HAPPY HOPPERS NEWSLETTER October 2014 www.happy-hoppers.com PRESIDENTS MESSAGE Hello Happy Hoppers September is almost over and we had a couple great dances. We held our school supply drive during September's dances and thanks to the Hoppers generosity we delivered 4 boxes of school supplies collected to Sara J. Anderson school. We received a nice thank you card and message from the school, they really appreciate your generosity. It is great to belong to a club with such a giving group of dancers. Thank you to all who donated. Lessons have been going well, it is nice to see more people at the plus lessons than I have seen in the past three years. I am excited to see so many new plus dancers. October will be the first new Monday of the four week sessions, so don't forget to invite any beginning dancers to start October 6th. Also remember you can always come out to encourage and support the new students. For those students that are finishing mainstream or plus lessons consider inviting them to go with you to a dance. You might not have been nervous about your first dance, we sure were. I know if an experienced couple did not invite us the first few times we probably would not have gone. Those couples became some of our closest friends. My friend Dave Boggs has always said to me "Square Dance is friendship set to music " I think that is very true. We look forward to Octobers dances. Now that it has cooled off we hope to be more comfortable and dance even more. October 18th is the harvest and Johnny Appleseed dance. Thank you to all of you that stay after dances and lessons to lend a hand cleaning up and putting things away. This makes it very nice for those that have to make sure things are secure for the night. If you have not signed up for kitchen or door duty there are still openings, hurry before they are all gone. We had an opportunity to visit the new club starting in Vancouver that still does not have a name though they had a fun dance. They are struggling with sound issues but this can be expected with a new location and they are working on solutions. We hope you will give the new club your support. It is a mixed benefit having two clubs dancing on the same night. Two clubs gives us as dancers choices but the clubs need support to continue to have dances. Brenda and I have always danced with the Silver Stars and hope to continue dancing with them also. We have a committee working on the New Years Eve dance and as they get decisions made on decorations and other planning done they will be sending requests for assistance. We hope you will find things you are interested in helping with to continue to make our New Years Eve celebration the fun dance we have seen the last few years. I can't think of any place I would rather be than dancing in the new year with friends. Don't forget to reserve the date. Jim and Brenda Martinez
UPCOMING DANCES & EVENTS Oct 4 Happy Hopper Dance CCSDC Bring Finger Food Oct 6 New Session of Lessons Begin CCSDC Oct 11 Happy Hopper Visitation to Do-Si-Do s Olympia, WA 65th Anniversary Dance Caller: Jim Hattrick Cuer: Joyce Sebree Oct 18 Happy Hopper Dance CCSDC Harvest and Johnny Appleseed Dance Bring Harvest or Apple Desserts Oct 24-25 Seaside Sashay Square Dance Festival Callers: Jim Hattrick and Craig Abercrombie Cuer: Debbie Taylor Seaside, OR Oct 27 Clothing Sale at Lessons CCSDC Oct 29 Dine Out at Elmers 6:00 pm Mill Plain & Chkalov Drive Vancouver Oct 31-Nov 2 Royal Romp Plus Weekend Callers: Tony Oxendine and Jerry Story Cuer: Tami Helms CCSDC Nov 1 Happy Hoppers Dark for Royal Romp Nov 15 Happy Hopper Dance CCSDC Pies Galore Bring Your Favorite Pie Dec 6 Happy Hopper Dance CCSDC Bring Finger Food Bring Unwrapped Christmas Toy Dec 20 Happy Hopper Christmas Dance CCSDC Bring Christmas Goodies Bring Unwrapped Christmas Toy
Do-Si-Dos Anniversary Dance October 11th at the Lac-A-Do Hall in Olympia Jim Hattrick caller Joyce Sebree Cuer My Fellow Hoppers, Rain clouds fill the sky, days are shorter, but dance is healthy as ever. Class has started, we would like You to meet the new class. Come join Us on a Monday evening. Angel once or twice! With everything happening everywhere, we have been invited to celebrate a special dance in Olympia this coming October on the 11th. It is a cruise fashion like on one of those ocean luxury ships. Maybe the Hoppers from Marysville will come too. We could carpool up, have dinner along the way, say Kalama or Centralia, dance and be back for Sunday morning events here at home. Let s start the fall season in fun fashion. Please contact Gil Shoemaker at Gilsnorthernrr@AOL.com. There will be sign-up sheets at the back of the hall during the dance and lessons. Dance, dance, dance, it is so much fun and great company. Gil Shoemaker October 29, 6:00 pm Elmers Restaurant Mill Plain and Chkalov Drive, near I-205
The Hoppers will be holding their annual clothing sale during lessons on Monday night, October 27, from 6:30 until 9:00. This is a great time for our lesson people to find an outfit at a reasonable price and be ready before the first B-51 dance. We would appreciate your donation of any square dance clothing and accessories that you no longer wear. Our sales in the past have been a very successful fund raising event. Thanks! Regular Dance Bring Finger Food Hosting: Kahns and Puntneys Pies Galore Dance Bring Your Favorite Pie Hosting: Amundsons and? Harvest and Johnny Appleseed Dance Bring Harvest or Apple Desserts Hosting: Polands and Harlands Hosting Opportunities We need hosts for the kitchen on November 15. The signup sheet for hosting is in the kitchen at the dances or call Bev Poland (360)835-2345. IT S COMING! A Night in Venice New Year s Eve Party Featuring The Front Porch Trio, Outstanding Decorations, Great Food, Italian of Course! And Fine Fellowship So, mark your calendars and be prepared for A fabulous evening!
Square Dance Lessons by Tom and Liza Halpenny We have just completed our first month of the new Hopper square dance lessons format. A new session begins October 6, at which time Jim Hattrick will fully implement the new plan. All three levels of lessons -- Plus, Mainstream, and Basic -- will begin monthly, with the Basic lesson consisting of Basic 1 and Basic 2 periods. Mainstream will take two month-long sessions and Plus will take three sessions to cover. Different moves will be covered in each session. As always, dancers self-evaluate when they feel comfortable advancing to the next level. Plus lesson - 6:30 Basic (beginner) lesson - 7:30 Mainstream lesson - 9:15 Thank you Laura Bonacorsi and Raeleen DeGrandpre for serving as door and kitchen helpers during September lessons. There are still spots available for this fun and much-needed activity. We can access the sign-up sheet online. Please contact us with your interest in serving during future months of lessons. http://www.happy-hoppers.com/doc/sdlessonssignup-2014-2015.pdf We can access the online Happy Hoppers Guidelines for Lessons Angels, which is also copied in the newsletter. http://www.happy-hoppers.com/doc/happyhopperslessonsangels.pdf Please invite your friends and family to come for the most fun you'll have all week! Students & Angels Having Fun at September Lessons
HAPPY HOPPER GUIDELINES FOR LESSONS ANGELS Happy Hopper club members or other experienced dancers may angel: If they arrive prior to the start of lessons, and are available to dance with lesson dancers or fill in squares until paying dancers arrive, and sit out if necessary. Experienced dancers who want to dance only with the partner of their choice, or who do not want to be pulled out of a square, should pay for the lesson. Understand there is only one teacher. Do not try to explain the move while the teacher is explaining the move. Display your square dance knowledge correctly by the book. No extra twirls, bumps or steps. Do not swing, twirl or twist with other angels until it is taught. Extra steps and time are lost to the beat of the music, which is confusing to the new student. Lesson members see this and try to copy. The teacher will know when the students are ready for these moves. NO CONVERSATION IN THE SQUARE PLEASE, WHILE THE TEACHING IS BEING DONE. Never show impatience or disgust with student error. Remember, you were a beginner once. NEVER PUSH OR PULL. It is tempting to put a student in place ---BUT DON T. They often complain of this physical behavior by others. They don t realize you re trying to be helpful. POINT instead, if appropriate. An angel sign-in sheet will be kept at the registration table each Monday night for purpose of keeping an attendance record. Angeling is being that silent instructor on the floor who is helping students realize their vision of becoming a square dancer. You are the spirit and enjoyment of this hobby sharing but a brief moment in time together. Make it a positive remembrance for all.
CELEBRATIONS October Birthdays 2 Randy Amundson 3 Sharon Driscoll 3 Victor Gruol 9 Celeste Sanders 15 Dianne Harland October Anniversaries 1 Bill & Carla Barnell 3 Jim & Mary Goodnight 29 Wally Riley & Shirley Steadman PLUS and a LITTLE MORE More Dancing with Jim Hattrick on Tuesdays at the Hazel Dell Grange Round Dancing 6:00 pm Plus/Workshop Dance 7:00 pm A-1 Lessons 8:30 pm October 7 7:00-8:30 pm New Plus Dancer Dance To Lessons Level October 14 6:00-7:00 pm New set of Two Step Lessons October 14 8:30-9:30 pm New set of A-1 Lessons
National Square Dance Convention A group of our home town Hoppers rode into the US National Square Dance Convention which was held in Little Rock, Arkansas this past summer. And here s some photos to prove it!!
Thank You Card Happy Hoppers received this thank you card from the staff at Sara J. Anderson Elementary School. Thank you Happy Hoppers for your generous school supply donations!