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THE SCOOP

SWINGING SQUARES

NEWSLETTER

June 2008

Hi everyone,

Well, it’s almost impossible to believe that summer is upon us but here it is! It seems to me that we were just meeting our new class members, and here they have graduated and are out and about dancing!! Time truly does fly!

 Speaking of being out and about dancing, I hope to see many of you (especially the newer dancers) at the “Summertime Fun” dances at our hall in Esmond.  These are all mainstream dances and are a great way to practice and enjoy everything you learned at workshops! Art Anthony will be Calling with his wife Pat, Cuing. No formal dance attire is required; these are casual evenings and are a lot of fun!  Hope to see you there!

 We are gearing up for the Gaspee Day Parade in Warwick on June 14^th.  We will have a “float” and invite everyone to join us as we “march and dance” our way through the route.  Hopefully, this will be a venue for us to get the word out about Square Dancing and its benefits! This is a rain or shine event, so we advise everyone to dress appropriately for the weather.  We would like to have everyone in red, white and blue, some in traditional attire others come as you wish (no jeans please). Most importantly, wear comfortable shoes!!  The most important thing to wear however is a smile!!

 We had a great turnout at our last workshop, with our guest caller from Texas, Nasser Shukayr! What a great time we had. It was a fabulous opportunity for us all to dance to a National Caller.  Many thanks to our own Bob Butler for sharing his stage to allow for this special event!!

 Our club has a lot of new ideas and plans for the upcoming dance season.  A few things to look forward to are a Luau themed dance, A Fiesta, and two very special opportunities to “earn a dangle”  through giving.  We will be promoting a food drive as well as a hat and mitten drive to benefit the RI Food bank and those in the local community in need.  So we are asking everyone to start watching those “specials” of “buy one get___  free” and take advantage so that we can help our neighbors in the fall! If you are a crafty person and knit, crochet or sew, now is the time to put our talents to good use to help keep someone warm this winter!  Watch for details…..

 There are many opportunities to dance this summer with our neighboring clubs and I hope that everyone will take advantage of them. Our own much anticipated summer event of course is our CLUB PICNIC which will be held at Colt State Park on August 31^st.  This is a rain or shine event. The club will provide the hamburgers, hot dogs and rolls, and ask that those attending bring a dish to share. Club members are also welcome to invite friends or family members that you think may be interested in joining us in the fall for workshop.  This is a great opportunity for people to meet in an informal setting and to see first hand the fun and friendship that our club has to offer!!

 We are still out and about looking at fabrics and colors and patterns that might be agreeable to everyone for new “club colors”. Our goal is simply to create a look that defines us as “a club” a unit. Any suggestions can be brought to Ruth Kdonian, Stephanie Penchuk or myself.

 Well, I was determined to keep this short, so much for that idea!! I hope we see everyone at some point over the summer, if not we are back again in September for workshops. I would like to challenge everyone to bring at least one person to Fun night to introduce them to our club and the many benefits our activity has to offer. I would you remind you of what were mostly your objections/fears to coming that first time and challenge you to think ahead to how you might best conquer those fears and images.  REMEMBER: THIS IS NOT YOUR JUNIOR HIGH GYM CLASS!!

 Unfortunately, we have seen many of our neighboring clubs dwindle in numbers in recent times. Swinging Squares however has been very fortunate to see a rise in new dancers among us.  This is not simply a stroke of luck or being in the right place at the right time.  It is because our members have been actively recruiting new dancers and introducing people to the benefits of dance. After all, how did you get here?  

After dancing for a while, it’s easy to see why we love it! It’s not as easy to think back to what our fears were in the very beginning:

Square dancing is for “old people” –

In fact it has been proven that because of the mind-body connection required in square dance, dancers age much more slowly, both physically and mentally than non-dancers. Today’s square dancers are starting younger and younger and dancing into their later years.

Square dancers wear “funny clothes”

While many dancers choose to wear the more traditional “costume” of square dance, dancers today are invited to wear “normal” social attire. Fancy skirts and ties and hats are not required!

I’m not into that old fashioned country stuff

Much of the music we dance to today is modern in nature and many of the callers have adapted their style to include today’s top music artists.

I can’t afford any more costly activities

This couldn’t be further from the truth! An evening of square dance is far less expensive than even a night at the movies! Most workshops and dances are extremely affordable, with the average being well under $20.00 per couple for an evening at a dance, and workshops are even less! 

The fact of the matter is, someone will always have an excuse! The goal is to counter that excuse and follow up with “just give us a try” or “I know just how you feel, I did too!” then, give your personal experiences about how you started and why you continue to dance. Then and most importantly invite them to join you at FUN NIGHT!  You would probably be amazed to know that some people actually forget to invite guests!! Offer to drive them that first night, arrive with them so they don’t feel as though they are walking into a lion’s den alone. It’s all about putting them at ease….they are your guest!  

REMEMBER your attitude about square dancing speaks volumes! If you love what you do and aren’t afraid to show it, others will become interested! If you are hiding and just telling people “I’m busy with my wife/husband/friends that night” you might want to think about the future of square dance. As I mentioned earlier, clubs are dwindling in numbers and attendance at others is down. Now is the time to act and to share your hobby with enthusiasm and excitement! I for one never would have thought that I would have developed the friendships that I have through this or any hobby. I am forever thankful for my first “Fun night” and for the friendships and the people it has added to my life! For me, personally, it has been like an extension of my family and I couldn’t be happier!!  In order for any organization to stay active, or to grow we must continue to introduce new people into it.  I challenge each of you reading this……

See you in a square!!              Kat