Editor’s Page

Welcome to the Summer, 2019 issue of the Promenader—a quarterly publication of the Rochester Area Federation of Round and Square Dance Clubs.

In this issue

The “Photos & Features” section of this issue includes several articles on Dance-O-Rama, the RAF’s annual spring festival, held on the first Saturday of May. In addition to three halls of square and round dancing, the festivities include welcoming ceremonies for new Mainstream graduates, dancer recognition awards and a fundraising raffle of club baskets. In this issue you’ll find articles on all of these.

The RAF is always seeking ways to improve its programs and events. 31 Dancer Feedback questionnaires were filled out by DOR dancers this year. Results are summarized in an article in this issue. If you did not fill in one of the questionnaires, the planners of next year’s Dance-O-Rama would still like to hear your opinions on how this festival could be made better. Please click HERE to download the Dance-O-Rama feedback questionnaire. Please fill it out and scan or mail it to Jeff and Debbie Blood at the address shown on the sheet.

Other articles in this issue cover graduations (at clubs who submitted photos) and other special events, such as the Amateur Caller Night held by the Village Squares in May. The summer Promenader also includes an article introducing new Federation officers who assume their new posts in June.

Summer Dancing

A notable newly re-constituted group within the RAF is the Promotions Committee, to be headed by Amy and Chris Aeckerle as they assume the post of Communications Liaison. Watch for this committee to organize events aimed at dancer recruitment and retention. A related article in this issue presents a few things that I think are important for clubs to think about and adjust in coordinating these efforts.

Fall Friendship Ball

Whether you are a new graduate or a seasoned dancer, you should mark your 2019 calendar for the September 28th Fall Friendship Ball, which will be held in Penfield at the First Baptist Church. This is the RAF’s annual “welcome back” dance. As in the past the dancing will take place in the afternoon, from 2pm to around 5pm, followed this year by a pot luck dinner. The dance will be free to 2019 graduates, but pricing for other dancers will be tailored to encourage them to bring food and/or a recent graduate with them.

RAF Website

Reminder: The RAF website has a “Late Breaking News” feature. When clubs notify Sidney Marshall (RAF Webmaster—sidneym@frontiernet.net) of a cancellation or other short-notice announcement, he will post it immediately on the RAF Home Page (www/squaredancingrochester.org), under a banner titled “LATE BREAKING NEWS.”

For maximum distribution of their messages, clubs should use this in addition to the “SquareDancingRochester” Facebook page.

In Memoriam

In this issue we say farewell to Buffalo area caller Larry Dunn and Cloverleaf dancer Romaine Barrett.

Editorial Comments

An article included in this issue gives my thoughts on avoiding schedule conflicts that happen too frequently. Conflicts cause grief to clubs who plan special events that depend on attracting dancers from other clubs. Conscientious use of the Calendar of Special Events on this website can help avoid conflicts.

Quarterly Chuckle

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell? How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? If teachers taught, why didn’t preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.

Peter Emmel, Promenader Editor