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June 2011

2011-06-01T19:15:49-07:00

Happy Summer!

If it is not in your neighborhood yet, I hope you have had at least a day or two of hints of summer. Here in the Puget Sound area, we don’t usually count on summer being here until July 5.

The square dance year is drawing to a close. Many clubs have had their last dance of the season. Others are planning for their last dance. Many of those feature strawberry desserts or ice cream. Just because the dance season is over or your particular club has stopped dancing for the summer does not mean that there is no dancing.

Summer is the perfect time to dance to other callers or with other clubs that you aren’t able to dance with during the square dance season. It is also the perfect time to plan some dancing as you vacation in other parts of the state or country.

One of the first special dances of summer is the 60th Washington State Square & Folk Dance Festival, June 17 and 18. This year it is in Enumclaw, right at the foot of Mt. Rainier. The square and round dancing will feature our state’s callers and cuers. Come support your own caller and cuer. Come dance to callers and cuers from across the state. You should find information elsewhere in this magazine.

Circle 8 Ranch is one of our state’s great dance resources. There are dances every weekend all summer long, either Mainstream, Plus, Rounds, or Clogging. Occasionally there is a whole week of dancing. If you are a camper, either with an RV or a tent, there are plenty of spaces in the fresh mountain air. If you are not a camper, there are a few cabins or it is just a short drive to Cle Elum and a comfy motel room. For those of you in the Seattle area, it is just a short drive east on I-90 to the Ranch. Larry and I sometimes drive up for a Saturday night dance and then home to our own bed. It is a great opportunity to dance to callers that you might not have a chance to dance to otherwise. And you get to meet and dance with new friends from around the state. Check out the Circle 8 Ranch ad in this magazine or their website for this summer’s schedule. http://www.circle8ranch.net/

One of the weekends at Circle 8 this summer is the 42nd Annual Leadership Seminar, July 8-10. This weekend is for any square dancer. You don’t have to be a club officer or even interested in being a club officer. I (Susan) will be the emcee for the Friday night dance, which features all the callers in attendance. Saturday night features Steve Edlund from Canada, a caller you don’t want to miss. He will also be giving a keynote address on Sunday morning. In addition to dancing in the evening, there are dance workshops, informative buzz sessions, and golf games, after parties, and of course, eating. There is more information in each Footnotes magazine along with a registration form. Come dance and have some fun!

There are many other special square dance events in the summer. Look for the ones in your council or the council next door. You can also find dances on the State Federation web site, http://www.squaredance-wa.org/, on the Events tab. Lots of special dances are listed there. I would be sure to call the contact number to verify dates and times. Sometimes the ads get copied from year to year so they don’t always reflect the current dates and times. While you are out dancing, don’t forget your new dancers. Invite them to go with you.

If there are not many dances in your area in the summer ask if your local callers association will host a dance or two. Or even your own caller. For example, in our own backyard, the Mt. Baker Teachers, Callers, & Cuers Association (MBTCCA) host Summertime Dances all summer. Dances start the first week in June and continue through the last week in August. These dances provide an opportunity for the new dancers in our council to keep dancing all summer. It gives them more floor time and builds their confidence and competence. When your new dancers are more confident they are more likely to show up at fall dances and become active members of your club. These dances are also a great opportunity for your inactive club members to come back and brush up before the fall dance season starts. The MBTCCA Summertime Dances are on a weekday night so that weekends free for other summer activities or special festival dances. The dress is casual.

Mt. Baker Council is lucky to have two summer dances during the week. The MBTCCA dances are in the south end of the council. In the north end the Mt. Baker Singles and Skagit Squares dance all summer too. There is something for everybody.

Don’t just share the information about the summer dances with your new dancers and club members. Invite your new dancers and other club members to come to the dances with you. It is important to set the example to keep dancing. Also when you go to a dance with someone else you become better acquainted. The saying is that “Square dancing is friendship set to music.” What better way to get to know each other than to go dancing together?

The bottom line is that even though your club might not be dancing in the summer there are still plenty of clubs who are dancing or there are plenty of special dances to go to. Just get out there and do it. Invite someone to go with you. Have fun! Keep dancing!

Also don’t forget to start talking to your non-square dancing friends, family, baristas, clerks, neighbors, and casual acquaintances about coming to lessons in the fall. The start of lessons is only a few short weeks away. Plan a get-acquainted dinner and party dance a couple of weeks before your lessons start. Have all you club members bring interested friends and family. Ask your caller to call a fun party dance to introduce your guests to square dancing. Start planning now!

It has been our pleasure to write this column this dance season. We look forward to seeing you in a square this summer or somewhere along the way.

“For one moment our lives met, our souls touched.” – Oscar Wilde

Happy dancing,
Susan and Larry

May 2011

2011-05-01T19:11:41-07:00

Happy May!!!

May always brings to mind spring flowers. As I write this, the trees are just beginning to burst into bloom. Spring is a beautiful time in Washington State. This month I would like to share some random thoughts.

Through the years there have been many conversations and numerous articles written about the image of square dancing. What do people think of when you mention square dancing? Pouffy skirts. Overalls. Fiddle music. Country bumpkins.

Many people in Square Dance Land work tirelessly to overcome this image of square dancing. Square dancers represent all walks of life. There are teachers, doctors, lawyers, businessmen, laborers, secretaries, nurses, young and old people, and everyone in between.

Square dance music producers work hard to have a variety of music available to callers. The range of music today includes the old fiddle tunes but also show tunes, the latest country songs, and current pop hits.

Yet the image of square dancing persists in the public eye. Sometimes I think that we are our own worst enemy. Last month, we talked about advertising and promotion. I mentioned the need to proofread your ads and fliers. When we issue ads or fliers or even club newsletters with misspelled words, we reinforce the country bumpkin image.

Here is a list of some of the most often misspelled words. Now what often happens is that we type the words correctly but then we use our spell check program. The spell check program flags them as misspelled because they are unique to Square Dance Land. You can add them to your spell check dictionary. Be sure you spell them correctly or you will perpetuate the problem.

Round dance leaders are cuers. One round dance leader is a cuer.

Our dance programs are Mainstream, Plus, Advanced and Challenge.

One of the professional organizations for square dance leaders is CALLERLAB.

The professional organization for round dance leaders is ROUNDALAB.

Also you need to pay attention to correct word usage. How many times have we seen fliers with their instead of there or your instead of you’re? Too many times to count, I think. If you are not sure which one to use spell it out. An example would be: “you are invited” rather than “your invited.” The second one (your) is the wrong word. Your spell check program won’t catch that it is the wrong word because it is spelled correctly. It just doesn’t say what you want it to.

Then there is that ever-pesky apostrophe. It is virtually never used to form a plural, and it is almost always used to form a possessive. For example, “LOT’s of fun” should be “LOTS of fun” and “the States 2011 Festival” should be “the State’s 2011 Festival.” (These examples are from the March Footnotes.) Be careful with the word its. With an apostrophe, the contraction it’s means “it is” or “it has.” The possessive pronoun never has an apostrophe, making its similar to his or hers in that respect. An apostrophe is legitimately used to form the plural only of a single lower case letter—as in mind your p’s and q’s—something rarely found in a dance article or flier.

Most of the names of our square dance clubs already end in an S. Where the name is considered a plural form, the possessive is created by appending the apostrophe to the end, as in “The Dancing Squares’ hoedown was a great success!” (See http://goo.gl/xDLb for more about the apostrophe.)

The challenge this month is to do your part to improve the image of square dancing in your corner of Square Dance Land. Proofread and proofread again before printing your ads, fliers, and newsletters. Now we are all human and make mistakes. Don’t beat yourself up; try to do better next time.

“When our spelling is perfect, it's invisible. But when it's flawed, it prompts strong negative associations.” – Marilyn vos Savant

Happy dancing,
Susan and Larry

PS. A little something for all you square dancers and gardeners out there…

How to Plant a Square Dance Garden
Author Unknown
First plant four rows of peas: Preparedness, Promptness, Perseverance, Politeness.
Next plant three rows of squash: Squash gossip, Squash criticism, Squash indifference.
Then plant four rows of lettuce: Let us be truthful, Let us be unselfish, Let us be loyal, Let us be thankful.
No garden is complete without turnips: Turn up to volunteer, Turn up with a smile, Turn up with determination.
Let's all get to work on our garden!

April 2011

2011-04-01T19:07:52-07:00

There is now a Marketing Manual from the CALLERLAB Marketing Committee. It can be downloaded for free at this site –
http://callerlabknowledge.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/CALLERLAB-Square-Dance-Marketing-Manual-V1-2b.pdf

Happy Easter!

I mentioned in previous articles that advertising was TOO BIG a topic to address in those particular columns. Advertising needs its own article or articles.

Let’s start by defining some of the terms that we throw around when we talk about sharing square dancing with the public and when we share information with other clubs in Square Dance Land. Since the majority of us are not marketing/advertising experts, we tend to use the different terms to mean the same thing. But they are different.

Marketing (noun): the business activity of presenting products or services to potential customers in such a way as to make them eager to buy. Wikipedia says in part that marketing is the process of performing market research, selling products or services to customers and promoting them via advertising to further enhance sales.

Advertising (noun): the promotion through public announcements in newspapers or on the radio, television, or Internet of something such as a service or event in order to attract or increase interest in it. Wikipedia says in part that advertising is a form of communication intended to persuade an audience to purchase or take some action upon products or services.

Promotion (noun): something designed to promote or advertise a product or organization; encouragement for the growth or development of something. Wikipedia says in part that promotion is the communication link between sellers and buyers for the purpose of influencing, informing, or persuading a potential buyer’s purchasing decision.

Publicity (noun): something such as advertising designed to increase public interest or awareness in something; information used to attract public attention. Wikipedia says in part publicity is the deliberate attempt to manage the public's perception of a subject.

Okay! As I see it, we have two very distinct groups that we are marketing to. The first group is within the square dance community, to other square dancers and other square dance clubs. We want them to come to our dances. The second group is the non-square dancing public, which we want to interest enough to come to square dance lessons. The first step for each is to come up with a Marketing Plan. Let’s look at them one at a time.

Marketing to and within Square Dance Land:
Marketing is the umbrella. It is the overall plan for letting everyone know what your club is doing and what a great club it is. One part of your plan is advertising. This is the physical part of the plan. This can be your club ad in your local square dance publication. It can also be the fliers that you take to your council or dancer association meetings. Another part of your plan should be promotion. This is the verbal communication part of your marketing plan. Promotion is announcing your club dances at other dances. It is also telling other dancers you meet about your club’s future dances. The final step is publicity. Publicity is what happens after the event. It is the word-of-mouth communication between dancers that attended your dance. Club A’s dance was so much fun! Don’t miss the next one! That’s good publicity. There can also be bad publicity. We went to Club B’s dance and no one from the club spoke to us.

How’s your club doing? Do you have a marketing plan that you have thought about? Or is it happening by accident?

From my observations through the years, where we, as a square dance community, frequently fail in marketing to other square dancers is with the advertising and promotion steps. With the advertising, ads are either not placed or some information is wrong, is missing, or is misspelled. Computers have made it easier to communicate. But in many cases, it is easier to perpetuate mistakes. Information from one ad or flier is cut and pasted to use in the next ad or flier. If careful attention is not paid to the details, the date of the dance can be wrong or the name of the caller can be wrong, if your club uses guest callers. With promotion, the same thing often happens. The club member making the announcements at a dance forgets to share the date or the time or the place or other special details. If you are in charge of the written advertising, proofread. And then proofread again. Or have someone else proofread it too. If you are tasked with making announcements make sure you have all the correct information. It is okay to have notes to refer to.

Advertising copy or the information on your fliers should closely follow what we learned in school about telling a story – Who, What, When, Where, Why, and in the case of square dancing, How Much. Announcements should cover the same points. The one thing that square dance clubs want is dancers to come to their dances. They want club members to attend and they want dancers from other clubs to attend too. If we are not giving them accurate information with our advertising and promotion efforts, it makes it hard.

Marketing to the Public:
Marketing to the public also begins with a marketing plan. It is the umbrella over all your advertising and promotion activities. For the public, though, you need to have more detailed specifics. Who are you going to be marketing to? Everybody? To a specific age group? Is it going to be to the 20-30 year olds? Or is it going to be to the 45-60 year olds?

If your advertising (remember this is the physical part) is the reader board in front of your hall, then you are limited to a few words giving the What (square dancing) and the When (day and time). This advertising is obviously for everyone who passes by your hall in the course of his or her day. Some will come and some will pass by.

If you want to target a specific group, then you will need to focus your advertising to appeal to that group. If you want more 60+ year olds, I would suggest advertising in the local paper, or your company newsletter, or an announcement in the church bulletin. If you want more 30+ year olds, I would suggest advertising in the local online newspaper, or on social networking sites. In addition to placing your ads specific places to appeal to specific groups, you need to use words that will catch their attention so they read on. Brainstorm about what those might be.

Promotion (this is the verbal communication part) to the public happens every time we tell our friends about how much fun square dancing is. Are we sharing the fun and benefits or are we sharing the challenges? It is also participating in community events. Is there a local fair your club can participate in?

Publicity is the result of your promotion. If you danced at the local County Fair, you were promoting square dancing. Having that noted in the local newspaper is the publicity that results from your participation.

I am by no means an expert on marketing or advertising. But I have read some articles and books. I would encourage you to do the same. There are some excellent ones out there. I certainly know what works when I am deciding to go to this dance or that dance. I also know what makes me cringe when I see ads or fliers with missing or wrong information or misspelled words. Or listen to announcements with incomplete information for the audience.

As I said at the beginning, this is a HUGE topic. I have barely touched the tip of the iceberg. My challenge to you this month is to talk about advertising and promotion in your club. Come up with a Marketing Plan. Don’t just do it blindly. Talk about the audience you want to reach.

"If you don't believe in your product, or if you're not consistent and regular in the way you promote it, the odds of succeeding go way down. The primary function of the marketing plan is to ensure that you have the resources and the wherewithal to do what it takes to make your product work."
– Jay Levinson

"Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising." – Mark Twain

Happy dancing,
Susan and Larry

March 2011

2011-03-01T19:02:42-08:00

Happy Spring!

Let’s talk about new dancers this month. As I write this mid-January, fall classes are busy making plans for graduation in the next few weeks. By the time you read this in early March most classes will have graduated. Those classes starting in January will be about half way through lessons. There is celebrating all around Square Dance Land as these new dancers join us!

Your New Dancer Class graduated, now what? Did they all join your club? Some? None? Why not? Are they attending your club dances? Are they visiting other clubs?

A few years ago at a CALLERLAB Convention, Jim Mayo, the first chairman of CALLERLAB and a long time caller from the New England area, shared the following information. When square dancing was in its heyday, the classes each Fall were large. Twenty to twenty-five squares of new dancers were not unusual. He kept statistics on his classes. Between the time the class graduated in mid-March or early April and the end of the dance season only half (50%) of the class kept dancing. Only half of that number returned the following fall. If he started with 200 new dancers (25 squares) one year, the following year he had 50 dancers returning to help with the next class or dance with the club.

The interesting thing that Jim shared was that his statistics today are the same. If his new dancer class has 20 new dancers in the fall, after graduation only half continue dancing until the end of the dance season. And half of them or 5 dancers are still dancing the following fall. The difference is the magnitude of the numbers. If 50 people are dancing the hall looks fuller than if 5 people are dancing.

Back to my questions – what are the answers for your club? Now is the time to start planning for next years New Dancer Class. Now is a good time to invite one or more of your new dancers over for dinner or dessert or coffee and ask them. How did they choose your class? Did they go to New Dancer Dances? Did they join your club? Are they dancing now? Are they planning to continue dancing next year? If the answer is ‘no’ to any of the last four questions, find out why. Be open to hearing what they have to say.

Let’s look at these topics one at a time:
Where do New Dancers come from: This shows the effectiveness of your advertising or promotion. Did they come at the invitation of a friend? Did they see a flier or an ad in your newspaper? Did they see your club dancing and having fun with each other at a demonstration dance or local parade? Or even at an after-party at the local diner?

New Dancer Dances: Clubs need to get together to plan these. In recent years, too often there are either 2 or 3 New Dancer Dances on the same night/weekend or there are no New Dancer Dances. It is feast or famine. We encourage the new dancers to go to dances to practice their skills, to meet other new dancers, to dance to other callers. We had better actually have dances for them to go to. Numerous times I have had new dancers come ask where the dance is this weekend only to tell them the next New Dancer Dance is in two or three weeks. Or I have to tell them that it is a regular club dance this weekend and they can’t come yet. They don’t want to wait. One reason to have New Dancer Dances every week is to get the new dancers in the habit of dancing regularly.

Many new dancers have shared that they don’t feel confident going to other dances. Square dancing is one of those activities that you have to practice in order to get better, to build your confidence. If your new dancers don’t feel confident going by themselves to other dances, go with them. Make it an impromptu club caravan.

If your club has a Club Caller, talk to him/her about inviting your new dancers to attend your club dances beginning half way through the lessons. I’m talking about dancing the whole dance, not alternating tips with new dancer tips and club level tips. Possible benefits – bigger dances, more confident new dancers, new dancers and club members knowing each other better, and stronger club dancers.

I have a revolutionary idea! How about all the clubs in your council or geographic area, if councils overlap, agreeing that all club dances after Week 10 are student level dances? You just won’t announce them as student level dances. New dancers and club members can dance together. It eliminates the “them and us” differences. Your club is likely to be visiting those clubs anyway. Go together! It will give the new dancers more dance opportunities.

Will your club members miss dancing Dixie Style to an Ocean Wave or Spin Chain Thru for three or four club dances? I don’t think they will notice. They will probably be relieved that they don’t have to remember how to do those calls. Will your Club Caller and/or Guest Caller have to work harder to not use Recycle and Scoot Back for a few dances? Yes! Are they up to it? I say yes! If they say no, give me a call. A few of my caller friends and I would be glad to help you out. If you have Guest Callers and want to try this idea out, please let them know before they get to your dance so they have time to prepare their program.

Club membership: One goal of having New Dancer Classes is that they join the club. Once the new dancers join your club you need to keep nourishing that relationship and make them feel welcome. Many of us, who have been around a long time, fall into conversations that draw upon that history leaving our new friends out of the conversation.

Remove any barriers to having dancers join your club.
There are many levels of club participation. Help your new members find one that works for them. There are also many clubs to join. If the night when your club dances is not going to work for your new dancer, help them find a club dance night that will work. Don’t be mad that they are not joining your club. Be happy that they are square dancing!

Dancing now and into the future: This is closely tied to club membership. New dancers that join a club, I believe, dance more and for a longer time. If you haven’t seen one of your new dancers for awhile invite them to go to the next dance or visitation with you. Dinner plans before a dance or a plan to carpool may be just the incentive to get them out dancing.

Don’t forget, some people take square dance classes to try it out. They come and then they are gone. Next year they go try something else. We need to be kind. Have fun with them while they are here and then let them go. If they enjoy their time in Square Dance Land, I’m convinced that they will come back someday. Even if they don’t, they will have good memories of their time here and will speak positively about square dancing.

The challenge this month is to talk to your new dancers. Find out how they got here; what is working for them; what is hard. Invite them to join your club. Welcome them. Nurture them along so we can dance together for many years. Start planning now for your next New Dancer Class. Take what you have learned to make some changes.

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” – George Bernard Shaw

Happy dancing,
Susan and Larry

February 2011

2011-02-01T18:56:47-08:00

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Let’s tackle the subject of money. Larry and I have been dancing long enough to see the door price creep up at most dances. Likewise, the cost of music, the cost of dues and the cost of license fees have increased. All these costs have increased but they have not kept pace with inflation or the increases we see other places in our lives. Why not?

The first night of one class the club president was bemoaning the shortage of new dancers. One brand new dancer overheard and commented, “Maybe there aren’t more people here because you are not charging enough.” Wow! What an idea!

Many conversations at dances, in club and council meetings, in the parking lot and even in online imply that the square dance world needs to keep prices low or people won’t come. Guess what? People aren’t coming with low prices.

A friend of mine who does not square dance but has experience in the entertainment field said she would expect to pay at least $10/hour for square dance lessons. For a 2-hour lesson, she would be perfectly happy to pay at least $20/night. She also said that she would expect 75-80% of that fee to go to the teacher/caller. Double wow!

Years ago, working on fundraising at my children’s school, I learned the axiom, “it takes money to make money.” It is not so different in Square Dance Land. A hall has to be rented, a caller and cuer hired, and advertising paid for before a dance or lessons can happen. Before the dancers come to dance and have a good time.

Most clubs dance in granges or community clubs. Some dance in senior centers or schools. How much are you paying in rent? Has your rent gone up every year? Why not? I was president of club (now folded) 13 years ago. Recently, I rented the same hall for a private square dance party. The rent was the same because we were square dancing. I’m sure that in 13 years the hall’s expenses (taxes, utilities, and insurance) have increased. A different hall manager shared that keeping his hall open cost $3000 a month, for taxes, utilities, insurance, and a nominal salary for a hall manager. That is not extra money for major maintenance projects like painting, new carpet, roof replacement, or floor refinishing. The extra money comes from keeping the hall rented as much as possible.

Hall managers talk with each other. They like square dancers because we don’t have keg parties and spill beer all over the hardwood floors. However, they don’t like square dancers because we rarely pay our fair share of hall expenses and upkeep. At one hall a private party will pay $55 per hour for a Friday or Saturday night. Is your club currently paying $165 to rent the hall for your Friday or Saturday night dance? Or is your hall rent less than half that amount?

Callers are the professionals in this square dance activity. Some callers regularly attend CALLERLAB conventions to refresh their calling skills and enthusiasm, and to network with callers from around the world. Many attend Caller Colleges every few years. Callers’ expenses include maintaining and updating calling equipment, annual dues and license fees, new music, clothes, education and travel

Teaching new people and calling a dance are labors of love for most callers. Are we being responsible stewards of the square dance activity to expect a caller to work for free time after time, or to pay callers the same fee for lessons or dances that we did 25 or 30 years ago?

Advertising is important to do and to continue doing. Advertising is a topic to be tackled all on its own.

So where do we get our money to hold dances and new dancer classes? From dance fees, lesson fees, club dues and maybe a fundraiser or two. What are your club dues? Council dues? State Federation dues? Have they been increased a nominal amount every year? What are your fees for lessons? Have they increased every year or two? How about your dance fees?

Lessons are the ‘loss leader’ of our square dance business. New dancer classes are what get new people in to club level dancing. What gets people in the door is sharing how much we enjoy this activity and the benefits we receive.

Dance, almost any type, is very popular right now due in large part to shows like Dancing With The Stars. The Happy Hoppers in Marysville sponsor their lessons with the Marysville Park Department. This year in their brochure square dance lessons were listed on the same page with ballroom dancing, salsa dancing, and belly dancing. Here’s how square dancing compares with other dance forms: salsa dance, $45 for 4 one-hour classes, ballroom dance, $59 for 6 one-hour classes; belly dance, $54 for 6 one-hour classes, square dance, $50 for 10 two-hour classes. Would you like the dollar per hour translation? Salsa dance is $11.25/hour. Ballroom dance is $9.83/hour. Belly dance is $9/hour. Square dance is $2.50/hour. Who values their activity?

As I have been writing this month’s article, the thought that keeps coming to mind is the old question, “is the glass half full or half empty?” I think that most of Square Dance Land has been operating with the attitude that the “glass is half empty.” As a result we have become miserly. “We can’t charge any more than this. People won’t come.” “We can’t pay any more than we are already.” I bet that if we would change our attitude to one of plenty, “our glass is half full,” things would change.

My challenge to you this month is to ask for more money and then pay more money. I know that the discrepancy between what we are paying/charging and what we should be paying/charging is too great to make the jump all at once. But little increases can make all the difference in the world. Start now and pay $10 more a night for hall rent. Surprise your landlord! Next fall increase your rent again.

You say you are not sure where the extra $10 will come from. Raise your door fee $1 or $2 a person. Yes, even for club members. While you are at it pay your caller and cuer more too, especially if you have not raised either their lesson or dance fee in the last two years. Or this year give them a bonus at the end of the dance season and raise their fees next year.

We can’t forget our square dance friends on fixed incomes. We want to keep them dancing as long as possible. Let’s get creative. We need to talk as clubs and councils and as dancers and callers to figure this out. We’re smart! We can do it together!

“Teamwork - the more you share and the harder you work together, the more you can achieve.”

Happy dancing,
Susan and Larry

January 2011

2011-01-01T18:52:30-08:00

Happy New Year to one and all!

Last month I wrote about the need for New Callers and about Guest vs. Club Callers. I went so far as to suggest that New Callers should take the initiative to start a new club of their own. I’m sure that many of you in established clubs, whether your clubs are struggling to survive or not, are still sputtering.

When dancers get together after the dance is over or in meetings, we start talking about the issues our clubs face: hiring callers, getting new dancers, increasing attendance at dances, getting club members involved, to name just a few. The issues are universal. Frequently people are very passionate about their point of view or frame of reference. It’s good to be passionate about an activity that you love. It is also good to pause and consider another point of view or frame of reference. If we listen to what others are saying, there might be an idea to add to what you are already doing that makes square dancing more fun for your club or results in more dancers, in class or at dances.

Below are some thoughts that have been shared in numerous conversations over the years along with some questions to ponder and discuss with your club members. After thinking about it and discussing alternatives, you might decide to continue along the same path or you might decide to try something new. The benefit is in the discussion and making a decision rather than going along on autopilot—“because that’s the way we’ve always done it.”

Many clubs feel that Guest Callers will bring more dancers to their club’s dances. This feeling is especially true if the number of guests (non-club members) has been declining. With a Guest Caller, attendance may go up initially. Points to ponder: Are the number of guests holding steady or increasing every dance with Guest Callers year after year? Or visit after visit by the same Guest Caller? Is the number of guests up at every dance? Are the majority of your club members at every dance? If not, why aren’t club members attending club dances? Are club members/leadership getting tired from the time and energy needed to host a Guest Caller every dance?

Club Callers provide an ongoing presence in a club. They are the ones who are there year after year as dancers come and go and as club leadership changes each year. There is comfort and stability being in a long-term relationship. The danger is that it can also become boring. Points to ponder (callers especially): Is your program/music the same this year as it was last year? Have you added anything new (figures, music, gimmicks, teaching methods, or even outfits)? Are club members commenting to you (the Club Caller) or to each other that they would like something new or different?

The most important thing that a club does is host New Dancer Classes every year. Without new dancers, clubs face a bigger challenge to survive, and there will be no new callers or cuers in the future. The Club Caller usually teaches the new dancer classes, or if the club uses Guest Callers for their dances, they hire a Teacher Caller to teach their classes. The Club Caller and Teacher Caller are there every week to establish relationships with the new dancers. New dancers often have a strong loyalty to the caller that taught them to dance. Club Callers can unobtrusively continue lessons by featuring some of the calls at the end of the teaching list in workshop tips, thereby increasing new dancer confidence. Club Callers can also identify, encourage, and mentor new callers. Points to ponder: Are you having New Dancer Classes each year? Do your new dancers join the Club? Do they participate in Club activities? Has anyone indicated an interest in calling/cueing that needs encouragement?

Now the club has a responsibility too, for attendance at dances and relationships with guests, club members and the new dancers. The caller, whether Guest or Club, is not the only one in charge of making sure that guests and club members are having fun and want to come to dances. Points to ponder: Is your club a friendly place to be? Are your club members friends with each other? Do you have activities outside of square dancing that you do together? Has everyone in your club found a place and way to participate and contribute? If you are a club leader, have you encouraged participation by all members at the level they are comfortable? Are your new dancers included in club activities from the first week of class?

As in any life situation, there are two sides. Both have their supporters and protestors. Think coins—there are heads and tails. Both sides are valid. The challenge is to think and talk about it. Talk with each other. Talk with your club members. Talk with your caller. If your club has had Guest Callers for a number of years, it may be time to have a Club Caller for a few years. Or vice versa. A change, even for a short while, may rejuvenate enthusiasm in your club and by extension in square dancing. Be kind and keep talking to each other!

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." ---- Margaret Mead

Happy dancing,
Susan and Larry

December 2010

2010-12-01T18:47:39-08:00

Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!

This month’s topic is the need for new callers (and cuers) and Guest vs. Club Caller.

If you get any group of dancers, who have been dancing awhile, together with a caller or two the topic of new callers will eventually come up. I get asked the question more often than I used to; are you working with any new callers (cuers)? Or do you know of any new callers (cuers) in the area? My answer for the area I most often call in is NO. The next question should be, why? Why aren’t there dancers interested in learning to call or cue? Maybe there are but we, as callers and cuers, haven’t figured out a good way to identify them.

The way I was recruited into calling was by expressing an interest in the choreography. A square dance friend, who had been to Callers College, gently but firmly twisted my arm to give calling a try. I just had to do it once as a favor to him. Well, one time led to one more time and one more time after that. I found that I enjoyed it. And I liked the challenge of learning something new and working toward mastering it. Maybe enough of us don’t have the firmly part of this equation down. It is actually much like the ploy many people use to get their partners to that first square dance class, isn’t it? “You just have to try it once, honey. Just one time for me, ple-e-ease.”

Some of the objections to learning to call I have heard from dancers are – where would I call, all the clubs in my area use guest callers. Or where would I be able to practice, my club has only guest callers. Which leads right into the second topic. If you were at Leadership Seminar this summer, Daryl Clendenin spoke on this very topic. He talked at length about why every club should have their own caller and every caller should have a club. They should be synonymous with each other. The club caller calls all your club dances, teaches the lessons, goes on club caravans, and attends club meetings for important discussions. You can read the transcript of Daryl’s speech in the Leadership Seminar Proceedings Book that will be available to those who attended.

At one of the very first classes I attended, the New Callers were made very aware of “Correct Caller Protocol.” When you are a Guest Caller, you are not required to give any other caller in the hall that evening a turn on the microphone. In fact, I have heard that some clubs include that in the Guest Caller contract – “Thou shalt not share the stage with any other caller.” As a Guest Caller, most likely from out of the local area, you want to make a good impression so the club asks you back or so a visiting dancer from another club might ask you to come call for their club. Sharing the stage with a caller you might not know is a gamble that Guest Callers aren’t willing to take in most cases.

So by this rule, a New Caller will never get the opportunity to call a tip at a club with Guest Callers only. UNLESS: the local club hires him/her, the New Caller, to call a whole dance. This is another of Daryl Clendenin’s points in his Leadership talk – give New Callers a chance. You can sing all you want in your living room to practice. But it is nothing like having real people to call to.

The other part of “Correct Caller Protocol” is that as a New Caller, you should NEVER bring your music into the hall until the Caller asks if you would like to call a tip. Several stories were shared with us about New Callers, in the past, who brought their record case in, set it on the edge of the stage and announced – Well, I’m here. What tip do you want me to call? Needless to say, they did not get a turn on stage that night.

On the other hand, Club Callers can help, nurture, and mentor New Callers. I was fortunate that Larry and I were able to angel at the Samena Squares lessons with Wayne Easton calling and teaching. I danced to him and watched him teach for a couple of years. Eventually, he asked me to call a tip at lessons to review the new calls from the previous week. A couple of years later, he would call me at work and ask me to teach the class because he couldn’t make it that night. I learned a lot from him just watching and dancing to his calling. But then I also gained more experience and confidence when I filled in for him. Thank you, Wayne!

New Callers are told at Callers College, to go home and start their own club. To get a bunch of friends together, teach them how to dance, and form a club. Maybe that is the answer after all. The way to recruit New Callers is to encourage interested dancers to give it a try and go form a new club.

I know all of you in existing clubs are sputtering – “But, but, but…our clubs are struggling to survive. How can you be suggesting that someone start a new club?” I am suggesting that. But more I’m suggesting that your club hire the New Caller in your area to call a complete dance. If you don’t have any New Callers in your area, start talking amongst yourselves to see if someone is interested and just needs a bit of encouragement. Or they need to know that their friends and club members are behind them and will be patient and encouraging and supportive. If you have a Youth Caller in your town, hire them.

I will hazard a guess that for every caller in your area over the age of 70, there should be one or two new callers learning the ropes, getting experience, and being mentored. If we go by Daryl’s suggestion that there be a caller for every club, many areas are behind already. Square dancing may indeed disappear. But it won’t be because there are no more dancers. It will be because there are no more callers.

So the challenge this month is to let someone know if you would like to give calling or cueing a try. Or encourage a dancer friend who has expressed an interest. I mostly talked about callers because that is my experience. But the square dance community needs new cuers too. Ask a caller or cuer in your area for some help getting started. They will be happy to help you.

“T'was the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.” - - - Clement Clark Moore

Enjoy a fabulous holiday season! Don’t forget to dance!

Happy dancing,
Susan and Larry

November 2010

2010-11-01T18:46:11-07:00

Please note that some addresses, phone numbers and websites listed below have changed from 2010! You can contact me for new information: susan@callersusan.com

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!!!

As we write this article square dance season is only just getting started around the state. The classes we teach will begin in a few days. There is excitement in the air, as everyone gets ready to help with lessons and dance at their club dances.

As you read this at the beginning of November, square dance classes and club dances will be in full swing. Have you been on a club caravan yet? Have you gone to a level dance with your new dancers?

With the start of November, our thoughts also turn to the holidays. Some of you have your Christmas shopping done. And some of you will be moaning and groaning that you haven’t started. Many clubs take this time of year to honor their caller and cuer with a gift. Remembrances and appreciations are always appreciated.

We have a gift idea for you to consider this year. How about giving a gift certificate to a business or organization that supports our square dance activity?

The organizations and businesses listed below provide necessary services to square dancers, callers, and cuers. In many instances they are only supported by square dancers. A gift certificate or item from one of these businesses will show appreciation to your caller/cuer and help a square dance business too.

CALLERLAB, The International Association of Square Dance Callers
200 SW 30th Street, Suite 104, Topeka, KS 66611
Phone: 785-783-3663
Email: CALLERLAB@aol.com or info@callerlab.org
Office Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday – Friday
Web site: www.callerlab.org
Gift certificates can be used for merchandise, membership dues or convention registration.
Gift certificates are offered in the following denominations: $25.00, $50.00, $75.00, $100.00 or more. If you would like to order a gift certificate for your caller, please send your request to Wade at the Home Office 800-331-2577 or Email: WadeCALLERLAB@aol.com. Both MasterCard and Visa are accepted.

ROUNDALAB
176 S Cole Rd, Boise ID 83709-0932
Phone: 877 Y I DANCE (877-943-2623) or 208-377-1232
Email: roundalab@roundalab.org
Office Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; Mountain Time; Monday – Friday
Web site: http://www.roundalab.org
Payment in U.S. Dollars must accompany order for non-online orders. Check or Money Orders payable to ROUNDALAB. We also accept Visa, MasterCard and Discover credit cards.

PALOMINO RECORDS
2818 Highway 44 East, Shepherdsville, Kentucky 40165
502-543-1521
Email: Music@Dosado.com
Office Hours: 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Eastern Time, Tuesday – Friday
Web site: www.Dosado.com
Our gift certificates are available in any amount and will be personalized for each occasion as appropriate. Simply send us the details you wish to include in the text of the certificate in the SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS box of the online Checkout Form.

A&S RECORD SHOP (an independent record dealer and square dance caller)**
P.O. Box 6777, Warner Robins, GA 31095
Phone & Fax: 478-922-7510
Bob & Marie Shiver
Email: bob@asrecords.com
Web site: www.asrecords.com/
Bob will gladly make a gift certificate with a personal message from you or your club.

**Or your caller/cuer may have their own favorite independent record shop where they purchase their music.

PETTICOAT JUNCTION LYNNWOOD DANCE SHOP
14523 Highway 99, Lynnwood, WA 98087
Seattle Area Phone: 425 743-9513
Toll Free: 800 344-3262
Dave & Bonnie Harry
Email: petticoatjct@juno.com
Web site: www.petticoatjct.com

AMERICAN SQUARE DANCE MAGAZINE
34 E Main Street, Apopka, FL 32703
Phone: 888-588-2362
Email: AmericanSquareDance@gmail.com
Web site: www.americansquaredance.com
Subscription rates: $27.50/12 issues, $50/24 issues
A national magazine featuring articles about square and round dancing around the US, challenging choreography, and record reviews to name just a few.

FOOTNOTES
PO Box 73193, Puyallup, WA 98373-0193
Phone: 253-445-4691
Email: footnotes_wa@yahoo.com
Subscription rate: $15.00/year
This is the magazine of the Washington State Square Dance Federation.

Don’t get us wrong; a gift card to the favorite local restaurant or coffee shop is always appreciated. A heartfelt thank you works too. We’re just suggesting that a gift and a way to help a square dance business at the same time might be a way to go this year.

If you are traveling over the holidays, safe travels. If you have time, look up a square dance in your destination city. It is fun to see how square dancing is the same yet different around the country.

Remember if you dance more you won’t feel guilty eating that second piece of pumpkin pie!

The quote for this month…

“We are not what we know but what we are willing to learn.”
---Mary Catherine Bateson

Happy dancing,
Susan and Larry

October 2010

2010-10-01T18:44:47-07:00

Happy October!

In less than two years, the Washington State Square and Folk Dance Federation will host the 61st National Square Dance Convention in Spokane. During the summer at Circle 8, the question was posed to a small group of callers: “What can or should we be doing today to make sure that our clubs are active and viable after the National Convention is over?” The suggestion was made that the callers take this question back to their callers associations then on to their clubs to generate some ideas. Some callers associations are more active than others. Many clubs in Washington do not have club callers so may not get the question asked of them. I am taking this opportunity to offer the question up for general discussion.

Many dancers throughout the state are quite excited that the State Federation is hosting this National Convention. Many have already volunteered for major committee responsibilities. Before the week of the convention, many more will need to volunteer to make it a successful convention. I have no doubt that the square dancers of Washington State will step up to share in the work to make it a successful convention. The question at hand is what happens afterwards, after the convention is over and we have all gone to Disneyland.

This is a concern because long time callers and dancers have seen clubs in other areas of the country fold as fallout from hosting a National Convention. There are stories of areas that supported 20 clubs and in the six months after hosting a National Convention 10 to 12 of those clubs had folded. To me that is an alarming number in a short amount of time. Losing even one club would be too many in some areas of our state.

Now, years after the fact, we don’t know the real reason why these clubs folded. We can only speculate. Was it because everyone went on vacation after the National Convention and forgot to come back to square dancing? After working on a National Convention committee for 3 or 4 years did the dancers tire of the politics and find something else to do? Did they work on a National Convention committee that was micro-managed and quit in frustration? Were the clubs not as strong as everyone one thought? Did a club decide not to have new dancer classes the year before and the year after the National Convention? I’m sure the reasons were numerous and we will never know them all.
Today, we need to pay attention to square dancing in our own state—our clubs, our dancers, our callers and our cuers. We need to be proactive to prevent dancer and club loss. We have already begun to see some impact from the 2012 National Convention at the local club and council level.

Beginning with the 2009 election cycle for officers for the 2009-2010 dance season, some dancers declined to hold club and council positions because of their responsibilities for the 2012 National Convention. When asked, they were quite frank that they were not interested in holding an office until after the National Convention is over, which means the 2013-2014 dance season.

One benefit of this might be that it gives those dancers who would normally be reluctant to volunteer for office the opportunity to say yes. It might develop new leaders in our square dance world. Many clubs and councils were already struggling to find willing volunteers to hold offices and be club leaders.

The challenge is to prevent any loss of dancers or clubs after the National Convention is over. We will naturally have some attrition as dancers age or develop health issues. What we don’t want to happen is to lose dancers or whole clubs because they were worn out from their committee work. Or they grew weary of club politics.

Be proactive! Start the discussion now! What do you need to do for yourself to balance work life, home life, and square dancing and square dance commitments? What does your club/council need to do to keep the social support and friendships in place and growing while doing extra work on National Convention Committees? What does your club/council need to do to support and encourage new dancers to keep dancing without being overwhelmed by club, council or bigger commitments?

Let me know what ideas you and your club come up with and I will share them in a future column in Footnotes. My email address is below.

The quote for this month…

"Either we are going to die together,
or we are going to learn to live together.
And if we are going to live together,
we have to talk."
--Eleanor Roosevelt

Happy dancing,
Susan and Larry

September 2010

2010-09-01T13:10:05-07:00

Happy New Year! Welcome to the 2010-2011 dance season!

Before I begin, let me introduce myself. I am Susan Morris, the new Square Dance Editor for Footnotes. My husband, Larry, and I live and dance in the Greater Seattle area, specifically, on the Eastside. I have often told new acquaintances that we dance from Vancouver (WA) to Vancouver (BC). You can most often find us at a dance in Mt. Baker Council. Though we do show up other places from time to time.

I began calling in 1997, studying with Bill Metz, locally, and attending Cascade Callers School with Daryl Clendenin and Jerry Junck in 1998. I have attended two other Callers Schools. I attend the annual CALLERLAB Convention as often as I can. Currently, I teach for the Happy Hoppers (Marysville) and Samena Squares (Kirkland).

I've always thought that September was a better time for a new year to begin than January. After all there are lots of beginnings in September...kids go back to school...a new season, Fall, begins...there are new shows on TV. And in Square Dance Land we start a new dance season.

Many clubs take the summer off from hosting club dances. Dancers have the opportunity to dance at festivals and special weekends around the state and to different callers at Circle 8. September means that our club dances begin again. Since this is the start of the dance season let's take a few minutes to review a couple of things that occasionally we forget about. Or we take for granted that they are happening.

Are guests and club members greeted at your club's dances?

Is there a designated couple to greet guests as they arrive?

Do you take turns doing this?

Does the Club Treasurer greet guests while taking their donation and helping them get signed in?

Some clubs take greeting their guests very seriously. There are always one or two friendly faces and a welcoming hug to greet you as you arrive. Unfortunately in some clubs this is not happening. We have all seen or experienced the Greeter or Club Treasurer, who continues the conversation they are in the middle of while automatically taking our money and handing us a pen to sign in with. A hand comes out for the money and there is little to no personal contact. Does anybody know you are there? If this happens to you are you likely to come back to this club, soon or often?

We also need to make every effort to say good-bye to these same guests. This gets a bit trickier because everyone else may be dancing. It would be nice if everyone stayed until the end of the dance and we could have one big group thank you and good-bye. Then one or two couples from the hosting club could be by the door to give more personal good-byes as guests leave and the rest of the club cleans up. I think it is a fact of life that there will always be staggered arrivals and leavings. The point is to make every effort to greet your guests warmly and then thank them at the end of the evening as you say good-bye.

Now I've talked about the beginning and end of the dance but what about the middle. You (that is all of you) need to be talking to these same guests in between squares and rounds. They are like guests in your home. You wouldn't invite 24 people to dinner and not talk to them. Maybe you aren't comfortable talking to people you don't know. Well, the truth is they might not be comfortable either. Good conversation starters if you don't know someone are the weather, the traffic getting to the dance, or any sports team that is playing that month. Or you can always talk about the Caller - “Can you believe our caller, fill in the blank, finally got a new patter record. I liked it. Did you?”

We've been talking about paying attention to how our clubs welcome and take care of our guests at dances. I would like to make a suggestion that we also keep the kitchen open until the end of the dance. It helps our guests feel more like we want them there and want to make them comfortable and not so much that we are anxious to have them leave.

The start of our square dance season also sees the start of lessons. We need to be as welcoming to them as we are our guests at dances. Make plans now to include them in your clubs activities this fall. Set a good example, jump up when the music starts and invite them to join you in a square.

I want to mention just one more thing this month. Several dancers have asked me how to get people to be more gentle with handholds. I suggested that they talk to their caller so that he/she could mention it at the start of a dance or at lessons. I decided to mention it here so that everyone can be aware. There are several members of our dance community who have arthritis in their hands so it can be quite painful to dance with someone who squeezes tight or holds on too long. Actually it can hurt even if you don't have arthritis. One result of tight grips or holding on too long is that someone could get hurt. It could even be you. Another result could be that even though you are a really nice person and you did remember to use your deodorant, no one will square up with you or your square is always the last one filled. If you are not sure of the correct handhold, ask your caller. They will be glad to help you figure it out. If there is someone in your club who holds on too tight and doesn't know their own strength, talk to them. Or ask your caller to talk to them. No one means to be hurtful. They might just not know their own strength and that they are hurting other people.

A quotable quote for this month...

“Do more than belong: participate.
Do more than care: help.
Do more than believe: practice.
Do more than be fair: be kind.
Do more than forgive: forget.
Do more than dream: work.”
—William Arthur Ward

And don't forget to DANCE! Make it a great start to your club's 2010- 2011 dance season!

Until next time...

Happy dancing,
Susan