A card corresponding with his name is placed on the napkin belonging to the cover of the seat he will occupy.
The President's seat is in the middle of the table. The most distinguished guests sit on his right and left. If their wives are present they will occupy these seats, and the gentlemen will be seated next to the President's wife whose seat is directly opposite the President.
Official dinners all over the world are always served after the French fashion, and are divided into three distinct parts. Two of them are served from the kitchen, and the third from the pantry.
The first part of the dinner served French style includes from oysters on the shell to the sherbets.
The second service continues to the sweet dishes.
The third includes ice, cakes, fruits, cheeses, which are all understood as desserts, and are dressed in the pantry.
All principal dishes which are artistically decorated are shown to the President first, then are carried around the table before being carved by the Steward in the pantry.
Fancy folding of the napkins is considered out of fashion; plain square folded, so as to show monogram in the middle, is much preferred.