Afternoon tea held at library

The Ascension Parish Library and the Daughters of the British Empire in Louisiana had afternoon tea Friday at the library in Gonzales.

 The  program was held as a special event to honor the library’s 50th anniversary.

“We have always wanted to have an educational tea for our patrons and we were thrilled to see a full house,” Adult Services LibrarianMimi Foster said about the large crowd of 49 at the program.

Guest speaker Betty Calzada with the DBE kept the crowd entertained with funny stories and interesting information about afternoon tea.

She explained to the guests, the origins of tea drinking, the introduction of the afternoon tea into society, the difference between afternoon tea and high tea, myths and old wives’ tales surrounding tea, and how to present a proper afternoon tea.

 “One thing I’ve always noticed about our library patrons is how much they love learning,” Foster said. “That is why we asked the DBE to teach us about the history and customs of teatime in Britain and to serve a traditional afternoon tea.”

The Daughters of the British Empire was founded in the US in 1909. It is a philanthropic group of women of British or Commonwealth birth or ancestry who support and operate Retirement Homes throughout the USA.

In Louisiana, DBE was founded in 1959, and there are seven chapters. Six are in the greater New Orleans area, and one is in Lafayette. The DBE is currently looking for eligible women in the greater Baton Rouge area to form a chapter.

Eligibility includes women of British or Commonwealth birth or ancestry and women married to men of British or Commonwealth birth or ancestry.

Each chapter meets monthly in a member’s home, and tries to put the fun into fund-raising.