Everything you need to know about the new Manners Club of the South

Which fork should I use? How do I eat spaghetti without needing five napkins and a stain remover? Katie Watson Butts and Susie Swanson Fortner are on a mission to answer all those questions and much more.

Manners Club of the South, founded by these two Huntsville women, is a local startup that’s geared toward helping youth learn etiquette in a fun, approachable way.

Read on for all the details.

What Manners Club of the South is all about

Manners Club of the South is all about making etiquette fun for kids. They’re going to hold classes at the Huntsville Country Club, where they’ll educate young people on topics like these:

Table manners
Restaurant skills
Thank-you notes
Introductions
Dress + grooming
Technology etiquette
Sportsmanship
Friendships
Interacting with authority figures

Each course is tailored for specific age groups, and they throw in fun games to keep things interesting each time.

They’re currently enrolling for a 3-session program for 9-12 year olds, which will be Sundays from 4-7PM on April 16, 23 and 30. At each session, Huntsville Country Club will serve a 3-5 course meal for an interactive, real-world experience.

Be sure to keep an eye on their website for future offerings this summer and beyond!

The women behind it

DSC 5196 — Katie knows all things etiquette. (Manners Club of the South)

Manners Club of the South is the brainchild of Susie Fortner and Katie Butts, two Huntsville moms who, “just really like manners and think it’s important and fun.”

Susie Fortner previously started Miss Mabel’s Manners Camp with her friend Cate DeFiore in 2015, and taught etiquette to young and middle-school-aged children for five years. Susie also did etiquette seminars for local groups including the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra Debutantes, Leadership Huntsville and Rotaract.

After friends kept begging her to start doing classes again, Susie’s doing something new—and she’s doing it with a fellow etiquette enthusiast, Katie Watson Butts.

If you want to find out more about Susie and Katie’s Manners Club of the South, here’s where you can get in touch with them.