When a civilian woman meets a Rear Admiral, should she stand to shake hands?
As a civilian, the woman is free to do as she likes. Common courtesy and proper etiquette, however, suggest that a polite, well-mannered woman should stand, unless, of course, she is unable to do so. Although I could not find the specific answer to this question, I did find these articles on the business etiquette involved in similar situations: http://www.sideroad.com/Business_Etiquette/etiquette_meeting.html http://www.babyboomers.com/news/1111b.htm Personally, I’d feel that I was rude if I stayed seated while shaking hands with a naval officer in uniform, in either a casual or formal setting. Maybe that attitude comes from being in the Navy, since we were taught to stand when greeting superiors.
It would depend on the circumstances of the meeting. Social convention for parties would apply in a party and for business meetings if you’re meeting for business. Need more information on the question. I don’t know if it is conducted any more, but when a person was commissioned in the army and attended their initial officer basic course roughly one day or 8 hours worth of class time was devoted to military customs, ettiquitte(sp) and interactions with civillians at social and business functions. Fortunately, I spent all of my time in the field and didn’t have to deal with parties and social situations but we were all made aware and tested on the appropriate protocols. Not much has changed in the 20 years since my officer basic course with regards to military protocols–with the exception that soldiers when having their “posed” pictures taken for magazines/newspapers are permitted to strike poses other than a 3/4 facing pose at attention or parade rest. The bottom line answer to this q
If they are meeting for business, she should definately stand to shake the Admiral’s hand, as men and women are considered equal in the business world. If she is a veteran of military service, she should stand for the introduction. But if it’s a social setting, the situation isn’t quite so clear. Until fairly recently, women didn’t stand to shake hands, but in these more ‘modern’ times that’s considered an obsolete custom by many. Unless the woman is the Admiral’s mother, or there are physical reasons why she would have difficulty rising, it would be polite to stand. If the woman is mature enough to have been taught, as I was, that women do not stand to shake hands, and has strong feelings about it, I don’t think there would be any problem with her not rising, assuming it’s a relatively informal social occasion. (I was in the Navy and know that they are a touch old-fashioned about such things anyhow.) But if it’s a state occasion or other highly formal event, it would be best to check
