Updated: July 19, 2010

Federation Newsletter - July 2010

The Ontario Federation is the all-volunteer coordinating body for Square, Round, Clog, and Line Dancing in Ontario. The Federation is governed by a Board of Directors made up of representatives from Ontario Associations and members at large from Northern Ontario Clubs. The Federation is incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation in the Province of Ontario.

A.      President’s Message 

    It has been a busy year on Federation. We have given our support to Ottawa's bid for the 2014 Canadian National convention. We have reviewed and approved a Trillium Merit Award for John & Roberta Wigglesworth with several more to be reviewed in August.

We are in the process of ordering 50,000 book marks for promotional purposes with 200 to be sent to each club in September. We will be handing out some 20,000 at the International Ploughing Match in St Thomas in September.

Our numbers continue to decline as the average age of our dancers continues to climb and more dancers retire. We need to reverse this trend and we are looking for new and innovative ideas to recruit new dancers.

Remember Federation membership includes liability insurance from Society. Benefits include liability insurance should you inadvertently cause an accident. Your club and club executive are also covered. More and more halls, churches and community centers are requiring proof of insurance before allowing dancers to rent the hall.

            We are heading to Halifax soon and hope to see many of you there. 

Peter & Bev Piazza

C.       BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP IN THE C S R D S AND OSRDF.

a.      CERTIFICATES OF RECOGNITION - Many are celebrating major anniversaries this coming year. Society has appropriate certificates available to honour these events. It is very easy to miss your event. Please help out by notifying us by Email or phone so that we can arrange a suitable presentation. Certificates are available in the following categories.

o        Clubs/Callers/Cuers/Associations/Federations-20 year and 5 year increments thereafter.

o        Couple Anniversaries- 50 years and 10 year increments thereafter.

b.      CALLER/CUER BURSARIES - It is never too early to investigate upcoming caller/cuer schools for new or established leaders. Some areas are holding schools this year. Watch our websites or publications for dates and locations.  Bursaries are available through both the Society and Federation. Applications and requirements are available on their websites.

i.         Society Bursary - Allow plenty of time to forward documents to Society. Mail application directly to president of Ontario Federation as soon as possible. Society bursary must be approved by Ontario Federation president and then forwarded to Society Director of Bursaries before June 15.

ii.       Federation Bursary - Allow plenty of time to forward documents to Federation. Mail application directly to president of your Association (example SWOSDA, EOSARDA, T&D,THE LAKEHEAD), or your club if there is no Association, as soon as possible. Federation bursary must be approved by Association president and then forwarded to Federation Director of Bursaries before September 15 2010.

Read the rules carefully. Follow instructions. Do not miss deadlines.

Good luck! Monies are available. Take the time to apply.

c.      OF COURSE THERE IS LIABILITY INSURANCE PROVIDED TO ALL MEMBERS.

d.      AGM MEETING AT FESTIVAL 2010 IN HALIFAX - If you are attending this convention the Society holds their Annual General Meeting on Friday morning.

There are some matters of concern to your Federation that are coming to a vote at this meeting and your support is requested to influence the outcome of this matter.

If you feel that you can attend and need more information, please feel free to contact ourselves or any member of the Federation Executive for clarification.

By Bonnie and Bill Taylor,  Ontario Directors to CSRDS, contact 519-472-0899 or paperhanger1667@go.com

D.      Working for you - Directors of Ontario Square and Round Dance Federation

 April 17, 2010 at Peterborough

Back Row – Peter Graham, Peter Courdin, Andy Himberg-Larsen, Nick Dahm, Dorothy Dahm, Middle Row – Karen Remy, Jean Ruest, Wayne Hall, Al Calhoun, Bev Piazza, Front Row – Bonnie Taylor, Bill Taylor, Yolande Gervais, Sharron Hall, Renia Calhoun, Peter Piazza, Missing - Sandy & Bea Ligate

E.      Meeting Summaries - Since the last newsletter the board of directors have the following meetings:

a.      April 17, 2010 at Peterborough

·         Amended Guidelines for Professional Development

·         Revised Trillium Award Guidelines

·         Noted decrease in membership.  Discussed possible methods of promotion

·         Reviewed Trillium nominations. John & Roberta Wrigglesworth approved for Trillium Merit Award presentation at Brock Convention. All others are to be recorded at the August meeting.

·         Approved Recruitment Grants to Grand Squares Elora for $200.00 the maximum available and  Sunshine Squares in Ottawa for the  amount submitted, $90.09

·         Received report on International Plowing Match  plans– Elgin Square & Round Dancers will be manning a booth in the Community Tent of the Plowing Match being held in Sept near St. Thomas. Several demos will be held, and promotional materials handed out at the booth. All associations will have the opportunity to provide information regarding their clubs.  Bookmarks are being provided by Federation for distribution – They will be generic with Federation information and the 800 number on the front and a place to personalize on the back. 20,000 would be allocated for distribution at the plowing match with 200 to be sent to each of the approximately 130 clubs in Federation.

·         Next meeting will be Halifax at the Convention

b.Annual General Meeting Held At Brock University St. Catharines On May 7 2010.

·         Although attendance was light all associations were represented.

·         The reserve for promotion is to be increased by an additional  $5,000.00 to cover the cost of bookmarks.

·         Allowance for callers & cuers bursaries is increased to $2,000.00.

·         Society Representative Bill Taylor reminded the group that certificates for anniversaries for callers, clubs & couples are available and they need to be notified of any that may be coming up. He confirmed that there is no planned Festival for 2012. No rate change is anticipated in Society fees.  Ontario needs to show up at AGM in Halifax to make their voice heard.

·         It was noted that suggestions for new innovative promotion ideas are welcomed as well as the need to share methods that work.

·         Articles are welcomed for the newsletter from all associations.

·         It was noted that the directory is now published on the web.

·         Yolande Gervais and Jean Ruest were appointed as Members at Large for year 2010-2011.

·         Al and Renia Calhoun, Bonnie and Bill Taylor, Peter Courdin, Karen Remy, Peter Graham, Jean Ruest, Yolande Gervais, Peter and Bev Piazza, Wayne and Sharron Hall, Nick & Dorothy Dahm, Sandy and Bea Ligate and Andy Himberg-Larson were nominated as Directors of the corporation with other nominations from the floor.

·          Next Annual General meeting will be held at Brock University on May 13, 2010 at 9.00 a.m.                                                          

F.      Coming up around the province and points beyond

·         The International Plowing Match is coming to Elgin County in September 21-25, 2010. Check it out at http://www.ipm2010.com/ . Come help us celebrate our vibrant rural past and experience the excitement of emerging opportunities for agriculture and our rural communities in Elgin-St.Thomas. Support your fellow square dancers.

·         The Dodge Rodeo Tour is stopping in Tweed Ontario this summer. Sunday, August 1 from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. a Square Dance will be part of the Rodeo events. This is not a demonstration, this is a good time Square Dance open to everyone in the park / at the rodeo and co-hosted by the Quinte Twirlers of Belleville with Wayne Whatman calling.

·         Summer Magic 2010 in Cornwall promises to be an exciting event Aug 27-29 with top callers and square and round dancing at all levels. Congratulations to all you people to registered before they filled up. You’ll have a great time.

·         Halifax National Festival 2010 - We hope to see many of you there renewing past acquaintances and making new friends. Plan on attending the Annual General Meeting to keep up with what is going on in the square dance community across the country and to make sure your voice is heard in decision making. Check out details at http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/culture/SRDFNS/Con2010/Welcome.html

G.     Congratulations to these worthy recipients of the 2010 Trillium Awards!

John & Roberta Wrigglesworth, 2010 Trillium Merit Award John and Roberta have danced for more than 30 years with John calling for 23 years. He called for the Milton Steamers until it closed and now calls for the Georgetown seniors as well as assisting other clubs with demonstrations and calling for other social groups to introduce them to square dancing. Even when they can’t dance they often attend dances to support others. They can always be counted upon to do more than their share to help any group with which they are affiliated to be productive and successful. They have acted as T& D Presidents, Convention Chairs and continue to work on the Convention Committee as vendor convenors. Fittingly John and Roberta received their award at Brock University at the 2010 Convention.

The remainder of the Trillium Awards will be announced after the August meeting.

H.      Ramblings from the Editor

During these last few months we have been fortunate enough to dance several times in each of the southern districts and have made a vow as Federation directors to visit the northern clubs in the coming dance season if at all possible.  We are always made to feel so welcome wherever we go.

·         Lift Lock Squares Spring Spree – Luckily the April Federation Meeting was scheduled for that weekend where we enjoyed dancing with friends old and new. 

·         T& D convention in Brock. Congratulations to the Committee for putting on such a great convention!

Here we witnessed the presentation of the well-deserved Wrigglesworth Trillium Award mentioned above.  It was a fun-packed weekend with a topnotch staff and a great group of dancers. A big highlight was meeting an enthusiastic youngster, Alyssa Welch from New York state, attending the convention with her grandmother Janet Edwards . The smile on her face and the swirl of her skirts pronounced her delight as she matched the skills of those around her in the plus hall.

Wouldn’t it be great to recruit an abundance of youngsters like this?  Any  suggestions?

·         The point of all this is that there are lots of opportunities like these for us to enjoy dancing with our many friends throughout the whole year throughout our province and beyond. We must not keep our great activity a secret. Spread the word of all the benefits of square dancing by example and word.  Our best advertisement is ourselves.

·         The Taylors shared a report of a Promotion Seminar by Instructor:  Lea Veronica of Boots and Slippers Club, located in Simi Valley, California, Owner of Open Squares publication.  Class co-ordinator and the spark plug of the club. It contained many excellent ideas and comments by the Promotion Committee of the Fraser Valley Square and Round Dance Association.  Contact us if you would like a look at it too.

I.        What are you, your district  or your club doing to promote dancing in Ontario? Please share success stories with us so we can spread the ideas around the province.

J.       We would welcome any ideas or suggestions of items you would like to see included in the Newsletter. Please contact Nick and Dorothy Dahm, dndahm@sympatico.ca or 519-842-9212 if you have anything to share for the betterment of dancing in Ontario.

Federation Newsletter - January 2010

The Ontario Federation is the all-volunteer coordinating body for Square, Round, Clog, and Line Dancing in Ontario. The Federation is governed by a Board of Directors made up of representatives from Ontario Associations and members at large from Northern Ontario Clubs. The Federation is incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation in the Province of Ontario.

A.       What does the Federation do for you?

• Provides a forum for Ontario associations to develop coordinated square and round dance promotional activities

• Administers the Trillium Award program to recognize outstanding contributions of Ontario dancers, callers and leaders through the Trillium Merit Award and the Trillium Long Service Award.

• Works with the Canadian Society in providing Directors and Officers Liability Insurance for clubs and organizations as well as third party liability protection insurance for individual and organization members.

• Provides Bursaries for caller, cuers, or leaders

• Provides Bursaries for club recruitment programs

• Provides a Leadership Grant Program to assist organizations in with caller/leader training courses.

• Publishes Information Sheets for guidance to clubs and dancers

• Represents Ontario square and round dancers outside the province

• Represents Ontario square and round dancers to government agencies

• Represents Ontario square dancers on the Canadian Square and Round Dance Board of Directors

B.      Meet the Folks Who Work for Ontario Square and Round Dance Federation

Peter Graham  Past-President/Membership        Director representing EOSARDA    Peter has been involved in square and round dancing since 1972. He served on the Executive for EOSARDA as Secretary and President. He was appointed to the Federation Board of Directors and has served in many positions - Secretary, Membership/Treasurer, Vice-President, and President. He is very appreciative of being given the Trillium Merit Award in 2003. (613)739-8941 E-mail:  grahampj@cyberus.ca 206-11 Pinhey St, Ottawa ON K1Y 1T3

Peter Courdin                         Treasurer representing EOSARDA Karen Remy                            Director representing EOSARDA   Peter & Karen, separately, started dancing in the 80’s with each immediately becoming heavily involved in the Square & Round Dance Movement. Widowed, they met in 1998 through dancing. They continue this tradition of serving in executive positions at the Club, EOSARDA, and OSRDF levels.  As well they chair EOSARDA dances and provide the refreshments.  Both are involved with Festival 2014. They actively recruit, angel, do demos and support new dancers. Giving back also extends to other Community volunteering. (613) 270-9371  E-mail:  petercourdin@rogers.com E-mail:  kremy@rogers.com 28 Goldora Private,Kanata, ON  K2T 1K7

Wayne and Sharron Hall             Vice Presidents /Legal                                                     Directors representing Toronto & District S & RD   Wayne & Sharron started dancing in 1971 in Hamilton Ontario and started calling in 1975. By 1976 they were calling for 3 Clubs and continue to lead the Rainbow Squares in Niagara Falls as well as the Swing & Whirl Square & Round Dance Club in St. Catharines ON. They have served on the T&D executive for many years including Secretary, Presidents and Chair couple for the Convention for 2 years and presently are serving as Secretary. As T&D Reps they have served on The Ontario Federation since 1999 in positions of Vice President and President.  Wayne has been a member of Callerlab since 1982 and a member of the Plus Committee. He calls one night parties, Basic to A1. Sharron cues Square Dance Rounds (Phase II). They received The Trillium Merit Award in 2004.  (905)641-1872               E-mail: whall3@cogeco.ca          8 Seven Oaks Circle, St. Catharines, ON L2P 3N6

Jean Ruest & Yolande Gervais                       Professional Development                                                                 Directors representing Northern Clubs   Both Jean and Yolande have their roots with traditional square dancing, both being introduced to the modern square dance movement in the early 90’s with Snowflake Squares.  Both were encouraged to work through the levels to A-1, A-2  by good friends & former directors, Lionel and Joy Rudd. Using teach tapes for Basic and Mainstream and some traditional calls, Jean brought a group of interest dancers up to the Plus Level in a club named Sudbury Northern Lights Club of which Yolande was also a member. Jean joined Federation as a director  representing Northern Clubs in 1998 with Yolande joining him in 2000. Jean - 705)522-2875    E-mail: jb.ruest@personainternet.com  1279 Nesbitt Dr, Sudbury, ON P3E 4E9  Yolande - E-mail:  y.gervais@sympatico.ca  1110-1250 Ramsay View Court, Sudbury ON P3E 2E7

Sandy and Bea Ligate                         Directors representing Lakehead District                 
 

Sandy and Bea started dancing in 1986 and have not stopped since.  Sandy started calling & teaching square dancing in 2000. They have been married for 44 years, have 2 children and 3 grandchildren.  They are not able to attend the meetings because of the distance involved but provide a voice for the Lakehead District through phone and email. 

No picture is available.

(807) 346-5672               E-mail:  bligate@shaw.ca           196 Vimy St. Thunder Bay, Ontario  P7G 1N3

Bonnie and Bill Taylor           Director to Canadian S & RD Society   Bill and Bonnie started square dancing in 1982.  Upon graduation they joined Circle T Squares in London and in 1984 also became members of the Swingin’ Wheels square dance camping club.  Over the years they have held a variety of positions, often more than once, on both executives.  In addition to belonging to several other clubs, they have held various offices on the London Forest City Festival Committee and in 1994 they co-chaired the International Square Dance Camporee in Ancaster.  Elected to the executive of SWOSDA in April 1994 they served in a variety of positions, including president. In March 1997 they were appointed to represent SWOSDA on the Ontario Federation and served terms as president and secretary. They are now serving as Ontario representatives on the Canadian Society. (519) 472-0899    E-mail: paperhanger1667@go.com      535 Proudfoot Lane #607., London ON N6H 5X2

C.       Meeting Summaries - Since the last newsletter the board of directors have held the following meetings:

Nov. 15, 2008 in London

• All Ontario Clubs will now be posted on the Federation web-site Directory to make it easier to determine where and when dancing takes place in each city without going through various links, which is time-consuming for those with dial-up.

• The total amount per applicant for Bursaries was increased from $300 to $400, taking into consideration the amount of bursaries received.

•  An update on EOSARDA’s Square Dance Week in Ottawa area was presented. While the week required a lot of work by the Callers and dancers, it was judged to be very successful, and plans are underway to repeat next year.

•  Dan and Rhetha Roy have been appointed as web-master. Membership Director.

April 5, 2009  in St. Catharines

• Notice was received of Tom Edward’s resignation from the board.  Peter Piazza to fill in until a new secretary was elected.

• Membership numbers are slightly down this year.

• Funds available for callers’ schools have been increased.

•  As new directors for PR and promotion Nick and Dorothy welcome all suggestions for possible methods of promotion.

• Each association is now responsible for issuing certificates for membership and insurance.

• Membership fees for 2010 will remain the same.

• EOSARDA received a grant for partial funding of their second Square and Round Dance Week in Ottawa.

• Sunshine Squares were the recipients of a recruitment bursary.

Annual General Meeting Held at Brock University St. Catharines on May 8, 2009

• Attendance was very light.  Come out next year to find out what is going on with your Federation and across the province.

•  A letter was presented from EOSARDA announcing that that they will be seeking a bid to host the 2014 Canadian National and will be looking for Federation support.

• Applicants for Professional Development bursaries were reminded that it is their responsibility to ensure that they meet Society’s and Federation Deadlines and guidelines. Society requires applicants to apply before taking courses.

• Next Annual General meeting will be held at Brock University on May 7, 2010 at 9.00 a.m.

August 15, 2009 at Kanata

·         The new procedure set out by Society for issuing membership/insurance certificates was discussed with costs to be recovered from Society for printing, mailing and any other direct costs.

·         Discussion on the proposal for Federation support of EOSARDA’s bid for the 2014 Canadian National  occurred.

·         Bill Taylor announced the Society Annual Meeting will be held in Winnipeg Sept. 19, 2009. Anyone can attend the meeting.

·         A new CD promoting Round Dancing was reviewed.  Samples will be purchased and distributed to associations.

·         New Roster on Board of Directors was presented.  See bios at the beginning of the newsletter.

·         Recipients for Trillium Awards were chosen. See attached information.

·         New Slate of officers is as follows:

Oct. 25, 2009 at London

·         Notification received confirming acceptance of EOSARDA’s bid for the 2014 National Convention in Ottawa

·         Request for bursary for professional development from Nick Dahm approved.

·         Promotional items, i.e. sample Static cling and DVD handed out to district/association representatives.

·         Next meeting to be at Brock in May 2010, Time and place to be determined.

        Reports from around the province

Forty eight clubs were represented with 412 attending the dancing that filled three different rooms – Basic/Mainstream, Plus/A1/A2 and Rounds. 290 people enjoyed the buffet style dinner prepared by Belmont Town Caterers.

At the conclusion of dinner, introductions and congratulations included representatives from The Toronto and District Square and Round Dance Association, Ontario Federation of Square and Round Dancers and the Canadian Society of Square and Round Dancers. Presentations were made to Lee and Sharon Cox for their long time dedication to

SWOSDA as “Bugle” editors. The many past presidents of SWOSDA and executive members were also recognized. Marie Thornton, who with her late husband Ron Thornton had started one of the original clubs, was in attendance and also congratulated SWOSDA members on their accomplishment. Another charter member Lillian Campbell was unable to attend but sent congratulations on behalf of herself and her late husband Earl.

We were then treated to a demonstration of exceptional dancing skills and the colourful costumes of the Black Light Dancers. It was disappointing to hear that this was their last performance.

Dancing resumed on three fronts culminating with final squares singing calls by the trio of Denny Howlett, Neva McVittie and Wayne Hall and the trio of Tom Charlton, Charlie McClure, and Jeff Priest. What a way to end the evening !

Where could so many people enjoy so much in one place at one time? This is what square and round dancing is all about and many of the dancers were both honoured and excited to be a part of it. Thanks to all those participated and came out to enjoy the festivities contributing to its huge success.

2. Summary of Report from EOSARDA concerning Square and Round Dance Week 2009 which took place from September 12 to 19^th.  The week kicked off on Saturday, September 12 with the Hospice Dance in Kemptville, put on by the Grenville  Gremlins, where almost $900.00 was raised for the Beth Donovan Hospice, a very worthwhile cause. On Sunday, September 13, demo dances were conducted at both Bayshore and St.  Laurent Shopping Malls.  As there was last year, there was a fair bit of public interest in the dancing. During the course of the week, most clubs in the region ran Club Open Houses, Chili Suppers etc. which were well attended. On Saturday, September 19 the week wrapped up with Taste of Dance II.  Taste of Dance involved registration in a possible three workshops, square dance, round dance and line dance.  While there was ample support from club members and the Board, the turnout of other dancers was, to say the least, very disappointing.  Although Square and Round Dance Week advertising was placed in Forever Young, A55 Plus, and the Ottawa Citizen public attendance at Taste of Dance would seem to indicate that the campaign was not effective this year.  But, while many people worked very hard to plan, organise and run events, the week failed to spark the kind of enthusiasm witnessed last year. It was also suggested that if we are serious about targeting a younger demographic we need to advertise in media aimed at a younger market and profiling the younger members of our movement.

3. We’d like to include here also reports of happenings and events in other districts around the province. See http://www.squaredance.on.ca/clubmap.html for map showing districts and associations.

E.        Congratulations to the worthy recipients of the 2009 Trillium Awards!

Stan & Carol Down, SWOSDA, 2009 Trillium Merit Award   Stan started dancing in the 60’s in Saskatchewan and was a caller there for many clubs across the province.  In Ontario they both became actively involved with their home clubs, taking their turn on the executives of School House Squares, Calico Cats and Round-A-Bouts as well as visiting other clubs and acting as angels with many new dancers.  Since 2002-3 they have been active on the SWOSDA executive, serving as vice-presidents, presidents and have become SWOSDA historians.  They took a turn as treasurer and registration with the Annual Trillium Spring Fling camping weekend. They held the positions of Publicity and Banner Parade Chairs for the 2008 London Festival (National Convention) and as such made terrific ambassadors for Square and Round Dancing. Through their boundless energy, great enthusiasm, and participation in innumerable demonstrations at fairs, TV Programmes, retirement homes etc.  Stan and Carol have inspired many dancers, including their own granddaughter, to take up square dancing.

Marilyn & Lionel Bond         SWOSDA  Trillium Long Service Award   Marilyn & Lionel have been involved in square dancing for over thirty years.  Lionel did some calling and cueing and Marilyn has been a cuer for over twenty years.  They are the only remaining active couple of the founding couples of C-112 and have served on various positions on the executive through the years.  They have been the chairpersons of the Ontario Camporee, serving on feasibility committees when the need arose to find new locations for the Camporee.  They have served as angels for many new dancers and continually encourage other dancers to participate in square and round dance activities and participation on committees and at the executive level. They provide a good role model for all the caring, social, friendly and fun aspects of square and round dancing throughout the province.

Do you have a worthy individual or couple you would like to nominate for an award.  Check out the Federation website http://www.squaredance.on.ca/trillium.html for guidelines and the application form or contact one of your Association or Federation directors for more information. Since applications must be approved by your Association before sending on to the Federation secretary by April 30, please check with your Association concerning their deadlines in order to deal with these appropriately.

F.       What are you, your district  or your club doing to promote dancing in Ontario?

Please let us know if you have a new or creative idea so we can share it with everyone.

Being visible in the community we feel is a very important factor.

 When making contact we have also found it most important to garner actual names, phone numbers and addresses for future contact.

The 1-800 number (actually 1-866-206-6696) established by the Society in April, 2003 has been successful in assisting those wanting to obtain information about New Dancer Dancing in their area.
Greater publicity of the number and the Society's website http://www.squaredance.on.ca/ will assist new as well as present dancers, Clubs and Associations to promote the availability of the number through their flyers, brochures as well as being remembered to tell friends.

Wearing or displaying items with your club logo or that promote square dancing attracts attention throughout the community as you go about your activities.

Your district/association representative on Federation also has received a sample copy of the DVD Learn Social Dancing courtesy of Ontario Federation of Square and Round Dancers.  We have been asked not to copy it however it is quite inexpensive. Its production was sponsored by the British Columbia Square and Round Dance Federation and the SunCoast Dancers of Powell River, BC, as an introduction to round dancing. Talk to your district representative to borrow it or you may wish to contact Paul & Ann Clements [paclements@shaw.ca] for more info.  To download your own copies of the order form check out http://www.squaredance.bc.ca/articals/letters/dvd-order-form.pdf.

Many of you have probably noticed the PARTICIPACTION ads on TV where stories are shared of how folks have included more movement in their life. We challenge dancers to share your story of how dancing has impacted your life and spread the word of what a great activity we have and the benefits gained from dancing.  We look forward to seeing your clip on TV or the internet. Look at http://www.participaction.com/en-us/Stories/ViewStories.aspx for more information. 

Let’s Spread the Word!

Swosda dancers use these buttons to promote Dancing

G.      We would welcome any ideas or suggestions of items you would like to see included in the Newsletter. Please contact Nick and Dorothy Dahm, dndahm@sympatico.ca or 519-842-9212 if you have anything to share for the betterment of dancing in Ontario.

Newsletter - September, 2008

The Convention 2008 was the best ever. Many emails have been received confirming Dan & Rhetha Roy’s often repeated phrase “It will be the best ever” and it was. The Executive did a wonderful job. Now we can reap the rewards. The Province hosting the convention can expect a much larger than usual interest from people expressing an interest in learning to square dance. Let’s be ready for this new influx of new dancing friends.

The Ontario Square & Round Dance Federation is willing to post special dances on the Federation website if we receive the information  - and the same also applies to the Canadian Square & Round Dance Society Web Site. Forward your information to info@squaredance.on.ca  for Ontario site and info@squaredance.ca for the Society site. This should help overcome the problem of conflicting special event dates.

SOCIETY REPORT ON MEMBERSHIP.

It is again time to renew your membership with the Federation and Canadian Square and Round Dance Society. As you know liability insurance protection is included with your membership.

Our present fee structure is $5.00 per Club, Association or organization and $2.00 per member dancer.

For the past years late renewals have resulted in a penalty premium for their acceptance under the Society policy. This premium affects the working capital which is necessary to fund our various programs. Therefore your Society may find it necessary to impose a penalty for acceptance of late renewals.

The Society deadline for membership renewals has been changed to December 15. This means that the Ontario Square and Round Dance Federation must receive renewals from Associations prior to October 31^st  so that the Federation can meet the Society deadline.

If all Clubs do their part to meet their Association deadline, there should be no problem or necessity to impose any penalties.

Bonnie and Bill Taylor. Ontario Directors to CSRDS

Please note the fees stated above are only for those paid to the Society. The Federation has a small additional fee of $1:00 per Club or dancer to pay its on-going expenses. Thus the total fee paid by all members of the Federation is $6:00 per Club and Association,, and $3:00 per dancer and Caller.

Society Award of Excellence was presented to Les Greenwood at the 2008 Convention

Les began square dancing in 1966 with the Exeter Promenaders and started calling in 1968. Over the years, he has called for many Clubs within the South Western Ontario Association (35 years with the Clinton Calico Cats, .27 years with the Sarnia Georgeanna Squares, and 20 years with the London Calico Cats)

Les enjoys working with new dancers, and hosts basic programs whenever there is an opportunity. He has called, cued and instructed in more places than we have space to list in this short brief. His devotion and dedication to the dancers of Ontario as well as the Canadian Square Dance community is the best. If it needed to be done, Les probably did it.  At Canadian Conventions Les and his busload were always present.

Les, known for his great sense of humour, always has a tale to tell.

In 1998, Les was presented with the Ontario Trillium award.

Congratulations on this Award of Excellence and thank you for your many years of service. 

Gary & Maureen Geldart, Canadian Square & Round Dance Society, Directors of Honours and Awards

Trillium Merit Awards

Peter and Bev Piazza, SWOSDA, Trillium Merit Award

Peter & Bev began square dancing in London in 1988.They joined Centennial Beavers where they have volunteered as angels and supported many club demonstrations. They have been Vice-president and President during 1995 to 1997.They joined Shiloh Buckles & Bows and again served as vice-president and president in 1999 to 2004. They produce a newsletter for C122, Central Wheeling Square and are part of a committee which arranges the Labour Day Campout at Port Glasgow. They joined SWOSDA in 1996 where they booked halls, served as Vice presidents, President, and interim treasurer. Peter researched, applied and obtained  incorporation of SWOSDA. Joined Ontario Federation in 2005 and are presently Vice=President.

Trillium Long Service Award

Bob and Hanna Logan, T/D

Bob and Hanna began dancing in 1974 and was President Couple of Royal City Squares 1983-1984 and 1986-1987 at a time when the club was desperate for volunteers and they stepped in to keep it going. They have given unwavering support and enthusiasm for the past 30 years, always greeting dancers with open arms and genuine joy. They continue to support new dancers EVERY YEAR and they seldom miss a class night. They exude confidence, enthusiasm and ‘class’ in everything they do. Bob also developed the history of Royal City Squares for their 30^th anniversary in 1992.

Jim and Maxine Powell, SWOSDA

Jim and Maxine began dancing in 1980 with the Swinging Eights in Sarnia. They later joined George Anna Squares and served as president of both clubs. They designed the club outfits for Swinging Eights as well as their banner. Over the years they have danced at many nursing and senior homes and participated in dance demonstrations in Sarnia. They served on SWOSDA executive for 4 years. They are presently treasurers of the new club Blue Water Square Dancers.