HAPPY HOPPERS NEWSLETTER Volume 59 Number 1 September 2017 President s Message www.happy-hoppers.com H ere we are in the last days of summer and into the start of our dance season. After the crazy rainy winter & spring, I guess we should have expected the crazy heat of this summer. I know I m not quite ready for fall and cooler weather, but I sure am ready for Happy Hopper Dances!! I m looking forward to seeing many of you again after the long break. We had a great turnout for the annual picnic, very good eating and meeting. Thanks again to Don & Joanne Oja for their work & hospitality and to all the hands who helped with food, set up & clean up. We have some changes in the works so pay attention to announcements. Our board approved a new dance format last spring and we will start our dances at 7PM with Pre-rounds followed by Plus from 7:30-9:45. We will do break refreshments and meeting time at 9:45 and no tip after the announcements. Our board has had some changes and I look forward to working with some new folks to keep the club on track and improving. Please plan to attend our lessons and dances this year. We always have new dancers that need angels and dances are always more fun with more squares. And look for ways you can contribute to the running of all the club s jobs. We need another representative to both the PAC and the EC. The club will greatly benefit from everyone participating and contributing. Ladies, if you have your bug fabric sewn up, please consider wearing it to the Sept 2nd dance. It will be fun to see all the colors and creations. I m all set and ready for another great Hopper year of dancing. I hope you are too!! Melissa Newsletter Editor by Tom Halpenny Welcome to a new year of Happy Hoppers dancing! I am taking over as the newsletter editor this year. I would like to thank Rex Tolstrup for his creative and tireless efforts over the past two years. Rex has surely raised the standard of excellence! The newsletter is only as good as the content that you share. Please submit your club articles or photos each month to: gnitened@yahoo.com. Coming soon: the new Happy Hoppers website! Happy Hopper Newsletter September 2017 Page 1
Fifty Happy Hoppers once again enjoyed Don and Joanne Oja s farm hospitality for the annual picnic on August 6th. This was a good time to meet up with friends during the summer break from dancing. President Melissa James led the member meeting to discuss club business and upcoming activities. Happy Hopper Newsletter September 2017 Page 2
J im Hattrick resumed his Plus and a Little More dance series on July 28, to the delight of three squares of Plus dancers. The Facebook comments were very enthusiastic: Wow! This was a VERY FUN night of dancing!! Jim was at his finest and 3 squares were hopping to keep up. Can't wait to do this again!! We loved it too! Jim was awesome! Fun group of dancers! It was one of the best experiences that I have had in Dancing. A great caller and wonderful people to dance with and to share the joy with. Plus and a Little More by Tom Halpenny Jim adds something new to the base program of Plus calls. During this evening, he introduced dancers to the the C-3B call Reactivate and worked the new call into the tips throughout the evening. We can visit the Taminations website to learn about the call: http://www.tamtwirlers.org/tamination/c3b/ reactivate.html The next Plus and a Little More will be August 25th at Hazel Dell Grange. 7:30 Pre Rounds and 7:45 Plus Dance. What s Right With Square Dancing by Eric Henerlau Following is a summary of the keynote address at the 2017 National Square Dance Convention titled What s Right with Square Dancing that has practical and inspiring ideas for club leaders to think about promoting square dance. We can access the text at: http://www.happy-hoppers.com/news/stories/whats-right-square-dancing.htm Issues Communicating value Setting realistic financial expectations Building the club's attitude Making more "owners" and fewer "renters" Having a lean and effective board Including the caller on the board Embracing the attitude of growth Believing there are plenty of people interested in square dancing Examples to resolve issues A new group of callers steps up Groups get creative about where they dance More Basic and Mainstream groups are created for beginners Square dance clubs partner with other related dance forms Callers make more use of technology to reach remote dancers The music and sound systems become more contemporary Actions that require effort Decide what you are going to offer Target your audience age group Focus on your club's personality and strengths Find ways to be more inclusive Don't be everything to everyone! Rethink Plus or even Mainstream as a destination for new dancers Shift the focus from calls to people Redefine success Talk about what's good about square dancing Develop community service outreach Initiate cooperative marketing with clubs in your area Experiment with different marketing techniques Think big, think new Think strategically ALWAYS look ahead and avoid dwelling on the past Recruit and support the next generation of callers Support motivated club leaders Partner with your local callers association Involve the club caller financially Run more than one class per year Use technology Website Facebook Email distribution lists Google phone number Twitter/Snapchat/Instagram Free or near-free online services Groupon, Living Social and other web-based coupons Prospects database Ads and keywords The number one key to success: Attitude Beneficial qualities Social activity with friends Community Exercise Mental stimulation, brain exercise Respite from the anxiety in the world today Happy Hopper Newsletter September 2017 Page 3
Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017 Jim Hattrick calling and cueing Pre rounds 7:00 P.M. Plus dancing from 7:30 to 9:45 P.M. Apple treats & desserts will be served during the break Happy Hopper Newsletter September 2017 Page 4
Starting Monday, September 11, 2017 Instructor: Jim Hattrick Plus lesson at 6:30 P.M. Basic lesson at 7:30 P.M. Mainstream lesson at 9:00 P.M. Clark County Square Dance Center 10713 NE 117th Ave., Vancouver, WA 98662 For more information, call Ilona Gilzow at 360-882-6964 Starting: Thursday, September 7, 2017 6:00PM Beginner s Waltz Lessons 7:30PM Intermediate Lessons Instructors: Dorothy Lowder (Hoyt Brezeale) 503-997-5966 Website: Sugarqs.com Hazel Dell Grange 1124 7509 NE Hazel Dell Ave., Vancouver, WA 98665 Happy Hopper Newsletter September 2017 Page 5
by Tom Halpenny W e will soon begin the new Square Dance lessons season with lots of fun and camaraderie. Ilona Gilzow, Laura Bonacorsi, and Raeleen DeGrandpre are the new Lessons Coordinators. Jim Hattrick is returning to the four-week beginning lessons format that enables us to greet new dancers during the first Monday of each month. Dancers will selfevaluate when they feel comfortable to advance to the next level. Meanwhile, club members will make new friends, so new dancers will be keen to join the club. Last year we greeted 66 new dancers over eight months of lessons, and 70 percent of the new dancers heard about the Happy Hoppers from a friend or relative. Lessons begin September 11 and the first Monday of each month through April 2018. Plus lesson - 6:30 Basic (beginner) lesson - 7:30 Mainstream lesson - 9:00 We are depending on experienced club members to serve as angels to help new dancers learn the lessons and feel welcome as our new friends. If you are dancing as an angel, you don't have to pay. You fill in squares as needed, and may be asked to step out of your square if a paying dancer arrives. We also want to thank you club members for helping with the door and the kitchen. Sign-ups are for one month. See you soon for the most fun we will have all week! Do You Have a Little Space to Spare? by Jean Tolstrup W e need your help. It s not a difficult task, but it would really help our club. For many years Linda and Leonard Willey have graciously allowed us to store our resale clothing bins in their basement. Each year they have faithfully delivered and returned to gather the bins after our fall and spring clothing resales. Our bins of hangers and clothing inventory have been kept in a safe, dry space, thanks to them. They have told us that after the fall clothing resale they will no longer be able to provide this service. Our bins will now have to find a new home. We are hopeful that one or two of our members have space in a basement, bonus room or other spare room to store the bins until they are needed. We would not expect people to have to transport the bins when we are having a resale, just to store them and make them accessible for the people who are putting together the sale which is our major fund raising event of the year. If you can help us with this problem, please contact Melissa to give her the good news. Your help is sincerely appreciated! Happy Hopper Newsletter September 2017 Page 6
by Tom Halpenny H ogen and Jan Bays are the leaders of the Zen Community of Oregon. I visited their YouTube video channel and viewed several video clips. In one video, Hogen discusses how to pick a spiritual community or a teacher. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=febk3qbhbho I can see how the principles directly relate to factors that might influence a person to join a square dance community like the Happy Hoppers. 1. What does my heart feel when I meet the people in person? Do I feel appreciated, seen, recognized? Is there an energy of warmth, or am I just another person passing through? 2. Can the person talk at a level that is appropriate for my understanding? Are they able to talk in a lively engaging way that s appropriate to me; versus they are too abstract, intelligent, beyond me; or they repeat the same old thing? 3. What are the people like who have been in the community for a while? They bring out certain parts of our personality. Are they stand-offish, cold, unresponsive? Or are they warm, engaging, loving and helpful? 4. Is there a good ethical foundation supported by policies and procedures? What happens if there's a problem? Is there a history of fiduciary and relational responsibility? 5. What have the (leaders) done? Have they done what they're asking you to do? (Lead by example.) 6. Is there a local community that inspires you to practice? 7. We only know people after a long association, when we have gone through some difficult times, struggled, met, worked together, cried, shared food, played, done projects. We then begin to know what people are like, in good/difficult times, what way they are smart/dumb, what way their heart is open/closed. Trust is developed from that knowledge. Trust in one s own capacity, trust in the community, trust in the leadership. Happy Hopper Newsletter September 2017 Page 7
CELEBRATIONS September Birthdays September Anniversaries 4 6 10 16 25 26 30 Don Oja John Kaleta Kathryn Randall Cheri Spahan Judy Hattrick Jim Hattrick Michael Cain 17 23 Tom & Liza Halpenny Hogen & Jan Bays 2017 2018 Happy Hopper Officers and Board Members President: Melissa James Secretary: Matt & Lise Driggers Treasurer: Marc & Fay Kahn PAC Delegate Bob Nichols Evergreen Council Delegate: Dale Smith Past Presidents: Randy & Jackie Amundson Lessons Coordinators: Ilona Gilzow Laura Bonacorsi Raeleen DeGrandpre Website: Tom & Liza Halpenny Visitations: Danny & Carol Williamson Newsletter: Tom & Liza Halpenny Club Reporter: Melissa James Kitchen: Lew & Bev Poland Caller/Cuer: Jim (Judy) Hattrick Happy Hopper Newsletter September 2017 Page 8
UPCOMING DANCES & EVENTS Plus and a Little More for Plus Dancers Jim Hattrick Caller / Instructor Pre rounds at 7:30 P.M. Plus dance 7:45 P.M. Hazel Dell Grange Happy Hoppers Back to School Dance Jim Hattrick calling and cueing Pre rounds at 7:00 P.M. Plus dance 7:30 P.M. to 9:45 P.M. Bring finger food, and school supplies for a local elementary school Door: Fay & Marc Kahn Kitchen helpers: Walt & Pauline Eby CCSDC Weekly Thursday night Round dance lessons Dorothy Lowder & Hoyt Brezeale Beginning Waltz lessons 6:00 P.M. to 7:30 P.M. Intermediate lessons and workshop from 7:30 to 9:00 P.M. Hazel Dell Grange Weekly Monday night square dance lessons begin with Jim Hattrick instructing 6:30 to 7:30 P.M. Plus level square dance lessons 7:30 to 9:00 P.M. Basic level square dance lessons CCSDC 9:00 to 9:30 P.M. Mainstream level square dance lessons Door: Matt & Lise Driggers Kitchen helpers: Walt & Pauline Eby Jim Hattrick calling and cueing Pre rounds at 7:00 P.M. Plus dance 7:30 P.M. to 9:45 P.M. CCSDC Bring apple treats & desserts, and school supplies for a local elementary school Door: Rod & Cindy Lunde Kitchen helpers: Matt & Lise Driggers Happy Hoppers Dine Out The Old Spaghetti Factory at 5:30 P.M. 730 SE 160th Ave, Vancouver, WA Call Melissa James to RSVP Newsletter Editor: Tom Halpenny Please submit articles by mid-month to gnitened@yahoo.com Happy Hopper Newsletter September 2017 Page 9