Happy New Year! We hope you enjoyed the holiday season dancing and sharing the love with your friends and neighbors.
If you haven't registered for Mid-Winter yet, time to get it done. Linn County Fairgrounds Jan. 29, 30 & 31. There will be demos, showcases, youth activities, along with squares, rounds and clogging. The resale website is up so you can go online to list your resale clothing. Summer festival in Seaside, July 29, 30 & 31 will be hosting an after party on Friday night.
OFSRDC President
rogers3045@comcast.net
Long time dancer Irene James passed away on October 30. Her obituary is reprinted in the articles section.
We have just received notice that Jacque (Just Jacque) Talbert died in a car accident in Mexico on December 12, and that former Federation president Al Westphal passed away December 19. We will get full biographies in the next issue.
One of the highlights of the Mid-Winter Festival in Albany every year is the presentation of the Randall Award, the highest honor in Oregon square dancing. Six deserving individuals and couples were nominated this year. Their biographies can be seen here.
Click here to find out how to get your information into the OFN, including dances, lessons, photos, flyers, advertisements, and caller/cuer information.
We have set up an email mailing list to notify people when a new edition of the online OFN is available, and for other important news about the OFN. To subscribe to this mailing list, just fill out this information:
The complete list of Randall Award nominees can be viewed by clicking here. All of our nominees have dedicated a big part of their life to square dancing in Oregon, and all are deserving of kudos. Be sure to attend the opening ceremonies at Mid-Winter Festival to find out who will receive the award this year.
A fun Mid Winter Festival has been planned and is all ready to go. To start things off will be a demonstration dance at Heritage Mall, Friday from 11:00am to 12:00pm with caller Leonard Snodgrass. Come dressed in Square Dance attire. A free bus or trolley will be available to take dancers from motels, hotels and RV parks to Heritage Mall, or for dining and sighting on Friday and Saturday from 10:00am to 10:00pm. At 6:30pm line up for the Grand March will be in the Santiam Building. The Grand March will start in the Willamette A (mainstream) Hall at 7:00pm, followed by the Presentation of the Colors and our National Anthem.
Many fun events are planned for the Youth, a fun night at Abby's Legendary Pizza for pizza and square dancing. The Youth table in the mainstream hall will have more information on planned events.
The program books have much more information on dances, meetings, events and restaurants and events.
Get ready for a good time at the 2016 Mid-Winter Festival at the Linn County Expo Center in Albany, Oregon, on January 29, 30. &31.
Marie
Mid-Winter Festival will be held at the Linn County Fairgrounds in Albany, January 29 to 31, 2016. Click here for forms and more information.
You can view the Mid-Winter Festival schedule on the festival web site.
Oregon's 2016 Summer Festival will be held at the Seaside Convention Center, July 29 to 31, 2016. You may download your registration form right here. Seaside hotels fill up quickly in the summer, so get your reservations in early.
Download a complete list of the Federation club dances this month, all sorted by date and city.
Everything in the When & Where is extracted from the state directory information. If you find that your club information is wrong, you can fix that by going to the directory information area and fixing your data.
Click on the title to see the article.
Ireme James passed away on October 30.
A retired school teacher and volunteer activist, Irene James passed away Oct. 30, 2015, at Tanner Spring Assisted Living in West Linn. Her husband, Chuck James; and daughter, Maureen Hodges preceded her in death. She is survived by her grandson, Robert Johnston.
She was born in Portland, the middle child of five, to Alois and Flossie Tedisch. Growing up during the Great Depression, Irene learned to be thrifty and creative all her life. She graduated valedictorian from Albany High School in 1947, then went on to get her teaching degree from the University of Oregon. She taught many years and retired from Portland Public Schools soon after her grown daughter, an only child, was murdered in 1987. She worked through her grief and soon after she became a strong leader in Parents of Murdered Children.
She and her husband, Chuck, were avid recyclers, gardeners and environmentalists leading them to turn their small acreage outside Tualatin into a nature reserve providing habitat for wildlife including vulnerable bird species. As a skilled seamstress, she created many complete outfits for underprivileged children. Her love of nature, books, music and square dancing enhanced her life as well as the lives of those around her. She was respected and loved by all who knew her. She will be missed, but will never be far from our hearts. A celebration of her life will be held at 2 PM Friday, Jan. 22, 2015, at Metanoia Peace House, 2116 N.E. 18th Ave., Portland, OR 97212. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Parents of Murdered Children, P.O. Box 515, Beaverton, OR 97075-0515 or Bonnie Hays Animal Shelter, 1901 S.E. 24th Ave., Hillsboro, OR 97123.
To all Square Dancers,
Square dancing is fun! That is the one reason that we all do it - for the fun. That being said, I think there are a couple of general rules that would make it more enjoyable for all of us. First, the square dancer should be able to dance. Not dancing when a square is broken is not fun. To keep a square going, dancers need to be aware of the capabilities of others in the square. If you are in a square with experienced dancers, a certain amount of “cutting up” is fun and is expected. If you are in a square with new dancers or challenged dancers, you need to keep your cutting up to a level that does not bomb the square. If you try it and the square bombs, don’t do it again.
Second and even more important, we have an obligation when angeling to not confuse the students. Cutting up can confuse students, makes it harder for the instructor and is not fun for those that are in a learning mode.
Third, we all enjoy dancing in the square that just sails through the calls and allows us to dance to the best of our capabilities. One square like that makes the whole dance fun. Again, that being said, we also have an obligation to the other members in our club who are less skilled on the floor. After all, you were not always the shining example of square dance expertise that are now. You learned by being in squares with more experienced dancers. When you see a square with new or challenged dancers, don’t run and hide in the experienced square. Spend one or two tips with those less experienced dancers. Sure, you may not be able to cut up as much or dance at the level you would like, but you will be giving the newer dancers the advantage of your experience and expertise, just like others gave you when you were learning.
Last but by no means least, square dancing is fun - let’s keep it that way for all of our dancers. We all deserve to have some fun!
Nick Heineck
Lebanon Square Circlers
Download a list of callers and cuers who are available and ready to call or cue a dance for you.
January's Oregon Round of the Month is "Bit by Bit", Phase II+1 Two-Step, choreographed by Don & Shirley Heiny. This was chosen by the Blue Mountains Council. Download your cue sheet here.
For more information on the Round of the Month, please contact .
Everything in this section is taken from the state directory information. If you find that your class information is wrong, you can fix that by going to the directory information area and picking to the "Lessons" tab.
January 2 (1st Sat)
January 17 (3rd Sun)
February 19 (3rd Fri)
April 10 (2nd Sun)
August 12 (2nd Fri)
September 9 (2nd Fri)Click a thumbnail to download the flyer.
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Click a council name to go directly to that section.
The third Sunday in February will be our anniversary dance from 3:00-5:00 at the Community Building.
We would love to have you join us! And Happy New Year!
Keep on dancin’!
Barb Walter
Our club is small but we are mighty. We look forward with positive anticipation to 2016 in hopes that we will increase in size and have members willing to run for office. That's hard for all clubs nowadays, but we encourage people to really think about it and step up to the plate no matter which club is yours.
We have anywhere from 4 - 5 squares of new dancers, many of which are 'retreads'. That's the nice piece of our activity when friends come back to the fold to dance with us. And, it's always wonderful to welcome newcomers to this fun activity.
We encourage everyone to buy your Mid-Winter ribbon(s). It's really not expensive to have 2 - 3 days of dancing fun with others and dance to nationally and internationally known callers, cuers and clogging prompters. Mid-Winter is the last week of January of 2016. We look forward to marching in the grand parade and connecting with friends and making new ones.
Keep on dancin'
Christina Corelli
Quite a few of us attended the always fun and delicious Turkey Dinner and Dance in Sweet Home with Jim Hattrick calling his best and exciting the crowd of well fed dancers. Jackie was cueing there as well. Are we happy to see here doing her thing! We always know we’ll get to dance to some great recordings and choreography!
On Friday, Nov 27 we had Craig Abercrombie with us again calling to some really great music, and our club cuer, Jackie Gale, did her best as always. It was a small group but a fun one!
We hope to see many dancers out in January in the new year for the two dances we will host with Terry Halley calling the second Friday and George Hermann calling the 4th Friday before Mid-Winter. And of course we are all waiting for Mid-Winter 2016 where we will get to dance to our favorite callers and see all our friends from across Oregon and beyond.
Happy New Year to all our fellow devotees of square dancing!
Gaynor Hintz
Spin Cycle Squares is a fairly small club, but we know how to have fun and take care of business. We do have elections of officers coming up and encourage everyone to think about taking an office for even just a year. As they say, 'many hands make light work', and this goes for all of our clubs as well.
An appreciation monetary gift was given to Tim Matteson, our teacher and caller. Tim calls and teaches each Sunday. We do pay his ASCAP/BMI and CallerLab fees, but that is all we can afford. Tim calls and teaches Beginners through Advanced and stretches us mentally and physically. It's never dull that's for sure. Thanks so much Tim! You are appreciated more than you know!
Sally Brown dances with us and is in charge of used clothing at the hall. One Sunday she spent hours priming and painting the panels surrounding the used clothing area. She danced a couple of tips before heading home exhausted. We appreciate Sally's tending to the used clothing and her innovative ideas for sales and ways to get money for the hall. Thanks Sally! Your efforts are much appreciated!
We encourage and invite all dancers to join us Sundays evenings at 5:30.
Happy dancing!
Christina Corelli
We had lots of good food and good fun visiting with current club members, former dancers, new dancers, and friends and family members at our Thanks~Giving Dance in November as well.
Thanks to the nominating committee, and to a group of loyal and willing members, our club has a good slate of officers to install for 2016.
Several KC members are looking forward to dancing with friends old and new at Mid-Winter....Hope to see you there.
We had two visitations this month. The raid at Lebanon was a fun surprise. Then at the Willamette Squares, which always has great food and good friends, besides the good calling of Sandy Harris and cueing of our good friend, Jackie Gale, we recovered one of our banners. Merry Christmas to all!
Carmen
Coming up in March is our annual Coast Trip, March 11 and 12, when we'll be dancing both nights at Gleneden Beach Community Club. All are welcome!
Karen
January 9 (2nd Sat)
January 23 (4th Sat)
Coming up in February is our “MARDI GRAS DANCE". This should be great fun. You can dress for Mardi Gras or Square dance attire. We will have good food and lots of fun. Come join us in January and February for dancing fun. Also, don't forget we will have Dan Nordbye on April 11, 2016. Come join for a fun time with a national caller.
Our lessons are going very well. Our new dancers are up to level 42 as of the first part of December. We are very proud of them.
Sandy Eddings
Lebanon club has truly been busy --- dancing and having fun. On December 5, we had
our New Dancers Dance & Toy Dance with over six squares on the floor. Our local Fire Department firefighters came during the dance and picked up several big bags of toys. Thanks to all our dancers.
Now to catch you all up on some past activities, October was highlighted by our Black Light Dance with Charlotte Jeskey calling and Jackie Gale cueing. In November the Lebanon Square Circlers helped the Sweet Home Squarenaders celebrate their Turkey Dinner Dance. On November 21, we hosted the Girls Night Out for our dance. We really had a glorious time with Sandy, Charlotte, and Jackie. Dancing was great!
The weekend after Thanksgiving, club members gathered at Ralston Park in Lebanon to assemble a display for the community Holiday In The Park. Then on the following Saturday, there was a lighting ceremony. Our club received first place for "Best of
Theme" for the displays in the park.
We are looking forward to a raid and our Christmas dance. Then on Sunday, January
17, we will be celebrating our 67th Birthday Dance. Charlotte Jeskey will be calling and Jackie Gale cueing with guest caller Jim Voll. Strawberry shortcake will be served during break. Hope to see you all there. See you in a square!
Marilyn York
January 17 (3rd Sun)
There are several people signed up to do a Showcase at Mid-Winter so we will be getting in practice for the next couple of months and getting our clothing/costumes figured out by then also.
A membership meeting (without the president due to illness) was held and we will be making plans for the new year right after Thanksgiving, such as types of rhythms to review, when to have lessons and whether we want to change our times of dancing and having lessons. There is plenty to discuss amongst us all, as we are working to make our club better and bigger.
We are dark on Christmas Eve, but will be dancing at 8:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Our flyer was in the December issue, so go back and find it and join us for a nice evening of dancing and visiting with friends. We hope your 2016 is bountiful with friends and good health. Happy dancing anywhere you may go
Marilyn Schmit
Our New Dancers are off to a great start. Thank you to all of the Angels out there. You make it possible for the New Dancers to gain confidence and have fun! We will graduate our 13 New Dancers on Wednesday January 13, just in time for Mid Winter.
January is a strange month for the Salem Swingin' Stars. We normally dance on the first and third Fridays of the month but the first Friday in January is New Year's Day and WE ARE DARK.
We will dance our Regular Mainstream Dance on January 15, but our fifth Friday Plus Dance would be January 29 and WE ARE DARK. Instead, join us at Mid Winter in Albany. Our schedule in February will be normal. See you all on the Dance Floor.
Sheila Machado
We have been doing visitations out to other clubs (we've been following mom with the Mid-Winter ribbon sales) and we have several more scheduled.
Most of our students have been getting out to the new dancer dances and having fun. They are very enthusiastic. For those who remember when my siblings and I started dancing - watch for Jasmine. She is smaller than we were (see picture in OFN) and is having as much fun as we do. If you get a chance, watch her do a fancier promenade with my dad. He really has to crouch down to go under her arms. See you in a square.
Petrina Buchheit
January 8 (2nd Fri)
January 15 (3rd Fri)
Our annual Gospel Dance in November was a blast. Randy and Julie kept the full hall of dancers on our toes as we laced across, flutter wheeled and weaved without a hitch.
As the holidays wrap up, we wish you many boxes, happy unwrap, and yellow rocks in abundance.
Perrin
January 22 (4th Fri)
We held our traditional Thanksgiving dance the fourth Saturday in November. It was well attended and included a fabulous feast with turkey and ham and all the trimmings. Our special thanks to Nancy Baker for her supervision and contributions to our dinner and to Brice Baker for hauling all the dishes and ingredients. Thanks to everyone who brought side dishes and helped with setting up, decorations, and clean up. When everyone pitches in, a lot can be accomplished in a shorter time. We have so much for which to be thankful.
Willamette Squares will be dark for the month of December. We hope to see you all in the new year.
Jodee Howard
On the other hand, the clubs that don’t dance first and third Saturdays sincerely hope those other clubs don’t switch dance nights, as they would compete with their own clubs. A lot of problems don’t really have an answer, and this may be one of them.
The trick of remaining a viable club may well be in the use of innovation. Just because a club has “always done it this way” doesn’t mean that it’s a good business model. And as previously mentioned in this column, dance clubs are a business, and ultimately have to use a business model.
Jim Schira
Most of our club goes to Mid-Winter, and we hope you do, too. There’s something for everyone at Mid-Winter “ including an abundance of solo dancers.
Lotta Fluff
January 6 (1st Wed)
New year, new ideas. We have made a change to our dance format. We started in December with the first dance of the month as a Workshop dance and the second dance is a regular themed dance. So on the first Saturday we hope you will join us to perfect your main stream skills, work out moves that are seldom called, or bring your lesson people to hone their skills and gain some floor time. On the third Saturday we will have themes such as our upcoming Pajama dance on 1/15/16. Our workshop dance will be casual dress and the themed dance will be square dance attire.
We will be starting lessons again on Sunday, January 10, 2016 from 6-8pm at the Hazel Dell Grange. First lesson is free. We are enjoying dancing to some different music with our new caller KC Curtis and I am looking forward to lessons with him.
We had a theme dance in December where we took in donations for several local assisted living facilities where the majority of the residents are on state assistance. We got an amazing number of lap blankets, slippers, puzzle books, shampoo and lotions. We will deliver the goodies to Arbor Ridge assisted living and to Woodland assisted living. We have such a generous group of people in our club. I am proud to be a member of this group. We are looking forward to Mid-winter. Hope to see you there.
Sincerely,
Debbie Broers
January 2 (1st Sat)We exceeded the capacity of our Grange and were honored with so many students, Angels, families and Callers in attendance. Our Club Caller, Scott Zinser, and Cuer, Jackie Gale, were “sparked” and beaming with such a crowd. Guest Callers: Terry Halley and Tim Kane added to the ambiance as they called with 9-10 squares on the floor. At the after break, we served a Thanksgiving feast with two twenty-pound turkeys, a nine-pound ham and all the trimmings - eat to the bone. Thank you to all the Clubs that responded to our invitations...you created a not-to-be-forgotten event!
The Chaps & Petticoats (C&P) new-dancers and Angels had a great time at the Tri-Squares B-51dance on December 5, 2015, with Terry Halley calling and Sandra Pinion cueing at the Tigard Grange. The Club President, Gloria Davis, was so thrilled with the attendance, that C&P and Hoedowners were awarded Tri-squares banners. The food was delightful and the entertainment livey...thank you Tri-squares.
Please be aware that Chaps and Petticoats will be DARK on New Years Day, Friday, January 1st, 2016. We would love to have you join us on Friday, January 15, 2016 “ help us bring in the New Year with Darrell Kalmback calling and Julie Stiers cueing.
We hope you make a joyous-noise to bring in the New Year!
Happy Feet
Betty Chipps
Our club has started a new fundraiser, by serving at the Gresham Burgerville on certain Wednesday evenings. Club member serve food and keep the dining room clean, and get to keep a percentage of the profits for that period. Come out and eat your supper there on our nights to help the club.
Many dancers will be heading to Albany for the Mid-Winter Festival to break up the winter doldrums. We eat out together as a club on Saturday night, then go dance off some of the calories. This is always a fun time!
Beverly De La Bruere
January 2 (1st Sat)
January 16 (3rd Sat)
January 30 (5th Sat)
There will be a February 12th visitation to the Single Trees in Springfield, Oregon. We're renting a bus for that afternoon and evening. It should be a jolly old time!
Our twice yearly clothing sale was held on November 16th, concurrent with one of our Monday lesson nights. It was, as always, a grand affair punctuated with amazing bargains. I bought a 4th of July ensemble, consisting of a red western shirt with a red, white, and blue scarf tie, along with a scarf slider for $7.00 total. Wow! Even with the inexpensive prices, the club raised over $1,000.00. We'll have another sale coming up in March or so. Keep your eyes open.
Our annual New Year's Eve dance is themed as "The Wild West". A buffet dinner will be served at 7:30. Plus tips start at 8:30. The Front Porch Trio (Jim Hattrick, Craig Abercrombie, and Adam Christman) will "bring order" to the festivities. At midnight, Jim will offer a toast to the New Year. The pre-sale ticket price of $15.00 will go up to $20.00 as of December 27. Please see the flyer below.
We'll only have one club dance in January. Because the first Saturday is so soon after our New Year's Eve Dance, we'll be dark on January 2nd. But we'll be up to our old tricks on January 16th with Jim Hattrick calling and cueing.
We work hard to make our education program a comfortable environment for students. Many of our club members volunteer as "Angels" to help make it an easy and productive experience. We encourage beginning dancers to start introductory lessons on the first Monday of every month at 7:30. We are committed to serving both beginners and continuing students with our lesson format. Every Monday, Plus lessons will be given at 6:30, Basic lessons start at 7:30, and Mainstream lessons are available at 9:00.
Marc Kahn
January 7 (1st Thu)
We had a fine celebration of Veterans Day at our first November dance, made all the more special by Reni Reed and her "Quilts of Valor" organization. The quilts are beautiful and each is unique. Thank you, wonderful people, for this tribute.
December activities started with a Holiday Dinner at Elmers Restaurant in northeast Portland. A gift exchange was enjoyed by those who wished to participate. Our two club dances were festive with lots of holiday spirit.
New Years Eve was celebrated at our hall with a Last Hoedown. Our caller, Les Seeley, and guest cuer, Patty Hermann provided a great evening of dancing and fun.
Our 16 new dancers will graduate soon and we encourage them to join us at Mid Winter Festival.
See you there!
Gail Domine for Nancy Thornton
The Ramblers tried a seasonal theme”Snowflakes and Rainbows”for our December 5 dance, but Wind Gusts and Raindrops would have been closer to the mark. No matter”we had a fabulous time dancing to Anne Uebelacker from British Columbia. It sure helps to know your fractions when you dance with Anne. And I think I was right about ½ the time!
Our annual Black and White Dance celebrates the new year and is one of the highlights of the Ramblers’ dance calendar. This year’s dance will take place on Saturday, January 2, at the Milwaukie Grange. We will have a potluck from 6-7 and then alternate Mainstream and Plus tips from 7-9:30. (No rounds.) Our caller is the incomparable Stephen Cole. Solos and couples are welcome!
The Ramblers will begin our next series of Mainstream lessons in January. We will start with two free introductory lessons on January 6 and 13. Formal instruction will start on January 20. Lessons are given on Wednesday nights, from 7-9 pm, at the Ankeny Street Studio, 975 SE Sandy Blvd., Portland.
SYIAS!
Jeff Knapp
January 22 (4th Fri)
January 16 (3rd Sat)
Cathy
Unfortunately we have had to cancel our Beginner class due to illness and the fact that several students have missed too many lessons. However, our Plus Class is still going strong and everyone will be ready to dance up a storm at Mid-Winter.
Linda
Our annual TVC Presidents Meeting & Potluck for current and past club Presidents will be held at the IOOF Hall, 267 East Main Street, Hillsboro, OR 97123 on January 25th with the potluck dinner starting at 6:00 and meeting at 7:00. The TVC wishes to thank all the presidents of the TVC Clubs for volunteering their time and efforts into this activity we all love. Also, at this meeting the TVC President, Gary Clark, will announce the winner of the Tualatin Valley Council “Recognition Award” for outstanding service and special contribution to the square dance community within the TVC geographical area.
Ferrous Steinka
As we look forward to the New Year, we are excited to have Jim Hattrick as our regular caller on the fourth Saturday of the month. We are not sure of the caller and cuer for the 9th of January, but Jim will be calling on the 23rd.
Our new dancer classes begin the first Wednesday of the month and are in synchronization with the Happy Hopper classes that start the first Monday of the month. Dancers have the opportunity to get a lesson at one club and reinforce it at the other club. We have seen many of our new dancers’ progress very quickly with this arrangement.
Lastly, many of the Columbia River Dancers will be trekking to Mid-winter at the end of the month. We look forward to squaring up with our friends at the festival.
Nick Johnson
January 9 (2nd Sat)
January 23 (4th Sat)
Our club enjoyed a visitation from the Ping Pong Plus Club, who received a banner for bringing their caller, KC Curtis and ten dancers. They also dance on Monday afternoons so we were especially pleased they came.
Eager Beaver member and the eldest dancer in our area, Genevieve Churchill, turned 104 on November 22nd. She is currently living in adult care after breaking her hip in July. If you would like to send her a card, her new address is 13200 SW Village Glenn Drive, Tigard, OR 97223-6040.
January brings us into a new year with no mistakes in it. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could keep it that way but that is an impossible dream so the next best thing is to learn from them and not make the same ones again. History matters.
We have exciting lesson plans for afternoon Plus Classes which start February 15th from noon to 2:00 pm. We have three top instructors: Jim Hattrick - 3rd Mondays, Daryl Kalmbach - 2nd & 4th Mondays, and Daryl Clendenin - 1st & 5th Mondays. There will be a fifteen minute break at 1:15. At 1:30 students will have the opportunity to dance two tips with the club using what they have just learned.
Our three callers keep us on our toes as each week seems to have some new twist. All plus dancers are invited to dance with us on Monday afternoons: Rounds 1:00 - 1:30; Plus 1:30 - 3:15 PM, Sunset Presbyterian Church, 14986 NW Cornell Road in Beaverton. We dance on holidays too so if you have a day off come join us.
Please check for up to date information at www.eagerbeavers.info or OFN website: http://ofn.club.
Rachel Nettleton
January 1 (1st Fri)
January 4 (1st Mon)
January 11 (2nd Mon)
January 18 (3rd Mon)
January 25 (4th Mon)
Sylvia Davis
Our Turkey Toss dance on the 14th saw everyone at their usual competitive best; tossing bean bags and cheering the competitors on. We’re especially glad the Tri-Squares decided to join us.
On November 18th we had our annual New Dancer Spaghetti Dinner. It just gets better every year! We enjoyed Italian music and candlelight for ambiance, homemade spaghetti sauce, fresh pasta and tiramisu to fill our stomachs and a gaggle of over 65 dining. It’s November so gaggle applies. We held a used clothing sale and those crinolines were flying off the rack and when we meandered upstairs, we found 8 squares of new and experienced dancers sharing the floor. What’s more fun than that?
November 28 was the Soup Night Dance. The dancing was fabulous and fun as both Richard Lane and George Herman joined Daryl on stage. Not to be outdone, new caller Janienne Alexander called a tip and Randy Lewis helped Yvonne with the cueing. Our minds and feet really got a work out. Did I mention the soups? Brothy, creamy, meaty, vegan, the variety was amazing and it was all delicious. Everyone was encouraged to go back and sample everything. This menu may be a keeper.
As the month wound down and we headed into the holidays, the Hoedowners reached out to help the Aloha Grange with their Christmas Adopted Family. Packages and bags, gift cards and cash have been appearing to help fulfill the wish list of this family. This has become an annual event that reminds us sharing and giving is infectious.
January’s calendar is bursting with events. On the 9th is our Black and White Sparkle Dance. The ballroom literally shimmers as the ballroom is transformed with sparkling lights and decorations. It’s a great way to kick off the 2016.
On January 23rd we’ll be rounding everyone up for our Wild West Chuck Wagon Dance. YeeHa! And of course we’re looking forward to seeing all your faces at the year’s Sweet 16 Mid-Winter Festival.
We wish you and yours peace and contentment, the spirit of joy, wonder and the opportunity to be thankful for our blessings.
Krystal Laas
January 9 (2nd Sat)
January 23 (4th Sat)
Randy's calling is always lively and fun, with a wide variety of music. All of his choices work well for his choreography. Jeanine cues many styles from old favorites, songs heard less often, new selections, and everything in between. Jeanine and her husband Paul are always ready to make up a square.
Besides Randy's and Jeanine's excellence in providing a night's engaging dancing, their personalities brighten each gathering. Come join us for great evenings with friendly dancers.
Happy New Year to all!
Patty Bonney
January 2 (1st Sat)
January 16 (3rd Sat)
On January 6th we will host beginning square dance lessons. The starting time will be different. Plus will start at 6:30 PM and beginning lessons will start at 7:30. Lessons will still be held at the Kelso Senior Center and Craig Abercrombie will be the instructor.
In January we dance on the 8th and the 22nd. On the 22nd will be our Super Souper dance with a variety of soups served at break. Come join us for a fun evening of dancing.
Toni Carroll
We are now having the Promenaders Plus dances on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Thursday each month. The 5th Thursday only happens three times in the next year. The Plus dance is working out well for us; it has been a whole year now that we have been having the Plus dances. This Plus dance was started right after Norm Yoder retired from calling the Plus Knights for 30-years, and we have been doing this dance on the same days of the month as the Plus Knight’s. Our Darrell Kalmbach and Ken Pratt have been doing a great job calling, cueing and doing a little teaching each night too.
In January the Sunset Promenaders will have a mainstream dance on the 2nd, and on the 16th the theme will be “Wild West” with chili and corn bread on the break menu.
We hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year holidays.
Tom & Janice Sminia
January 2 (1st Sat)
January 7 (1st Thu)
Our grange was all decorated for the holidays by the club. It’s an annual event for the Toes to gather at the hall, decorate it, and then go out to eat together afterwards. That’s why we dance so hard. We have to burn off the calories we consume at club activities.
December brought us into Rocking Around the Christmas Square, collection of toys for children, and a new dancer’s jamboree. We found square dancing especially blessing our lives at the end of 2015.
January 1st will start us out with our Black and Blue Ball, dance until you drop marathon dance with all singing calls. How KC loves to sing. Classes begin this month for Bev and Harlan Flint with Two Step Round Dance lessons on January 3rd. The 6th follows with KC and Linda resuming our beginners’ lessons for square dancing. We hope to see you at Mid-Winter Festival and at our Sadie Hawkins Dance on February 5th.
We are thankful for our square dancing friends, good health and a positive year ahead of us. Happy New Year from the Toe Draggers.
Pat Olson
January 1 (1st Fri)
January 15 (3rd Fri)
We will be hosting our second set of lessons this January. We look forward to seeing many students and guests.
Leslie Woodland
January 2 (1st Sat)
January 15 (3rd Fri)
We started the month with our Trophy Dance. Hoedowners won the trophy and the right to host the next dance. We plan to recapture that trophy, and hope we have lots of competition from multiple clubs to sweeten the victory.
Our Turkey and Thanksgiving Dance reminded us of all the blessings in our lives, particularly the friends and fun we have encountered through square dancing.
We ended the month of November with a visitation to Valley River. Fifteen dancing friends met for dinner and joined 6 more members of our community at Chehalem Grange, experiencing a great night of fun and challenging choreography. The previous Friday we had the double pleasure of dancing to National Caller, Dan Nordby along with our own Julie Stiers, and devouring pumpkin pie at the Pumpkin Pie Dance.
Please join us for our New Beginnings dance January 2 and Celebrate Diversity Dance January 16th.
Patt Hawthorne
January 2 (1st Sat)
January 12 (2nd Tue)
January 16 (3rd Sat)
April 9th will be a “Jim Hattrick Dance,” with (who else?) Jim Hattrick calling and cueing.
The May 14th “Spring Fling” and June 11th “Western Dance” will have caller Joe Wrabek and line dance instructor Gwen Kiel.
Harvey Hunsucker will be calling and cueing the July 9th “Beach-Themed Dance.”
Our “County Fair Dance” August 13th will be called by Darrell Kalmbach, with round dancing cued by Connie Clark.
This year, the “Elvis Dance” will be September 10th, with caller Mark Wheeler and cuer Connie Clark.
And the last dance of the season, the “Fall Dance” October 8th, will have caller Joe Wrabek and line dance instructor Gwen Kiel.
All of the club’s regular dances are on the Dance Floor at Garibaldi City Hall, 9 miles north of Tillamook, on the second Saturday of the month, starting at 7 p.m.
Square dance classes start Wednesday, January 13th, at the Tillamook Elks Lodge, 1907 Third St., and are free. They’re taught by club caller Joe Wrabek.
Joe Wrabek
We are excited about our students who are taking lessons this year at the Barn and are looking forward to the Umpqua Area Council’s New Dancer’s Dance. You won’t want to miss our dance coming up in January. Circle January 10th on your brand new 2016 calendar and plan to join us at the Barn for the dance. It will be held January 10th, 2016 (Sunday) from 2:30-5:00 pm at the Buckeroo Barn. The tips will be called at the new dancer level, so plan to join us for a Sunday afternoon of laid back dancing. We love the energy of new dancers and look forward to having you visit us regardless if you are a new dancer, an old timer or somewhere in between. Let your students know about the dance because it will be a perfect trial run for mid-winter if they haven’t been venturing out to other clubs to dance and a great way for them to get extra floor time and experience dancing to a different caller.
Frank Schuchard
umpquaareasquaredancers.org
January 10 (2nd Sun)
November 21st we had our annual Thanksgiving potluck dance. The Barn provided the turkey and the dancers all brought something to share. After the potluck, we had an hour of student level dancing for our current students. It was so much fun seeing them out on the dance floor having a great time. The dance was called by Chuck Simpkins and cued by Neil Koozer.
We have also had work crews at barn preparing all the wreaths for our annual fundraiser. The volunteers worked hard to get everything perfect! The wreaths are ready and look beautiful. Check out our website for details if you are in the area and want to pick up a beautiful hand-crafted wreath for the holidays.
Happy dancing,
Robin P. Faltersack
January 2 (1st Sat)
January 7 (1st Thu)
January 16 (3rd Sat)
January 6 (1st Wed)
January 9 (2nd Sat)