The second annual Victorian Tea raised $1,700, to help Backpacks For Food (BFF) provide weekend meals for needy students.
The Feb. 7 afternoon event drew a capacity crowd of more than 70 guests. Most were from Cornwall and Cornwall-on-Hudson, but a few came from West Point. There were four young girls mixed in with the women. Unlike last year, there were no men attending the event.
As guests entered the community room of St. John’s Episcopal Church, they saw 12 tables set in Victorian style with linen tablecloths and napkins, china plates and tea cups, silverware, quaint tea pots, antique serving dishes, and fresh flowers. Each table had plates of small sandwiches and desserts.
For a few hours, the ladies enjoyed an electronics-free afternoon with only their conversation, a few games, and a raffle to entertain them.
There was a 10-question challenge about etiquette during Victorian times. Organizers Margaret Vatter and Sally Mattausch noted “all of the ‘rules’ seemed very restrictive compared to today’s society.”
The two did a search online and posed the questions as an informal poll. The guests raised their hands when they thought the answer was right. About 50 percent of the crowd managed to answer the questions correctly.
Although headwear wasn’t required, several guests entered a contest by wearing Victorian style hats.
Betsy Turner, who creates hats as a hobby, judged the contest and chose Kathleen Christensen as the winner. She wore a “vintage beige woven hat with a lovely wavy fold on the right side and a jeweled hat pin that held the hat securely in place.”
In addition to the contest, 12 people won baskets in a raffle.
Vatter and Mattausch expect that next year’s tea party, may have a new theme.
