In planning for an Orange Sociable use plenty of orange colored paper, and make the decorations very attractive. Make orange colored shades for gas or lamp globes, use orange colored paper napkins, make orange butterflies, and let those who serve on committee wear orange paper caps and orange colored ties. If possible use orange crepe paper for doilies and mats. Refreshments should consist of oranges, wafers tied with orange ribbon, and orangeade.
For entertainment the old nursery rhymes should be used. Have slips of paper containing one line each of a rhyme such as "There was an old woman who lived in a shoe." Pass these slips to the guests and have each hunt up the ones whose rhymes match that he holds. There will be four for each group, and they will then proceed to draw a picture of what their rhyme represents. A prize may be given the group drawing the best picture, consisting of four very small colored babies lying on a bed of cotton in an orange shell, the orange shell cut in half and tied with orange ribbon. As there will be four persons in the group, one baby can be given to each of the four.
PATRIOTIC PARTY
Drape the room for the occasion with red, white and blue bunting. Fill tall vases with red and white carnations and deep blue larkspur.
Decorate the room with banners, streamers, red, white, and blue lamp shades, large copies of the State seals, and the like.
Uncle Sam and Miss Columbia should stand in the centre of the room and receive the guests as they arrive. Members of the social committee, representing in some way Cuba, Porto Rico, the Philippines, and Hawaii, should act as ushers to present each newcomer to Uncle Sam and Miss Columbia.
Ask each guest to come bearing upon his garments somewhere a symbol that will hint at the name of one of the Presidents. For instance, the picture of a canoe out of which persons are tumbling may suggest "Tippecanoe" Harrison; a link of sausage or of a chain, strung on a string and hung from the neck, will hint at Lincoln. To indicate Washington a washing-board may be borne in front, while on the back is a piece of pasteboard painted to resemble a weight and marked "1 Ton." A "G. A. R." pin fastened to the picture of a meadow may represent Garfield.
Give to each guest as he arrives a list of all the guests invited, and let him bestir himself to meet everybody, so as to ascertain if possible the various presidents represented, whose names when discovered he writes opposite the proper names on the list given him. These lists will be handed to an examining board, and, later in the evening, the one whose list is most complete and accurate will be adorned with a laurel wreath placed upon his head by some comic orator. This laurel wreath may be made of green paper, if you lack the real article.
Questions about past ladies of the White House may also prove interesting and enjoyable. A few such follow, but many others may be formulated.
- What first lady of the land fled from Washington to escape the British? (Dolly Madison)
- What was Mrs. Lincoln's name before marriage? (Miss Mary Todd)
- Name three early Presidents who married widows? (Washington, Jefferson, and Madison)
- What early President married a New York girl? (Monroe)
- Whom did John Q. Adams marry? (Louisa K. Johnson, of Maryland)
- What President had a troubled love affair and marriage? (Jackson)
- What early President besides Washington married a widow called Martha? (Jefferson)