July 23, 2015 – Wadena Whirlaways “Man’s Best Friend – Duct Tape” Square Dance, Verndale, Caller Roger McNeil, Cuer Bernadette McNeil. Look what can be done with duct tape at a dance.
Chad Converse (speak no evil), Larry Witt (see no evil), Jay Orton (hear no evil)! Roger has duct-tape suspenders! Bernadette sports a duct-tape belt!
July 19, 2015 – SDM Summer Celebration, Dance, Annual Meeting, Awards, and Potluck, St Cloud Whitney Center, Callers Tom Allen, Monte Gunzler, Andy Flint, Tom Jacobs and Dick Rueter, Cuers Sarah Klaphake, Jane Simpson and Ken LaBau. Ninety-one dancers were in attendance and everyone had something extra to celebrate with the news that SDM and all of its affiliates are tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofits. Don Hanson, Bob Meyer, Mary Kay Amberg, Deb Hollimon and LeRoy Elfmann were elected as Board of Director members. Awards were presented for “Live Lively,” “Traveler” and “Most-Active Dancer. Don Lundell, a member of Afternoon Squares and County Line Squares, received the first “Most-Active Dancer” traveling banner award for attending 113 dance events from February to June 2015.
Over 90 folks turned out in St Cloud for the SDM Summer Celebration to call or cue, to dance, to receive awards, and to eat!
Who came to the SDM celebration? New dancers!
Who came to the SDM celebration? Round dancers!
Who came to the SDM celebration? Most-Active dancer from February through June – Don Lundell!
Most-Active dancer from February through June in second place – Mavis Johnson!
Most-Active dancers from February through June in third place – Joe Noe and Elaine Windsperger!
Most-Active dancer from February through June in fourth place – Willard Leinonen!
Most-Active dancers from February through June in fifth place – Tony and Gerlene Klingelhoets!
July 18, 2015 – Westonka Whirlers “Spirit of the Lakes Festival” ABC Square Dance, Gillespie Center, Mound.
Fourteen newcomers attended the ABC dance!
July 18, 2015 – Koronis Nite Owls “River Lakes” Parade, Richmond.
Koronis Nite Owls and guests!
July 15, 2015 – Spares & Pairs “Blue Hawaii Night” Dance, Bloomington, Caller Dick Rueter, Cuer Ray Belanger. Eight squares from eight clubs were present.
County Line Squares with Caller Dick Rueter at the dance!
July 4, 2015 – Rum River Squares “McGrath Celebration” demo, McGrath, Caller Abe Maier. Also attending were dancers from Rays Promenaders, Cambridge Corners, and County Line Squares.
Dancers at the demo!
Thirty-seven dancers from North Dakota and Minnesota danced in 20 states in 10 days on their way to and from the 64th National Square Dance Convention in Springfield, Massachusetts.
June 20, 2015 – Bus departed Fargo, North Dakota, with area dancers, stopped in St Joseph, Hasty, Plymouth, and Richfield, Minnesota, and picked up additional dancers. The tour stopped at Plymouth for lunch and afterwards danced in the Perkins parking lot. Group also danced at the Richfield stop before driving to Waupun, Wisconsin, for a dinner/dance with Prison City Squares. Callers were Dave Schulz and Roger McNeil with Bernadette McNeil cuing Rounds. After the dance the tour continued on to Mundelein, Illinois, where they spent the night.
Dancing at the parking lot in Richfield (or was it Plymouth?)!
Tour members at Prison City Squares!
Dancing with Prison City Squares!
June 21, 2015 – Before departing the hotel in Mundelein, the tour members danced for the hotel staff in the lobby. Tour arrived in St Joseph, Michigan, where Village Squares reserved the Whitcomb Veranda for a short dance and lunch courtesy of the Square and Round Dance Association of Southwest Michigan. The tour then traveled to Millers Merry Manor in New Carlisle, Indiana, where Elisa and Frank Berger had arranged for a short dance/demo. After departing New Carlisle the tour traveled to Norwalk, Ohio, for dinner and a mob dance in the restaurant. The tour spent the night in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Mob dance in hotel lobby!
Dancing at the Whitcomb Veranda!
Dancers at Millers Merry Manor!
And what do you do while you wait for your food to be delivered in a restaurant in Norwalk, Ohio ? You square up and dance!
June 22, 2015 – Before leaving the hotel in Erie, there was a mob dance in the parking lot. The tour drove on to Niagara Falls, New York, where there was another mob dance in front of the Visitor Center before dancers were left on their own to tour the falls as they pleased. In the afternoon the tour traveled to Albany, New York.
Niagara Falls, NY, was another highlight of the bus trip!
Canadian Falls taken from Goat Island!
June 23, 2015 – After departing Albany, the tour traveled to Bennington, Vermont, where there was a mob dance in the square (happened to be across the street from the Bennington Banner). See the Bennington Banner article. From Bennington the tour traveled to Keene, New Hampshire, where it was met by dancers from Keene, Bradford, Concord, Manchester, Mason, and Nashua for a mob dance at Railroad Square. See the Keene Sentinel article. After lunch the tour traveled to York, Maine, to dance with the Mix ‘n Mingle at the Nubble Lighthouse – Cape Neddick parking lot. That evening the tour danced with the Tech Squares at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Mob dance at Bennington, VT!
Danced at Railroad Square at Keene, NH!
Mix ‘n Mingle came to dance with us at the lighthouse parking lot in York, ME.
Dancing with Tech Squares at MIT!
June 24, 2015 – Traveled to Providence, Rhode Island, for a mob dance in the street. Then on to Putnam, Connecticut, home of the UConn Huskies, where we danced in the common square with area square dancers. From there the tour traveled to Springfield, Massachusetts, for a visit to the Dr. Suess Park for another mob dance and sightseeing.
The bus stopped in Providence, Rhode Island, and all enjoyed dancing on the sidewalk.
Mob dance in Putnam, CT!
Everyone enjoyed a visit to the Dr. Seuss memorial.
And who could resist posing with the Cat in the Hat and his creator: Ted Seuss Geisel?
Travelers at the Dr. Seuss Memorial Sculpture Garden.
And, of course, we danced at the Seuss Memorial Park!
June 24-27, 2015 – 64th National Square Dance Convention. Dancing for everyone at all levels, including a live band “The Ghost Riders” in the evenings with a different caller every tip!
Attendees at the National Convention was over 4,000 dancers!
Some of the folks who attended the National Convention.
Every Saturday evening at the National Convention begins with the Parade of States.
June 28, 2015 – Traveled from Springfield to Point Jarvis, New Jersey, for a mob dance (in the rain) in the High Point State Park parking lot. Then on to Willmington, Delaware, for another mob dance in a strip mall parking lot. Six squares (including some folks that we danced with at the convention) met at the Lowe’s parking lot in Frederick, Maryland, for another mob dance.
Three squares from the Ballenger Creek, MD, area turned out at the Lowe’s parking lot to dance with the tour dancers, who were staying at the hotel adjacent to the parking lot.
June 29, 2015 – Left Frederick for Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. Just before we crossed the state line from Virginia into West Virginia we stopped for a mob dance. From there we traveled to to Brookville, Ohio, where we danced with squares from western Ohio and eastern Indiana and Callers Tom Davis and Roger McNeil. Ten squares danced most of the evening for both Mainstream and Plus dances. Rounds were as popular as the square dances.
June 30, 2015 – Left Brookville in the morning and traveled through Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin. Dropped off dancers at the locations where we picked them up and completed the tour in Fargo.
June 24, 2015 – Congratulations to Judy and Floyd Engelhardt from Riverbend Promenaders. They were elected at the USDA annual meeting in Springfield, MA, as the vice presidents from the USDA Plains Region. The Plains Region includes Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin. www.usda.org/officers.htm
Judy & Floyd
June 20, 2015 – Single Circles “Demo” at Heather Manor, Crystal. Members of Single Circles were joined by dancers from Afternoon Squares, County Line Squares, and Westonka Whirlers to help them celebrate their Western Day gathering.
Dancers at Heather Manor!
June 20, 2015 – Single Circles “Barn” Dance, Maple Lake, Caller Abe Maier, Cuer Jane Simpson. Westonka Whirlers and County Line Squares joined to have a fun afternoon.
Ralph & Abe during a round dance!
Plenty of food!
June 17, 2015 – Beaux & Belles Square Dance, St Cloud, Caller Tom Allen, Cuer Sarah Klaphake. Five squares with dancers from ETTA Square & Rounds, Koronis Nite Owls, Beaux & Belles, and County Line Squares were present.
Caller Tom Allen and new grandson Lincoln!
Dave & Ninfa!
Jack & Doreen!