| Last week 29 earnest American high
school students were invited to an evening of receiving good words, small talk,
warm toasts and fancy silverware. "Find out something about the person sitting next to you," advised former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. "Eventually, you'll discover they always have something interesting to say. And you should always use the proper silverware in the proper order. " Albright was the guest of honor at the imitated Official Dinner, which was a lot like a real official dinner in Washington minus the soft money. The evening was sponsored by the St. Albans School of Public Services to introduce its first class to the fine art of social survival. More than 84 guests, including students, teachers, school donors and speakers, gathered to {{U}}replicate{{/U}} the lifestyle of the rich and political. The idea was to teach the social graces that will help students survive any social situation. Anyway, the whole proper fork thing is overrated. Former White House official C. Boyden Gray shared his top tips for surviving dinner parties: "Drink as little as possible until you get to dinner. " "Don't be the first person there or the last person to leave. " "Try to get more out of your dinner partners than they get out of you." Every Official Dinner has a greater reason for being. State dinners, for example, are either an opportunity to reward emerging democracies or strengthen old friendships. The Official Dinner was intended to show the students an elegant evening in Washington—part of the four-week intensive summer program to encourage public service. The students are from 13 states and two foreign countries. The program includes classes on the presidency, the courts, the media and international affairs. The students also debated public policy issues. "They're still at it at 10 o'clock at night," said director Mary Waikart. "That's good practice for Washington, isn't it?" Since there was no band, Albright offered herself up as the night's entertainer. No singing, but stories about her life in diplomacy. "Being secretary of state is the best job in the world," she said. " Better than being president, because you don't have to deal with the elections." |