up the kids’ tables, first cover each table with the paper, and then tape the table number, feast schedule, and etiquette sign on each table. Tape a garbage bag to the end of each table. Set out dessert plates and spoons on the gingerbread table (this might work better if they are preset in piles on each kids’ table). Set up the adult buffet. Remind folks to save forks for dessert unless they want to use a spoon instead.

At the Feast, some small groups of kids will be assigned to table setting throughout the morning. These students will help with decorations, setting out the plates and cutlery, etc. They can also deliver your serving containers (coffee cans and pie plates) to the appropriate food stations during the second to last half hour (11:30 – 12). You might want to number each container with its respective table number as well as what type of food will go in it. For example, if you have 8 tables, you will have Duck 1, Duck 2, … Duck 8, and the same for each of the other hot foods. During the last half hour before eating (12 – 12:30), each food station will have more than one student assigned to it. They will bring the hot food to each table. Supervise their getting the coffee cans and pie plates filled up and bringing them to the tables. Cover the food with aluminum foil to keep it warm before eating.

There will be 2 or 3 parent volunteers (probably including you!) supervising and serving each table. These parents should receive instruction from you in advance of the feast, so get that list from the chairs, and email these parent supervisors to tell them their table number, and any other instructions you wish them to have. For example, let them know that the bowls are for the chowder, the two divided sections of the plate are intended for each type of stew, and the other food goes in the large section of the divided plate. Let them know that the dessert plates will be piled on the end of the table with the extra spoons (or that they will be found on the gingerbread table in the adult buffet and eating area, whichever you decide). Tell them that the kids are required to stay at the table for the entire half hour even if they finish eating in 5 minutes. They must stay in order to have dessert, and after dessert they must clean up and wait until a teacher dismisses them.

8. Collect supplies after the Feast. Discard forks, spoons, knives, plates, bowls, cups, roasters, and pie tins. The 120 knives from Whole Foods are biodegradable so if you can take them home to your green bin every little bit helps. You can use the trashcans provided by the park and place additional garbage bags next to the cans. Collect everything else that is reusable (coffee cans, spoons, ladles, etc.) into extra garbage bags for transport home and cleaning.

Description What is needed in general 2007 Inventory (After 2007 Feast) BUY for 2008 Feast
TABLE SETTING
Divided Plates 1 per person 54 *
Bowls 1 per person 16 *
Forks 1 per person 105 Probably
Spoons 1 per person Many No
Knives 1 per person 129 Probably not necessary
Napkins 1 per person Many No
Apple Juice 1 juice box or bottle per child Confirm that the Drinks person is going to buy these *
Small Dessert Plates (set on dessert table) 1 per person 45 medium plates * (Get small ones!)
Cold cups for everyone (Drinks person will bring bottled water, there won’t be seconds available for the kids on juice.) 1 per person 61 *
Hot cups for adults 1 per adult 28 *
SERVING ITEMS
Coffee Cans for Clam Chowder, Venison Stew, and Rabbit Stew 3 per kids table 39 No
Foil Pie Pans for Duck and Squash 2 per kids table 0 *
Large Roasting Pans for Adult Buffet 8 1 7
Ladles for CC, VS, & RS 1 for each can plus 3 for the adult buffet 33 Maybe
Serving Spoons for D & S 1 for each pie plate plus 5 for the adult buffet 43 Maybe
Large Plates These can substitute for pie pans for corn and squash in a pinch 17 No

SIGNS
Table Signs – CC, VS, & RS - leaf 3 per kids’ table 10 for each type (total of 30) No
Table Signs – CC, VS, & RS – stickers 3 per kids’ table 72 stickers No
Table Signs – Table numbers 1 per kids’ table 10 (#1-10) No
Table Signs – Etiquette 1 per kids’ table 9 No unless you have more than 72 children and need to seat more than 9 tables of kids.
Table Signs - Schedule 1 per kids’ table 20 (two sets) No
OTHER NEEDED ITEMS
Trash bags – 1 per table plus 10 for cleanup 1 roll of black and 1 small roll of white Probably not, we brought extras that we ended up not needing.
Yarn to wrap utensils in napkin for each child 1 skein 1 skein No
Rubber bands to secure utensils in napkins 1 per child max Many No
Paper Towel Rolls – one per table plus extra for clean up 13 12 (many are ½ rolls) No
Brown paper for covering cooking and eating tables 22 sheets at 10’ each Use school hallway paper rolls, tear the day before the feast No
Duct tape 1 roll 2 rolls No
Masking tape 1 roll 2 partial rolls Probably not
Aluminum Foil 1 roll 3 partial rolls No
Station Signs (red) 14 14 No
Heavy Duty Staple Gun 1 or 2 0 Bring own or ask feast chairs to help you find ones to borrow. We didn’t use these at all. We used thumbtacks to attach the table coverings instead.
Thumbtacks Enough to fasten paper to tables One box No
Scissors 2 0 Bring own.
Markers 2 0 Bring own.
Hand broom 1 0 Bring own. (We didn’t because I forgot but didn’t really miss it.)
Centerpiece decorations Enough to decorate all tables One large black garbage bag full of pine cones, Indian corn, etc. No. But you may wish to add some fresh flowers or greenery as well as some gourds. Students can collect a few items at the park, even. One of the volunteers might have some gourds to lend.
Rags/towels for cleaning tables 10 Many in a box No

Karen Bloom, November 8, 2008

Table Settings
2008 Feast Notes
Marcia Riley and Jill Yegian

Table setting is a really, really big job (but the feast is SO much fun!). You can do the prep with two people, but you definitely need at least three people for the feast day. This overview is divided into three sections: BEFORE the feast; DAY OF the feast, and AFTER the feast. So that you don’t have to read through 10 years of notes, we’ve compiled everything you need right here except for photos, for which you need to get the folder and look back through past years. Our notes and the site map (also in the folder) should be enough to get you through from start to finish. Feel free to call with questions! (Our phone numbers are on the inside cover of the folder.) These are the main steps, with detail provided below.

1. Inventory all supplies and clean supplies as needed.
2. Shop for additional supplies (save receipts for reimbursement or as a donation).
3. Assemble/organize supplies
4.Transport supplies to Feast.
5.Set up at Feast, first the cooking area, then the kids and adults eating areas.
6.Collect all reusable supplies after Feast and transport home
7.Clean and inventory supplies
8.Write Feast summary.
9.Return supplies to PTA shed.

Here's a quick orientation before you get the full-blown detail. The menu that will be served is as follows: Clam Chowder, Venison Stew, Rabbit Stew, Duck, Lobster, Salmon, Corn, and Squash. The kids are served at tables of 8, with all the foods provided at each table. The first three items are liquid; they go in serving canisters with ladles. The other five items are served in foil pie pans using serving spoons (except for corn, which would require tongs but is cool enough for the kids to pick up). Adults eat buffet style using large foil roasting pans rather than the canisters and pie plates.

BEFORE THE FEAST

Carry supplies home from PTA shed: Coordinate access with the lead 2nd grade teacher, currently Sara Green (which means best times are before or after school). The key to the shed can be found in the office by asking the administrative secretary. The supplies will fill your entire car.

Conduct an inventory of the supplies to make sure you have everything, and make your shopping list. We did a complete inventory of the supplies left after the 2008 feast, which is at the end of this note. Check the supplies from the shed against the list to make sure you have everything, and then shop for the rest. You can turn in your receipts for reimbursement, or for a donation letter.

Once you have the supplies, you can do some prep. Before you start, get the number of kids who will be attending from Sara or the feast chair. There are 8 kids per table, so there are usually 8 tables.

1)Wrap up sets of kids' utensils (knife, fork, and spoon) in napkins and tie with yarn – or, better yet, some material that is compostable such as raffia (so you don't have to separate out the yarn for the trash). The adult utensils do not need to be wrapped.

2)Let the feast co-chair or beverage chair know that if they are not bringing individual drinks (e.g. water or juice bottles), they need to bring cups along with the beverages.

3)Put rubber bands around each canister, and use the rubber bands to affix the leaf labels (rabbit stew, venison stew, and clam chowder) to the canisters.

4) There will be table supervisors (probably 2 per table) to help with serving and monitoring the kids from 12:30 to 1 while they eat. Find out who they will be, and email them ahead of time to let them know how to serve the kids and handle the trash/compost. See below “Day of” section for detail on what information to include in the email.

5)Cut brown paper from the rolls in the school hallway to cover the tables. You will need 11 feet for each sheet, and a total of 23 sheets. Consider obtaining rolls of plastic covering for the tables if rain is forecast (available at Smart and Final).

6)Get schedules from Sara and put them in the plastic sleeves. These are the schedules that you will be putting at each station during set-up along with the table signs. In 2008, no students were assigned to table setting, but that has sometimes happened in the past. You can ask the Feast Chairs if you want to know whether you'll have student helpers.

7)Get the table assignments (2-page list of the kids who will be at each table) from Sara.

8)You may want to plan for a holder of some kind for the cutlery for the adults (we didn't), and to label the foil roasting pans for serving adults with masking tape (we did).

DAY OF THE FEAST

Arrive at 7:45 am to cover tables so that stations may set up. If the people running the stations arrive before you do, they will place their supplies on the tables and you will need to move them so you can cover the tables. And . . the tables take longer to cover than you think!

1. In the lower area, where the cooking is done (see map), sweep the tables and cover with the brown paper. Best to use a staple gun to affix the paper; we used thumbtacks and wished we had a staple gun. Tape the red station signs and the schedules to the tables.

2.In the upper area, where people will eat, clean and cover the kids' tables. Tape a table number and an etiquette sign to each table. Tape a garbage bag to the end of each table. Arrange pine cones and any other decorations in the center of each table.

3.Check the table assignments to see how many kids will be at each table,and put a stack of divided plates, bowls, and wrapped utensils at each table. We did not set individual places until just before the meal so they wouldn't blow away. Put 3 ladles (one for each canister) and 4 serving spoons (corn doesn't need a serving spoon) on each table.

4.Set up the adult buffet with roasting pans and serving spoons for the food, plates, napkins, and utensils.

5. Set out dessert plates and spoons on the gingerbread table.

6. At noon, distribute labeled canisters and pie pans for kids, and roasters for serving adults, to the appropriate stations. Let the cooks at each station know that the portions for the children are to be just a taste – they should fill children's serving canisters for soups and stews 1/3 and ½ full, and place eight servings of food on each serving plate for the children. Food for adults will be served buffet style in aluminum foil roasting pans. Cooks and students at each station will deliver the food between 12:15 and 12:30.

7.At 12:30, students will sit down to eat. Let the table supervisors know the following (preferably you have already emailed them this information, but you can always remind them).

Serving: clam chowder goes in bowls, rabbit stew and venison stew each go in one small section of the divided plate, everything else goes in the big section of the divided plate

Etiquette: Kids are required to stay at the table for the full half hour (12:30 to 1) even if they finish eating in five minutes. After dessert, they must clean up and wait until a teacher dismisses them.

Trash/recycling: We used the trash bags at each end of the table for green waste, not for trash. The only trash we had was the plastic utensils and yarn, and we put it directly into the park trash bins. We gathered juice bottles, aluminum roasters, and foil pie plates into a garbage bin for recycling.

8.Cleanup – Recruit helpers if they have not been provided for you. Wipe down the leaf signs, table numbers, and etiquette signs right away (it's easier to do it right after). Collect everything else that is reusable (canisters, spoons, ladles, etc.) into extra garbage bags for transport home and cleaning. Remove the paper from the tables, and bring it home for the green waste bin. We threw away the trash at the park (we had very little), and brought home the garbage bags full of green waste and aluminum recycling.

AFTER THE FEAST – this part requires alcohol. At least it did for us – we did the inventory and writeup the afternoon and evening after the feast.

1. Clean supplies, inventory, and repack for next year.

2. Writeup up notes, and post as a comment at the JM web site.

3. Take supplies back to shed.

INVENTORY – SUPPLIES AFTER 2008 FEAST

TABLE SETTING: we suggest you have 150 of each item, to be on the safe side. There are usually around 60 kids and at least 60 adults. Also, be sure to buy paper plates and bowls (rather than plastic) so that the used ones can be put into the green waste bin rather than the garbage.

Divided Plates: need 1 per person, have 64
Bowls (for clam chowder): need 1 per person, have 3
Forks: need 1 per person, have 176
Spoons: need 1 per person, have many (more than 150)
Knives: need 1 per person, have 68
Napkins: need 1 per person, have 30 good napkins that can be used to wrap utensils. Also have lots of fast-food dispenser type napkins that are fine for adults but not adequate for wrapping the utensils. Buy at least 50 for the kids.
Small Dessert Plates (set on dessert table): 1 per person, have 0
Apple Juice and cups: 1 juice box or bottle per child, or large bottles with cups -- confirm that the Drinks person is going to buy/bring these. There are about 60 cold cups and 30 hot cups in the supplies; we didn't use either in 2008 (there were individual apple juice bottles, and the coffee for the adults came with cups).

SERVING ITEMS – You need to know how many kids tables there will be, most likely it will be 8 (about 60 kids, 8 kids per table)

Stainless steel canisters for Clam Chowder, Venison Stew, and Rabbit Stew: need 3 per kids table; have 30 (in a large cardboard box)
Foil Pie Pans for Duck, Squash, Salmon, Lobster, and Corn: may need 5 per kids' table, depending on whether the stations bring their own; have 2
Large Roasting Pans for Adult Buffet: need 8, one for each food item; have 4
Ladles for CC, VS, & RS: need 1 for each canister plus 3 for the adult buffet; have 33
Serving Spoons for 4 other items (not corn): need 1 for each pie plate plus 4 for the adult buffet; have 27 good serving spoons and 13 shallow spoons that would work in a pinch

SIGNS – all these materials are in a large plastic bin

Leaf Table Signs for Clam Chowder, Venison Stew, and Rabbit Stew: 3 per kids’ table, 10 of each type (total of 30)
Rubber bands to secure leaf signs onto canisters
Table numbers 1 per kids’ table 10 (#1-10)
Etiquette Table Signs – there are three sets of these, two sets of 9 and one set of 10 (you just need one set)
Station Signs (red) – there are 14 of these signs to identify the stations (some are duplicates)
Plastic sleeves for station schedules – 14

OTHER NEEDED ITEMS

Trash bags: need 1 per table plus 5-10 for cleanup; there are a few left but should buy more.
Yarn to wrap utensils in napkin for each child: there is a skein, but consider finding something biodegradable instead
Paper Towel Rolls: there are 11 rolls, some of them partial. We didn't use these.
Brown paper for covering cooking and eating tables: need 22 sheets at 11’ each. Use school hallway paper rolls, tear the week before the feast
Duct tape: there is a partial roll left, probably worth buying more
Masking tape: there are two partial rolls, don't need more
Aluminum Foil: there are 3 rolls of regular and 2 rolls of heavy duty. Don't need more (we used very little).
Heavy Duty Staple Gun: Suggest you bring your own or ask feast chairs to help you find one to borrow. We used thumbtacks to attach paper to tables but would have preferred a staple gun.
Thumbtacks: there are enough to fasten paper to tables if you choose to use them.
Hand broom: Bring one or two of your own, these are very handy for clearing off the tables before covering.
Multipurpose labels – there is a package of about 70 in case you need them. We didn't.
Centerpiece decorations: One large black garbage bag full of pine cones, Indian corn, etc. You may wish to add some fresh flowers, greenery, or gourds.
Rags/towels for cleaning tables – there is a box full of rags. We used a broom for cleaning tables rather than the rags.

The table setting supplies are in the following containers:
2 large clear plastic bins with white lids, marked table setting
1 medium-sized cardboard box, marked serving spoons/ladles
1 medium-sized cardboard box, marked rags
1 large cardboard box, marked canisters
1 black garbage bag, filled with pine cones and indian corn
1 white garbage bag, filled with paper towels

Jill Yegian, November 8, 2008

Table Settings

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