By now most clubs will be in high gear getting ready to welcome new dancers and to start a new dance season. Best wishes for success - may the new dancers appear in hundreds and may your clubs enjoy to the fullest the fun and fellowship of Square Dancing.
If you are not currently receiving the Newsletter electronically and would like to do so, please send me your email so that I can add it to your Region's list.(It will not appear in the email) Please make sure that this Newsletter is available to all members by printing off a copy and taking it to your Club dance night. Thanks.
Some news items:
We are pleased to announce that there will be a Festival in 2007.
This Festival will be a departure from the traditional biennial event that we have previously enjoyed and it will take us into new directions.
The Island Gems and SunCoast Round Dance Clubs of Region 8 will host a ROUND DANCE FESTIVAL in Powell River on September 7th, 8th and 9th, 2007
I received a formal proposal for this festival from Paul and Ann Clements, Helen and Russell Maddeaux and George & Pauline Morgan. The Executive has discussed it at length and agreed that the Federation should sponsor the Round Dance Festival for 2007.
So, it is official and the Executive is delighted that the Clements, Maddeaux and Morgans have taken this step. Please show your appreciation for their efforts by registering early. This will greatly help them with the planning that is underway.
A web site is in place: http://members.shaw.ca/festival2007
The Registration form is there - sign up now!
Square Dancers who enjoy Round Dancing will be pleased to hear that there will be one hall devoted to their level (Phase ll+) Rounds so you are encouraged to come and enjoy dancing in Dwight Hall, with its superb floors. Powell River sounds like a fun place to visit, so plan a mini-holiday for next September - maybe take in part of the Island before or after the Festival.
Round Dancers can look forward to dancing up to Phase Vl depending on their responses on the Registration form. Please register as early as you can - it helps with the programming and numbers are limited, so first come first served!
Because renovations are to be done to Dwight Hall, there was only one weekend available for the Festival in 2007. We are grateful to UVISDA for approving this date, even though it conflicts with their annual Caller Appreciation Dance.
Other items:
The ABC seminar was very successful and we all enjoyed Nasser Shukayr's presentation. He is a very entertaining speaker. His evening dance was a delight and quite a departure from the usual run-of-the-mill Mainstream dance.
I would ask those who experiment with the ABC concept to let me know the results so that we can share experiences though the Newsletter. Thanks.
Please note that Les Brekstad, 3rd Vice President, will be heading the committee that takes care of all grant applications (New Dancer, Memorial Funds, Leadership) and also the Sillery Award Nominations. Please send your applications to him at
or snail mail to:
#37 - 45175 Wells Road, Chilliwack, V2R 3K7
Merv Meyer, 2nd V-P, will continue to do the Round of the Month and to take care of the Tape Library.
The Canadian Society has donated $3,500.00 towards the cost of the Juhala DVD which is greatly appreciated. I have asked Alberta for a donation, so hopefully the DVD will no longer seem so expensive from the Federation financial point of view!
The Executive approved $200.00 for Region 1 for the work entailed in getting the SD Awareness Week Proclamation, and the design and development of the poster and cards that we can all use. (Don't forget to change the back of the card to reflect your own club information. If you need help with this, ask Phil Douziech, web master.)
Again, we would like to thank the Clements, Maddeaux and Morgans for taking a leadership role to put on a Festival. Even if you do not Round Dance, remember that the Federation's purpose embraces all forms of dancing that come under the "Square Dance" heading so give this festival your support and maybe it will lead others to consider organizing a small, even specialized, event that the Federation can endorse. Can we do two in a year? Stay tuned!
Nick Turner
President, BCS&RDF
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Nick and Mary Anne Turner
