RSVPing for an event.  Looking someone in the eye, shaking her hand and introducing yourself.  Sitting at a table with others whom you’ve just met and starting a conversation.  Writing a proper Thank You note.  Could the art of good etiquette be a lost art?

Not for the mothers and daughters of the Southlake Chapter of National Charity League, Inc. (NCL) who hosted over 300 of its members at White’s Chapel United Methodist Church for a time-honored tradition – an afternoon tea.  While seated in assigned places, mothers and daughters met new friends, sipped hot tea and nibbled fingers sandwiches, cheese straws and tiny sweets.

NCL hosts an annual afternoon tea for its members as a means of celebrating and honoring the past while serving the future.

“In our fast-paced, technology-driven world, the art of simple good manners, civility, and respect often falls victim to a more casual world of familiarity, convenience, and instant gratification,” Dana Bucknam, vice president of Patroness Activities said.  “The NCL Mother-Daughter Tea attempts to keep traditional values alive to teach table manners and etiquette that will serve them well now and in the future.”

Proper attire, table manners and conversation starters are not current hot topics in a day when 100 likes in 30 minutes on Instagram and retweets and followers on Twitter are the focal point of the day. 

“The commitment to honoring the mother-daughter bond by learning together, growing and modeling responsibility and graciousness is one of NCL’s core values,” Colleen Monroe, president of the Southlake Chapter, said.  “We hope to inspire a legacy of social awareness and compassion in our members.”

NCL is a mother-daughter philanthropic organization committed to leadership development, cultural experiences, and community service, and the Mother-Daughter Tea seeks to fulfill the cultural pillar of its three-pillar mission – pinkie extension optional.