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The fundamental thing is not to forget that the salon is a cultural buffet.
Mariajose de Calvelho

If the flow of talk is to get anywhere, if it is to reach a conclusion, it must be
confined within a rather narrow channel, or it is certain to dissipate itself.
Chauncey Brewster Tinker
'The Salon and English Letters'

There are no uninteresting things. There are only uninterested people.
G. K. Chesterton

Gatherings at which feelings are never hurt are not salons, they're tea parties.
John Berendt

No man or woman is without talent...and no man or woman is talented
enough to claim the right to imply to another that they have no talent worth speaking of.
Benet Davetian

THE SALON IS ENERGIZED AND PRESERVED
BY THE FOLLOWING STANDARDS:

brevity
(so that as many as possible can speak)

clarity and specificity
(so we can go beyond confusion, rumor and myth)

originality
(so we can appreciate each other's creative potential)

sincerity
(so we can trust and open up to one another)

tact
(after all, we are the keepers of each other's self-esteem)

humor or wit
(so we can disagree in a civilized manner and
not become paralyzed by depressing social realities)

thoughtful talking and listening
(so we can better understand and appreciate others as well as ourselves)

confidentiality and discretion
(so we can talk without censuring our ideas...what members reveal
about themselves in confidence remains in the confines of the salon)

WE DO NOT ENCOURAGE:

Discussions of politics, but do encourage discussions of social issues.

Long monologues that impinge on the rights of others to contribute.
So we ensure that everyone who wants to speak gets the chance to do so.

We discourage indiscriminate interruption of a speaker; on occasion, two speakers who are discussing may need to speak at once in 'layers' to keep up with their thoughts.
We consider such 'artfully managed interruption' a sign of quick-witted minds.
Generally, however, we let one speaker finish before continuing.

We do not welcome participants whose motive in attending is to sell
others an ideological position. We discourage all ideological lobbying and
suggest to such participants that they may be better served by other groups.

We discourage the formation of cliques within the salon and always
promote the standard of openness and egalitarian conversation.
Salons are not about winning arguments or warlike debates.
Arguments are healthy occurrences in salons provided they are openly
resolved through the consensus and support of other members.
No good salon can avoid some feelings being hurt during discussions.
But we minister to one another and avoid a buildup of rancor.

STRUCTURE:

We operate with a certain amount of structure because we have learned that
the inclusion of an unlimited list of topics in a given evening usually
leads to chaos. So we select a topic for each gathering based on
the suggestions and interests of members. This does not mean that
we shy away from conversations that add special
new insights that run parallel to the topic chosen.
It all works out in the end!

How Is an Evening Announced?
Announcements of evenings and topics are posted on our web site.
An e-mail is also sent to all those on our 'list.'
No paper correspondence is used.

What Time Do We Meet?
Each gathering starts at 7 p.m. and ends at 9:30 p.m. or a little later.
For the moment, we meet on the third Thursday of each month.

How does the Evening Progress?
Following a short period of socializing, the host introduces
the topic of the evening and gets the conversation started.
The host's function is to put members at ease, provide
a minimal amount of moderation so that the conversation
does not become limited to exchanges between a couple of speakers at
the exclusion of others...helps clarify a point when two or more discussants
reach an impasse...and generally inspires members to keep up
the civility standards of the salon within a consensual setting.
The topic for the next gathering is announced at the conclusion of the evening.
At this time, the host receives suggestions from members for future topics.

Desserts, Coffee, tea, soft drinks and a moderate amount of
alcoholic beverages are available during the evening.
There is an open bar following the closure of the evening.

How Often Do We Receive Invited Speakers and Performers?
Depending on the interests of members, we occasionally invite artists,
musicians, writers and lecturers to share their work with us.
These presentations are followed by a question and discussion period.
Such special evenings will occur about three times per year.

Who is Eligible to Attend?
Anyone with a sincere love of ideas,
conversation, originality and communal gatherings.
We welcome professionals, business people, teachers, students,
writers, artists, media people, and just about anyone willing to experience
the joy of creative socially-conscientious conversations
occurring in an egalitarian setting. All we ask is that potential participants
read the above pointers and meditate on them thoughtfully prior to accepting our invitation.