Ordinarily, January is the time to look forward to Mid-Winter Festival. Since we are in a lock down once again, this event has been appropriately cancelled. Take this time to relive memories of past festivals and hold on to memories of the fun we always have greeting old friends and getting to know new ones. The fun and excitement will return once again for Mid-Winter Festival 2022.
I received an email in response to my December article on promoting round dancing and line dancing. The writer is holding Zoom dancing every Monday for square dancing for one couple, Western line dancing, and international folk dancing as activities. I’m looking into this, along with delegating a caller to help expand these activities, if that is feasible. It should work, and give us an opportunity to get dressed up and get some exercise dancing on Zoom. Stay tuned for more information; but in the meantime, do what you need to do to stay active and healthy. Take a walk on the sunny days.
I continue to urge you to stay in touch with your club members. Some type of newsletter that gives everyone an update on what is going on with your members is a great way to promote the fellowship that is the trademark of square and round dancers everywhere.
As we look to the future of getting this pandemic under control with immunization or whatever it takes, let’s stay positive that our “new normal” will include the dancing that we all love and can’t wait to get back to. We look forward to dressing up for club dances, indulging in wonderful potlucks, and socializing with great friends. Hugs again will be included in the “new normal”, too!!!
Swing Your Partner…………Enjoy this month of January and make the most of it!!!
Gary Clark
President
Let us hope the beginning of the new year brings a fresh start, and allows us you push aside the dumpster fire that was 2020.
With vaccines starting to get distributed, we may finally be seeing the beginning of the end of the virus and the associated lockdown. With luck, we may be able to get back to dancing by summer. Cross your fingers.
We just learned last night of the passing of Jerry Story. We will get a full obituary when it is available.
Click here to find out how to get your information into the OFN, including dances, lessons, photos, flyers, advertisements, and caller/cuer information.
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You may find the text of this article by Federation 2nd Vice President Tim Keck, and useful pages from the State of Oregon and from USDA, https://ofn.club/content/2020-12/Covid%20Guidelines%20(201201).pdf .
The next Federation meeting will be a Zoom teleconference on January 24, 2021, at 9:00 AM. The Randall Award winner will be announced at that time. You can view your Randall Award nominees here.
We are sad to report that we are going to have to officially cancel Mid Winter Festival 2021. We are unable to guarantee that Linn county will be in stage 3 by January. So, we will miss everyone but looking forward to seeing you in January, 2022.
As of now, no Oregon Summer Festival is planned for 2021. Washington's Summer Festival is scheduled for June 17-19, 2021, in Everett, WA.
The latest news about the National Square Dance Conventions® is located in the National Squares magazine, produced by the NEC. You can find the latest issue here: (http://nsdcnec.com/flipdocs/NatSqOnline/Natsq1120/index.html)
The 70th National Square Dance Convention® will be held in Jackson, Mississippi, June 23-26, 2021.
The 71st National Square Dance Convention® will be held in Evansville, Indiana, June 22-25, 2022.
The 72nd National Square Dance Convention® will be held in Mobile, Alabama, June 21-24, 2023.
The 73rd National Square Dance Convention® has just been awarded to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for June of 2024.
All clubs in the Oregon Federation are required to maintain their status as non-profit corporations with the State of Oregon. The Secretary of State's office mails out a renewal notice about a month before your registration expires every year. The following clubs expire this month:
January 3 -- Heads to the Center
January 16 -- Columbia River Dancers
January 21 -- Corvallis Squares
January 22 -- Cherry City Cloggers
January 25 -- Happy Hoppers
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.
Charles and Margaret Vegas (known as Charlie and Peggy), chairpersons of the 1990 Mid-Winter Festival, wanted to let you all know that their son, Joseph, passed away November 6. They would like your prayers as they grieve. They have recently moved back to this area from Florida and don't know a lot of people yet.
Don White, Oregon Federation President in 1989-90 and General Chairman of the 43rd National Square Dance Convention® in Portland in 1994, passed away at Peppi's Hospice Hospital on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020, of Congestive Heart Failure. He had been in failing health for the past several months and in home hospice care for two weeks before being admitted for inpatient care. He was surrounded by his immediate family who had gathered to be with him.
He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Shirley; sons, Gary and Glenn and their families. Internment will be held in Salem, Oregon at a later date.
Jerry Lee Story age 65 of Fairfield, passed away Saturday, December 19, 2020, at the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinic.
Graveside service will be 11:00 a.m., Monday, December 28, 2020, in Brighton, Iowa.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Jude Hospital or Ronald McDonald House. Cards and memorials may be sent to Kristy Story, 2270 Marigold Blvd., Fairfield, Iowa 52556.
Jerry was born June 21, 1955, to Kenneth and Marian (Hammond) Story in Keokuk, IA. He married Kristine Sue Laux on July 25, 1976 in Fairfield, Iowa.
Jerry graduated from Fairfield High School Class of 1973. He was an International Square Dance caller and local business owner. Jerry enjoyed shooting pool and going to the gun range. He was a Green Bay Packers fan and enjoyed watching FOX news. Jerry used his love of music to honor the Lord by making a Gospel CD “Wings of a Dove”. Jerry was known for his sense of humor and his story telling. What he loved most was spending time with his kids and grandkids.
He will be missed by his wife, Kristy of Fairfield; his two sons, Joshua (Esther) Story of Navarre, FL and Jacob (Som) Story of Fairfield; his grandsons, Seth, Luke, and Nathan Story; his two sisters, Jeanie Ludeking of Knoxville, TN and Jane (John) Kurt of Minnesota; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Jerry was preceded in death by his parents, Kenneth and Marian. On-line condolences may be made to the family at behnerfh.com.
You can download this list of callers and cuers who are available and ready to call or cue a dance for you.
Callers:
Cuers:
The Portland Area Council has chosen the January Round of the Month: "Take Me Away", Phase II+1 Two-Step (strolling vine), choreographed by Cherie and Patrick Cox, music by George Strait.
[Download your cue sheet here] (https://www.roundalab.org/CuesheetsDL2/Take%20Me%20Away%2C%20Cox%2C%20C%26P__2%2B1.pdf).
For more information on the Round of the Month, please contact .
Click a thumbnail to download the flyer.
Click a thumbnail to see the full-sized picture.
Click a council name to go directly to that section.
We understand there are New Year's dances scheduled, and we hope all precautions are being taken. Most of us are staying home Christmas and New Year's Eve so we can gather with loved ones next year.
We did lose one of our older but newer square dancers to COVID-19. His wife got it also but is hanging in there. It's very sad. Our prayers go to everyone affected by this virus.
Stay healthy everyone and continue being safe!
Christina Corelli, Secretary
Meanwhile, we hope your Christmas and New Year’s went well and that you were able to meet with family if only via social media and Zoom. This will be a year for the history books for sure.
Gaynor Hintz
Club reporter
Stay safe and we’ll see you on the floor when all have been vaccinated.
Gaynor Hintz
Club Reporter
Tim Matteson has been our caller for many years now. His mom is hanging in there and has a caregiver during the week when Tim is working at the chocolate factory. She is slowly regaining strength.
Stay safe and healthy,
Christina Corelli
Member-At-Large
We have not danced since the first week of November when the Salem Square Dance Center was shut down. I am not a quitter, so I am still thinking positive that the dance hall will open just in time for a New Year’s Eve dance for the round dancers. Send some positive vibes to the hall owners and the Governor for some assistance.
I continue to send out emails to let the dancers know how things are going and to see if any of them will reply back with concerns.
We will be back dancing as soon as the hall opens, so stay tuned to Facebook and emails for any updates.
January is my birthday month, so I plan on trying to have a happy day during the month.
Marilyn Schmit
Realistically, social distance round dancing is probably no more risky than going to the grocery store, except when one dances with someone not of their household, in which case the risks exponentially increase. (And the more one goes to the grocery store, the greater the risk.) In the end, one has to be willing to weigh and accept the risks. After all: one can be infected and have no symptoms.
Also, remember to wear a heavy coat when you get your covid vaccine. If provider asks you to take off your coat, tell him/her that 90 degrees below zero is enough to give one frostbite!
Jim
The conundrum of waiving dues for the year reminds us we really have no idea how many members we now have. We’ll just go with the flow until next year or maybe 2022.
Jim
Being able to give your friends a hug! Being able to see your family up close and not through Zoom. Being able to put 2020 behind us. I hope you're able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Some of us are still doing Zoom meetings to connect----Tom and Liza are still giving us their time and energy---so blessed to have them in our circle. Some of the ladies from our club have been meeting twice a week on Zoom to do art and share camaraderie. I've heard that some of us are meeting to bowl----when the lanes are open. We see so many people out walking. Many more than before the pandemic hit and hopefully that habit will endure. We humans are so resilient. So here's to the endurance we will still need! A heartfelt "Happy New Year" from all of us at Happy Hoppers!
Janet Linebarger
In preparation for this new year, several of our members have spent time getting our hall ready for the day we return. Our basement (where we hold our breaks) has a new ceiling and new lighting. It also has fresh paint. Both men’s and women’s bathrooms have been re decorated and painted. When that long awaited day comes that we can dance again, we will be ready for you.
Stay well and keep hope in your hearts. Happy New Year.
Carol Mendenhal
Oh square dance halls of Oregon, how still we see thee lie
Thy empty floors and bolted doors are enough to make us cry.
But comes a vaccine soonest to put things back to right,
And we’ll begin to dance again long into the joyful night.
Til then it’s social distancing, and video meets by Zoom,
To see our friends ere the virus ends, and our dances can resume.
When we can gather together to frolic and laugh once more,
Our true delight will burn more bright, and thrill us to the core.
If we all stick together, there’s no hurdle we can’t dislodge
So, COVID you can pass on through, while we others walk and dodge.
We wish our fellow dancers happiness and health and cheer,
And double the fun in 21 to make up for this year.
Southern Oregon sends prayers to everyone for a safe and healthy New Year.
Hope to see you next year, things are looking up with the new vaccine availability.
We do not have any dance news to report. We are still hoping and waiting for Covid restrictions to ease or lift so that we can attempt to get back to dancing. As it looks now... mid February may be our first attempt at dancing. I assume most everyone knows our dances are held at Evergreen Elementary School so we are still at the mercy of school restrictions and regulations Our classes and workshops were being held at the Karuk Wellness Center, but they are also under certain restrictions which prevent us from dancing. Speaking for Sherrie and I, we sure do miss dancing, and we too will As we approach the end of this crazy year we want to wish everyone a happy, safe, and healthy holiday season.
There has been some round dancing on a limited basis and some clubs looking at the first of the year trying to get together again on a limited basis. We will keep everyone up on what is going on. Keep In Touch and hope to see you all sooner rather than later. Missing all of you, Mike"
Normally the January TVC report would include a list of council clubs that were going dark for Mid Winter Festival. It is too bad that I cannot report this again for 2021. Maybe next year... Remember to contact the Mid Winter organizers and roll your 2021 registration over to 2022.
Ferrous Steinka
With the Covid near why take a chance,
The vaccine is coming and then we’ll dance.
We’ll swing our partner and square thru four,
And pant and puff and dance some more.
We wish we had all the answers. Until then stay safe. From your friends at The Columbia River Dancers.
Nick Johnson
A brave new year is beginning. I think most of us are glad that 2020 is over.
Did any of us have plans for 2020 that were not turned topsy turvy? I was force to cancel a trip to England planned since 2015 for a family reunion. If you are reading this then you are a survivor of one heck of a stressful year and for that we should thankful.
You have suffered a year of politics like no other, a pandemic, and dance deprivation, but endured. Give yourself a hug and say “congratulations to me” and remember “if it doesn’t kill you, it makes you stronger”. I am not sure I believe that old saying.
If you find you are still angry about someone or thing you have a choice to make. You can look for a way to fix it or carry a grudge. Carrying a grudge only hurts one person, you. The ‘grudgee’ does not even know it exists. Resolve that in 2021 you will reach out to someone to tear down the wall between you. One by one you and I can make 2021 a good year to remember.
I know it will be a good year when we get back to dancing. I know we will. Already there is a vaccine coming out that will protect us. It will take time but we will dance again.
Do not just hope for a better year, be part of the process. Keep the faith and keep checking for our start date at www.EagerBeavers.info.
Rachel Nettleton
January 1 (1st Fri)What new and exciting things happened in November? I discovered that I can ask Alexa to play music from a specific year. If you have an Alexa, Google Nest or even an iPhone with Siri, you can ask them the same thing. I started with 1950 and each day asked for the next year. I heard lots of standards but some surprises too. I heard Blue Velvet as a hit in 1955. We all know Bobby Vinton made Blue Velvet a hit in 1963 duh! Turns out it reached #14 in 1955 recorded by The Clovers, an R&B group, and Tony Bennett recorded it even earlier in 1950.
There was way less Perry Como, Dean Martin and the other crooners in the 50’s then I imagined but the surprise was the amount of country. Much of it had the twangy sound. Yep, Hank Williams and Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Hank Snow, Ernest Tubb, etc. If you Google country hits of the 50’s, you’ll see a list of the standards. Folks were listening to the Grand Ole Opry on the radio and putting their dimes in the jukebox. Tennessee Ernie Ford had his TV show and who didn’t learn the words to Sixteen Tons? All that music was part of the surge in popularity of our favorite hobby, SQUARE DANCING. Country music is as popular as ever. It even has its own television network so I’m thinking the music industry is still making the kind of music we like to dance to. Here at the Hoedowners, we seem to be chugging along donating to the Grange Christmas Family and waiting for the Covid-19 numbers to go down and the restrictions to lift. I go to the Aloha Grange occasionally to drop things off etc. and I can tell she is mighty lonely. I sometimes switch on the lights in the ballroom just to see how she’s looking. Can’t wait to turn on the music and twirl.
Krystal Laas
We will keep you updated on calendar changes thru this OFN report as well as our website: www.mixandminglesquares.org
Lindie Noonan
Happy New Year,
Annie Tietze
Tim Roberts
So keep exercising and stay in shape.
Gloria Davis
The Callers are planning how to restart square dancing. So far they have come up with a plan of 49 calls to start and expand from there. I think we will progress rather fast although we may not remember immediately all the movements, we will, with a little practice, have retained a good deal of them. They have been in our brain for so long. I can't remember all the names of calls when asked, but when the Caller says them, I just do them, it's so ingrained.
Like everyone else, Valley Squares is remaining dark for now. Take care and get your vaccine.
Carolene Siebert