Forced to pay / belong to a mess [Merged]

[Fishbone Jones]

Vern, out of curiosity, what would the cost per person have been without official function status or the subsidies?

....or without hot dogs as the main course ;D

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Vern

I don't know what your menu was like, or what is on ours, but the Sqn Mess Dinner upcoming for us is $25.

If you had hot dogs....yikes! 

 

[CountDC]

mind you hot dogs is an improvement over one dinner I had - small slice of turkey (dry and bland), few frozen fries, some form of boxed stuffing and cranberry sauce that equalled the size of a cranberry.  Only time I have ever stood up and asked for salt and pepper at a dinner and did not stand up to applaud the cook (did stand to applaud the servers).

 

[Michael OLeary]

Sometimes the desire to satisfy the "mess dinners are too expensive" crowd results in dinners that no-one enjoys. And then those special few just complain about that.  ???

 

[Fishbone Jones]

I can never complain about ours. Ours is normally a huge five or six course prime rib dinner. Unlimited wine, port and aperitifs are included in the price of $60.00 for guest and between 30-50 for members depending on the turn out.

 

[BinRat55]

...and asked for salt and pepper at a dinner and did not stand up to applaud the cook (did stand to applaud the servers).

As an aside (or hijack) I learned at our last mess dinner that it was an insult to the chef to request salt or pepper... you are essentially saying that the chef didn't season the food properly!! I never knew...

 

[BinRat55]

I also learned that you can cause a lot of mischief if you manage to get the nameplates of a husband and wife attending the same mess dinner!!!

 

[armyvern]

Vern, out of curiosity, what would the cost per person have been without official function status or the subsidies?

Lots!!

Labour costs for kitchen staff preparing would have been added to our bill (at an overtime rate) if the event is not an official CF function. It's the wages that'll kill you every time too.

Additionally, the wages of the wine servers and bar staff at the Mess are reduced by the same percentage of "mess members attending" (of the particluar Mess it's actually being held in) because those members are already paying wages of staff in their respective Mess. If this were not an official function, the total bar staff and wine servers wages (with overtime) would also be added onto our total cost for the event.

We lucked out in that we had 159 pers total attending - offsetting the wages that we still had to pay by many pers. The smaller the number of attendees ... the higher the individual cost.

We saved approx 2200 bucks due to it being official function  - about $15.00 per person. It would have been closer to $46.50 per person without the "official function" status applied for and authorized.

 

[armyvern]

....or without hot dogs as the main course ;D

Here's what our menu consisted of:

Menu
Appetizer
Chef’s Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Roasted Red Pepper & Carrot Soup with Fresh Parsley and Cream
Maple Glazed Salmon on Kale
Entrée
Pork Tenderloin with Demi Glaze
Baby Oven Roast Potato
Sweet Glazed Baby Carrots
Triple Pepper Saute
Fresh Dinner Rolls
Dessert
Chocolate Mousse Cheese Cake
Tea & Coffee
Cheese with Crackers

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Wow, nice menu.

 

[aesop081]

Here's what our menu consisted of:

Menu
Appetizer
Chef’s Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Roasted Red Pepper & Carrot Soup with Fresh Parsley and Cream
Maple Glazed Salmon on Kale
Entrée
Pork Tenderloin with Demi Glaze
Baby Oven Roast Potato
Sweet Glazed Baby Carrots
Triple Pepper Saute
Fresh Dinner Rolls
Dessert
Chocolate Mousse Cheese Cake
Tea & Coffee
Cheese with Crackers

Exact same menue we had for the AF 85th a couple of weeks ago.

 

[armyvern]

Exact same menue we had for the AF 85th a couple of weeks ago.

Geez, don't tell me that!!

We actually pulled this menu ourselves and put it together from thier "lists" of items.

We thought - for once - that we could be original!!

Anyway, it was great. The soup was absolutely delicious (a HUGE hit). And, most people were actually full after the salmon.

Even I, with my lovely appetite - didn't find the need to go through the drive-through at McDos at 0325hrs when I left the Mess ...

It's all good.

 

[OldSolduer]

The Fish Creek Dinner is being held on Friday 24 April 2009. The traditional dinner of a Lil Black Devil is pork, beans and hard tack! :nod:

I would not kid you about this!!

 

[Franko]

Here's what our menu consisted of:

Menu
Appetizer
Chef’s Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Roasted Red Pepper & Carrot Soup with Fresh Parsley and Cream
Maple Glazed Salmon on Kale
Entrée
Pork Tenderloin with Demi Glaze
Baby Oven Roast Potato
Sweet Glazed Baby Carrots
Triple Pepper Saute
Fresh Dinner Rolls
Dessert
Chocolate Mousse Cheese Cake
Tea & Coffee
Cheese with Crackers

Exactly the same one we had in May 08 prior to deployment....in Pet.

Seems a rather popular choice.

Regards

 

[RetiredRoyal]

mess dinner used to be a PO on JLC...i was assigned grace in english....it was so quick and painless, most people didn't even realize i was done..lol.

 

[Journeyman]

Even I, with my lovely appetite - didn't find the need to go through the drive-through at McDos at 0325hrs when I left the Mess ...

You could drive??! When did you suddenly become a grown-up?  :'(

 

[armyvern]

mess dinner used to be a PO on JLC...i was assigned grace in english....it was so quick and painless, most people didn't even realize i was done..lol.

Yes, it was. I PMCd the Mess Dinner held on my JLC - it was the last time that I went in a 'virgin'. 

 

[armyvern]

You could drive??! When did you suddenly become a grown-up?  :'(

Back to reality JM; we had duty drivers.

MacDo's is usually a 'given' for me ... then through Timmies before they pour my butt out at home. But, this time only the stop at Timmies was required - I was full. And toasted.

 

[CountDC]

As an aside (or hijack) I learned at our last mess dinner that it was an insult to the chef to request salt or pepper... you are essentially saying that the chef didn't season the food properly!! I never knew...

Yep - my statement was load and clear to all - this food sucks.  Everyone knew I was fully aware of the policy as I had worked many mess dinners, was PMC of JRs, Bar Manager of the Officers mess one summer in A'shot and a Tarbender in A'shot an other (served over 60 mess dinners that year). You eat the food as is and applaud the staff - always.

 

[armyvern]

For all of you who've requested my templates etc ...

Please PM me your email addys as I can not upload the file-types here to dot cee eh.

Thanks muchly.

Vern