Fun at an Insurance Company Dinner.

For those of you working in the insurance industry, and especially for those of you that think insurance companies are humourless organisations, I give you the menu of a dinner held by the Western Department (Rockford, Illinois) Security Insurance Company of New Haven, Connecticut, in 1913.

In consideration of  GOOD WORK Premium does insure

SECURITY PRODUCERS for the term of FOUR Hours from the

21^st day of  JANUARY 1913 at 6.30pm to the 21^st day

of JANUARY 1913 at 10pm against all immediate and direct

loss or damage by Hunger except as hereinafter provided to an amount

not exceeding A GOOD DINNER of the following described property

while located and contained as described herein and not elsewhere to wit:

GRAPEFRUIT COCKTAIL

The only sour about the Security

Celery              Olives              Salted Almonds

CLEAR GREEN TURTLE

The only place for Delinquent Agents

Potatoes Parisienne

BROILED LIVE LOBSTER  Tarter Sauce

Not a Company Product. There are no Security Lobsters.

BREAST OF MALLARD DUCK en Virginia Ham

Caught seeking a warm place – possibly a steam heated hotel

French Peas     Potatoes au Gratin      Asparagus Tips

PINEAPPLE SHERBET

A serious water damage

ENDIVE SALAD, Cream Cheese Bar le duo

This is not alfalfa, so not on prohibited list

ICE (HOUSE) CREAM  Neapolitan

Prohibited – always a total loss

DEMI TASSE

Cigars              Cigarettes

A Bad Smoke Damage

           

If the risk be increased by any means within the knowledge of the assured, or if any change take place in the appetite or digestion of the assured; or if the assured is not able to be the sole and unconditional owner of the eatables consumed; or if once eaten this dinner be assigned; or if foreclosure proceedings be commenced without the consent of the company; then this policy shall be null and void.

This company shall not be liable for any loss or damage to the dinner eaten caused by foreign invasion or by the neglect of the assured to see all practicable means to save and preserve the same from damages.

This policy cannot be cancelled by the return of edibles eaten.

In case of loss or damage to this dinner the assured shall give immediate notice thereof and shall at once separate the damaged and undamaged articles and shall furnish if required verified plans and specifications of all totally lost property and shall, if required, submit to examination for the purposes of ascertaining the cause of said loss and the extent of same. Any fraud or attempt at fraud or any swearing (false or otherwise) on the part of the assured shall cause a forfeiture of all claims under this policy. The company reserves the right to restore and/or replace any property upon which damage is claimed. No special Agent, Examiner, or Officer of this Company shall have the power or authority to waive any of the conditions of this policy.

There are many variations on the theme of grapefruit cocktail, here are two of them:

Grapefruit Cocktail.

Cut three medium-sized grapefruit into halves, remove pulp and membrane and separate the pulp into flakes. Mix this lightly with quarter of a pound of Malaga grapes, which have been skinned and seeded, sprinkle liberally with sugar and chill thoroughly. Serve in the grapefruit shells with a little crushed ice.

Bedford Daily Mail November 25, 1910

Grapefruit Cocktail.

For six persons, mix eight tablespoons of grapefruit juice with two of sugar syrup, add two tablespoons of maraschino if liked. Add a few tiny pieces of the pulp and pour the whole into small glasses filled with cracked ice. This should be drunk from the glass and not eaten with the spoon.