Single Trees' Sweetheart of a 61st Birthday Dance

 

What fun we had last night on Valentine's Day at our 61st Birthday Dance featuring caller, Shaun McKamey and cuer Christina Corelli.  They certainly were at the top of their game last night.  Shaun is an up and coming newer caller from Dallas, Oregon.  He and his wife drove quite a distance to call for us, but luckily the bad weather that came through on Thursday didn't last.  The roads were quite good, and we didn't even have rain to contend with.

We had 3 squares on the floor for mainstream but only one or two for plus.  Still for us lately that was a good turnout, but we couldn't have done it without our good friends to the south in Roseburg.  Three couples drove up I-5 to dance with us and add to the festivities.  We also had some of the folks from the Alliance clubs to the north join us to support their caller.  It was good to see them all and Christina had a full round dance floor as well which was good to see.

Here's a photo that Melba got of Shaun and his wife, Lila.

 

Melba, our president, and her sister Joy had decorated with lots of balloons  and hearts and had brought a big cake with ice cream which we gathered around to sing the birthday song to ring in another fun year.

 

If you missed Shaun's calling this time, he will be calling for us in June and next fall too.  I highly recommend his calling.  He gets everyone in new positions and allows plenty of time for dancers to complete the calls.  Please come join us next time you see he is on the schedule.

We have one more dance this month on the 28th with a new theme--Your Favorite Cartoon Character. Mark WheelEr will be down form Portland to call add Christina Corelli wlil cue once again.

We heard from our former cuer, Jackie Gale who moved with her husband Bill to Fernley, NV, to be near her brother.  They are settling and getting acquainted with the local club.  We all miss Jackie and her cueing.  We wish them well in their new venture.

 

My thanks to Melba for her photo of the two couples from the Buckeroos of Roseburg.

See you in a square soon,

Gaynor

Club Reporter

Mid-Winter Festival 2025

 I just wanted to say a little bit about the highlight of the square dancing winter for myself and many others here in the Northwest.

I was there at the Lin County Fairgrounds from Thursday evening for the Trails End Dance through Saturday night.  I did not go on Sunday as there was no advanced being offered and my legs and feet had had enough.

In times past we used to have loads of dancers from our home club up in Albany dancing, but this year not so many: Larry Reetz, Linda Neushwander were the first I saw, Joy Pitts was there with her niece, Janet, who called,  and Janet's fiance, John Olson, all of whom worked hard on the used clothing they submitted for sale on behalf of the hall,, Connie Seamans working for the EEAC, Chris Vanderlinde, who was in charge of the Trails End dance, Patrick Welborn and his wife Mika, there for the weekend of dancing, and me.  I heard that Janice Sugar was there both Friday and Saturday and Paul Hash and Diana Hodges came on Saturday.   Also Ross Isobel came with his friend Sharon.  So we had a good representation there but not like it used to be.  If I missed anyone my  aoologies.

It appears the numbers are on the rebound for MWF.  When I first started dancing in 1985, we had over 5,000 in attendance, but nowadays we are lucky to get 1,000 and  often far fewer than that especially since COVID.  But the halls were fuller than I have seen in recent years so I am hopeful we will hear that the festival made a good profit and money will be there to fund next year's event.  According to Connie Seamans who informed me last night Na. 27, only five or six more ribbons were sold than last year.  Well, at least we are holding ou own, but it would have been nice to see over 900-1000 dancers there.  Oh, well, maybe next year.

We had a lot of great callers and I believe people enjoyed the featured caller, Jaden Frigo, who was from Australia and has called all over the world.  We also got to dance to some of our favorite callers like Randy Dibble and Scott Zinser.  So much fun.

In February Single Trees will celebrate its 61st birthday on Feb. 14.  Please come dance to Shaun McKamey and Christina Corelli.  There will be birthday cake and ice cream too, I'm sure.  Plus starts at 7:30 followed by pre-rounds and then mainstream at 8. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gaynor Hintz

Club Reporter

Jan. 10, 2025 New Dancer Dance

We held our annual New Dancer dance on Jan. 10 this year with at least two couples and several singles refreshing their skills in attendance.  It was such a pleasure to see the two younger couples there enjoying themselves.  I wish more people had come out to support them, but we have had quite a few members out with physical injuries or under the weather for one reason or another.  My thanks to Nancy Gowins and her husband, members of our sister club Whirl-A-Ways, for staying to support the new dancers.  Nancy does a good job of recruitment herself and is tireless in her enthusiasm for our beloved activity.   She like so many wants to see our dances continue for  a long time into the future.

 

Bruce Lowther called and his wife Judy Russell cued the dance.  Bruce watched the floor carefully to make sure the newer dancers were able to keep up.    There were some break downs but people regrouped quickly enough and I could tell they were having a good time by seeing all the smiles on their faces.  If we had had a few more guys there we could have had three squares on the floor but unfortunately we simply did not have enough so some like me stepped in to do the guy's part and that of course can be confusing for new dancers.  Still as I said we had a good time and that is all we can ask for at times.

 

One of the newer dancers who has been refreshing her skills had her 40th birthday so her grandmother provided a beautiful birthday cake for her and all of us.   She was quite pleased.

Here are some photos I took during one tip when I wasn't dancing.

 

 

 

 Next month on February14 we will celebrate our 61st birthday with our "Sweetheart of a 61st Birthday Dance".  Shaun McKamey will be calling that night.  He is a newer, up-and-coming caller who has good timing, a great singing voice with lots of clarity.  You will really like him if you don't already.  On Feb. 28 Mark Wheeler will come down from the Portland area to call for us.  We all like Mark who has a very genial personality and always gets right into the theme of the dances.  This one will be "Your Favorite Cartoon Character".  Perhaps we'll see some Minnie or Mickey Mouses or Donald or Daisy Ducks.  Christina Corelli will be cueing both dances for us.  Christina also likes to get into the theme!  It should be fun.

 

We just learned that our long time cuer Jackie Gale who hasn't been able to join us all that often lately is going to move with her husband Bill to Nevada to be closer t family.  We will miss you so much, Jackie and Bill!  We wish you every success in your new home.  Nevada's gain, our loss, for sure.

 

Hope to see all of you dancers at Mid-Winter.  Our club like others will go dark that weekend.

 

Gaynor Hintz

Club Reporter and Web Master

 

In December Single Trees only had only one dance on Dec. 20, our last third Friday dance since we resume our old schedule of 2nd and 4th Fridays starting in January 2025.  Dec. 20 we held our annual Christmas dinner and dance.  It was well attended with three squares in the hall and two on the floor.  The food was fabulous, much of it provided by members and especially our president Melba Walker.   Everyone had a good time eating dinner together before the dance and then dancing the calories off.  We had visitors from Lebanon Alliance clubs as well as from the south--Roseburg area.  Thank you to all who came and  participated in  making it all so much fun!  This reporter was in Mesa, AZ so it appears no photos were taken.

 

On Dec. 31st some Single Trees members gathered at the hall in Springfield to welcome in the new year with all our square dancing friends.  There were five squares in the hall and often four on the floor so that was a good turnout by today's standards.  b3esides Roger Putzler and Christina Corelli calling and cueing, Sandy Harris and the Coxes also called and cued.  We hope that 2025 will find everyone back out dancing and bringing in new dancers to lessons.   This is such a great activity and a very healthy one too.

 

My thanks to Margaret McVey and Roger Tendick for helping pass on these reports.

 

Our next dance is January 10.  It will be a New Dancer dance, and we hope to see as many new dancers out as possible.  Bruce Lowther will be calling and Judy Russell will be cueing so we hope any Alliance new dancers will join us.  We will probably have half an hour of plus at 7:30 and then the rest of the evening will be at new dancer level.  See you all there!

Happy New Year to all!

Gaynor Hintz

2024 Christmas Decorating at teh Emerald Square Dance Center

 

  2024 Christmas Decorating

On Nov. 30 a group of square dancers gathered once again to decorate the hall for the holiday season. There was a mixture of Whirl-A-Ways and Single Trees, and we managed to get quite a bit done in the two and a half hours that I was there. Melba came prepared with extension cords, two sided tape, scissors and extra decorations with hangers for the pegboard.. The tables in the dining area got decorated with the small Christmas trees Joy had brought in quite a few years ago now and many corners and the stage got groups of poinsettias. Lights and garland were added also with Christmas motif objects hung from the pegboard surrounding the used clothing area. It is all set now for the various clubs and other renters that use Hall A throughout the month of December. Thanks should go to Melba, Betty, John and Carolyn Pape, Scott and Gail Sandgathe, Janice Sugar, Ron Gates, Chris Brown, Margaret McVey and Roger Tendick, Chris Brown, and me Gaynor Hintz. Do try to make it to a dance or to the Single Trees potluck dinner Dec. 20 to see how lovely it all looks.

Happy Holidays,

Gaynor Hintz

Club Reporter

 

 

Judy Melendrez' Celebration of Life

          

 

 Today, Nov. 23 many square dancers joined Judy's family and co-workers and customers from Selco Credit Union for a beautiful celebration of her life re in Springfield-Eugene-McKenzie Valley .  The memorial was held at our square dance hall and featured a slide show which incorporated many photos of her life (she had many).  It was a wonderful chance to say good-bye and acknowledge the fact that she will be greatly missed by her home club and other members of her wide-spread community.  One of her granddaughters read a poem she had written for her grandmother.  That was very touching.  

 

It was so good to see many square dancers who no longer dance there to commemorate her passing.  She lead a long and fulfilling life but one still feels she had more life to live and passed too soon at the age of 84.

 

Gaynor Hintz

Club Reporter

 

Thanksgiving Celebration Dance

 Hi, just a few words to describe our Friday, Nov. 22 dance.  While the turnout was not great we had a really fun night dancing to Bruce Lowther and Sandy Harris.  Bruce put some good calls together for us.  We had one square for the plus tips and two for the mainstream tips with three on one occasion.   We had visitors from the Alliance clubs to the north of us, supporting Bruce.   While we do enjoy dancing plus, given the fact that we have quite a few newer mainstream dancers it might be good to consider changing the format of our dances so the newer dancers can be on the floor more.  We would like to see them get as much floor time as possible.  Many of them are now taking round dance classes too.  Good for them!  Our cuers will be happy to see more on the floor during the round dance tips.

This was the last dance for us in November.  We will only have one dance in December--our Christmas Dinner and Dance. on Dec. 20, the third Friday.  We will NOT have a dance on the 2nd and 4th Fridays that month.

In January on the second Friday, Jan. 10,  we will hold a New Dancer dance.  It should be a good one and we hope to welcome new dancers from our area as well as other areas.   Bruce Lowther will be calling and his wife, Judy Russell, will be cueing.  Come on out and join us!