More than 60 Girl Scouts converged on Ebenezer United Methodist Church’s Family Life Center Saturday afternoon, dressed in their Sunday best and ready for tea.

Using impeccable manners, the girls politely placed their napkins in their laps, passed ham biscuits, fruit and pound cake around the table, and sipped on tea and lemonade.

The spring tea brought together several Girl Scout troops from the North Suffolk area to meet each other, exchange gifts, learn table etiquette and create take-home crafts.

“We try to have events at least every quarter that bring together troops from different areas of North Suffolk,” said Robin Nelhuebel, a Girl Scout leader. “It’s also a good excuse to make the girls dress up.”

The girls earned event patches and points toward their manners badges for attending the tea.

Cale Angelelli, another Girl Scout leader, gave a speech about appropriate table manners, telling the girls how to properly place their napkin, pass food platters and let someone know they have food stuck in their teeth.

“I think the purpose is to pull the girls together so we can meet girls from the greater community,” Angelelli said. “They’re supposed to be thinking about feeling good about themselves. That’s what Girl Scouts is about.”

The girls said they enjoyed dressing up and learning about manners.

“I learned that you should put your napkin to the side of your plate [when through eating] and put your legs in front of you,” said Betsy Pollard, 9.

Betsy’s friend Krista Nichols, 8, added, “I like to look pretty.”

Jamila Ciomartie, 9, said she enjoyed the food and learning about good posture.

After taking tea, the young ladies worked on crafts, including fans and hats, practiced their posture by balancing books on their head, played checkers and learned how to set a table.

Mother Narvieria Ciomartie admitted her family does not always practice perfect table manners at home, so she was glad her daughter was able to learn about etiquette at the tea event.

“It’s good they actually know exactly what it is,” Ciomartie said. “It lets them hear from a different voice.”