Responsibilities

Responsibilities For Host, Facilitators, and Participants

HOST RESPONSIBILITIES

  Before The Event
 R Provide a Dallas/Fort Worth area location, such as a residence or other indoor facility to host the dinner.  Churches, non-profit organizations, businesses, and restaurants with quiet banquet space can make great venues. 

·R For Sponsored Venues - Provide seating for a minimum of 40 assigned guests, at tables that seat 8 to 12 persons. 

R For Individual Host Venues - Provide seating for a minimum of 8 assigned guests, at tables that seat 10 (2 seats for hosts)

Please keep in mind that it is helpful for seated guests to be able to see each other since a majority of the evening dialogue occurs during the dinner meal.
·R Provide dinner for guests.  In past years, hosts have served meals ranging from very simple to elaborate.  The easiest menus include those that do not require timed course scheduling, or host monitoring while guests are present.  Many hosts offer a commonly eaten main entrée, such as chicken, along with vegetable side items, a dessert, and beverage.  Meals that accommodate a variety of diets, including vegetarian and restricted diets, are encouraged.  The serving of alcoholic beverages is discouraged.
 R Reserve at least 80 percent of dinner places for Dallas Dinner Table participants; other places to be filled with the personal guests of your choice.  Please make sure that any personal guests are registered through the Dallas Dinner Table website prior to the deadline.

 R Contact the Dallas Dinner Table facilitator assigned to your dinner during the week before the event.  Since your facilitator is responsible for managing the evening discussion, sharing your menu and set-up plans helps achieve a smooth-running evening.
Night of The Event
 R Serving food as one course or family style is encouraged to maximize host participation. Serving alcoholic beverages is discouraged.

 R Organize participants to appropriate table

R Provide feedback to the Dallas Dinner Table committee by completing a Host Feedback Survey after the event.
 
 

Please do not encourage un-registered guests to participate.

 
 

 

PARTICIPANT RESPONSIBILITIES

  Before The Event
• Please register by January 11th, 2007
 

Night of The Event
• Attend your assigned dinner.
• Please do not bring un-registered guests to dinner.
• Listen respectfully to others without trying to change others’ opinion.
• Come with an open mind to participate in conversation.
• After you receive your dinner assignment, call or email your host to confirm that you will attend.

FACILITATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

  Before The Event
  • Register by the cut-off date of January 10, 2007 on the Dallas Dinner Table web site.
  • Participate in a mandatory orientation session. (You can choose from 3 dates) Click Here to Schedule your Training Date.
• Familiarize yourself with materials and guidelines before the evening event.
• Discuss with assigned host the flow of the evening and each person’s responsibilities.
 
  Night of The Event
• Create an emotionally safe environment for the host and participants so that everyone is encouraged to share honestly and openly.
• Present the purpose and action steps for the evening to participants and host.
• Enforce the “no interruptions” policy
• Manage the timing of the evening, ensuring that the dinner is concluded by 9:30 p.m.
• Introduce “Opening Activity”
• Lead transition discussion to debrief icebreaker and transition to “questions”
• Explain process for “questions”.
• Lead session closing.
• Return forms and provide qualitative feedback at  the Facilitator Debrief meeting scheduled during the week after the dinners

 

Participants, hosts and facilitators will all be asked to complete feedback forms prior to leaving the dinner. There will also be a gathering planned where everyone who participated can “debrief” the experience. A full program report will be published promoting the broader applications of the program for other communities. The goal of Dallas Dinner Table is to significantly improve race relations through the Dinner Table concept.