Editor’s Page

Welcome to the Fall, 2022 issue of the Promenader—a quarterly publication of the Western NY Federation of Round and Square Dancers Inc.

(Website: http://www.squaredancingrochester.org)

In this issue

The Photos and Features section highlights recent activities of area clubs and the WNY Federation. Most of our clubs are back to dancing after the COVID break. You’ll find their dances listed in the Schedule pages, which you can display in whichever format you choose, by clicking the options at the top of any Schedule page.

The lead-off article is from the September/October issue of “55 Plus” magazine. It features the WNYF Summer dance on July 16, 2022, and is based largely on an interview with Jeff & Debbie blood, describing their experiences getting started and becoming square dancers—and all the enjoyment they had along the way.

Other articles in this issue include the same July 16 WNYF summer dance and dinner at Barnard’s, and the Cayuga Cut-Ups 61st Anniversary dance and steak roast in Auburn on August 21.

There are also articles on WNY Federation initiatives focused on promoting square dancing and recruiting prospective new dancers. These include a booth and dance demonstration at the Greece Historical Society’s Strawberry Festival Fundraiser and a rundown of other current and upcoming activities and displays around town. A unique opportunity—that’s about to occur as I write this—is a live square dance demonstration to be aired on Spectrum Live TV, scheduled for early morning on Saturday, August 27, 2022.

There’s also an article covering the presentation of Circle of Service awards to a dedicated group of club leaders. Some worked together in the WNYF Return to Dance Task Force and others worked within their clubs to establish safe COVID protocols and get their clubs safely back onto the dance floor—with zero dance-related COVID transmissions.

Club News

The COVID virus is still with us, but most clubs have resumed dancing, while still taking precautions. Before you attend a dance, be sure to check their flyer, or check their posting in the “Club News” section, or check with their club contact listed under “Clubs” on this website. Most are requiring full vaccination and some are requiring that masks be worn at least part of the time.

Federation Website

Webmaster Sidney Marshall will post flyers and changes to the schedule listings as soon as he can after he receives them. For fastest service, he recommends sending flyers and schedule change notices to him directly (sidneym@frontiernet.net), as well as to the Promenader (promenader@rochester.rr.com).

In addition, for maximum distribution of urgent messages, clubs should send Sidney the text for any “Breaking News” to go on the home page. Clubs should also consider posting their news on the “SquareDancingRochester” group Facebook page.

In Memoriam

In this issue we say farewell to Frank Grossmann, who danced with his wife Pam at the Cloverleaf Squares club.

Editorial Comments

This week, I attended a Zoom meeting of the WNYF Club Presidents. We heard about what seems to me to be an unprecedented number of Federation initiatives and club efforts to promote square dancing and recruit new prospective dancers. I anticipate seeing many new folks attending classes in the coming season.

Whether your club offers beginner lessons or not, it’s especially important for all experienced dancers to be welcoming and supportive to new dancers. New dancers are primed to feel awkward and to blame themselves when things go wrong in a square. We experienced dancers need to go out of our way to prevent and counteract such feelings and help new dancers relax and feel welcome—that they belong here with us—because they are welcome and they do belong with us. Otherwise, there is a more than even chance they will not stay for long.

At many clubs, the number of experienced dancers is diminished in the aftermath of COVID. Clubs are looking not only for more dancers but for experienced dancers willing to step forward and lend a hand among the leadership. The same is true of the Federation. Jeff and Debbie and the current officers have done a heroic job of pulling us through the COVID years. It’s time for others to step up and shoulder some of the load.

Those who aren’t able to volunteer for a leadership role should still be part of the “recruiting team.” Be an ambassador for square dancing. Make sure all your friends know that you square dance. Tell them how much you enjoy it, and about all the friends you have made through square dancing. Make sure they get the message about how good it is for body and soul.

Quarterly Chuckle

A traveling salesman, caught in a torrential rainstorm, stopped overnight at a sympathetic farmhouse. In the morning, he looked out on a flood coursing through the front yard. He watched branches, pieces of fence, chicken coops and an old straw hat as they floated past in the current. Then he saw the straw hat come back, upstream past the house! Then he saw it go down again. Pretty soon, it came back upstream—and by now the salesman wondered if he’d gone crazy. Finally, he called to the farmer’s daughter.

“Oh,” she said, after a glance out the window, “that must be Grandpa. He said yesterday that, come Hell or high water, he was going to mow the yard today.”

Peter Emmel, Editor