IF YOU GO
What: Girls Summit: Style & Manners: Essential for the 21st Century Girl.
When: 10 a.m. Dec. 3; other summits set for Jan. 21 and March 3.
Where: University of Tennessee at Chattanooga University Center.
Admission: Free
Register: Girls in middle and high school may got to www.chattanoogadst.org/girlssummit.html. Girls may also call 423-698-3317; registration ends Nov. 19.
Source: www.chattanoogadst.org
Teaching girls to be women with class is the goal of the upcoming Girls Summit.
"The purpose ... is to educate and prepare young ladies for a lifetime of self-respect, healthy living and academic excellence. Etiquette is one of those essential tools," said Chandra Wilson, chairwoman of the event.
Wilson is among 20 women of Delta Sigma Theta sorority planning the third annual event. The theme is Style & Manners: Essential for the 21st Century Girl.
Amber Puckett, 16, is among 200 middle and high school girls expected to attend.
"They're teaching information to help us better ourselves," said Puckett, a junior at Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy. "If you don't have motivation from family, it's good to have those people to help you out."
The summit will include three workshops scheduled over three months. Cellphone etiquette, etiquette in public places and making first impressions will be the topics of the first meeting scheduled Dec. 3.
A workshop scheduled Jan. 21 will focus on dress, grooming and self-esteem, while the final workshop on March 3 will focus on table manners.
The event will culminate with a luncheon on March 24 in which Miss America 2004 Ericka Dunlap will be the speaker. Girls must attend all three workshops to attend the luncheon at no charge, officials said.
Because music videos and reality television shows have influenced fashion, some girls don't know how to dress or act appropriately for different occasions, Wilson said. Inappropriate business attire during an interview could cause a job applicant to not be hired, she said.
And because many families no longer have a formal dinner setting at home, some girls don't know how to handle a table setting with more than one fork, organizers said.
Organizers developed the workshops for this year's summit based on surveys participants made from the previous summit.
Linda Elligan, summit co-chairwoman, said she observed girls struggling during last year's banquet about which fork to use when eating. She said girls were also unsure about how to dress for the banquet.
"Jeans are comfortable, but they're not appropriate for every setting," Elligan said.
All summits have focused on providing girls with information they need for success in this century, she said.
"We want the young ladies to do more than survive," Elligan said. "We want them to prosper."
Yolanda Putman has been a reporter at the Times Free Press for 11 years. She covers housing and previously covered education and crime. Yolanda is a Chattanooga native who has a master’s degree in communication from the University of Tennessee and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Alabama State University. She previously worked at the Lima (Ohio) News. She enjoys running, reading and writing and is the mother of one son, Tyreese. She has also ...
Or login with:
New Account