At St Chad’s, as at many other Durham colleges, formal dinners have been part of community life since our founding. These occasions offer an opportunity for College members to come together over a meal, to bring guests into College, and to celebrate major festivals or an aspect of our community life. At Chad’s we usually wear gowns for formals, and the atmosphere is relaxed and sociable. A former JCR President used to describe formals as “our version of the weekly family meal”, and they remain a very popular (but optional) feature of Chad’s life.

Typically we have about two formals per week in the first term, and one each week in the second and third terms. At the end of each term we hold a Mega Formal in which we extend the dining room into the Quad to enable as many of our students as possible to attend.

Sign-up Information

Formal signups are operated through Google Forms, which are sent out usually five days before the formal date.

The payment link for individuals who are required to pay is sent out at the latest two days before the formal alongside the successful sign-up list.

Payment is expected to be completed before the day of the formal and the Domestic and Sustainability representative (or anyone else doing sign-in) will receive this and double-check those who sign in against the list of those who have paid. If you have not paid by the time you come to sign in you will be turned away.

Presently for both Guests and St Chad’s JCR members the price of a formal is £10 (unless stated otherwise).

Sign-up is finalised at 11 am the day before the formal, and information is sent to the catering team, meaning that numbers are finalised the day before the formal.

If you can no longer attend BUT it is before 11am the day before the formal (i.e. before numbers have been formalised) please email the individual in charge of the formal (Domestic and Sustainability Representative) and they can remove you.

If you can no longer attend, and it is after 11am the day before the formal you must find someone to take your place. This can be done by either asking someone to take it (and emailing the Domestic and Sustainability Rep) or writing a post on the St Chad’s College Formal Swaps Facebook page.

Arrival Times

Formals start promptly at 7:30 pm; anyone who arrives after this time will not be able to enter the dining hall.

To allow appropriate time for signing in and if you wish to purchase wine please arrive between 6:45 pm and 7:10 pm.

What are the rules for Formals? 

1. Drinking games and the excessive consumption of alcohol will not be tolerated
2. If you sign up to a formal you must attend. If you cannot attend after signing up, you should try to find somebody to take your place, unless there is a reserve list. If you cannot do this, email the JCR Domestic Representative by the stated deadline (usually 12 noon of the day of the formal). Failure to do this will result in a charge being levied to you.
3. There is a maximum of one bottle of wine per person. No other alcohol is permitted.
4. It is expected that mobile phones, cameras, or other electronic equipment will not be used during Formals.
5. You must be dressed appropriately. Formal dress is usually required, that is, suit/smart shoes/dress. Mega-formals require Black Tie attire. Gowns are required unless specified otherwise.
6. Formals start promptly at 7.30pm. If you come in late, that is, after High Table have entered, you may be turned away and fined.
7. Once High Table has entered you should avoid leaving the hall. If you have to leave, you must walk up to High Table, meet the gaze of the presider (usually the Principal), bow, and leave. If you re-enter, you must bow again after you enter.
8. Gowns should be worn throughout the Formal.
9. Toasts are only to be made by those sat at High Table and the student who rings the bell (i.e. JCR President or MCR President). If you would like a toast to be made (e.g. for somebody’s birthday), simply ask an SCR member on high table before the Formal begins.
10. The response to the opening grace is Amen and the response to the closing grace is Deo Gratias.