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Copy Cats Follow Fall Colors — Tumbling Leaves, 2018 |
In October, a contingent of Copy Cats and other Rochester dancers
attended the 2018 version of the annual Tumbling Leaves Festival in
Bennington Vermont. As expected, it was a wonderful weekend for
dancing and socializing. Festivals like this are always great
opportunities to get to know your fellow Square Dancers, and at this
one the scenery is absolutely beautiful! Consider joining us in 2019.
The couples in the photo, roughly from top to bottom, are: Phil &
Mary, Gary & Lorraine, Liz & Tom, Mary Jo & David, Karen
& Steve, Nancy & Rick, Pam & Carlos, Rick & Donna,
Kris & Amy, Alice & Gary and Lurine.
It’s Not (Quite) Too Late for Leadership Award Nominations |
We would not be dancing if it weren’t for the extra efforts of
folks who consistently go out of their way to make things happen, to
welcome and encourage new dancers and to help keep experienced dancers
engaged. The Daphne-Norma Leadership Award is one of the ways we
recognize these special people.
The award is presented each year in May—at Dance O
Rama—to honor an individual or co couple who have made an
outstanding contribution to dancing in our area. Recipients are
selected from nominations sent in by dancers like you.
If there is someone whose consistent service to square dancing in your
club or in the wider dancing community has caught your attention,
please make a note of it on a copy of the Daphne-Norma Nomination
Form, which you’ll find in our Awards section. (Click HERE for guidelines, a list of past
recipients and a link to the form.)
Send your completed form to the award’s most recent recipients,
Stu & Jane Jones, at 53 Dake Avenue, Rochester, NY 14617-2835.
If that’s too much trouble, then simply send an email to them at
Sjones102@rochester.rr.com—with the following
information:
Nominee’s Name(s)
Your reasons for nominating them
Your name and club affiliation
Your email address and phone number
It’s that simple!
Selection for this significant honor is a cumulative
process. Nominations are due by the end of February, but they are also
held over into future years, and can accumulate to build a compelling
case for “your” nominee. So, please don’t
hesitate. Send in your nomination any time. Like right now!
RAF Re-organizing Promotion Activities |
In the continuing effort to expand square dancing in our community, a
group of enthusiastic dancers is in the process of reviving a dormant
RAF Promotions Committee.
RAF Vice Presidents, Jeff and Debbie Blood, have recruited volunteers
with the goal of developing a sustainable and coordinated promotional
effort aimed at bringing new dancers into classes at our various clubs
along with helping to retain dancers at all levels—recent
graduates through experienced dancers.
The members of the recently formed RAF Promotions Committee are:
Amy & Kris Aeckerle
Debbie & Jeff Blood
Laurie & Dave Collins
Tracey & Jim Lasch
Karen Olmsted & Steve Barkley
Eileen Webster
The committee held its first meeting in February and will be meeting
again in March.
It was decided a separate committee will be formed to focus on the
challenge of accommodating solo dancers in classes and clubs. Debbie
& Jeff are currently recruiting members for this committee and
hoping to hold their first meeting in March. Anyone interested in
serving on this committee, please contact Debbie & Jeff Blood at
585-225-8751 or dfbjvbhome@aol.com
Stay tuned for news about the activities of these committees and how
you and your club can participate and benefit.
Copy Cats Celebrate the Holidays in Style |
On December 15th, the Copy Cats—and many of their friends—gathered in Penfield for a holiday feast and dance. After the food was served and enjoyed, the punch began to flow, as did Mike Callahan’s music … and the dancing. It was a class-club event, so many of us got a chance to meet and dance with this year’s Copy Kittens. As you can see from the accompanying photos, all had a wonderful time.
Welcome Two new Clubs to the RAF |
We are very pleased to welcome two new clubs to the RAF family in the
past two months. The Fun Bunch, dances on Tuesday evenings in Auburn,
with Ron Schweitzer calling, and the Phoenix Pairs N Squares dance in
Phoenix, NY.
Look for news and dance schedules from both clubs as we get them
integrated into the RAF website and the Promenader news
cycle. Meanwhile, you can contact Joe Manning (315-246-9956) for
information on the Fun Bunch, and Kathleen Harter (315-481-0570) for
information on the Phoenix Pairs N Squares.
Square Dancing and More with Cloverleaf Squares |
As our editor, Peter Emmel, pointed out from the “American
Square Dance” magazine; “Of the three great values of our
activity—movement, mental challenge, and
sociability—the greatest is sociability.” This is
something that the Cloverleaf Squares square dance club endeavors to
include in its activities: Social Interaction. There is some activity
for every dancer. The club holds events like, bowling nights, picnics,
canal trash pickup, mystery rides, and dinners. This is an addition to
their regular theme dances which encourage additional play and
fun. Themes at the club have included Halloween costume night,
Thanksgiving dinners, and Hawaiian night.
Cloverleaf Squares is a singles oriented club, welcoming couples and
families. Their activities are not designed for a “singles
meetup” but just as a way for people to come together and not
feel out-of-place or pressured to make connections. Having families
and couples attend just adds to the inclusiveness and comfort for the
solo dancer.
Another way the club keeps the sociability aspect prominent with their
dancers is to maintain various public platforms for members to keep
informed and connected. They have an information line (585.987.5972)
which is updated at least monthly with upcoming events. The club also
uses it to post urgent messages such as winter closings. The club
maintains web pages at www.cloverleafsquares.org. On its web page is
news about upcoming events and pictures of past events. What fun it is
to relive a distant or recent past event with your friends.
The best venue to maintain that social contact is through its
Facebook page. Many times after dances or activities there is a
posting with a few remarks and some pictures. Commonly, former
dancers will “Like” postings. The nature of the Facebook
presence helps to provide memories for current or former dancers.
Many appreciate the posts and even share some with their friends
Dancing is the center of the club. Many members travel to other clubs
either regionally or to outside festivals. Along with other Rochester
dancers, some will attend the annual Washington Area Square Dancers
Cooperative Association (WASCA) dance held every March. Around every
Labor Day, the Single Square Dancers USA sees Cloverleaf dancers at
many of their annual convention dances (Dance-A-Rama). The club has
done a few banner stealing trips and other group trips to other local
clubs. Last month, many members along with several Rochester dancers
attended a Penn Yan Friendship Squares afternoon dance. Later they
joined the Penn Yan club for an evening dinner.
The club is planning for more “adventures.” Later in March
will be another pancake breakfast trip to Cartwright’s Maple
Tree Inn in Angelica, NY. Their summer picnic will be on July 20th at
Gates Fire District Station 3. As always, the club loves other dancers
and families to join them at any of their dances or outside
activities.
George Dormer — December 8, 2018 |
To the sorrow of the square dance communty and of his many friends,
George Dormer died unexpectedly on December 8 at the age of
81. Characteristically, he was returning home from a Syracuse
University basketball game with his son and grandson. George’s
love of his family and pride in his grandchildren was a
given. He’d been an outstanding high school and college swimmer
and soccer player himself and he rarely missed his childen’s
track meets, soccer games or volleyball matches. When his grandson was
recently voted Naples HS Basketball MVP and Ontario County Player of
the Year, George was Zach Dormer’s proudest fan.
After graduating from RPI with a degree in metallurgical engineering,
George worked at Pfaudler until his retirement. Recognizing his
creativity, ingenuity and dependability, in 1971 the local chapter of
the AME created an award for excellence, which they called “Give
It To George.”
Retirement often is a chance to relax, but George had no intention of
slowing down. In retirement he acted as a consultant for RG&E and
Ginna, taught as an adjunct professor at RIT and joined Ginny
volunteering at Perinton Food Shelf. Over the years, he also served in
many capacities at his church, St. John of Rochester.
George and Ginny typify the best of square dancing and square
dancers. They were first to volunteer for anything that needed to be
done. Decorate for a Barn Dance or for New Year’s Eve? Vacuum
the carpet or dry mop the floor after the dance? Let George Do It!
They were always welcoming to new dancers. When Peter and I were
learnng to square dance, the Dormers’ encouragement and
friendship was a major motivation for our joining Village
Squares. Their ingenuity was exhibited evey Halloween, when we all
looked forward to seeing the latest creation from George, Ginny and
their Fairport posse. One year we danced with a herd of cows, next a
colony of penguins and eventually an entire circus troop.
The line of George’s friends calling at Harloff Funeral Home on
Friday afternoon wove around the entire building and streamed out onto
the sidewalk. After telling George’s daughter Mary that we were
square dancers, she replied that they had been counting square dancers
but gave up about half an hour earlier, at 60.
George and Ginny were the heart and soul of the Village Squares, and
Geoge’s death leaves a void in our club that will be impossible
to fill. Trying to find the word that best describes Geoge, I keep
coming back to ‘nice.’ ‘thoughtful,’
‘kind,’ ‘considerate,’ ‘smart,’
‘funny,’ ‘good sport,’ would all apply, but
George Dormer was truly a nice man. He will be greatly missed.
Nancy H. Fincher — January 5, 2019 |
Nancy H. Fincher, 87 years old, lived at 2403 Main Rd., East Pembroke,
NY, and passed away peacefully on January 5, 2019 at Johnson‘s
Elderly Care, in Byron, NY, with help from Orleans County Hospice.
Nancy was born in East Pembroke, a daughter of the late Earl and
Gladys Beckwith Clute. She was the wife of the late Dean W. Fincher
and was also predeceased by her sisters, Frances Klawer and Ruth
Klawer.
Nancy and her late husband Dean took square dance classes in the
basement of the YMCA, with the Batavia Twirlers, graduating in
1963. They returned to the class often, as new people wanted to join
them. Eventually the club became the Batavia Silver Stars. Nancy
learned round dancing, and for many years, served as cuer for Batavia
Silver Stars. She cued for other clubs when asked, and cued often at
Dance O Rama. She continued cueing up until about 5 years ago. Besides
round dancing, she also taught line dancing.
Nancy enjoyed teaching and playing the organ and piano, as well as
singing and directing the church choir. She loved to sew, making many
of her own square dance outfits. In her younger days she also sold Bee
Line and Fashion Wagon clothing, plus Sandak Sandals.
Nancy is survived by her, children Diane (Larry) Risley of Corfu,
Connie (Ken) Golding of Byron, John (Jennifer) Fincher of East
Pembroke, Mark (Dawn) Fincher of Morris, Illinois and Joy (Fred)
Bookmiller of Corfu, 11 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren with one
more on the way and 1 step great-grandchild.
Memorial gifts may be made to the Cornerstone Church of East Pembroke,
PO Box 189, East Pembroke, NY 14056, Johnson‘s Elderly Care, 6815
Rte. 237, Byron, NY 14422, or Hospice in Orleans County, 14080 Rte 31
West, PO Box 489, Albion, NY 14411.
