117th Annual Cooks & Waiters Dinner

by Bruce Powell

The117th annual Cooks & Waiters Dinner is the oldest tradition of the Club. Since 1886 the club’s men have gotten together for whole day of poker playing, drinking, cigar smoking, and a number of time honored traditions. One of them involves the union badge that each attendee is required to wear, signifying membership to the Cooks & Waiters Marine Union.

As the story goes, back in 1886 the Club did have such a union, and on the eve of the annual dinner, the union members went on strike for higher pay. The Club members responded by firing the union staff and cooking and serving the dinner themselves. To this day the event is run by members, from laying out the china and silverware with military precision, to bartending and bussing dishes.

Besides the usual card games and tall tales, this year’s event featured stand-up comic David Feldman. Thanks go to Dan Carrico for organizing another very successful event.

View the gallery of Cooks & Waiters photos here.

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