How the Club Works

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The Purpose of the Club
Gourmet Couples brings together couples who are interested in friendly dining and meeting others at small dinner parties in the comfort of their homes.

You need not be an expert or gourmet cook to join and enjoy Gourmet Couples. All that is required is an interest in good food and drink, a willingness to experiment and broaden your horizons, and a desire to help plan and prepare interesting dinners. In addition, you will widen your social circle and meet many new friends.

Kinds of Activities
Gourmet Couples bases its social calendar around "party sets." A party set comprises a planning party and, a few weeks later, a dinner party.

The planning party is a social evening for ten to twenty couples during which dinner groups of four or five couples each plan their individual dinner parties. Three or four weeks later, each group meets separately at one of the couples' homes to prepare and enjoy the dinner that they had planned.

In addition to the party sets, several general events are scheduled during the year. The club sponsors larger them events and visits to popular area restaurants. Past visits have included dinners at Stone Manor Inn near Frederick, MD, Kinkeads Restaurant in Washington, and Brunch at the Glen Echo Inn. Theme parties have included Strawberry and Champagne Brunches, Sizzling September Salza Party, NFL Football Party, Wine Tastings, and the annual Twelfth Night Party.

You may attend as many or as few events as you wish. Your only obligation is to keep any commitments you do make for attending an event, bringing ingredients, or hosting a party.

Activity Schedules
Most events are held on Friday or Saturday evenings, although some have been scheduled for Sunday afternoons and even weekday evenings. Dinner parties are nominally scheduled for Saturday evenings, but each dinner group may agree on a different day and time for their party.

A planning party is held one month, the dinner parties the next month, and a special or theme party the third month. This cycle is repeated each quarter throughout the year. Again, you need not attend every function.

How the Club Operates
The club is run by a volunteer board of members.

Information on recent and upcoming events is published in the club newsletter, along with menus and recipes from previous dinner parties. The newsletter also includes a reservation coupon for the next party, which is filled in and returned by those members who wish to attend.

Members who return the coupon for a party set are sent directions to the home of the couple who is hosting the planning party. At this party, participants bring a beverage of their choice (wine, soft drink, etc.) and an hors d'oeuvre or dessert to share. They then enjoy the beverages and hors d'oeuvres and plan the dinner parties they will attend a few weeks later. The couples in a dinner party group decide the day and time of their dinner, a theme, the menu, and what course each couple will bring such as an hors d'oeuvre, salad, main course, bread or dessert.

For the dinner parties, each couple assumes responsibility for a portion of the meal and for bringing the ingredients it requires. Preparation of the dishes can be accomplished either at home or at the dinner site depending on the complexity or time for preparation.

The club's directors try to rotate the participants at successive dinner parties so that during the course of the year you will meet many different members

How much does it cost
Membership is on a calendar year basis and annual dues are $40 per couple ($20 after June 30th). In addition, there is a modest event fee for each non-restaurant event you attend to help defray overhead costs.

At the dinner parties, participants (other than the host couple) split the cost of the meal equally. The host couple does not pay a share of the cost, both to compensate them for use of their home and to encourage members to volunteer as hosts.

Typical costs of a dinner party set usually total less than $30 -- surprisingly low for lots of good fun, food, and socializing.

How to join
If Gourmet Couples sounds like your kind of fun, simply fill out and mail the coupon in this folder. You will promptly receive a phone call to answer any questions you might have.

Upon receipt of your annual dues, you will begin receiving the club newsletter and be entitled to participate in all the club's activities.

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