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1 AIR COMMANDlMess DinnerProceduresCFACM 2/19/07 12:47 PM Page AAir CommandCFACM 1-900 MESS DINNERPROCEDURESI ssued on the authority of the Commander Air COMMAND (This publication supersedes CFACM 1-900 June 1991)February 3/22/07 11:49 AM Page 3/22/07 11:49 AM Page B1 MESS DINNER PROCEDURESCFACM 1-900 FOREWORDThe Mess Dinner is one of the most important tradi-tions of the Canadian Forces. With Unification, the var-ious Mess Dinner customs of the previous servicesresulted in equally variable standards and considerableuncertainty among air element personnel about how aMess Dinner should be conducted. A common stan-dard will ensure that our rich heritage is much-needed common approach was adoptedand consolidated in this booklet. It also sets forth thepolicy, standard and format for Mess Dinners at Wingswithin Air these procedures have evolved primarily fromthe customs and traditions of former RCAF Officers Messes, the format is readily adaptable for use bySenior Non-Commissioned Members and Junior Ranks of the Air StaffFebruary 3/22/07 11:49 AM Page 12 MESS DINNER PROCEDURESMESS STATUS - The Mess Dinner is a , it is an official Canadian Forces' func-tion at which dress, time of assembly, attendance,and other details shall be specified and have thelegal standing of orders.

2 Attendees shall be required topay for the dinner. Guests are generally not expect-ed to HOST - The Official Host of the MessDinner shall normally be the Senior Officer/NCMof the organization sponsoring the dinner (eg,Base or Wing Commander, Base/Wing CWO), orhis/her OF HONOUR - The Guest of Honour, ifthere is one, shall be escorted to the mess by theOfficial Host, or met at the entrance of the mess ifcircumstances make this more GREETING - The PMC shall meet the OfficialHost and the senior guest, if applicable, in thefoyer of the mess and shall escort them into theante-room where he/she shall present them to themess 3/22/07 11:49 AM Page 23 MESS DINNER PROCEDURESCFACM - The assembled personnel shall facethe official host and the senior guest and remainattentive until the host has acknowledged theirassembly by stating "Good evening, (ladies and)gentlemen", or by other appropriate remarks suchas introducing the senior assembled personnel may then proceed tococktails, ensuring that all guests have beenserved first.

3 Individual members may be assignedto act as escorts to other guests as a matter guests should be introduced by their escorts toas many of the other members present as feasible. All attendees, to the extent that num-bers and time permit, should come forward andpay their respects to the Official Host and the sen-ior is not permitted within the confines ofthe mess. CALL - A trumpeter or Piper, when available,shall make the appropriate calls to announce the second call, the PMC shall escort theOfficial Host to the head table (arranged as shown 3/22/07 11:49 AM Page 3 Annex B) or, if a Guest of Honour is present, the PMC shall escort him/her to the head table, followed by the Official Host, who shall escort thenext senior guest.

4 Other guests and their escortsshould then follow, and the remainder shall paradeinto the dining room. The Vice-PMC shall ensurethat all personnel move quickly into the dining roomand shall take his/her position as soon as all person-nel have entered the dining room. Once assembledpersonnel have taken their position behind theirrespective seats, the Chief Steward shall discretelyadvise the Vice-PMC that everyone is present. At that point the PMC shall rap his/her gavel and ask the padre, or a previously designated member(quite often the most junior member present), to say grace. At the completion of grace, all shall be seated. If a Piper is present and has no further official duty for the evening, the Piper's Toast as outlined in paragraph six of Annex A can be done atthis time.

5 10. CHIEF STEWARD - The Mess Manager or designat-ed Chief Steward shall oversee the serving of dinner and wines and ensure that service in thedining-room is as quiet and unobtrusive as DINNER ETIQUETTE - The dinner proper is a timeto appreciate the fellowship and conversation of4 MESS DINNER PROCEDURESCFACM 3/22/07 11:49 AM Page 45 MESS DINNER PROCEDURESCFACM 1-900fellow personnel and guests, to savor good foodand wine, and to enjoy relaxed formality in an ele-gant It is important that the unique atmosphere of theMess Dinner not be disturbed or degraded in anyway by immature or offensive behavior. If back-ground music is to be played, it must be discreteso that it will not interrupt or override conversa-tions. The PMC is to ensure that a high standard ofdecorum is maintained, if necessary by expellingany member whose behavior is unacceptable.

6 Noone may leave the dining room without firstobtaining permission from the ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES - In keeping with enlight-ened social attitudes, mess dinner attendees areperfectly free to decline the consumption of alco-holic beverages. It is entirely appropriate to drinktoasts in water or fruit juice; these should be avail-able on demand. For those who choose to con-sume wine, port or liqueurs, moderation is obliga-tory. Beverages of any types will not be broughtinto the dining room by attendees at any timeduring the dinner, break, or BREAK - On occasions where lengthy after-dinnerformalities such as speeches and 3/22/07 11:49 AM Page 5are scheduled, the PMC may decide that a shortbreak is needed. Depending on several factorsincluding but not limited to, number of servers,expected length of speeches, number of dinnerattendees, etc.

7 , the PMC may choose to have thebreak before or after the passing of the may be delayed until all diners havereturned to their chairs. Diners having to leave thedining room shall do so quietly and in an orderlymanner. At the expiration of the break, the PMCshall rap his/her gavel for attention. Note for thebreak, the PMC shall announce the head tablemembers will leave the dining room PASSING THE PORT - After the last course hasbeen served and the tables have been cleared orafter the break, port decanters shall be placed onthe tables. The Mess Manager or person acting asChief Steward shall indicate to the PMC that theport is ready to be passed. At that point the stop-pers shall be removed, and the PMC will indicatethat the port may be passed by pouring a smallamount of port into his/her glass, tasting it, andpassing the decanter to the left.

8 Port decantersshall be passed to the left, and the decanter shallnot be placed on the table until it requires replen-ishment or has reached the end of the port has been poured into the glass, it shall6 MESS DINNER PROCEDURESCFACM 3/22/07 11:49 AM Page 67 MESS DINNER PROCEDURESCFACM 1-900not be touched until it is time for the Loyal a Piper is present, he/she will pipe in the port(see Annex A).16. LOYAL TOAST - When the Mess Manager, or personacting as Chief Steward, has indicated to the PMCthat all have been served port, the PMC shall raphis/her gavel for attention, all conversation shallcease, the PMC shall rise, and shall announce tothe Vice-PMC, either, "Mr. Vice, The Queen ofCanada", or "Monsieur le vice pr sident, La Reinedu Canada.

9 The Vice-PMC will then rise andannounce in the other official language, "(ladiesand) gentlemen, The Queen of Canada" or, (Mesdames et) messieurs, La Reine du Canada ,as appropriate. At that point all personnel andguests shall rise and shall remain standing atattention until all bars of "God Save The Queen have been played (if a band is present) then theassembly shall pick up their glass of port and holdit at waist level announcing individually, in Frenchor English, "The Queen /"La Reine , and take theLoyal Toast. Glasses shall be lowered to the table,and the assembly shall be seated. 17. OTHER TOASTS - When foreign head table guestsare present, it is appropriate to toast the head ofstate of each such foreign guest.

10 When 3/22/07 11:49 AM Page 7guests are present from countries belonging to theBritish Commonwealth, the Loyal Toast to theQueen will When a number of non-commonwealth nationsare represented, a collective toast is appropriate,eg, "(ladies and) gentlemen, the heads of state ofthose nations here represented . In this case, theNational Anthem of all the countries in the collec-tive toast will not be played. A member of a for-eign force who is undergoing training with the CF,or filling a vacancy in the CF establishment, shouldnot be considered an official representative ofhis/her country at a Mess Dinner unless he/shehas been so For Marches When you hear the March that rep-resents your COMMAND and or Branch, eachassembled guest shall stand to attention, and oncethe march has been played shall pick up their glassand take the salute.