VGCC Schedules “Let’s Have a Tea Party” in March

Since 2006, a large number of area residents have learned how to enjoy formal teas by taking a Vance-Granville Community College course called “Let’s Have a Tea Party.” The course will be taught once again, starting on March 16 and meeting on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 until 4 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall at First Presbyterian Church in Henderson.

As a “final exam,” the course will conclude with an actual tea party on March 30. Upon completion of the course, students can become members of the Old North State Tea Society.

Deborah Bryan of Henderson is the instructor, assuming the role formerly held by Oxford resident Constance Lue, who originated the course at VGCC. Bryan was a student in Lue’s first VGCC class in 2006. Several other members of the Old North State Tea Society will be assisting Bryan with the course.

“Tea is beneficial for your health, and this class is beneficial for recapturing civility and etiquette in a fast-paced world,” said Lue. “It’s going to be fun and informative,” Bryan promised. The course will trace the history of tea, starting almost 5,000 years ago with Chinese Emperor Shen Nung and continuing to influence society and world history through the present day. After tea became popular in 17th-century Great Britain, the tradition of tea in the late afternoon arose first among the upper class. Students will sample a wide variety of teas, including black, white, green, Oolongs and herbal, and will receive recipes and instruction on etiquette for hosting a formal tea party. They will also learn about making a “proper” pot of tea, and about the differences between tea prepared from tea-bags and “loose tea.”

The cost of the course is $55.

For more information and to register, call Donna Dodson at (252) 738-3316.

Above: The table is set for a formal tea in this photo from a local tea party. (Photo provided by Deborah Bryan)