The members no longer pour tea from a polished silver pot and the guests no longer wear white gloves while sipping their brewed pekoe from a china cup.

These days the punch cups are plastic and the tablecloths are rented. And now there are usually hundreds of guests to be welcomed.

A lot has changed since the Women's Board of the School of American Research and Museum of New Mexico began hosting receptions for art openings 100 years ago. But the hospitality hasn't.

"This is really just a great group of women doing small things with great love," said board historian Carol Thomson in a news release.

In a 1988 paper on changes in the Women's Board, Roberta Brosseau put it this way: "We have tried to continue a gracious way of life that is worth preserving."

The concept might be a big old-fashioned, said art dealer Laurel Seth, a third-generation Women's Board member, "but it still has its place, I think, in terms of being welcoming. I don't think that happens that many places in the world anymore."

The board's very first official duty — reported on the front page of The Santa Fe New Mexican on Aug. 20, 1910 — was a reception for the formal opening of the Museum of Archaeology in the Palace of the Governors. Two months later, the board hosted the delegates to the Constitutional Convention, an event the paper described as a "brilliant affair."

The group changed its name in 1917 when the School of American Research and the Board of Regents of the Museum of New Mexico passed a joint resolution formalizing its status. When the Museum of Fine Arts was built that year, the board planned the decor and furnishings for a second-floor "board room" set aside for the organization. (The room was turned over to the American Red Cross during World War II, and today is used for exhibition space.)

Some of the most prominent women in the community joined the original board, and today some of their descendants are among the 61 active members and 16 associates. Many of the women have been members for decades. June Catron, who has the longest tenure, joined in 1961; Vicky Lopez was nominated by Marion Silver in 1977.

Like a debutante ball, you have to be invited to join. "I felt it was such a privilege to be asked," said Susie Herman, a member for 20 years and a past president. Although she had lived in Santa Fe since 1972, she said the bid made her feel like "an original New Mexican" since most of the people who belonged were natives or longtime residents.

Catron said that all she got was a notice of the next meeting. "I was so impressed with these lovely women," she recalled. Some were from distinguished local families, including the wife of artist Gustave Baumann, as well as representatives of the Theodore Van Soelen and Bergere families. Her daughter-in-law is now a member.

When she joined, the Women's Board was still using the "Battleship Silver" from the USS New Mexico that is now on display in the New Mexico History Museum, Catron said.

Even today, "People wander in and come upon a beautifully appointed table and punch, and they're quite amazed," she noted. A few of them even offer to pay.

In addition to hosting museum receptions, board members have also welcomed members of the British and Spanish royal families. In 1982, for example, the Women's Board helped Gov. Bruce King and his wife in putting on an afternoon gala for Princess Anne (Catron remembers shaking her gloved hand) and Prince Charles.

Today the members provide refreshments for member-only previews by the Museum of New Mexico Foundation, in addition to public openings, inaugural receptions for incoming governors and events at the Governor's Gallery at the Roundhouse.

Members used to prepare refreshments in their homes, but today, because of food safety laws, they rely on commercial vendors.

There's always Pepperidge Farm Goldfish (as Department of Cultural Affairs Secretary Stuart Ashman noted recently), as well as punch, nuts and cookies.

In the past, the punch might have been spiked with wine, but not since the city cracked down on unlicensed people serving alcohol at public events. But before that, Seth recalls, a very successful reception at which shandies — beer and lemonade — were provided.

Usually the planning is impeccable, but on occasion the board has had to send out for more edibles. For artist Tommy Macaione's birthday party, runners were dispatched to the nearby Safeway for more cakes.

The food is now often inspired by the theme of the exhibit. Hummus, artichoke dip, tamales, empanadas might be on the menu, depending on the event.

The members are frequently inspired to make elaborate centerpieces for the tables. President Jean Eddy recalls a reception for an exhibit about museums of the 21st century in which the tablecloths were covered by blueprints and cinderblocks were filled with yellow roses. One of the committee leaders and her husband built an old-fashioned camera for the opening of a photography show at the Palace of the Governors. For the May 14 reception for the new exhibit, "Sole Mates: Cowboy Boots and Art," look for some well-used cowboy boots and spurs to figure into the decor.

The presentation is always impeccable. According to Lopez, new members are schooled in the niceties. Platters are never refilled at the table and ice is never plopped directly into the punch bowl. It's put on a plate first and then discreetly tipped into the bowl.

This year, the board will offer hospitality for 16 events, a bit down from last year because each of the museums is cutting back because of the economy, Eddy said.

The Museum of New Mexico Foundation pays for the costs of the receptions — well under $10,000 a year in total. The $25 dues paid by members goes to stock the museum kitchens with the punch bowls, serving trays and platters.

Speaking for the members, Seth said, "There's something nice about being that kind of public hostess. And it's kind of neat there are those traditions around."

On Tuesday, the tables were turned and the members were the guests at a reception at the Governor's Mansion to mark the board's 100th anniversary.

Contact Anne Constable at 986-3022 or aconstable@sfnewmexican.com.