Rain, wind, sleet, maybe snow and square dancing. Looks like it is December in Oregon. We manage to make it through all sorts of storms to get to dances and classes. I am sure we will make it through this COVID “storm”, as well.
Mid-Winter festival 2022 is still being planned. The committee has worked hard to get all the scheduling together. But, registrations are coming in slow. The festival needs the pre-registrations to have the “up-front” money to fund the planning. We need to support this largest festival we have in the state. If you have not yet registered, please consider doing so. The registration form is on the Mid-Winter website and also on the Federation website. Or you can contact the Mid-Winter representative in your area. If you are not sure who that is, contact me and I can direct you to the proper person.
If your club is planning on starting lessons in January, the time to start promoting is NOW. Contact Gil Shoemaker. He is our state membership chairman. He has a lot of great ideas for promoting classes and square dancing in general. I am sure he will be more than willing to assist you in any way he can.
Meanwhile, get out and support the clubs that are hosting dances and, on behalf of Patty and I, have a Merry Christmas and…
Let’s Get Back to Dancing.
George Hermann
OFSRDC President 2021-2022
A few more clubs are returning to dancing, but there's still a lot of understandable hesitancy. Let us hope for better conditions in 2022.
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 coronavirus situation is very fluid. The state-wide indoor mask mandate is still in effect in Oregon. As always, it is up to each individual club and facility to decide what restrictions make them comfortable. Please honor their wishes.
https://ofn.club/content/2021-07/Covid%20Guidelines%20(210608).pdf .
The next Federation meeting will be at the Linn County Fairgrounds for Mid-Winter Festival, Sunday, January 30, 2022.
Mid-Winter Festival 2022 is scheduled for January 28-30, 2022, at the Linn County Fairgrounds in Albany.
The 2022 Summer Festival will be hosted by the Interstate Highlanders and Rogue-Sis-Q Councils, and held at the Blanchet School in Salem, a nice central location. The dates are July 15-17, 2022. The featured caller and cuer are Pat Carnathan and Rikki Lobato. Don't forget to buy your Mid-Winter Ribbons so you can attend our pre-registration kickoff party on January 29, 2022, from 1 to 2 pm in the mainstream hall.
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 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® will be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, June 26-29, 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:
December 1 -- Charlie Brown Squares
December 1 -- Wolf Pack
December 5 -- Red Rock Squares
December 17 -- Sunset Promenaders
December 27 -- Silver City Squares
December 28 -- Buckeroo
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.
Is your closet bulging at the seams? Are you hankering to recycle some of your older square dance or round dance clothes? Or, have you moved on and are no longer able to join in the festivities.
Well, Mid-Winter Festival is fast approaching. For many of you it provides an opportunity to recycle a few or many of those outfits taking up space in your closets. For others, it is a sad time when you are saying, “I just can’t dance anymore”, and you want someone else to enjoy those beautiful outfits you have received so much pleasure wearing over the years.
But first let’s look closely at some key tips to selling your clothing items at Mid-Winter Festival 2022. Follow closely the on-line instructions and email your list of items in by January 17, 2022.
Note: If you are having any problems completing the form on line, then by all means hand write it and mail it in. We will input it to the computer for you. This will save you a lot of time at the consignment tables when you deliver your items to Mid Winter. If you snail mail your list, it must be received by January 10, 2022. Please, read the instructions very, very carefully.
Make sure the items are clean and in good repair. Square and Round dance clothing only, please.
Bring your items, listed by categories to simplify the tagging process to the consignment tables.
If you have sets, keep/place them together. This will help in the tagging process and may even help them to sell.
Please, be early to consignment. Be sure to check the hours and plan on Thursday afternoon or Friday morning so they will be prominently placed on the racks for the opening sales activity Friday evening.
As with so many activities it is getting more and more difficult to get volunteers to help. Resale Clothing is one of those areas that require a large number of volunteers to make it available for all the dancers.
We can no longer accept clothing items at the festival that were not listed for consignment before the input deadline.
We are sorry it has come to this. But we hope you will utilize the on-line submission process. Or you can hand write it and send it to us. Just print out the input/submission sheet for completion by hand. We want to help you recycle the many beautiful outfits that you all have.
As I said earlier we require a large number of volunteers to assist during consignment and sale hours. We will accept any help, even if for just one (1) hour. So, contact the volunteer coordinator for Resale Clothing – Sheila - and let her know you want to help.
Don’t forget to pick up your returns by 10:00 a.m. on Sunday morning.
For assistance contact the following individual -- preferably by email.
Sheila Machado at sheilainsalem@hotmail.com or if you must call my phone at 503-884-0158.
We will be adhering to all Covid-19 restrictions that are in place at the time.
For those of you who are snowbirds, Mike Sikorsky will be celebrating 50 years of calling next year. There are plans to have a celebration party in Mesa, Arizona, on Friday, February 4th, 2022.
His family is preparing a surprise memory book for him. Details on how to submit entries to that book will be coming later.
To All Dancers –
We are planning to have Mid-Winter Festival 2022. Right now our biggest concern is getting people registered to come to the Festival. Our second biggest concern is that they will enjoy themselves during Festival.
As far as requiring masks, the answer is – WE DON’T KNOW FOR SURE – we have stated that we will be following the state required mandate that is in place at the time of Mid-Winter. We won’t know what that will be until we get much closer to Festival than we are right now.
IF masks end up being needed, we will not dictate as to style of mask or face shield. We will not be monitoring dancers to make sure that they are worn on the floor – it is too easy for one to slip out of place while dancing.
We will NOT be asking people to be vaccinated NOR will we be asking for vaccination verifications. Since our facility is not asking us for any verifications, we will not be doing any.
Just by looking at someone – there is NO WAY to tell if someone is vaccinated or not. If someone volunteers information, that is up to them – be polite, don’t ask.
What we WILL ask people to do is to follow established SQUARE DANCE ETTIQUETTE. This includes
We will have hand sanitizer available in all halls in multiple locations. Washing hands and using hand sanitizer is encouraged. We will NOT be monitoring people to see if this is done.
We are asking people to please bring their own refillable water bottles. This is a cost cutting decision to not have the water coolers available in all of the halls. There is a bottle refill as part of the water fountain in Willamette Hall. Also – no glass containers, plastic and metal only for safety concerns. If you forget your bottle or loose it, the youth will have reusable water bottles for sale at their table in the Mainstream Hall. Please help us keep Mid-Winter alive for future years and dancers – come and dance with us.
Karyn Buchheit
2022 Mid-Winter Chair
Harvey Hunsucker, 88, of Clatskanie, passed away Nov. 8, 2021, at the Delaware Plaza in Longview. He was born Dec. 13, 1932, in Spokane, to Ralph and Helen (Aprozean) Hunsucker and attended Evergreen High School in Vancouver.
On Dec. 31, 1952, he married Delores Scott in Vancouver. They had four children while relocating every couple years for his job. Harvey helped start pulp and paper mills in numerous locations in Oregon and Alaska. The family moved to Clatskanie in 1966,and Harvey retired from the Wauna Mill in 1987.
Harvey and Delores attended the Clatskanie Baptist Church and enjoyed round and square dancing. Harvey was also a caller for the dances. His hobbies included photography, golfing, computers, travel and caring for his fruit trees and grapevines. He enjoyed driving his jeep on sand dunes. Harvey had a knack for finances and was a gifted handyman. He will be remembered for his ready smile. Harvey is survived by his wife of 68 years, Delores at home; two sons, Rob Hunsucker (Silvia) of Clatskanie, and Randy Hunsucker of Kelso; a daughter, Gina Akin of Vancouver; a brother, Doug Hunsucker (Betty) of Vancouver; a sister, Sandy Jordan of Vancouver; and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. A son, Michael Hunsucker, preceded him in death.
Harvey and Delores were active in the square dance community for over 60 years. He called for the Clatskanie Promenaders and the Astoria Hayshakers.
A service will be held on Wednesday November 17 at 11:00 at the Steele Chapel at Longview Memorial Park, 5050 Mt. Solo Rd., Longview, WA.
Condolences may be sent to:
Delores Hunsucker 926 Delaware Street Apt 244 Longview, WA 98632
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 selected the December Round of the Month: "Breaking Up is Hard To Do", Phase II+1 Two-Step (Rock the Boat), choreographed by diana & Jake Ring, music by The Carpenters.
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.
December 5 (1st Sun)
January 7 (1st Fri)
December 4 (1st Sat)
December 31 (5th Fri)
January 9 (2nd Sun)
February 26 (4th Sat)
April 8 (2nd Fri)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.
Our next scheduled dance is now April 30, 2022. Surely, things will have slowed down by then. We're wanting everyone to be safe and feel safe. Thank you!
Christina Corelli
In the meantime if you think you will want to participate, please keep in mind that proof of vaccination is required for the protection of all the dancers and as long as the Governor mandate is in effect, masks will be required. No food or drink except for your own consumption, please.
Gaynor Hintz
As some of you know, Janet Geiger, one of our members, has been trying out her calling skills and recently has become engaged to a fellow square dancer from the Medford area. Congratulations, Janet. She and her fiancé won third place in the costume contest but we didn’t learn of her engagement until we saw her at the Buckeroo barn on October 30.
We dance from 7:30 to 10:00PM on the 4th Fridays of every month unless an event or holiday prevents us, starting with 15 minutes of pre-rounds, phase 2 – 3, then 15 minutes of plus with Mainstream starting at 8 with every third tip plus. At this time masks or other face coverings are required with no food or drink to be shared but perhaps by December if we are lucky the mandate will be lifted and we will hold our annual Christmas dinner before the dance at 6:30PM—potluck with ham and rolls, provided by the club. We’ll see. Meanwhile we will dance and have fun!
See you in a square,
Gaynor Hintz
Christina Corelli
December 19 (3rd Sun)
The second Saturday of December is our Christmas dance and Silent Auction.
This is always a great dance and we hope to see lots of smiles and happy feet there.
Since there are only two clubs that are having lessons in the council, the new dancers dance might be postponed until the spring so that other clubs who start lessons in January can attend when March and April arrive.
We have had a couple of resignations in our officers and our new President is Eugene (Bonnie) Ivy and the new reporter is Marilyn (Ron) Schmit.
We have lots of room in our hall, so come and visit. We start at 7 p.m. Marilyn Schmit
December 11 (2nd Sat)
December 4 (1st Sat)
December 4 (1st Sat)
December 18 (3rd Sat)
We had a special dance in October called “Don’t Match” and some of the dancers played along. Pictures were on Facebook.
We will be dark for Thanksgiving to celebrate the family time together and working on a Pre-Holiday dance in December to wear our Christmas finery and get dressed up.
Since this is the last report for 2021, the club is sending holiday wishes to everyone. Take some time to think about the last year we have survived and what the next year can bring to all of us. Happy Dancing!
Marilyn Schmit
December 23 (4th Thu)
December 23 (4th Thu)
December 23 (4th Thu)
Our 5th Friday Plus Halloween dance was an enormous success. Two squares plus for Advanced dancing and five squares on the floor for the rest of the evening. The costumes were great, Callers Randy Dibble and Don Wood did a fantastic job, Cuer Randy Lewis was great and Marie Wood joined the fun.
Our first Friday dance in November had four squares on the floor the entire evening. Such fun to have so many dancers enjoying themselves.
Our Christmas dance will be December 17 and we are looking forward to our 5th Friday New Year's Eve Dance on December 31. A flyer will be posted soon.
As the holidays move into full swing, let us take the time to be thankful for all that we have. Let us move forward with hope in our hearts, smiles on our faces and looking for better days ahead. May you all have a blessed Thanksgiving with family and friends.
See you on the dance floor.
Sheila Machado
December 31 (5th Fri)
We started both Plus lessons and 2-step lessons in November. More later how that is going.
Petrina Buchheit
December 10 (2nd Fri)
We will be holding our regular square dance the 4th Saturday of November. Due to Covid restrictions there will be no potluck, but we will have an assortment of hard candies and mints available. Feel free to bring your leftover wrapped Halloween and Thanksgiving candies to share, (that is, if you haven’t already consumed them all.)
Willamette Squares will be dark in December, as our regular 4th Saturday dance falls on the 25th, Christmas Day! We will be back on schedule in January on the 4th Saturday as usual. Our January dance can be considered as a warmup for the Mid-Winter Festival at the Linn County Fairgrounds which takes place the weekend following our dance at the Salem Square Dance Center. We encourage attendees of Mid-Winter to sign up as early as possible. We hope to see you in a square.
Jodee Howard
Also, keep in mind that if the forecasted temperature is to fall below freezing, and there is moisture on the road, we’re probably not dancing.
For a very special dance coming up, note our Pre-New Year’s Eve Dance December 29th, our last dance of the year. We won’t charge an exorbitant price like some places of entertainment; it will be our usual $7 door donation for a really neat night. You won’t even need reservations! Just come on over and enjoy yourselves.
Jim
December 1 (1st Wed)
December 8 (2nd Wed)
December 15 (3rd Wed)
December 22 (4th Wed)
On December 3rd our Caller and Cuer will be: Scott Z. and Julie Stiers! We will share the Christmas season at our dance on December 17th with Ian Craig and Julia Buchheit on stage…we hope to see you there - HO, Ho Ho. Please remember Chaps and Petticoats have CANCELLED our 3rd-Sunday Dance on December 19, 2021.
Our Club will meet on December 6th to discuss our future 3rd-Sunday dances. Be sure to check our Chaps and Petticoats website for more information.
Happy Feet
Betty Chipps
December 17 (3rd Fri)
December 4 (1st Sat)
December 4 (1st Sat)
December 18 (3rd Sat)
December 4 (1st Sat)
The Milwaukie Community center has changed its mask requirement. If you use a face shield, it must be a FULL shield that covers the entire face instead of the small plastic half shields that cover only nose and mouth. The cloth face masks are still acceptable. These new requirements are posted in the hall.
Happy Dancing.
Carol Mendenhall
December 11 (2nd Sat)
December 18 (3rd Sat)Our next big dance is our 54th birthday dance with the wonderful Pat Carnathan calling and Rikki Lobato cueing. Please come and join us!!! We will also have an Ugly Sweater dance with Roger Putzler and Rikki. Good times ahead!!!
We hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and truly magical holiday season!!!
Be sure and get your Midwinter ribbons!💓
See you in a square!
December 4 (1st Sat)
December 18 (3rd Sat)
December 11 (2nd Sat)
December 31 (5th Fri)The annual TVC NYE dance has been mostly finalized. Details known at this time are date, time, venue, and callers/cuers. It was decided to have a start time of 7:00pm, ending at 10:00pm, with a New Years celebration in synch with New York at 9:00pm. So, on December 31st please join us at the IOOF Hall in Hillsboro featuring Darrell Kalmbach & KC Curtis calling with Tami Helms & Julie Stiers cueing. The door donation will be $8 to cover increased costs of two callers and cuers. What is NOT known at this time is whether or not there will be a requirement for proof of vaccination to attend. The clubs are being polled and consensus will decide at the November TVC meeting. The results will be updated on the NYE flyer at the end of November following the TVC meeting. The flyer, awaiting the Covid information, is currently under special dances in the OFN.
Two more TVC clubs have resumed dancing which brings the number of clubs dancing to eight: Columbia River Dancers, Eager Beavers, Hoedowners, Mix 'n Mingle, Oak Hills Squares, Sunset Promenaders, Toe Draggers, and Valley Squares. See their individual reports below. Most, but not all, require proof of vaccination to attend. All are subject to the State mask mandate.
Ferrous Steinka
December 31 (5th Fri)The Columbia River Dancers have slowly seen our dances bring back people we have not seen for a long time. Now as the Christmas and the New Year seasons are coming, we have put together a series of dances that will gladden those who want to celebrate with those of us who love to dance.
Our first Friday dance on December 3rd has been canceled as the Grange had been rented last year for a play. In lieu of our regular lesson night on the 5th, we are hosting a "New Dancers" dance that evening. Jim Hattrick, our nationally known caller, will be putting together the beginning 52 commands in ways to make everyone enjoy themselves. Check our website for the times.
New lessons will begin the 11th and will continue on 18th starting at 6 PM for beginners and mainstream at 7. No lessons on Christmas Day.
Our December 17th Dance will have Jim calling and cueing songs of the season. Then comes New Years Eve when the club will be hosting the Back Porch Duo featuring Adam Christman and Jim Hattrick. This is a great way to celebrate the end of this topsy-turvy year.
Lastly, as this crazy, mixed up year comes to a close I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and the Happiest of New Years. Jan and I look forward to seeing you in a square soon. Perhaps this week or next?
Nick Johnson
December 5 (1st Sun)
December 17 (3rd Fri)We had a good turnout for our Halloween dance October 25th. Many of our members got into the spirit of costumes or wearing Halloween colors/prints. Colleen and David went all out wearing the best costume of the day. We posted a few picture collages in the photo section November OFN. Please take a look. Our club is so happy to be dancing every week and have dancers visiting that are coming because everyone is vaccinated.
We are planning on Plus Lessons starting on Monday February 14th. This could change if Covid becomes more of a problem in the new year. Our lessons will be on Mondays prior to our regular plus dance which starts at 1:00 pm. More to follow.
To quote Rachel Nettleton, our long time club reporter, about this challenging year since she has moved and the adjustments along with Covid. "Hug your friends and family. Bury irritations under the fallen leaves and compost them into a new purpose". We miss you Rachel.
We are blessed to have three wonderful callers and great cuers. We dance refresher Plus and Phase II and III rounds. For our schedule visit www.EagerBeavers.info
Karen Steinka
December 6 (1st Mon)
December 20 (3rd Mon)Craig Holt
The Hoedowners had two dances in October, on the 9th Scott Zinser called and Connie Clark cued. A big thanks to all who attended. On October 23rd we held a Costume Dance. Leonard Snodgrass and Julie Stiers were on the stage calling and cueing. It was fun to dress up in costumes once again. Some of the characters who came were Doug Morgan as Mr. Clean, Colleen Van Winkle a 20’s flapper and Sara Richmond as super villain Poison Ivy. Dennis Laughlin was Gomez and Doreen Laughlin won first prize with her fabulous Morticia Adams costume. A big thanks to Darlene Ditsworth for the generous gift basket.
December’s dance on the 11th will be our Jingle Bells Dance, we’ll provide the bells. Since the 4th Saturday in December is Christmas Day, we hope everyone will celebrate and enjoy the holidays.
Krystal Laas
Lindie Noonan
Our club wants to open it up to everyone that has a vaccination card and is willing to wear a mask or visor. This is something like a workshop and dance combined. So, everyone gains experience and has fun doing so. We are a group that out to have fun dancing
Our dance are held at the Oak Hills Recreation Center Gym 2400 NW 153rd Ave, Beaverton Oregon 97006, corner of NW 153rd Ave and NW Oak Hills Drive, we dance from 6:30 to 8:30 Monday nights. There is no food or drink provided but do have water fountains
The Club is planning to start lessons after the holidays, more on this at a later date
Ken Marifke and Judy Martin
Chris Poole
We dance mainstream on 1st and 3rd Saturdays at the Odd Fellows Hall in Hillsboro from 7pm till 9:30 pm. The Plus Dancers dance 1st, 3rd, and 5th Thursdays of the month at the same location and with same times, 7 to 9:30 pm. Our attendance requirements are still in place, masks and proof of vaccinations required.
The plus dance on the 30th will be dark because the TVC New Years Eve dance is on the next evening.
We are still having intermediate round dance work shops on Sundays at 3.30 at our hall.
Mike St.Clair
December 2 (1st Thu)
December 4 (1st Sat)
December 16 (3rd Thu)
December 18 (3rd Sat)Dances will be held from 8:00 to10:00pm. 1st dance will be pre rounds at 7:30. 2nd dance will be pre squares at 7:30. We will have split the pot and announcements at 9:30.
The December 3rd theme is Rockin’ Round the Christmas Square, (Please bring a can of food for the food basket or a new unwrapped toy. Both will benefit the community). Our December 17th theme is Night Before Christmas.
Our door donation has changed from $6 to $7.00 a person. Please come join us at the Kinton Grange.
Kathy Degman
December 3 (1st Fri)
December 17 (3rd Fri)Gloria Davis
Wishing those who are dancing - Happy dancing! and wishing you all a wonderful holiday season!
Judy Zimmerman
Hope to see you in a square,
Carolene Siebert
Bob Allen
December 31 (5th Fri)
December 11 (2nd Sat)