HAPPY HOPPERS NEWSLETTER

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Gervais Shaw
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In fact we had hardly cleared the runway before we were off to Arlington with a group of Hoppers for a visitation. Great fun with a great group of Hoppers. (Okay, so the drive up wasn't so great.

By the way, if anyone has a stuffed toy grasshopper it would be nice to have a club mascot that could travel with members to various parts of the world as has the Marysville Kangaroo.

1 HAPPY HOPPERS NEWSLETTER Volume 57 Number 4 December 2015 President s Message C astles, Castles & more Castles. That more or less sums up our recent trip to Europe. It was a great trip but we are glad to be home and resuming our own little tradition of Square Dancing. In fact we had hardly cleared the runway before we were off to Arlington with a group of Hoppers for a visitation. Great fun with a great group of Hoppers. (Okay, so the drive up wasn't so great.) Kangaroos & Grasshoppers what a great combination. By the way, if anyone has a stuffed toy grasshopper it would be nice to have a club mascot that could travel with members to various parts of the world as has the Marysville Kangaroo. Just think of the stories we could put together. Well, that's our story and we are sticking to it. Randy & Jackie T he Square Dance Center vibrates with excitement on clothing sale night. Dancers are met with racks and stacks of bright clothing, expertly arranged earlier in the day by a dedicated team of volunteers. Let the shopping begin! The ladies room becomes a dressing room, body to body in its narrow confines, petticoats and opinions flying. (I wonder what goes on in the men s room.) Jackie, Emily, and others become fashion consultants, helping find It s Clothing Sale Night! By Liza Halpenny something to match, giving expert advice on how to make adjustments, making sure no one goes home empty handed. Twice yearly the Hoppers offer this opportunity for new and experienced dancers alike to find just the right outfit to express themselves, at bargain prices. It is also an important fund-raiser for the club, allowing us to pay our callers and cuers, rent the building, and put on fabulous dances. Our latest clothing sale brought in over one thousand dollars! All hail the clothing sale. Dresses, belts and all sorts of things were displayed during lessons on Nov. 16. Happy Hopper Newsletter December 2015 Page 1

the coldest part of a hard dark winter. But in the homes of the burgers and merchants of the town, it was a festive time of year. Light and laughter poured from their gaily decorated windows.

Beautiful clothes glittered in the halls and choirs filled the air with music.

2 the coldest part of a hard dark winter. But in the homes of the burgers and merchants of the town, it was a festive time of year. Light and laughter poured from their gaily decorated windows. Puddings and chestnuts warmed on the hearth. In the castle, the king and his court were also warm and happy. There was feasting and merriment every night. Beautiful clothes glittered in the halls and choirs filled the air with music. But one of the king s greatest warriors looked out from the castle windows, across the town, and saw the village of the commoners huddled beneath the castle walls. It was dark and gloomy. It had been a poor harvest; many people were hungry. The snow lay deep about; firewood was hard to find and harder to bring to the houses. In the village it was not a happy time. The king s man felt very bad for the villagers. There was little that he could do. He had only his sword and his horse. So he set off on a mid-winter quest. Not the most comfortable thing to do! He rode and he rode, high into the mountains, high into the craggy peaks, amidst the glowering firs and howling winds. Until he found...the dragon! Dragon! he cried. I challenge you! Out of its liar came the dragon. A great, golden dragon! Ancient and wise and surly for having been called out of his nice warm den. Do you not know the first rule of dragons? grumped the dragon, with a glare. I do, replied the intrepid arms man. Do not trifle with dragons, for they are subtle and quick to anger, and you are small and crunchy. I believe that s about right. Well, then? asked the dragon. Well then, I Challenge you. replied the morsel. All know of your power and your wisdom. I challenge you to demonstrate your mercy. Behold the village at the foot of the castle. Note the misery of the common people there. I challenge you to use that power and wisdom to grant these simple folk a small measure of mercy. Give them a bright moment of joy in this dark winter. Do that, and you will be forever safe from my blade. While I do not fear you sword, Audacious Tidbit, said the Dragon, it is a generous offer, well intended. And I do grow weary of hearing the rumblings of fear from the village folk. I believe the fireside stories could use some updating. I accept your challenge! Leave now and let me ponder what to do. And I will give you a gift, also. I will allow you to return to your king s halls... in one piece! The horseman quickly turned his mount, and retraced his journey. Soon enough, he was back in the midst of the festivities in the castle. But he kept a close eye on the village to see what would happen. It didn t take the dragon long to come up with a plan. He gathered some supplies, took wing, and swept down the mountain. The villagers heard the rush of his wings and huddled together tighter, thinking it was a great wind come to chill them more. But they were wrong! Down each chimney, the dragon dropped a great stone that he had held in his fiery breath, and each house became warm as toast until the snow melted away and the people could find firewood again. (Continued on page 8) Happy Hopper Newsletter December 2015 Page 2

YMCA. Plus dancing from 7:00 to 8:00 PM and Mainstream from 8:00 to 10:00 P.M. Cliff Nichols from Salem will be calling and Debbie Combs from Battle Ground will be cueing.

Plus dancing 7:30 to 8:00 P.M. and Mainstream till 10:00 P.M. Casual attire welcome and square dance attire is optional.

3 The fourth session of lessons begin! Plus lessons 6:30 to 7:30, Basic lessons 7:30 to 9:00, Mainstream 9:00 to 9:30 Door hosts are Rod & Cindy Lunde, Kitchen helpers to be announced Columbia River Dancers: at the Clark County Family YMCA. Plus dancing from 7:00 to 8:00 PM and Mainstream from 8:00 to 10:00 P.M. Cliff Nichols from Salem will be calling and Debbie Combs from Battle Ground will be cueing. The Silver Stars Square and Round Dance Club dances at the Hazel Dell Grange. Their caller is Darrell Kalmbach, and their cuer is Dorothy Lowder, The format will be pre rounds 7:00 to 7:30 P.M. Plus dancing 7:30 to 8:00 P.M. and Mainstream till 10:00 P.M. Casual attire welcome and square dance attire is optional. Single Trees Square Dance Club dance at the Emerald Square and Round Dance Center, 2095 Yolanda, Springfield, Oregon. The Wild Cards will be calling and Jackie Gale will be cueing. Plus dancing from 7:30 P.M. to 8:00 and Mainstream from 8:00 to 10:30 P.M. Danny & Carol Williamson, our visitation chairs, rented a bus for this visitation. The total cost for those taking the bus will be $25.00 per person which admission to the dance. See Danny or Carol for more information. ryan & Katie Jones recently took a four day B trip to Branson, Missouri, and they thought it would be wonderful if they could find a place in or near Branson to square dance. Does that scenario sound familiar? They did find a club, and they had a great time square dancing with the club once they arrived in Branson. Many of you might ask, How did they find the club? Of course, you might have guessed the answer is found on the World Wide Web. Simply type in the following: to find out what clubs are in the area where you want to find a club. There are listings all over the globe on this web site. For local dances you might want to try This site lists all kinds of dancing and also does not seem to include all the square dance venues available in the area. For example, the Happy Hoppers is the only square dance club listed in Clark County. Happy Hopper Newsletter December 2015 Page 3

4 By By H. Ken Westby, President of the Clark County Square Dance Center, Inc. 1977, interest in square and round dancing had been on the rise for several years and attendance at square dances in Clark County had been increasing. Dances had begun to outgrow the available space at local Grange Halls and community centers. Those halls are usually booked far in advance for a multitude of other events. It grew increasingly difficult for the square dancers to reserve suitable halls for special dances with large attendance. A search for suitable dance facilities elsewhere in the area was unsuccessful. Something had to be done. That year, local square dancers formed a private stock corporation to raise funds and construct a large square dance center in country surroundings where many activities could take place and with square and round dancing taking precedence over other uses. Ground breaking began at the site in July Square dancers with a background in building construction and other skills volunteered their time to oversee the work, much of which was done by square dancers. The first "unofficial dance" was held on an August afternoon when the volunteer crew laid down their hammers to take a break after completing the subfloor. The hall was substantially completed in December of that year, and a Grand Opening square dance ball was held on January 21, 1979 to celebrate the Center's completion. The hall was designed to allow ample floor space on which 25 or more squares could dance, a feature none of the grange halls were able to offer. Local clubs immediately began to hold their regular dances and lessons at the Center, with rental for the hall primarily paying for expenses and debt retirement. Over the years the facility has been home for as many as three area clubs and the Evergreen Council, although today only the Happy Hoppers call it their home. On April 17, 1979, the square dance became the official Washington state dance. When the pioneers came west, they brought with them a dance called the quadrille, which means square in French. Patterns in the quadrille formed the origins of present-day square dancing. The pioneers liked the simpler term and so the square dance was born. Popularity of square dancing reached its peak around 1980 and remained so throughout the decade. Around this time special square dance license plates became available in Washington for square dancers to advertise their enthusiasm for this wholesome activity. The National Square Dance Convention was held in Seattle in 1981, and the Clark County Square Dance Center was one of several facilities to host trails-end dances across the state. It did so again for subsequent National Conventions held in Portland and Spokane. First-time visiting square dancers from outside the Portland-Vancouver area always regard this facility with a bit of envy, often asking, How were you able to acquire this amazing dance hall? I wish we had something like this in our city. The answer is, of course, that it began as a labor of love, and it remains so today. From 1982 to 1989 a nonprofit organization known as the Fundoers was organized to help promote local square dancing and improve the square dance center. The names of the many supporters and members of the group are engraved on the chair railings that surround the dance floor. They helped to construct an elevated outdoor dance floor located at the east end of the hall and connected to the stage floor by a sliding glass doorway. The outdoor dance floor afforded overflow space for large dances and offered participants a chance to dance in fresh air on warm evenings. The Fundoers raised funds for these purposes by sponsoring regular well-attended Bingo games on weekday evenings at the Center. Attendance from the area was excellent, and the Center was soon able to (Continued on page 5) Happy Hopper Newsletter December 2015 Page 4

5 (Continued from page 4) About the Clark County Square Dance Center retire its debt. The Fundoers also held other activities, including potlucks, benefit dances, and other fund-raising activities at the Center. During part of the year 1990, The Spartans Drum and Bugle Corps took over the Bingo operation at the Center. Then, in November 1992 the Columbia Fencing Foundation opened its "Lucky 7 Bingo Games at the Center, but attendance was poor. After a long struggle with expenses and management problems the fledgling Foundation operated rent-delinquent until July 1994 and closed its operations in August. Loss of Bingo rentals shifted a large part of the Center's expense burden back to the dances. On August 14, 1997, roof trusses with a 20-year latent defect failed and the roof collapsed on the dance floor during a clogging class. Miraculously, no one was injured in this catastrophic event. The Center was closed nearly a year for rebuilding. Insurance covered most of the replacement costs, but a commercial loan was obtained to cover the cost of certain improvements and upgrades required by building codes. Rebuilt with a significantly redesigned roof truss system, on July 19, 1998, a grand re-opening ball was held to celebrate the newly reconstructed Square Dance Center. Weekly square dancing lessons on Monday evenings and round dance lessons on Thursday evenings are offered at the Center. The Royal Romp, a weekend-long square dance event, is held at the Center in early November each year. Tri- Council dances and special dances are periodically held here. Zumba dance lessons are taught to the sound of lively Latin-American music three days a week for fun and exercise. Westminster Presbyterian Church holds its services at the Center every Sunday. A local gun club hosts a gun show and swap meet on the second Saturday of each month. The Center is occasionally rented to individuals for weddings, receptions, parties, reunions, dinners, meetings and celebrations. A seven-member board of directors elected by the shareholders oversees the operation of the Center. The Center s manager handles bookings and rentals. Shares in the Center are occasionally available for purchase from shareholders who no longer participate in dancing. From time to time painting and landscape maintenance is required, and volunteer help from any and all who share a sense of pride in the appearance of this unique facility is always so greatly appreciated. The Grasshoppers Visit the Kangaroos By Danny and Carol Williamson T hank you to all the Vancouver Happy Hoppers who made the three and one-half hour trip through heavy rain and terrible traffic for our visitation to the Marysville, Washington s Happy Hoppers. The visitation was November 7 th, and the caller and cuer was our own Jim Hattrick. We had nineteen Hoppers drive up and spend the night. The presidents of the other Happy Hoppers met our group at the IHOP restaurant and joined our dine out. Rod and Bertha Davidson were the models of hospitality and enthusiasm. All of us felt very welcome and had different dancers thank us all night for coming to visit their club. November 7 th was the first time Jim Hattrick had called for the Marysville Hoppers since his illness. Everyone was so excited to have Jim back! We heard compliments all night on the skill and humor of our club caller, Jim Hattrick! It was a wonderful evening, and we all had a fantastic time dancing with our sister club, the Marysville Happy Hoppers. Of course though, our group was the Happiest Hoppers, square dancing with Jim and our new Hopper Friends. Our next visitation is much closer! Please join all of us Hoppers to visit the Columbia River Dancers at the YMCA. Our visitation is (Continued on page 6) Happy Hopper Newsletter December 2015 Page 5

(Continued from page 5) The Grasshoppers Visit the Kangaroos planned for December 12 th.

and mainstream from 8:00 to 10:00 P.M. This will be a Fun Dance; come join us!

Our phone number is (360) 903-8113, or talk to us at a dance or at lessons. Thank you so much, and we ll see you in a square soon.

Bertha Davidson, the president couple of the Happy Hoppers in Arlington.

Hoisington, Danny Williamson, Jean Tolstrup, Randy & Jackie Amundson, Elsie Bartling, & Sandy Jensen.

6 (Continued from page 5) The Grasshoppers Visit the Kangaroos planned for December 12 th. The caller is Cliff Nichols and the cuer will be Debbie Combs. The Columbia River Dancers dance plus level at 7:00 to 8:00 P.M. and mainstream from 8:00 to 10:00 P.M. This will be a Fun Dance; come join us! Let us know if you can be part of our visitation so we can let the club know that we are coming. Our phone number is (360) , or talk to us at a dance or at lessons. Thank you so much, and we ll see you in a square soon. From left to right: President, Randy & Jackie Amundson, and Visitation chairmen, Danny & Carol Williamson receive a banner from Rod & Bertha Davidson, the president couple of the Happy Hoppers in Arlington. The dancers participating in the visitation to Arlington were, from left to right, in the front row: Walt & Pauline Eby, Bob Hoisington, Danny Williamson, Jean Tolstrup, Randy & Jackie Amundson, Elsie Bartling, & Sandy Jensen. In the back row: Shirley Hoisington, Jim Hattrick, Carol Williamson, Gary Wells, Trish Walsh, Rex Tolstrup, & Fay & Marc Kahn Melissa cuts her birthday cake during a break in the dance festivities. Jim Hattrick called & cued dances. There was all kinds of dancing during the Birthday party, including square dancing. Jim also taught a line dance. Happy Hopper Newsletter December 2015 Page 6

CELEBRATIONS 4 5 16 18 22 28 28 30 December Birthdays Liza Halpenny Bonnie Warne Shirley Hoisington Hon Rawitzer Gayle Dettmar Katie Jones Dennis Lemke Brian Harland December Anniversaries 17 Walt &

7 CELEBRATIONS December Birthdays Liza Halpenny Bonnie Warne Shirley Hoisington Hon Rawitzer Gayle Dettmar Katie Jones Dennis Lemke Brian Harland December Anniversaries 17 Walt & Pauline Eby 18 Jerome & Mary Fulton Happy Hopper Officers and Board Members! Presidents: Randy & Jackie Amundson Vice Presidents: Tom & Liza Halpenny Secretary: David Whalen Treasurer: Melody & Darrell Mitchell PAC Delegate Gil Shoemaker Evergreen Council Delegates: Matt & Lise Driggers Web Master: Lise (Matt) Driggers Visitations: Danny & Carol Williamson Newsletter: Rex & Jean Tolstrup Club Reporter: Marc & Fay Kahn Kitchen: Lew & Bev Poland Caller/Cuer: Jim (Judy) Hattrick Happy Hopper Newsletter December 2015 Page 7

The Christmas Dragon (Continued from page 2) Then, sweeping over the trees in the village, he dropped golden chains, pearl necklaces, and jewels in their branches.

Now, you know this must be a true story, because, even in this day and age, when dragons and heroes are so hard to find, we still put glittering things on our Christmas trees, and we still wish each

8 The Christmas Dragon (Continued from page 2) Then, sweeping over the trees in the village, he dropped golden chains, pearl necklaces, and jewels in their branches. Everyone was able to buy warmer clothes and good food. The village became a happier place, and no one ever feared their dragon again. Now, you know this must be a true story, because, even in this day and age, when dragons and heroes are so hard to find, we still put glittering things on our Christmas trees, and we still wish each other Merry Christmas, and for all, a good Knight! an outdoor person who enjoys hiking, fishing, and hunting. Photography is another area of interest. Gary says he likes to take pictures for a purpose such as recording River City Rider events. Often the pictures are given to the people involved in the activity. Rounding out Gary s diverse interests are projects involving electronics, computers, woodworking, and house remodeling. The square dancing community has been like a family for Gary. He is interested in making sure that this great activity continues and grows. To him it is the people involved who are important and who make it rewarding. Our Newest Hopper by Liza Halpenny Spotlight on Gary Wells by Jean Tolstrup T he December spotlight is on Gary Wells, the author of the short story, The Christmas Dragon, published in this month s newsletter. Although Gary is a relatively new member of our club, he has been dancing since he was a teenager in Polk County. He was introduced to square dancing when his 4-H club participated in a social dance event sponsored by the Polk a Dots Square Dance Club. He has been dancing ever since and has been active in club and council events in the Portland- Vancouver area. Gary has always enjoyed drawing and writing stories. During his college years while attending lectures in his field of study, electronics, he would turn drawings of electronic parts into cartoon-like characters. From there, he wrote short stories about his characters. He once entered a writing contest, but, sadly, he did not win. That did not deter his interest in writing, however. Some of his stories have been published in newsletters such as our Hopper newsletter. Writing is not Gary s only interest. He is Our newest Happy Hopper is Bennett Hagan, born October 13 to Crista and David Hagan. Here we see him in his natural habitat, surrounded by adoring fans while his parents get a chance to dance. Bennett has danced his entire life, until about a week before he was born. We expect to see him back out on the dance floor once he knows how to walk. Meanwhile there are plenty of loving arms to keep him safe. Welcome to the world of square dance, little Bennett! Liza Halpenny took this photo of the Hagan family on November 16. The center of attraction, of course, is Bennett, accompanied by his proud parents, Crista and David Hagan. Happy Hopper Newsletter December 2015 Page 8

UPCOMING DANCES & EVENTS Happy Hoppers Mainstream Splurge Jim Hattrick & Darrell Kalmbach calling / Dorothy Lowder cueing Plus dancing from 7 to 8 PM / Mainstream from 8 to 10:30 PM Bring finger food

9 UPCOMING DANCES & EVENTS Happy Hoppers Mainstream Splurge Jim Hattrick & Darrell Kalmbach calling / Dorothy Lowder cueing Plus dancing from 7 to 8 PM / Mainstream from 8 to 10:30 PM Bring finger food and unwrapped Christmas toys Door: Rod & Cindy Lunde / Kitchen: Randy & Jackie Amundson CCSDC Happy Hoppers Board meeting - All club members are invited. Randy & Jackie Amundson s home; meeting scheduled to start at 7:00 P.M. Happy Hoppers Visitation to the Columbia River Dancers Plus dancing 7:00 to 8:00 P.M. and Mainstream dancing to 10:00 P.M. Cliff Nichols calling and Debbie Combs cueing Happy Hoppers Christmas Dance with all singing calls Jim Hattrick calling and cueing. Bring Christmas treats Door: Brian & Dianne Harland / Kitchen: Ron & Emily Chase Happy Hoppers New Years Eve Dance The Wild West The Front Porch Trio calling & cueing. A buffet dinner will start at 7:30 and plus dancing starting at 8:30 P.M. See Randy or Jackie Amundson to volunteer to serve on a committee. Clark County YMCA CCSDC CCSDC Jan 2 Happy Hoppers will be dark Happy Hoppers Regular dance Jim Hattrick calling and cueing Bring finger food Door: Elsie Barttling & Ed Hutchins / Kitchen: Dale & Nancy Smith Happy Hoppers visitation to the Silver Stars Darrell Kalmbach calling & Dorothy Lowder cueing. This will be the Silver Stars first dance on their scheduled change to Friday night. Mid-Winter Festival 2016 Sweet 16 in Albany, Oregon Featured caller is Matt Worley from Virginia Featured cuers are Steve & Irene Brandt from Pennsylvania CCSDC Hazel Dell Grange Linn County Expo Center Newsletter Editor: Rex Tolstrup - Send submissions by mid-month to tolstrup573@pacifier.comn Happy Hopper Newsletter December 2015 Page 9

10 Halloween costumes were optional at the Tri-Council Council dance, hosted by the Portland Area Council. The dance was held at the Clark County Square Dance Center. Happy Hopper Newsletter December 2015 Page 10

HAPPY HOPPERS NEWSLETTER

HAPPY HOPPERS NEWSLETTER Volume 59 Number 8 April 2018 Presidents Message www.happy-hoppers.com N o fooling, Hoppers it really is Spring!! We have a very busy month ahead. On April 7th we have a guest