# articlecontent

articleid: 292
position: 1
type: text
content:
  Robert (Bob) W. Schlenker Jr., age 87, of Port Bay, NY and Pinellas
  Park, FL, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, February 12, 2020 with
  family attending, at Suncoast Hospice Bayfront in St. Petersburg,
  FL. He was born on March 29, 1932 in Rochester, NY to Robert Sr. and
  Mabel Dorothy Latimer Schlenker. He was proud to be a veteran of the
  US Navy. Bob was very social, with many lifelong friends, enjoyed a
  career as a hairdresser and, as an avid square dancer. He relished the
  opportunity as a professional caller to entertain others with his
  beautiful voice. He was preceded in death by his parents and his twin
  brothers, Douglas and Donald, and his second wife, Susanne. Surviving
  are his first wife, Marlys (Conwell) Whitcomb, and their three
  children; Deborah Schlenker of Pittsford, NY, Robert W Schlenker III
  of Greensburg, PA, Amy (Schlenker) Mangieri of Nashua, NH; their 5
  grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren; his beloved sister Shirley
  (Schlenker) Reed of Manchester, NY and brother Gerald of
  Colorado. There will be a private family service held in his
  memory. Donations in lieu of flowers may be sent to the Suncoast
  Hospice Foundation, 5771 Roosevelt Blvd. Clearwater, FL 33760-3407 (or
  online at SuncoastHospiceFoundation.org); or to your local VA
  Hospital. (va.gov/find-locations/)

  In the Rochester area, Bob was club caller for the Promenading Bees
  and the Triggers, and he cued round dancing as well. He was a
  long-time member of the Hip Boot Boys square dance calling trio, where
  he was known as Slick and contributed the high range in their rich
  harmony of voices&mdash;as well as to their unique brand of humor and
  gags.


articleid: 293
position: 01
type: text
content:
  Welcome to the Spring, 2020, edition of the Promenader&mdash;a quarterly
  publication of the Rochester Area Federation of Round and Square Dance
  Clubs.

  Well, here we are in the twenty twenties, and numerologists have
  already noticed the palindrome potential of dates like 02022020 that
  just passed.


articleid: 293
position: 03
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content:
  The &ldquo;Photos &amp; Features&rdquo; section of this issue includes a
  heart-warming story of love blooming among the Copy Kittens, and a
  rundown on the many callers who will fill the Cloverleafs&rsquo; hall with
  music while Mike is away.

  The Village Squares honor Carl and Susan Thomas with the Circle of
  Service Award, and RAF VPs Jeff and Debbie Blood preview the upcoming
  Dance-O-Rama.

  Silver Squares reporter Anne Granger shows how she provides her club
  with a complete hardcopy Promenader for the flyer table&mdash;go Anne! She
  also submitted a gallery of portraits to help us all meet the Silver
  Squares.

  We also present a fresh look at dance demos, with encouragement from
  Amy &amp; Kris Aeckerle and the RAF Promotions Committee.

  Carl Webster&rsquo;s TIP SHEET contribution explains why dancer
  positioning is so important.

  If you would like to see your club&rsquo;s events posted in the
  Promenader, simply send full-resolution photos (or a link), with a few
  sentences of explanation, to promenader@rochester.rr.com.


articleid: 293
position: 05
type: text
content:
  In this issue we say goodbye to colorful former area caller, cuer and
  Hip Boot Boys member, Bob &ldquo;Slick&rdquo; Schlenker. Bob would have
  liked to hear you say that three times, fast.


articleid: 293
position: 07
type: text
content:
  Be sure to browse the rest of our website for complete dance schedules
  and information from the Rochester Area Federation&mdash;such as forms
  and explanations for club reimbursement programs, club insurance
  information and forms, and for the RAF meeting schedule and minutes.

  Note that our &ldquo;Breaking News&rdquo; section is
  located&mdash;when needed&mdash;on the RAF Home page,
  between the buttons and the Open House listings. Check it, or the
  SquareDancingRochester Facebook page for news of cancellations and
  other urgent messages.

  And please follow this <a href="president-2020-03.html">link</a> for the quarterly message from the RAF
  President, Jim Gotta.


articleid: 293
position: 09
type: text
content:
  Nominations are due by end of February, but if you get them in right
  now (early March) it won&rsquo;t be too late. Now is the time to consider
  nominating worthy folks for the highest honor the Rochester area dance
  community can bestow. For guidelines, along with a listing of past
  recipients and to download the nomination form, please click <a href="../awards/awards.html">HERE</a>.


articleid: 293
position: 11
type: text
content:
  In April of each year, the Rochester Area Federation of Round and
  Square Dance Clubs will elect officers to fill this year&rsquo;s
  vacancies. One unfortunate side-effect of the electronic distribution
  of dance flyers is that it has reduced attendance at RAF meetings.

  It used to be that club reps came to every meeting, bringing packets
  of their flyers, labeled for each of the other clubs. They laid them
  out on the table and picked up all the &ldquo;incoming&rdquo; packets with
  their own club name on them. It was a very efficient person-to-person
  swap. Even better, you got to meet the reps from all the other clubs,
  and you took part in the various planning steps that help coordinate
  square dancing in our area. Nowadays, without the incentive of
  avoiding flyer mailings, participation in RAF meetings is more
  limited.

  That means fewer dancers are aware of the dedicated folks who work
  behind the scenes. It&rsquo;s an inspiring group of dancers just like you,
  who give an hour or two of their time for about nine meetings a year,
  to keep in touch with dancing throughout our area. A few take on the
  manageable responsibilities of officers. This year the RAF will be
  electing new Vice Presidents and Secretaries (plural because these
  posts are often filled by couples).

  I encourage you to consider giving back a little of your time and
  attention by volunteering for one of these positions. The nominating
  committee is Eileen Webster and Peter Emmel, so all you need to do is
  contact one or the other of us to express your willingness. Thanks in
  advance for your help!


articleid: 293
position: 13
type: text
content:
  <ul>
  <li>His dizzy aunt&mdash;Verti Gogh
  <li>The brother who ate prunes&mdash;Gotta Gogh
  <li>The brother who worked at a convenience store&mdash;Stop N Gogh
  <li>The grandfather from Yugoslavia&mdash;U Gogh
  <li>His magician uncle&mdash;Where-Diddy Gogh
  <li>His Mexican cousin&mdash;A Mee Gogh
  <li>The Mexican cousin&rsquo;s American half-brother&mdash;Gring Gogh
  <li>The nephew who drove a stage coach&mdash;Wells-Far Gogh
  <li>The constipated uncle&mdash;Cant Gogh
  <li>The ballroom dancing aunt&mdash;Tang Gogh
  <li>The bird lover uncle&mdash;Flamin Gogh
  <li>The fruit loving cousin&mdash;Man Gogh
  <li>The little bouncy nephew&mdash;Poe Gogh
  <li>A sister who loved disco&mdash;Go Gogh
  <li>And his niece who travels the country in an RV&mdash;Winnie Bay Gogh
  <li>I saw you smiling&mdash;there ya Gogh. . .
  </ul>
  Keep dancing!


articleid: 294
type: text
content:
  Greetings friends and fellow dancers.

  They say Rochester is leading the snowfall competition. While the snow
  has been leaving almost as fast as it&rsquo;s been coming which means
  we&rsquo;re having a great (or is that awful) pothole season, we&rsquo;ve had
  only a couple of dances canceled. Let&rsquo;s hope that continues so we
  can continue with all the great dances.

  March 28th the Callers group will have their Spring Dance. It&rsquo;s a
  great time to meet other dancers, dance to many different callers and
  cuers, and help support the callers.

  The 62nd Dance-O-Rama will be May 2, 2020 at the Perinton Recreation
  Center 1350 Turk Hill Rd., Fairport, NY. This is a Federation wide
  event. While it marks graduation for our newer dancers, it is also an
  opportunity for those from around the area that don&rsquo;t often get to
  see each other to come together and dance. The event starts at 2:00 pm
  and runs until 9:45 pm. Out of town caller Jonathan Weiner will be
  there as well as Gary Bubel, Gil Porter, and myself. Cuers will be
  Alice Bubel and Eileen Webster. Please see the flier for the details.

  There is still plenty of dancing being planned for the summer
  including national callers Betsy Gotta, Mike Sikorsky, and Bill
  Harrison. This fall will see several open houses as well as our
  welcome back Fall Friendship Ball being planned for September 19,
  2020.

  See you on the dance floor.


articleid: 296
position: 1
type: text
content:
  Catherine McGilvery (Jackson) passed away peacefully on 2-13-2020 at
  the age of 86, after a courageous battle with cancer. Pre-deceased by
  1st husband Thomas Jackson, 2nd husband Ben McGilvery. Survived by son
  Mike Jackson, daughter Cathleen (JoAnne) Jackson, step-daughter Sharon
  (Alden) Merrill. Grand-daughter Jaci Jackson, niece Rita (Kenneth),
  nephew Charles (Michelle) and many friends in Arizona and Rochester
  NY. A celebration of her life was held at Fleming point, 720 Latta
  Road on 02-23-2020 at 2:00pm.

  Catherine (Kay) Jackson McGilvery was a long-time square dancer, and
  in 1980 received the Daphne-Norma Leadership Award&mdash;the highest honor
  in Rochester square dancing.


articleid: 297
position: 1
type: text
content:
  A individual donation was recently given to Rochester Area Federation
  (RAF) to start a fund for our callers to assist them with their loss
  of income during this pandemic.

  Even though it is a very generous and wonderful idea, there is no
  provision in the RAF bylaws to administer it. All donations received
  by RAF must be deposited in the dancer recruitment &amp; promotion
  fund.

  There have been several conversations among the RAF leadership this
  past week, trying to figure the best way to proceed. Presently,
  neither the RAF nor the Caller&rsquo;s Co-operative of Rochester (CCR)
  are in a position to fairly administer a donation fund for callers and
  cuers.

  At this time, we are returning the donation and directing anyone
  interested in donating to their callers, to please do it on an
  individual basis. You may want to check with your club leadership
  first, to see if anything is being planned at the club level for your
  callers.

  Please Take Care &amp; Stay Safe,

  Debbie &amp; Jeff

  Vice-Presidents RAF


articleid: 298
position: 1
type: text
content:
  Hi Everyone,

  We hope you all are well &amp; safe. Even though it&rsquo;s been a
  long time since we have danced together, we have great news. The
  Rochester Area Federation has been busy scheduling the Free Summer
  Dances and a special October DORish dance, replacing the canceled DOR
  dance in May.

  We are proud to announce we have 52 graduating class members from
  eight clubs this year. We hope each of the graduates are
  encouraged to join us on the dance floor ASAP.

  The RAF dances being planned are new-graduate-friendly. Our callers
  are prepared to assist the new graduates as they return to the dance
  floor. The callers are well aware the classes were at varying stages
  of completion when all dancing was shut down in mid-March due to the
  coronavirus.

  We have Free Summer Dances planned and a special Saturday afternoon
  DORish Dance planned in October.


articleid: 299
position: 1
type: text
content:
  One of my favorite sources of information Rochester&rsquo;s Square
  Dancing history is Sally Baechle. She and her husband, Walt, started
  square dancing in the early seventies, and over the succeeding decades
  they became leaders and promoters at all levels.

  She recently loaned me a copy of the official program from DOR
  1973. Yes, in those days DOR had a printed program! It had a cover and
  12 internal pages, half of which were devoted to dance information and
  half were ads.

  DOR 1973 was held at RIT, in the athletics building. Sally
  doesn&rsquo;t recall how many dancers attended, but the schedule shows
  three gyms and the ice rink and lists four national callers (John
  Hendron, Kip Garvey, Bob Brundage and Bud Redmond) along with two
  national cuers (Phil and Norma Roberts).

  Dancing started at 2pm and lasted until midnight, with a two-hour
  dinner break. As now, there was dancing during the dinner
  break&mdash;in this case with local callers. The program lists
  Ken Boss, Stan Levandoski, Ed Butenhof, Chip Kellogg, Jerry Carmen
  and Chuck Prister. (See the obituary of Chuck&rsquo;s wife, Gerry, in
  this issue.) All of these callers are pictured in the program, along
  with other Callers Co-Op members&mdash;notably including Mike
  Callahan, Jerry and Betty Carmen, and Bob Ellis.

  I&rsquo;ve included the schedule pages from the program with this
  article, but I encourage you to take a look at the complete Program
  in a more readable (PDF) format by following this link: <a
  href="../png/202006-DOR-Program.pdf">http://squaredancingrochester.org/png/202006-DOR-Program.pdf</a>

  One interesting page you&rsquo;ll find in the full program gives the
  history of Dance-O-Rama up to the 1973 edition. The first DOR took
  place in 1959, at Cutler Union on University Avenue. I think
  it&rsquo;s fascinating to look through this window to the past and
  imagine all the folks who came before us and enjoyed the friendships
  of square dancing.

  It&rsquo;s especially motivating to see the names of the many who
  invested their time in helping organize events like DOR. For each of
  those listed as DOR organizers, there were many more who contributed
  by organizing club dances and recruiting new dancers. Thank you,
  Sally Baechle for sharing these memories and reminding us of the
  legacy we have inherited!


articleid: 300
position: 1
type: text
content:
  (The following story about Henry Ford&mdash;yes, the
  automobile magnate from Michigan&mdash;appeared in the March,
  2020, issue of American Square Dancing. It was in the
  &nbsp;&ldquo;Moore Thoughts&rdquo; column by Paul Moore, and is
  reproduced here with permission.)

  In 1923, Henry Ford visited the Wayside Inn in Sudbury,
  Massachusetts, where he participated in the regular dance program of
  gavotte, the schottische, minuet, and the Virginia Reel led by
  Benjamin B. Lovett. Ford enjoyed the program so much he offered
  Lovett a regular job to teach dancing and to train new leaders in
  Dearborn, Michigan. Lovett turned down the offer because he was
  contracted to the Wayside Inn. Ford, who had a personal fortune of
  twenty billion dollars (in 1920&rsquo;s dollars), simply bought the
  Wayside Inn and Lovett&rsquo;s contract. The contract was rewritten
  for Lovett to come to Dearborn for two months&mdash;he stayed
  for twenty-six years. During the depression of the 1930s, Lovett was
  paid $12,000 per year, plus a new Lincoln every year, a home, most of
  his meals and all of his transportation costs. Ford and Lovett used
  the situation to promote American Square Dancing. Two hundred dancing
  instructors were invited to Dearborn to learn how to dance and to
  call the Virginia Reel. Lovett was also instructed to start a program
  for Dearborn public school children. The dances that Lovett taught
  were regularly printed in newspapers nation-wide. Every Sunday,
  Lovett would travel to Chicago to call live on the radio the dances
  that had been printed in newspapers the previous week&mdash;with separate broadcasts to account for eastern and western time
  zones. [see Editor&rsquo;s note below]

  Benjamin Lovett became so busy that he had to train new dance
  teachers. He developed a minimum staff of twelve to fourteen dance
  instructors to help him with his ever-increasing workload. The program
  kept expanding due to the generosity of Mr. Ford. Any school district
  that wanted a dance program merely had to contact Benjamin Lovett,
  Mr. Ford would write a check from his personal account, and Lovett or
  one of his instructors would be sent to that school. Lovett, again
  sponsored by Henry Ford, was responsible for bringing square dancing
  and ballroom dancing to thirty-four institutions of higher learning,
  among them Radcliffe College, Stevens College, Temple University,
  University of Michigan, University of North Carolina and the
  University of Georgia&mdash;with no charge to these
  universities.</pp>

  Because square dancing took more space than ballroom dancing, Ford
  built a dance hall in Greenfield Village, site of the Henry Ford
  museum. It was beautifully decorated with chandeliers and had a
  hardwood floor that would hold approximately forty squares of
  dancers. Ford even hired one man, full-time, to polish the floor
  daily, whether the floor had been used or not.

  In 1926, Henry Ford published an excellent book on American Square
  Dancing entitled &nbsp;&ldquo;Good Morning.&rdquo; The title page
  states: &nbsp;&ldquo;After a sleep of twenty-five years, old fashioned
  dancing is being revived by Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ford.&rdquo; In the
  archives of the Henry Ford Museum, several written accounts of former
  executives report that Mr. Ford invited all of his executives to take
  lessons in early American Square Dancing. He was quick to tell them
  that he wanted them to take these lessons of their own free will, and
  not be under any pressure. However, an invitation from Mr. Ford was
  tantamount to a command from royalty.

  Benjamin Lovett was a strong leader in early American Square
  Dancing. He was the personification of a gentleman. Regardless of the
  fact that most of his dancers were people of great wealth and
  position, he told them what they were to wear and what they were not
  to wear.

  He insisted that the ladies wear formal dresses and corsages. Men were
  told that they were to wear dark suits. The ladies were instructed
  that they never were to cross their legs at the knees, but only at the
  ankles. And no one could cross directly across the dance floor except
  Mr. Ford.

  When Ford passed away, Lovett could no longer afford the promotion of
  square dancing. In 1949 he announced his retirement and he left
  Michigan, never to be seen there again. He died in Massachusetts in
  1951.

  Editor&rsquo;s note:

  According to Wikipedia, the National Barn Dance was broadcast by
  WLS-AM in Chicago, Illinois, starting in 1924. It was one of the first
  American country music radio programs, and a direct precursor of
  Nashville&rsquo;s Grand Ole Opry. After 44 years, the show aired its
  final Barn Dance in 1968.


articleid: 301
position: 1
type: text
content:
  The coronavirus pandemic has forced most of us apart and indoors, but
  that doesn&rsquo;t mean we have to stop dancing!

  In normal times, dancing is good exercise and it keeps us in touch
  with our friends. Now, in the isolation of &nbsp;&ldquo;social
  distancing&rdquo; we need those things more than ever.

  A few adventuresome callers and dancers are filling this unexpected
  gap by harnessing video conferencing technology. One of these
  pioneers&mdash;the Pandemic Squares&mdash;was
  organized by Brenda Bixby, with Gil Porter calling. They dance at
  8pm on Wednesdays. Contact Brenda at brendabixby152@gmail.com for
  login information.

  Early &nbsp;&ldquo;Zoom Dances&rdquo; are identifying what works and
  what doesn&rsquo;t. In this edition of the Tip Sheet, we&rsquo;ll list
  some of the key Dos and Don&rsquo;ts.

  First a few basics. What we are talking about is a type of internet
  application (app) that runs on any internet device, be it a computer,
  laptop, tablet or smart phone. It uses the camera and the microphone
  in your device to bring your live image and voice to the screens of
  all the others who are participating in the same session.

  Images from the other participants are simultaneously displayed in a
  grid array on your screen, and audio from their microphones plays
  through your speakers. So, you can all see and hear one another at the
  same time.

  In distance dancing, a caller in the same session plays music and
  calls tips, while the other participants listen and dance in front of
  their devices, usually in pairs or singles. To keep ambient sounds of
  dancers from disrupting the music and calls, the
  &nbsp;&ldquo;host&rdquo; mutes all but the caller&rsquo;s audio during
  each tip, then un-mutes everyone for conversation between tips.

  This is a great way to keep dancing in these housebound times, but it
  poses special challenges for the caller and for dancers. For one
  thing, the caller doesn&rsquo;t get the feedback of seeing squares of
  dancers on the floor. Also, the dancers have to interact with
  imaginary &ldquo;ghost&rdquo; dancers for most of the calls.

  This is more fun than you might think, and even if you are skeptical,
  there&rsquo;s no harm in trying it. Keep in mind that
  &nbsp;&ldquo;dancing is friendship set to music,&rdquo; and remember
  that the alternative to this is to sit at home in isolation!

  One good aspect of dancing this way is that ghosts don&rsquo;t roll
  their eyes and make you feel bad it if you break down their
  square&mdash;at least I&rsquo;ve yet to hear one complain!

  Following are a few tips to help you get up to speed on this new mode
  of dancing.

  Do:

  &bull; Take some time in advance of the session to set up your device
  and dance area so that you are happy with the view seen by the
  camera. (Use an app like FaceTime to see your image and adjust the
  aiming.)

  &bull; Set your internet device in a place where you can dance in
  front of it on a hard floor. You&rsquo;ll need, at minimum, an area of
  about 6 feet square, with its front edge about 4 feet in front of your
  device.

  &bull;&nbsp;Set your device on a countertop or a table, maybe on a box
  or a cushion, to get it about waist high, and aim the camera slightly
  (but not too far) above horizontal.

  &bull; Mute your microphone. Sounds you make while dancing can
  interfere with the caller&rsquo;s audio and the music. The caller
  might ask for comments after each tune. Then you can un-mute to ask
  questions &amp; talk with friends. (The host often takes care of
  this.)

  &bull; Imagine there is one ghost couple in their normal place
  opposite you or beside you, or wherever they should be for the
  configuration you are in. For example, in an Ocean Wave with you and
  your partner facing the same way, you will be holding hands with a
  ghost between you facing the opposite way&mdash;and one of you
  will be holding a different ghost with their other hand as well. (See
  accompanying diagrams for typical configurations.)

  &bull; Note that, since most moves will be do-able as a box of four,
  you can do this with only one ghost couple, i.e., you don&rsquo;t
  have to imagine three other couples. Callers will (hopefully) avoid
  full-square calls such as Grand Square, Load the Boat and Relay the
  Deucey.

  Don&rsquo;t:

  &bull; Don&rsquo;t worry about getting everything right. This is new
  to everybody and all are learning how to dance with ghosts. Also, most
  folks are so focused on their own dancing that they are not watching
  you, so nobody knows if you are doing what the caller is calling or
  doing your own variations on it.


articleid: 302
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type: text
content:
  Just before the cusp of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown,
  Cloverleaf Squares held an event for their fiftieth anniversary. 530
  invitations were mailed out. 130 people registered to attend, and 126
  signed up for dinner. Nancy Tompkins headed the planning committee to
  find a venue, arrange for the menu, and manage the mailing
  list. People were looking forward to the dance and reunion. But there
  began to be a concern about the possibility of spreading or receiving
  the virus. Happy with the health safety commitment of the venue, the
  Diplomat Banquet Center, Cloverleaf Squares decided to hold the dance
  after all.

  And what a ball did they have! Current and former members gathered for
  dinner and a dance. Although Mike Callahan was not able to fly during
  this time, Dave Eno took his place as the dance caller. Linda Liberti
  was already in the area from Arizona and was able to lead them in
  round dancing. In attendance were former members such as Bob Sponable,
  our 1970 club president, and Ann Crowley-Hash, an original class
  member.

  Take a look at all of their pictures on the Cloverleafs&rsquo; website
  at http://www.cloverleafsquares.org/Pictures.htm. You will see old
  friends, Rochester area dancers, and new dancers. There are pictures
  of dancing, and eating, and visiting. Their anniversary dance and
  dinner was a hit. Is it time to plan for their 100th anniversary?


articleid: 303
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content:
  Pittsford&mdash;Peacefully in her sleep, during a long recovery
  from aspiration pneumonia, May 10, 2020, at age 86. Joilee is survived
  by her special friend and caregiver, Ronald C. Anderson of Pittsford;
  daughter, Jill Mulcahy (Jason) of Webster; special daughter-in-law,
  Christine Clendenning of Irondequoit; grandchildren, Jake Mulcahy,
  Emily and Josh Clendenning; and her special sister-in-law, Betty
  Rund. She is also survived by many cousins and countless friends
  everywhere. Joy was predeceased by her parents, Ed and Dorothy
  Collins; her special friends, Gill Crayton and John Pratt; and by her
  special uncle, Guston Joseph DeMeyer.

  Joy was born on March 9, 1934 in her family&rsquo;s home on Stonewood
  Avenue in Greece. Living in the then free school district, she
  attended #42 School on Lake Avenue and Charlotte High School,
  graduating in 1952. It was in kindergarten at #42 School that she
  first med Ron Anderson. Joy worked a variety of jobs during her life,
  including at Rochester Telephone Company and Eastman Kodak. During her
  married life, Joy lived on Buffalo Road in Churchville. She later
  moved to Trimmer Road in Spencerport, and finally, about 25 years ago,
  to her town house in Pittsford.

  Joy was an extremely outgoing person, and made friends everywhere she
  went. She could &ldquo;work a room&rdquo; in world class fashion! She
  was very active in line dancing, square dancing, and card playing,
  especially bridge, euchre, and pinochle. She traveled extensively, her
  favorite trip being to Australia and New Zealand. She was very active
  in the Pittsford Senior Center, and helped host it&rsquo;s semi-annual
  euchre tournaments recently. Joy was on the board of the Flower City
  Jazz Society, and acted as the hostess for its monthly dinner
  concerts. Joy was also the &ldquo;glue&rdquo; that held together the
  Charlotte High School class of 1952, and was centrally involved in
  putting on reunions every five years, including the most recent one in
  2017, as well as countless informal get-togethers with classmates in
  between.

  Because of the current pandemic situation, a Memorial Mass for Joy
  will be held on a date to be determined at St. Catherine of Siena. In
  lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to St. Catherine of Siena,
  26 Mendon-Ionia Rd., Mendon, NY 14506; McQuaid Jesuit High School,
  Advancement Department, 1800 Clinton Avenue S., Rochester, NY 14618;
  Mercy Bridges, 1437 Blossom Rd., Rochester, NY 14610 or charity of
  choice. To share a memory of Joy or send a condolence to the family
  visit www.anthonychapels.com.

  To Plant Memorial Trees in memory, please visit our Sympathy Store.

  Published in Rochester Democrat And Chronicle from May 11 to May 12,
  2020.

  Joy was a square dancer off and on for about 30 years, most recently
  with the Cloverleafs and the Grand Squares. Carol Ann Stahl, from the
  Grand Squares, submitted the following remembrance:

  Initially Joy danced solo with us, but several years ago she
  partnered with Ron Anderson and they attended most dances together.
  She was our club&rsquo;s Promenader reporter for several years, keeping
  the Square Dance Community aware of our activities. She was always
  ready to greet fellow club members and guests with her friendly
  smile. The fact that our dances were held on Thursday evenings was a
  plus and a minus as far as Joy was concerned. Since she often hosted
  the weekly euchre games at her home on Thursday afternoons, we were
  the recipient of her leftover (and delicious) refreshments. But as
  her health worsened, it became more difficult to combine the
  afternoon and evening activities and unfortunately it was the square
  dancing that suffered. We were grateful her presence when we had her.


articleid: 304
position: 1
type: text
content:
  Gerry Davis Prister Bolton passed away peacefully in Fairport on April
  18, at age 93. She is survived by daughter Julia (Russ) Harper, son
  Kurt Prister and grandchildren Andrew &amp; Kelly. A memorial will be
  held at a later date. (Visit caringbridge.org)

  Donations may be made in Gerry&rsquo;s memory at rph.org

  Obituary published in Rochester Democrat And Chronicle April 25 &amp;
  26, 2020.

  Gerry and her first husband, Chuck Prister, were active square
  dancers in the Rochester area. In 1977, they were the very first
  recipients of the Daphne-Norma Leadership Award, presented by the
  Rochester Area Federation of Round and Square Dance Clubs. They were
  active in the EKC-O Squares (formed by Kodak employees) and the
  Genesee Dancers. Together, Gerry and Chuck designed the EKC-O Squares
  badge logo. Chuck was a popular guest caller who also taught square
  dancing for the Copy Cats, which had been formed by Xerox employees.

  The accompanying photo shows them at a Genesee Dancers Christmas
  dance. They had just been presented with a poster titled &ldquo;Your
  Face in the Crowd&rdquo; by Walt and Sally Baechle.

  (Please see the accompanying profile of Chuck&mdash;and
  Gerry&mdash;from the April, 1973, issue of the Promenader.)


articleid: 305
position: 1
type: text
content:
  On Tuesday, May 5, 2020, Mary Salvione, loving wife and mother, passed
  away peacefully at age 87. Mary was born on September 4, 1932 in
  Rochester, NY to William and Gertrude (Aman) Donadoni. Mary grew up in
  St Andrew&rsquo;s parish and school. She graduated from Our Lady of
  Mercy High School in 1950.

  Mary raised eight children with Walter Elmer in Chili, New York. Mary
  was proud of her big family. She enjoyed playing games, especially
  dominoes and cards. Mary was a sharp euchre player to the end. She was
  an avid Scrabble player and enjoyed the Daily Jumble puzzle. Mary had
  a special gift for baking and was known as &ldquo;Mary, Queen of
  Desserts&rdquo; by her children. She had a special knack for making
  desserts out of creative combinations including chocolate syrup on
  Cheerios and marshmallows toasted on Ritz crackers. If it were up to
  her, any kind of chocolate would do.

  Mary&rsquo;s hobbies included playing piano, crocheting, sewing, and
  reading. Mary was a secretary at the University of Rochester School of
  Nursing; she retired in 1997. She married Arthur Salvione in 1993. For
  18 years, Mary and Art spent winters in Oldsmar, Florida, where they
  enjoyed square dancing and social events. She was a devout Catholic
  and faithful communicant. One of her many acts of service was
  volunteering at Birthright.

  She was predeceased by her parents, husband Arthur, brother George
  Donadoni, sister Dorothy Maier, son Mark, daughter Lucy Sulkowski, and
  son-in-law Michael Smith. She is survived by her children; Jean Smith,
  Margie, Bill (Judi), Cathy Raksha, Maria Elmer, Dolores (Tony) Gratto,
  grandchildren; Brian (Sara) Bickersmith, Colleen (Shaun Baxter) Smith,
  Jackie (Victoria) Woodward, Stephen, Andrew, and Hannah Sulkowski,
  Claire and Michael Gratto, and great-grandchildren Violet and Mira
  Bickersmith, her brother, Alex (Sally) Donadoni, brother-in-law David
  Maier, and sister-in-law Lorraine Donadoni, many cousins, nieces and
  nephews.

  Due to COVID-19 restrictions, funeral services will be held at a
  future date. As an expression of sympathy, please consider having a
  Mass offered for Mary&rsquo;s soul at St Elizabeth Ann Seton Church,
  3747 Brick Schoolhouse Rd, PO Box 149, Hamlin, NY 14464 or contribute
  to a charity of your choice.

  Arrangements have been made by Rochester Cremation.

  To Plant Memorial Trees in memory, please visit our Sympathy Store.

  Published in Rochester Democrat And Chronicle May 8&ndash;10, 2020.

  Mary and Art were members of the Cloverleafs square dance club.


articleid: 298
position: 3
type: text
content:
  We have three Free Summer Dances scheduled, emphasizing the
  Mainstream calls, at the Henrietta Fire Hall at 3129 East Henrietta
  Rd on the following Friday nights starting at 7pm:
  <br>&bull; June 26, 2020
  <br>&bull; July 17, 2020
  <br>&bull; August 7, 2020
  <br><br>Gary Bubel will be calling and Alice Bubel will be cueing, and
  arrangements for Guest callers are in progress.


articleid: 298
position: 5
type: text
content:
  Date: Saturday Oct. 3, 2020.
  <br>Time: Dancing will be from 1&ndash;5 p.m.
  <br>Location: Perinton Recreation Center (PRC) same as previous DOR dances
  <br>Two dance halls: A Mainstream Hall, and a Plus/Round Dancing Hall with
  a wood floor
  <br>Three callers: Mike Callahan, Dave Eno, Gil Porter
  <br>Two cuers: Jim Gotta, Mark Throne
  <br>Dance Ticket Prices: $10 at the door

  We&rsquo;ll have the refreshment room set up with water and hot
  beverages. We are requesting dancers bring snacks to share.
  There will be no dinner available at this dance.

  We will be having our annual basket raffle. The baskets will be
  displayed in the small room adjacent to the refreshment room. The
  annual basket raffle is a key fundraiser for Rochester Area
  Federation (RAF). It is the main source of funding for the promotion
  of square &amp; round dancing in the Rochester region.

  There will be an RAF program including honoring our 2020 graduates,
  presenting the 2020 Daphne-Norma Leadership Award, and with drawings
  for the 50-50 and basket raffles.

  (Important: Please let your club leaders know, a week in advance, if
  you plan to attend this dance. We are not asking for advance
  reservations, but we will poll clubs on September 28 for an estimate
  of expected attendance.)


articleid: 298
position: 7
type: text
content:
  <i>We extend a special Thank You to the members and clubs who are
  actively promoting virtual gatherings. During this time of being
  sheltered in place, it is a safe fun way to stay connected.

  Thanks to Gil Porter, Brenda Bixby and Peter Emmel for arranging the
  weekly Wednesday night virtual square dances: Pandemic Squares. We
  have enjoyed it while discovering dancing with ghosts (or phantoms)
  is more challenging than you would think. It is the closest we will
  be getting to a dance floor in the up coming weeks and appreciate the
  opportunity to dance very much.

  We also know of several clubs that are getting together frequently or
  weekly on Zoom. We all appreciate everyone&rsquo;s efforts to help
  our square dance members stay connected. It is so much fun to see
  each other and know that our square dance friends are doing well.</i>

  <b>Please be assured, for all upcoming dances, the RAF will be following
  the current established CDC and Monroe County safety protocols.</b>


articleid: 306
position: 1
type: text
content:
  At its April 2 meeting, the Rochester Area Federation of Round and
  Square Dance Clubs (RAF) elected its officers for the coming season
  (July 1, 2020, thru June 30, 2021):

  Presidents&mdash;Debbie Blood and Jeff Blood

  Vice Presidents&mdash;Ann Granger and Sue Sepkowski

  Secretaries&mdash;(open&mdash;seeking willing
  volunteer&mdash;couple or single)

  Treasurers&mdash;(continuing) Rick LaDonna and Donna LaDonna

  Promotion Coordinators&mdash;(continuing) Amy Aeckerle and Kris
  Aeckerle

  Thank you to those out-going officers who served for the past year,
  Jim Gotta (President 3 yrs) and Gary &amp; Lorraine Granath
  (Secretaries 2 yrs), and to those who have stepped up, or re-upped,
  for the coming year. We look forward to &ldquo;interesting&rdquo;
  times, as the entire dancing community&mdash;dancers, clubs
  and callers&mdash;learns to navigate the challenging terrain of
  the coronavirus pandemic. These folks will be looking to facilitate
  the return to dancing in our area as safely and as soon as
  possible. (Please read Jim Gotta&rsquo;s &ldquo;President&rsquo;s
  Corner&rdquo; message in the Federation section of this website.)

  In addition to electing its 2020&ndash;21 officers, the RAF board
  carried out a mandated periodic review of its By-Laws. A final vote on
  adoption of revisions was tabled until the next meeting, on September
  9, in order to incorporate final details. Besides clarifying
  operational and organizational features, the By-Law revision
  reinforces the RAF&rsquo;s dual purpose:
  <ul>
  <li>to promote and maintain interest in western-style round &amp;
  square dancing in the Rochester area, and
  <li>to foster a collaborative spirit among affiliated square dance and
  round dance clubs.
  </ul>
  Every RAF club is urged to send a representative to every RAF
  meeting. Meetings are held nine times each year, in-person at Bill
  Grays of Henrietta, or lately online via call-in or Zoom video. The
  accompanying photo is from the May 12 Zoom meeting.

  These meetings address the following areas of RAF responsibility:
  <ul>
  <li>Marketing and coordinating promotional activities with RAF clubs
  <li>Arrangements for RAF events, including Dance O Rama and other
  multi-club events
  <li>Grants and reimbursements for your club&rsquo;s dancer recruiting
  and retention efforts
  <li>Dancer insurance for every member club
  <li>Any issues with the RAF website (schedules and listings) or the
  Promenader (news, photos and articles)
  </ul>
  RAF officers are all dancers, just like you. If your club is not
  represented at these meetings, please consider volunteering to become
  your club&rsquo;s RAF representative!


articleid: 307
position: 1
type: text
content:
  Greetings friends and fellow dancers.

  It&rsquo;s with mixed emotions that I write my last President&rsquo;s
  message. Most of all, I want to thank all those who have supported me
  during my five years on the board, and helped me to keep the
  Federation and Rochester Square Dancing working as well as possible.

  Unfortunately, we find ourselves in very unusual times. 9/11 and
  subsequent events gave us a new normal. Air travel
  changed. There&rsquo;s now additional security and limits in place at
  large, or public venues.

  Covid-19 will give us another new normal. None of us know exactly what
  it will be, but life will never go back to what it was. On-line
  learning was growing at the collegiate level. I suspect it will take
  off now, and make its way into secondary education. GrubHub and
  DoorDash were changing dining and other experiences, and I suspect
  this will even accelerate into the future. Sports stadiums were
  already getting to where only large metropolitan areas could afford
  them. Now I suspect pay-per-view will start to be more of a norm for
  sporting events.

  Social distancing will stay with us in some form for a while. As a
  social activity, this could have a negative impact on square
  dancing. However, I think it could be something that moves us
  forward. Human beings are social animals. We need close contact with
  others. Square dancing is still an activity for the whole family, that
  works even in small group sessions. This puts us in a select group of
  activities that can fill those needs going forward.

  There are three general impediments to growth in square dancing. The
  first has been getting the word out about dancing, and getting people
  to try it. Our promotions committee will continue to tackle this. The
  second impediment has been the learning barrier to entry. Now, with
  two mainstream clubs in the Federation and several experiments with
  the new sustainable square dance program going, we are trying to
  address this. The last major barrier to address is club finances. With
  room rental and caller expenses, a traditional club needs 3&ndash;4
  squares on the floor to survive. Yet we have C1 and C2
  &ldquo;clubs&rdquo; that are surviving with 1 square. They are doing
  it with different economics. There are (at least up till the current
  economic situation) rooms that you can get for free&mdash;finished basements or hardwood living spaces in dancer&rsquo;s homes,
  senior center community rooms, library study rooms, and free rental
  space available to residents of some towns or school districts.

  From a caller&rsquo;s business point of view, the biggest expense is
  travel. We&rsquo;ve had fun with dances in the past where callers were
  &ldquo;put in the closet&rdquo; or &ldquo;coffin&rdquo; and called
  with their &ldquo;backs&rdquo; to the dancers. Now some are calling
  over the internet, for dancers who had never heard of Zoom before the
  last couple of months, opening up new possibilities.

  Putting all of these aspects together, perhaps we will see groups as
  small as one square, dancing in a free room, using a caller who is at
  home on Skype or Zoom. This would allow us to preserve the social
  experience of dancing in a square, keeping it a fun activity for
  families and small groups, and getting the economics in line to have
  MORE (albeit smaller) clubs throughout the Rochester area.

  It&rsquo;s food for thought and maybe a bridge to the future, until I
  can see you out on the dance floor again.

  Jim Gotta

  5/17/2020


articleid: 308
position: 1
type: text
content:
  In these times of forced separation, many area dancers are
  &ldquo;getting together&rdquo; via internet video. Three that I know
  of are pictured here. They are the combined Belles &rsquo;N&rsquo; Beaus and
  Silver Squares (Mondays at 6:30pm), the Village Squares (Wednesdays at
  7pm) and the Pandemic Squares (Wednesdays at 8pm).

  The first two of these are social gatherings, to say hello and catch
  up with square dancing friends. Joining is easy from a smart phone,
  tablet or computer. You can also call in from any phone, but a few
  have had trouble with passwords by phone.

  The Pandemic Squares, organized by Brenda Bixby, with caller Gil
  Porter, includes actual dancing! Yes, we can dance
  &ldquo;together&rdquo; while we are all in our own homes. The Zoom
  video conference platform makes this relatively easy&mdash;well, I mean the connection is easy. The dancing takes some getting
  used to&mdash;and some imagination.

  Elsewhere in this issue you&rsquo;ll find a &ldquo;Distance
  Dancing&rdquo; installment of the Tip Sheet. The challenge for dancers
  is to imagine the &ldquo;ghost&rdquo; (or &ldquo;phantom&rdquo;)
  dancers in your set. A set consists of two couples in a box of
  four. In our COVID stay-at-home state, that means we each have to
  imagine the other couple&mdash;or if we are dancing solo, we
  also have to imagine our partner.

  The best thing is that phantoms don&rsquo;t complain when we screw up!
  (Scroll to the Tip Sheet for guidance on getting started dancing with
  ghosts.)

  Another way that dancers are getting together is by taking coordinated
  walks in area parks. Don Felice and others have organized walks in
  Highland Park and Durand Eastman, and maybe others. With appropriate
  protection (i.e. masks and distancing) there&rsquo;s no reason that
  these can&rsquo;t be safe and enjoyable&mdash;especially now
  that the weather seems have finally turned the corner to spring.

  If you would like to be included in any of these activities, send
  email identifying which event(s) you are interested in to
  promenader@rochester.rr.com and we will forward to the appropriate
  organizer.


articleid: 309
position: 1
type: text
content:
  Remember that insurance for graduates covers only nine months of class
  lessons&mdash;originally September (2019) thru May
  (2020). However, that was before COVID took over and dancing was
  interrupted in March, cutting off 3 months of classes.

  When dancing resumes, if you decide to do any make-up
  classes&mdash;during the summer, or fall, or whenever dancing
  resumes&mdash;these &ldquo;graduates&rdquo; can remain covered,
  but ONLY IF you apply for an extension by sending me the following
  three dates:
  <ul>
  <li>the date of your first class (Fall, 2019), and
  <li>the date of your last class before the pause and
  <li>the date you are resuming classes.
  </ul>
  For most clubs, this will allow you three additional months of
  coverage&mdash;i.e. for the summer&mdash;and it will
  give clubs a chance to see if dancers continue.

  The fee for insuring each new club dancer is the same&mdash;$4.80 per person with a check made out to USDA and mailed to me. My
  address is 350 Fishell Road, Rush, N.Y. 14543.

  To request an extension of coverage, please email me the above
  information and I will notify USDA for each club.


articleid: 310
position: 1
type: text
content:
  Welcome to the Summer, 2020 issue of the Promenader&mdash;a
  quarterly publication of the Rochester Area Federation of Round and
  Square Dance Clubs. (squaredancingrochester.org)


articleid: 310
position: 3
type: text
content:
  The &ldquo;Photos &amp; Features&rdquo; section of this issue includes
  article on the Cloverleaf Squares&rsquo; 50th Anniversary Dance, held
  mid-March&mdash;the last major dancing event before COVID took
  over. Other articles in this issue look back to earlier
  times&mdash;Dance-O-Rama 1973, and further back to the 1920s,
  when a resurgence of square dancing instigated by none other than
  Henry Ford brought it &ldquo;out of the barn and into the
  ballroom!&rdquo;

  In an unexpected twist, this issue introduces &ldquo;distance
  dancing&rdquo; where dancers and caller are only together on one
  another&rsquo;s video screens. We present two clubs who are gathering
  weekly by Zoom video, and one new club&mdash;&ldquo;the
  Pandemic Squares&rdquo; who are dancing by video.

  The Tip Sheet in this issue provides advice and graphics to help
  &ldquo;distance dancers&rdquo; visualize the &ldquo;ghost&rdquo;
  dancers in their &ldquo;virtual&rdquo; square. This is the key to
  dancing at home, when the rest of the real dancers are on our video
  screen.

  The summer Promenader also includes RAF business. We thank Jim Gotta
  and the other out-going RAF officers, Gary and Lorraine Granath for
  their multi-term service, and we introduce new Federation officers,
  who will assume their posts at the end of June. We include a note to
  club leaders from RAF Insurance Coordinator, Carol Ann Stahl. She is
  offering an option to make up for three lost months of unused class
  dancer coverage, due to New York&rsquo;s COVID Pause. RAF Vice
  Presidents (and incoming Presidents), Debbie and Jeff Blood, bring us
  up to date on summer dancing and a &ldquo;DOR-ish&rdquo; dance planned
  for fall.

  Be sure to read Jim Gotta&rsquo;s President&rsquo;s Corner message in
  the &ldquo;Federation&rdquo; pages of this website. He has done our
  area an important service by serving three terms as RAF president. His
  insightful comments in this issue provide a glimpse of the possible
  future of square dancing, at least in the short term, as this virus
  does its dreadful work over the next many months, and possibly years.


articleid: 310
position: 5
type: text
content:
  Club news in this issue is very limited, since many clubs have
  suspended activities during the statewide COVID-19 pause.


articleid: 310
position: 7
type: text
content:
  The RAF Promotions Committee, led by Amy and Kris Aeckerle, has
  planned a series of three Friday night
  &ldquo;class-dancer-friendly&rdquo; dances to be held from 7 to 9pm
  (regulations permitting) at the Henrietta Fire Hall in June, July and
  August. Check the Breaking News section (and the RAF Facebook page)
  for announcements about the status of these dances, as COVID
  conditions evolve. See further details in the &ldquo;Photos and
  Features&rdquo; section.


articleid: 310
position: 9
type: text
content:
  Since Dance-O-Rama 2020 had to be canceled, Jeff and Debbie and the
  rest of the RAF board have organized a &ldquo;DOR-ish&rdquo; dance for
  October 3. The event will be held at the Perinton Recreation Center
  (same as DOR), and will include many of the features that are usually
  part of Dance-O-Rama. See their article in the &ldquo;Photos and
  Features&rdquo; section for further details.


articleid: 310
position: b
type: text
content:
  With all dance schedules torpedoed by COVID-19, the &ldquo;Breaking
  News&rdquo; feature on the RAF Home Page is our primary repository of
  up to date schedule information. When clubs notify Sidney Marshall
  (RAF Webmaster&mdash;sidneym@frontiernet.net) of a schedule
  change or other short-notice announcement, he posts it immediately on
  the RAF Home Page (squaredancingrochester.org), under a banner
  titled &ldquo;Breaking News.&rdquo;

  For maximum distribution of their messages, clubs should use this, in
  addition to the &ldquo;SquareDancingRochester&rdquo; Facebook page.


articleid: 310
position: f
type: text
content:
  My own opinion is that Jim is on the right track in imagining ways to
  incorporate more dancing into the &ldquo;distancing&rdquo; that will
  be with us for quite some time.

  Official policy may relax, and it may later re-tighten, until either
  enough of us have been infected or there are effective medical
  options. It&rsquo;s too soon to predict how, or when, all this will
  sort out for square dancing. Meanwhile, as dancers we should make our
  own decisions about protecting ourselves and our dancing friends.

  While infection is a near and present danger, dancing will be a
  dangerous activity for many us. Until we have an effective treatment
  option and preferably also a vaccine, or at least a way to know with
  confidence that there is nobody in the dance hall spreading contagion,
  it will not be safe for so many of us to be in such close contact for
  so much time as we are at a dance.

  Those organizing dance events should stay in close touch with the
  dancers they are planning for. Talk to each of them and make sure that
  your arrangements provide the security they need. We are all
  responsible for our own safety and for the safety of others. Until
  enough dancers can confidently gather in person, we will need to
  continue to find creative ways to dance at some distance.

  Let&rsquo;s take that as our challenge&mdash;for experienced
  dancers as well as those whose classes were interrupted in
  March. Jim&rsquo;s ideas are a good start in that direction.


articleid: 310
position: h
type: text
content:
  Homographs are words that are spelled the same, but have different
  meanings.

  A homograph that is also pronounced differently is a heteronym.
  English has a bewildering abundance of both:
  <ul>
  <li>The bandage was *wound* around the *wound*
  <li>On a farm, you *produce* *produce*
  <li>The dump was so full that it had to *refuse* to accept any more
  *refuse*
  <li>We must *polish* the *Polish* furniture
  <li>He could *lead* if only he would get the *lead* out
  <li>The soldier in the *desert* had to *desert* his dessert
  <li>Since there is no time like the *present,* he thought it was time
  to *present* the *present*
  <li>A *bass* was painted on the head of the *bass* drum
  <li>When shot at, the *dove* *dove* into the bushes
  <li>I did not *object* to the *object*
  <li>The insurance for the *invalid* turned out to be *invalid*
  <li>There was a *row* among the oarsmen about how to *row* the boat
  <li>They were too *close* to the door to *close* it properly
  <li>A buck *does* funny things when the *does* are present
  <li>A seamstress and her fellow *sewer* fell down into a *sewer*
  <li>To help with planting, the farmer taught his *sow* to *sow*
  <li>The *wind* was too strong for the crew to *wind* the sail
  <li>The artist shed a *tear* upon noticing a *tear* in the canvas
  <li>I had to *subject* the *subject* to a long series of tests
  <li>How can I *intimate* such sad news to my most *intimate* friend?
  </ul>


articleid: 311
position: 1
type: text
content:
  John Edward McNeill, son of William G. Sr. and Dorothy (nee Petzold),
  died peacefully in his sleep on August 7, 2020. Born on Christmas day
  1937 in Darby, PA, he is survived by is wife of almost 60 years and
  high school sweetheart Sally (nee Barnes), brothers Bill of Fairport,
  Brian (Denise) of Newtown Square, PA, sisters Kathy Nolan of Bohemia,
  NY, and Regina Rourke (Chris) of New Milford, CT, sons Bill (Sandy) of
  Raleigh, NC, Ken (Chan) of Houston, TX, and Paul (Traci) of Port
  Orchard, WA, grandsons Peter (fiancee Melissa) of Garner, NC and Joe
  of Port Orchard, WA, granddaughters, Larenda Brinkerhoff and Leaember
  Romack both of Port Orchard, WA, Lareydo of Soap Lake, WA, Dr. Rachel
  of Columbia, SC, Kennady and Callee both of Houston, TX,
  great-grandchildren Kraven Romack and Remington Romack both of Port
  Orchard, WA and Trey Thompson of Soap Lake, WA, and numerous nieces
  and nephews. He is predeceased by his parents and brother Kevin
  (Cindy) of New Milford, CT. John worked 25 years for Eastman Kodak,
  retiring as a data manager. In retirement he worked 12 years as the
  activities bus driver for St. John&rsquo;s Meadows Senior
  Community. He graduated from Vernon-Verona-Sherrill High School in
  1955 and attended the class reunions regularly. He graduated from
  Niagara University in 1960. His loves were traveling, camping (later
  RVing), square dancing and family. He was a member of the Tecumseh
  Squares square dancing group, a long-time member and volunteer at
  St. Theodore&rsquo;s Catholic Church, and the DS&amp;W camping
  club. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Wilmot Cancer Institute are
  welcome. Due to the pandemic, the funeral will be held at a later
  date.

  To Plant Memorial Trees in John&rsquo;s memory, please visit our
  Sympathy Store.

  Published in Rochester Democrat And Chronicle from Aug. 8 to Aug. 9,
  2020.

  Note from Anne Granger about John&rsquo;s square dance connection:

  Some of you might have danced with John and remember him fondly. He
  was very active in the square dance community for many years. He
  started dancing, along with his wife, Sally, in 1980 at Ekco
  Squares. During this time, he was President of the club and danced
  there until it dissolved. They then danced at Tecumseh Squares until
  it dissolved. John and his friend, Don Naulin, teased that they were
  getting to be experts at closing down clubs! For many years John
  danced at various clubs until he was no longer able to dance.

  His wife and beloved square dance friends danced at national and
  international conventions at places such as Indiana, Charlotte,
  Portland, and Toronto. He also helped organize the amazing Fantastic
  Fling Weekends.

  John had a great sense of humor and was fun to be around. Right up
  until the first weekend of June 2020, he camped with his square dance
  group of 35 years. John was loved by all who met him.


articleid: 312
position: 1
type: text
content:
  Many Rochester Area round dancers have enjoyed Merry Hinkle&rsquo;s
  cueing. She has cued at many of our dances over the years, and has
  been a regular at Dance-O-Rama. So, with Merry&rsquo;s permission, we are
  sharing her message to dancers at the Hinkle Round Dance Club
  (established in 1995 with her husband, Dick), on Wednesday, Jul 15,
  2020, announcing closure of the club.

  Note that Merry is not retiring. She will continue to dance and cue as
  opportunities arise.

  Here is Merry&rsquo;s message:

  Dear Dancers,

  Dancing has been in my life since 1982. It has taken Dick and me to
  meet so many wonderful people from all over and taken us all over the
  world&nbsp;&hellip; dancing.

  Some of my best memories all came thru dance&nbsp;&hellip; As Square
  Dance presidents we put on a Christmas Party for 22 squares at a venue
  with no kitchen. Put on Happy Holly Daze Round Dance parties for many
  years with attendance up to 75 couples. When you have the numbers, you
  can do anything. PLUS, you must have good venues.

  Probably a great accomplishment was as Chairmen of Roundalab&rsquo;s
  Advertising, we were instrumental in designing the bumper stickers and
  getting that 1-877-Y-I- Dance phone number. Thousands of those bumper
  stickers were printed and handed out at the 2000 T&amp;D and Roundalab
  Conventions. When we are young and infallible we can do anything.

  The most difficult time was when Dick fell ill and still wanted me to
  keep the club going. In the beginning, I had Ted &amp; Ella to help me
  set up. Grace ran the kitchen&nbsp;&hellip; hmmmmm, I could do
  this! Then as we age, the numbers get smaller, the load gets
  heavier. Thanks to Bob &amp; Don helping put equipment away and all my
  little helpers in the kitchen to help clean up.

  But being a one-man show was becoming a challenge, making the correct
  decision to cancel due to weather, raising fees due to rent increase
  or equipment breaking down. Not to mention attendance was
  waning. We&rsquo;re aging! NOW one more hurdle&nbsp;&hellip; COVID 19!
  Whoever thought in March we were facing a major pandemic all over the
  world!!! Masks, sterilization, social distancing&nbsp;&hellip; no
  hugging&nbsp;&hellip; no handshakes. Socialization is what our dancing is
  about.

  It has been an honor and privilege to cue for you, we&rsquo;ve had a great
  26-year run with this dance club, but sadly after much consideration,
  time has come to put it to bed. I&rsquo;m not giving up cueing or dancing,
  we still have to dance. It&rsquo;s just that time has come to give up the
  club, less work and responsibility. Lots of thought has gone into this
  very difficult decision.

  I would like to thank each and every one of you for being a part of
  this journey, your loyal support and for sharing the love of dance
  with me. I will truly miss each and every one of you and I HOPE and
  PRAY we keep in touch. See you on the dance floor somewhere soon.

  Love to all of you, and long-distance hugs,

  Merry


articleid: 313
position: 1
type: text
content:
  The COVID-19 virus has &ldquo;paused&rdquo; nearly all in-person dancing
  worldwide and pushed callers and dancers to new ways of gathering to
  dance. In our area, the Belles &amp; Beaus, Silver Squares, Shirts
  &amp; Skirts, and Village Squares have all been using Zoom to get
  together for weekly chats from their own homes. Shamrock Squares are
  dancing one square weekly in Mike Callahan&rsquo;s basement, and The
  Enovators are doing about the same. Cayuga Cut-Ups have been dancing
  in the outdoor patio area at Bailiwick Market &amp; Cafe, in Elbridge
  NY. Others have organized group walks and &ldquo;distanced&rdquo;
  picnics. Anne Granger (Silver Squares) even scheduled a family square
  dance in her back yard, with Mike Callahan calling. (See the &ldquo;Photos
  &amp; Features&rdquo; section for photos)

  Some callers&mdash;local, national and international&mdash;are dancing in
  their homes, connected via Zoom and other group video
  platforms. Locally, Gil Porter is calling a &ldquo;two-couple&rdquo; Zoom
  dance for the Pandemic Squares every Wednesday from 8 to 9pm. Contact
  Brenda Bixby or Peter Emmel for a Zoom invitation.

  The big question is &ldquo;When will we get back to normal dancing?&rdquo;
  Well, it&rsquo;s complicated. First of all, right now most normal dancing
  venues are not allowing gatherings as large as a typical square
  dance. Secondly, most dancers are planning to be very careful about
  their return to dancing. We&rsquo;ll get back to that in a
  moment. Thirdly, it&rsquo;s not clear exactly what &ldquo;normal&rdquo; will
  look like whenever dancing becomes practical and fun once again.

  We&rsquo;ll discuss possibilities for what the &ldquo;new normal&rdquo; might
  look like in a separate article, but here we&rsquo;ll focus on dancer
  attitudes related to their personal decision to return.

  SURVEY RESULTS

  Some weeks ago, the RAF asked members of all area clubs to answer a
  series of questions. The goal was to gauge directly what conditions
  would have to be met for dancers to be comfortable returning to the
  dance floor. The accompanying graphics (<a
  href="../png/202009-COVID-4.pdf">HERE</a>) show the distribution of
  results.

  The results showed that of the approximately 250 respondents, more
  than half indicated the following safety concerns under COVID-19
  Pandemic:
  <ul>
   <li>Are not sure when they will return to dancing
   <li>Want masks worn by everyone for dancing and socializing
   <li>Want social distancing required at the venue
   <li>Are concerned about the cleanliness and sanitation of the
     facilities
   <li>Want hand sanitizers and wipes available
   <li>Commented on the availability of hand-washing
   <li>Want minimized personal contact among dancers
  </ul>
   (more than 1/3 of dancers want non-contact dancing and calls that
   minimize contact)
  <ul>
   <li>Want dancers to bring their own water &amp; snacks or provide
     prepackaged water &amp; snacks
   <li>When dancing returns, want dances formatted as refreshers or
     workshop sessions
  </ul>
  One dancer in four (25%) said they will not return to dancing until
  they have been vaccinated. At the other end of the scale, one dancer
  in eight (12.5%) said &ldquo;none of the above&rdquo; which we are not sure
  how to interpret this, but we believe it indicates indifference to
  COVID-19 safety precautions.

  Additional feedback came in the form of comments, with the most common
  being &ldquo;Dancers should dance in same square all evening to minimize
  the number of contacts.&rdquo; This can be accomplished by
  self-selecting or by random drawing before the first tip.

  The USDA News (July&ndash;Sept Issue), gives additional suggestions, many
  of which are also found in RAF survey comments:
  <ul>
   <li>One person to sign dancers in (instead of two plus greeters)
   <li>Consider paying by check versus cash (less &ldquo;public&rdquo;
     handling)
   <li>Log contact information for dancers and visitors in case someone
     becomes sick
   <li>Take dancers temperatures prior to entering the facility? (wand or
     temple thermometer)
   (Anyone with temp over 100.4 would not be allowed inside)
   <li>Anyone who becomes ill after the dance would be requested to
     contact club presidents
  </ul>
  With so much diversity of opinion, and so much uncertainty in
  availability of venues, it seems that even in an area like ours where
  the virus seems well contained, it will be many months before most of
  us will be dancing again.

  I know in my case, I don&rsquo;t want any chance that an event that I
  promote will end up making any of my friends sick&mdash;or worse.

  SILVER LINING?

  However, there is one big potential positive that could come out of
  this distressing time. If we put our minds to it, we should be able to
  find ways to re-build square dancing into a more sustainable
  activity. We could use this time to identify and correct some of the
  things that have led to low or negative growth for most clubs in the
  past 20&ndash;30 years.

  In August, Jeff and Debbie Blood convened the annual meeting of RAF
  club presidents. One outcome, supported by club leaders and callers,
  was the decision to form a task force of dancers, club leaders and
  callers to study options and recommend a path for our &ldquo;Return to
  Dancing.&rdquo;

  Getting dancers back on the floor at our various clubs after COVID is
  basically a club responsibility, but as with the national COVID
  response, it will be helpful to have guidelines and best practices
  outlined by the RAF. They would serve as a focus for discussion and
  default option for club leaders.

  Other identified concerns of the task force will likely include:
  <ul>
  <li>Outline an on-ramp back into dancing, probably with a
    &ldquo;Refresher/tuneup&rdquo; format and an intensive &ldquo;call-back&rdquo;
    campaign to re-connect with recent grads.
  <li>Work out when and how to restart classes: What teaching program
    (SSD [Sustainable Square Dance 50 call system] or other)? What promotional pitch (social rebound,
    &ldquo;class&rdquo; or &ldquo;fun&rdquo; etc.)? When to restart classes?
  <li>Look ahead to the future of square &amp; round dancing (back too
    normal? back to the heydays? new paradigm?)
  </ul>
  We&rsquo;ll be discussing these points in other articles and in future
  issues of the Promenader.


articleid: 314
position: 1
type: text
content:
  At an outdoor gathering on August 11, 2020, the Copy Cats presented
  their annual service award to David and Mary Jo Webster. Following is
  the citation read by Rick and Donna LaDonna in making the
  presentation.

  RICK: The Rathke Award was first presented by the Copy Cats in
  1982. The first recipients were Jim and Pearl Rathke who were
  recognized for their outstanding support of the Club. Jim was a
  fun-loving person who with Pearl supported the club in many ways and
  they are also remembered as people who raised the spirit of the club
  doing whatever was necessary. The Rathke Award has continued to be
  awarded to individuals or couples who have been significant
  contributors to the club. With few exceptions, this award is presented
  annually.

  DONNA: Our 2020 Rathke Recipients have been active in square dancing
  for the past 8 years. They&rsquo;ve danced locally and nationally. They
  are always willing to participate in our Kitten Classes, picnics and
  dances. In addition, they have hosted square dances in their garage
  and also willingly participate in square dance demonstrations at local
  nursing homes and other venues.

  They are both active in the community&mdash;volunteering at their local
  food pantry, driving individuals to doctor&rsquo;s appointments and
  volunteering at their local hospice. He participated in our first-ever
  Copy Cats Fashion Show, helped distribute food to the Penfield
  Ecumenical Food Shelf after our annual Thanksgiving food collections
  and entertained us with his jokes and dance routines. She was Copy
  Cats Treasurer for two years, organized several of our holiday dinner
  dances, and currently serves on the DOR Refreshments Committee and is
  the Copy Cats Sunshine Chair. Volunteering is this couples&rsquo; middle
  name.

  RICK AND DONNA: With great pleasure we introduce you to our dear
  friends, partners in crime and the 2020 Rathke Award Recipients&mdash;David and Mary Jo Webster!


articleid: 315
position: 1
type: text
content:
  On August 3, 2020, the Silver Squares hosted an outdoor picnic
  gathering in the pavilion adjacent to their dance venue, Greece United
  Methodist Church. It was a beautiful day and about 30 people attended,
  from several clubs.


articleid: 316
position: 1
type: text
content:
  Adapting to COVID-19 times, Mike and Wanda Callahan are hosting Mike&rsquo;s
  weekly &lsquo;A&rsquo; level dancing group, the Shamrock Squares, at their home.

  They began hosting five couples at their home when limited gatherings
  were permitted within NYS Phase 3. Their space holds one square, so
  the Shamrock group has sorted into two squares, dancing on alternate
  weeks with Dale Nientimp coordinating the five couples who attend each
  week. Jim Gotta has also called for the group.


articleid: 317
position: 1
type: text
content:
  On Saturday, August 15, the &ldquo;remote dancing&rdquo; group known as ONE
  Square International hosted two live on-line video sessions for the
  benefit of their colleague, Mike Sikorsky. The event brought
  (virtually) together marquee national callers: Ken Bower, Wade Driver,
  Tony Oxendine, Johnny Preston, Gary Shoemake and Mike Seastrom.

  Anyone with an internet connection could tap in and watch or
  listen&nbsp;&hellip; or dance. Tom and Joan Powers, and probably
  others in our area, gathered a square of dancing friends in their
  driveway to dance for the hour-long event. A little rain near the end
  moved them to plan B&mdash;the garage.

  Donations were collected to help defray the cost of Mike Sikorsky&rsquo;s
  medical treatment for an extremely serious condition that overcame him
  in the past few months. Accompanying this article is a thank you
  message from Mike. Many Rochester area dancers will remember him from
  the annual summer RAF dance he has been calling, and from his guest
  appearances at local clubs.


articleid: 318
position: 1
type: text
content:
  On July 22, in lieu of their traditional summer picnic, a group of
  Village Squares gathered in and around the Valley View Shelter, near
  the tennis courts at Webster Park. The weather looked &lsquo;iffy&rsquo; for
  most of the day, but it cleared up just in time. Social distances were
  maintained and for many it was the first time speaking to one another
  in person since March. Weekly Zoom chats are fun, but nothing beats an
  in-person gathering.

  Other clubs are arranging group walks and other outdoor events. I hope
  they will send photos so we can share them with the rest of the square
  dance community.


articleid: 319
position: 1
type: text
content:
  The Cayuga Cut-Ups have found a restaurant, Bailiwick&rsquo;s, with an
  open-air patio where they can dance through August in relative safety,
  with Ron Brown calling. The accompanying photos were taken at their
  June 25 dance.


articleid: 320
position: 1
type: text
content:
  The forced gap in our dancing activities brings an unexpected
  opportunity. Many established dancers are chafing to get back to the
  dance floor. Others are more cautions, as evidenced in their responses
  to the RAF questionnaire reported in another article. All of us, who
  already know and love square dancing and the friends it has brought
  us, are motivated to get back to it as soon as COVID-19 reaches our
  personal safety threshold.

  However, the rest of the world&mdash;including the next
  generation of dancers&mdash;surely do not st see it that
  way. Right now, those future friends and dancers will be looking at
  our beloved activity as the last thing they want to start in on until
  COVID-19 is in the rear-view mirror. For the next year or two,
  promoting square dance classes to the public looks like an even harder
  challenge than usual. But, when the COVID-19 cloud is lifted, I think
  it&rsquo;s reasonable to expect people to be looking for new social
  activities.

  So, what better time than now to review our thinking about how the
  learning process for square dancing is organized and promoted?

  This will be one of the questions addressed by the RAF&rsquo;s
  newly-formed &ldquo;Return to Dance&rdquo; task force, described in
  another Promenader article in this issue.

  The callers present at the RAF &ldquo;Presidents meeting&rdquo;
  re-introduced the so-called SSD program, standing for &ldquo;Social
  Square Dancing.&rdquo; It is a program of teaching that represents a
  return to a more limited list of calls. New dancers can learn this
  call set in significantly less time than the current Mainstream
  program, and it could form the basis of a more
  &ldquo;accessible&rdquo; dance community, with less emphasis on skill
  levels. It has been tried in various parts of the country for several
  years with mixed success. The &ldquo;mixed&rdquo; results come from
  areas where it was adopted by too few clubs and was therefore not
  supported by enough established dancers for it to take hold. In areas
  where Mainstream/Plus dancing had completely died, it has led to rapid
  growth and filled dance halls.

  One possibility for taking advantage of the COVID-induced temporary
  &ldquo;death&rdquo; of square dancing is to consider switching to a
  program like this&mdash;when dancing comess back to life. With
  that possibility in mind, and taking no particular position on whether
  it should or should not be adopted, we present here a reasonably
  thorough description of the SSD program by one of its avid fans. The
  reason for publishing this is to give dancers an introduction to the
  program before they hear of it via the grapevine, and to provide a
  reference for those who want to look into it.

  (For a &ldquo;deeper dive&rdquo; into SSD, you can watch this <a
  href="https://youtu.be/7ElRCvZ5o0Y">video presentation</a> to hear
  caller Noah Siegmann explain it to callers and answer questions. A
  complete 47-page description including caller teaching materials is
  posted at Callerlab&rsquo;s website. The following article contains a
  link to &ldquo;Experimental Sustainable Square Dancing Teaching
  Document&rdquo; by scrolling to nearly the bottom of the Callerlab
  page. It&rsquo;s a PDF that the complete SSD teaching program.)


articleid: 320
position: 3
type: text
content:
  What follows is an article by Gene Turner, an American now residing
  and calling square dances (for the Harmony Squares) in Yorkshire,
  UK. He wrote the article early in the COVID-19 shutdown. Since then,
  it has become widely distributed and was included by Jeff and Debbie
  Blood as a hand-out for the RAF meeting of club presidents in
  mid-August. We are reproducing it here with Gene&rsquo;s permission,
  so that our readers can get a full picture of this program, which is
  bound to be discussed among callers and club leaders in the coming
  months.


articleid: 320
position: 6
type: text
content:
  <i>&ldquo;Learn to Square Dance! Classes start once a year! Sign up now
  for weekly classes! Learn everything that you need to know about
  Square Dancing in only forty-eight weeks!&rdquo; What&rsquo;s wrong
  with those promotional statements? Why would anyone want to do that? I
  would say, &ldquo;No Way&rdquo; to anyone who suggested that to
  me. Why do we continue to think that our activity as it was (and has
  been advertised in the past), would be attractive to the non-dancing
  population?

  The dancers in the clubs of today (pre-pandemic) need to be the seed
  for the callers to form the clubs of tomorrow (post 2020) to grow and
  continue this great activity. Yes, there will still be dancers wanting
  callers to call M/S, Plus and Advanced (Puzzle-solving). Don&rsquo;t
  abandon them, but you need to be realistic and realize that the
  dancers in these clubs have been decreasing in numbers long before the
  pandemic. Realistically speaking, what has been tried for the past
  thirty years wasn&rsquo;t increasing the size of those clubs. The way
  forward for our activity is to provide a simple, quick/easy to learn,
  social, sustainable, Fun activity that could flourish if it were
  properly supported by Callers and dancers. The existing format of our
  activity is not simple, requires a commitment of nearly a year to
  learn, it&rsquo;s marginally social, and has been proven to not be
  sustainable. The only thing that it had going for it was that after
  investing years having fun learning, it was still mostly fun.

  All callers need to educate themselves particularly in the art of
  entertaining new dancers with the emphasis on having fun with simple
  calls that new dancers can be introduced to early on. We need to
  forget about puzzle-solving for our own sakes and let the dancers move
  smoothly to the music and not have to concentrate so much on solving
  puzzles. Yes, they need variety and some complexity in dancing so that
  it&rsquo;s not all done on autopilot, but not at the expense of
  <u>Fun</u>. Primary to them having fun is the dancers having
  <u>success</u> during their dancing experience.

  We callers need to step up our game and make <u>every</u> night a
  party dance and not a &lsquo;class&rsquo; or &lsquo;close order
  drill&rsquo;. Every dance <b>MUST</b> be fun! If new dancers learn
  something while they are busy laughing and having fun, that&rsquo;s
  even better. We have to realize that if at the end of the evening,
  they haven&rsquo;t been having fun, that you probably won&rsquo;t see
  them again. It has to be fun every evening&nbsp;&hellip; more fun than
  stayiing home, playing games on the computer, going to the pub, going
  clubbing, watching TV&nbsp;&hellip; How difficult can that be?
  <b>Entertaining</b> new dancers and giving them a fun evening is much
  more important than teaching them. The Social Square Dance (SSD)
  system might just be the answer. Refer to the <a
  href="../png/CLSocialSquareDancingTeachingGuideV34-7.21.20.pdf">Social
  Square Dance (SSD) teaching document</a> (click to download the
  document) for a proposed twelve lesson system of &lsquo;New Dancer
  Dances&rsquo;.

  I encourage all clubs/callers to advertise their classes in future as
  &lsquo;New Dancer Dances&rsquo;. Then advertise &lsquo;Welcome to our
  New Dancer Dance #1; #2; #3; etc. Use the SSD system. Once
  they&rsquo;ve danced all twelve sessions, start again at #1 and the
  previous &lsquo;New Dancers&rsquo; move on to either become
  &lsquo;Experienced SSD Dancers&rsquo; and/or &lsquo;Angels&rsquo;).

  Remember the 60&rsquo;s &amp; 70&rsquo;s&nbsp;&hellip; Square Dancing
  greew because it was social and because it was fun and not too
  complex. It also grew because new dancers could bring their friends
  and their friends could start learning to dance too. If after starting
  the system you find that your New Dancers want to bring their friends
  along you don&rsquo;t have to tell them &ldquo;Sorry, not until next
  year.&rdquo; Plan now to start another New Dancer Group six weeks
  after the first group, on a different night. The
  &lsquo;original&rsquo; New Dancers can go to the second group as
  &lsquo;Angels&rsquo; as well as dance with their original group. They
  can dance with their friends without having everyone have to start
  from scratch. You can have two (or more) &lsquo;clubs/groups&rsquo;
  going at the same time. Start groups in different locations convenient
  to the new friends/dancers. Make it easy on yourself. Keep the venues
  within thirty miles of your home.

  If a few of your new dancers seem to struggle due to missing sessions,
  once you have a second group going, encourage the struggling dancers
  to join that second group to act as &lsquo;angels&rsquo; and at the
  same time they become familiar with the calls that they may be having
  difficulty with.

  Where does this leave the first batch of &lsquo;New Dancers&rsquo;
  when they have completed the SSD system? <b>Please, NO GRADUATION!</b>
  Graduation is basically &lsquo;Hazing&rsquo; and embarrassing and
  demeaning to our newest assets, new friends who have been dancing with
  us for three months. Graduation happens after classes finish and
  usually means no more sessions. Psychologically once you graduate, you
  don&rsquo;t need to go back any more. In your mind you are
  finished&nbsp;&hellip; it&rsquo;s over&nbsp;&hellip; School is
  out&nbsp;&hellip; We don&rsquo;t have to go back! We don&rsquo;t have
  classes. No classses = No Graduation. We have new dancer
  dances. Forget all the antiquated customs (IE: four corners, four
  candles routines), just welcome your new friends with genuine warmth
  every time you see them.

  You could continue that first group, let them be social! Give those
  dancers variety. You might have to set aside yet another evening for
  &lsquo;experienced SSD dancers&rsquo;, from this first (and second)
  group to meet every week to continue to dance and have fun. If you
  wanted to you could use the remaining twelve calls from the Basic
  &amp; M/S program (that were not presented during the SSD system) as
  &lsquo;special&rsquo; floor levelers, use them one night only without
  expecting dancers to remember them. Mostly just let them Dance! Let
  them have FUN!

  Please don&rsquo;t refer to our teaching sessions as
  &lsquo;Classes&rsquo;. Club leaders/callers and even dancers need to
  refer to our teaching sessions as &lsquo;New Dancer Dances&rsquo;, not
  just once, but from the first &lsquo;New Dancer&rsquo; dance until all
  of our &lsquo;New dancers&rsquo; are comfortable enough to dance with
  our &lsquo;Experienced Dancers&rsquo; every week. Whatever you do,
  remember to keep it light, fun and social&nbsp;&hellip; Maybe even
  have some food/cake/pie/BBQ to make it more special.
  <ul>
  <li><b>Where do we get these new dancers from?</b>
  <li><b>Where do we find them?</b>
  <li><b>How do we get them through the door?</b>
  </ul>
  During our enforced shutdown start a club newsletter (a couple of
  paragraphs at minimum) to be sent out by email or social media to your
  friends in your local community. It doesn&rsquo;t need to contain
  anything about square dancing (since we&rsquo;re not currently
  dancing). Ideally it would contain little titbits about your friends
  (club members Birthdays or Anniversaries), short quizzes, wordsearch,
  sudoku, gardening/craft tips or anything that ties you all
  together. Ask your friends to distribute it to their friends. The
  object would be to reach everyone in your community who might be
  capable of dancing. This would be your &lsquo;New&rsquo; social
  circle. I venture to guess that your pre-pandemic social circle only
  had square dancers (or people who had declined an interest in square
  dancing) in it. Now is the time to re-build your social circle with
  non-dancing people (prospective new dancers).

  Once the pandemic is over and we can get together again, schedule a
  casual <b>&lsquo;Social Celebration&rsquo;</b> (Not a Dance) to
  include all of your new social circle (and your existing club members,
  new social circle) of prospective friends. After maybe an hour of
  social interaction with a little background music, let them see a demo
  of what Square Dancing is and perhaps even try it for themselves by
  including some very simple &lsquo;New Dancer&rsquo; (SSD#1) Tips
  (chances are that our experienced dancers will enjoy these as a good
  way to refresh their memories and skills in moving to the calls). If
  anyone in this new social circle of friends show any interest, let
  them know that there will be another <b>&lsquo;Social
  Celebration&rsquo;</b> the following week (or two) where they can try
  it again. Let them know that they can bring their partners, family,
  friends and they can all try it together. At the second &lsquo;Social
  Celebration&rsquo; use a similar format, social interaction for the
  first fifteen or twenty minutes before a simple demo dance and just
  add more simple &lsquo;New Dancer&rsquo; (SSD#1) tips to fill out the
  evening, but keep a high ratio of social interaction to &lsquo;New
  Dancer&rsquo; tips. When you seem to have enough interest from these
  new friends you can suggest that you put on an entire evening of
  socializing and &lsquo;New Dancer&rsquo; Dances. Voil&agrave;! You
  have the capability to schedule your first &lsquo;New Dancer
  Dance&rsquo; within a week or two of the two casual &lsquo;Social
  Celebrations&rsquo;.

  <b>NOW</b> is the time to make plans for this to happen; to get
  everyone in your (currently inactive) club onboard with the plan. All
  dancers, Club leaders and Callers need to embrace this and make it
  happen. If we don&rsquo;t do it, our beloved activity may be in even
  more of a decline than it was prior to the pandemic. We can&rsquo;t
  let that happen. We need to have special monthly interclub dances for
  our &lsquo;New Dancers&rsquo; (in addition to the weekly New Dancer
  Dances) and forget the past Mainstream, Plus, Advanced and Challenge
  weekends&nbsp;&hellip; This will be the way to susttain recruitment,
  to sustain Square Dancing. This will be the square dancing activity of
  the future!

  Callers, if you were just the &lsquo;hired help&rsquo; in the past,
  it&rsquo;s time to step up and be <b>leaders</b>. This is a time when
  we need to be in control of our future and the future of the activity!
  It&rsquo;s time for caller-run &lsquo;New Dancer Dances&rsquo; to step
  to the front line. The pre-pandemic committee-run clubs will still
  exist and there will still be a market for callers to be employed as
  &lsquo;hired help&rsquo;. You are not abandoning those clubs, but you
  have to realize that those clubs are not going to be the future of the
  activity. You and your circle of new friends who you bring into the
  activity are the future! Your New Dancer SSD groups could stand alone
  as clubs or if individual new dancers wish to move occasionally into
  our Mainstream clubs that would be up to them. Obviously, any
  Mainstream or Plus dancer could dance (and dare I say, enjoy dancing)
  with an SSD group.

  I propose that callers/leaders run SSD groups independent of existing
  Mainstream Clubs, providing frequent SSD events beyond the weekly SSD
  dances. To be effective SSD groups need to run the full evening. That
  is the only way they will be able to get through the SSD program in
  twelve sessions. Callers cannot expect new dancers to learn the
  material in just the first hour of each club night. SSD groups could
  even be &lsquo;farm clubs&rsquo; feeding enthusiastic dancers into the
  old clubs at an experience level where the Mainstream club members
  wouldn&rsquo;t even notice a few missing calls. Or&nbsp;&hellip; SSD
  could stand alone on the frontier of the neew Social Square Dance
  activity.

  These are just my disjointed, unoriginal thoughts and my humble
  opinion. I&rsquo;d be very interested in your opinions and
  ideas. Anything that can bring the activity back to its former glory
  would be worthwhile discussing and exploring.

  Stay Safe!</i>

  Gene Turner

  Dancing and Calling in Yorkshire, England

  FGeneTurner@Gmail.com

  Promenader Editor&rsquo;s Note: The earliest version of this article
  appeared in the newsletter of the Harmony Squares, in Yorkshire, UK,
  where Gene Turner is the caller. His newsletter is a lot of fun to
  browse for square dance wisdom and great jokes. <a
  href="https://sites.google.com/site/harmonysquares/home/newsletter">Take
  a look</a>.


articleid: 321
position: 1
type: text
content:
  During the RAF&rsquo;s Club Presidents and Callers Zoom meeting on August
  10, it was agreed the RAF, in conjunction with Club Presidents,
  Callers, Cuers and dancers would create a Return to Dance (RTD) Task
  Force.

  The goal of the Return to Dance Task Force is to safely return dancers
  back to the dance floor. We need our dancers to feel comfortable and
  safe dancing together again, whenever dancing begins.

  The scope of RTD would include &ldquo;return to dance&rdquo; guidelines and
  safety protocols for dancers, callers, facilities, etc. In addition,
  RTD would assist clubs with promotions to bring recent graduates back
  to dancing and encourage consistent teaching and dancing programs.

  The task force is made up of volunteers consisting of club presidents,
  callers, new dancers and RAF leadership. This team is dedicated to
  helping dancers and clubs return to the dance floor safely.

  List of members to the RTD Task Force:

  Debbie &amp; Jeff Blood&mdash;RAF Presidents, RAF Promotions Committee
  Members, Copy Cats class of 2016

  Mike Callahan&mdash;Caller

  Dave Eno&mdash;Caller

  Jim Gotta&mdash;Caller, RAF Past President

  Anne Granger &amp; Don Naulin&mdash;Silver Squares Co-Presidents, RAF
  Co-Vice Presidents

  Donna &amp; Bob Indovina&mdash;new dancers, Copy Cats class of 2019

  Rick LaDonna&mdash;RAF Treasurer, Past President of Copy Cats

  Mary Martin &amp; Phil LaRussa&mdash;current Presidents Copy Cats, Copy
  Cats class of 2016

  Gil Porter&mdash;Caller

  Eileen Webster&mdash;Cuer, RAF representative, RAF Promotions Committee
  Member

  We also have dancers who will contribute to the RTD Task Force, though
  not as active members. These RTD contributors are:

  Amy &amp; Kris Aeckerle&mdash;Coordinators RAF Promotions Committee

  Henry Capon&mdash;President Cloverleafs

  Peter Emmel&mdash;President Village Squares, Promenader Editor

  We thank everyone for volunteering and in advance for your
  participation. We look forward to working together to resume dancing
  safely.


articleid: 322
position: 1
type: text
content:
  We hope everyone is well and safe. We miss seeing you all on the dance
  floor but also prefer we safely return to dancing when we can. This
  Covid 19 pandemic has turned our world upside down. This is especially
  true when it comes to dancing.

  Our entire square dance activity is based on continuous close contact
  with everyone involved in a square. We realize it will be awhile
  before we can safely return back to our clubs. Most facilities used
  for dancing are not going to be open to outside organizations this
  Fall. Some good news related to Covid 19, the vaccine testing is
  progressing and looks promising for late this year or early next year.

  Previously &ldquo;date nights&rdquo; meant dancing several times a week
  with our friends. Now anytime we get in our car, it&rsquo;s a treat!
  Whether it&rsquo;s a trip to the grocery store or a gathering with friends
  with masks and social distancing. We are so thankful to live in an
  area where most people are very considerate and follow the CDC
  guidelines.

  In June, the Federation surveyed our clubs&rsquo; membership to
  consolidate members thoughts and concerns pertaining to Covid 19. We
  received 254 dancers&rsquo; responses. We appreciate everyone&rsquo;s
  participation in the survey and each Club&rsquo;s active participation in
  the survey process.

  More than half the respondents indicated:
  <ul>
  <li>not sure when they will return to dancing
  <li>want masks worn by everyone for dancing and socializing
  <li>want social distancing
  <li>were concerned about the cleanliness and sanitation of the
    facilities
  <li>want hand sanitizers and wipes available
  <li>minimize personal contact among dancers
   (more than 1/3 of dancers want non<li>contact dancing and calls that
   minimize contact)
  <li>should bring your own water and snacks or provide prepackaged water
    and snacks
  </ul>
  When dancing together returns, treat dances as refreshers or workshop
  sessions.

  We do want to share, until dancing returns, there are opportunities to
  square dance virtually. Gil Porter holds virtual square-dancing
  sessions on Wednesday nights at 8pm following the Village Square&rsquo;s
  Zoom session. We found our first-time dancing to a caller on the
  Internet with ghost couples, quite challenging and a little
  overwhelming. It highlighted to us, how much we depend on the dancers
  in the square to complete the tip. We have found Gil does a great job
  virtually calling and he is fun to dance to. Gil will occasionally let
  you know during the tip where you should be. We found that direction
  was a nice a benefit so we could adjust our position if we needed
  to. One good thing about dancing with ghosts is that if you make a
  mistake it only impacts you &amp; your partner and you aren&rsquo;t taking
  the entire square down.

  We hope you try it some Wednesday night, it is a lot of fun.

  Take Care &amp; Stay Safe,

  Debbie &amp; Jeff Blood


articleid: 323
position: 01
type: text
content:
  Welcome to the Fall, 2020 issue of the Promenader&mdash;a
  quarterly publication of the Rochester Area Federation of Round and
  Square Dance Clubs. (squaredancingrochester.org)


articleid: 323
position: 03
type: text
content:
  The &ldquo;Photos &amp; Features&rdquo; section of this issue includes
  articles on the various ways that clubs are dealing with COVID-19
  risks as the pandemic continues. Some are gathering on Zoom to chat or
  dance. Some are holding picnics and other outdoor gatherings. Others
  are dancing on very limited terms.

  Other articles in this issue look forward to the time when we can get
  back on the dance floor together again. We present the results of the
  dancer survey that was completed by nearly 250 dancers in our
  area. Dancer attitudes are the most important factor in how our return
  unfolds.

  RAF presidents Jeff and Debbie Blood announce formation of a group to
  be known as the &ldquo;Return to Dance&rdquo; task force. Their role will
  be to ensure that dancers, club leaders and area callers have a chance
  to work together to coordinate our restart, and to envision the
  possibilities for attracting new dancers in the post-COVID world.

  Regarding the future of square dancing in our area, the unexpected
  COVID halt provides an opportunity to think about new
  possibilities. We present an article by caller Gene Turner with some
  ideas to consider.

  Be sure to look in the Federation section to read the President&rsquo;s
  Corner message from new RAF presidents, Jeff and Debbie Blood. By the
  way, we should all give Jeff and Debbie an extra dose of thank-yous
  this year, since the COVID-19 virus chose their term to shut down
  social activities.


articleid: 323
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type: text
content:
  Club news in this issue is very limited, since many clubs have
  suspended activities during the COVID-19 pause.


articleid: 323
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type: text
content:
  With most dance venues not allowing gatherings of outsiders, it&rsquo;s
  unlikely that there will be much dancing until mid-winter at the
  earliest. Some clubs have sent hopeful schedules, which we have posted
  in the calendar database. But before showing up at any particular
  event, it will be best to look at our Breaking News listings (on the
  RAF Home page: squaredancingrochester.org) and to check with club
  leaders if there is any doubt.


articleid: 323
position: 09
type: text
content:
  With all dance schedules torpedoed by COVID-19, the &ldquo;Breaking
  News&rdquo; section on the RAF Home Page is our primary repository of
  up-to-date schedule information. When clubs notify Sidney Marshall
  (RAF Webmaster&mdash;sidneym@frontiernet.net) of a scheddule change or
  other short-notice announcement, he posts it immediately under a
  banner titled &ldquo;Breaking News&rdquo; on the RAF Home Page
  (squaredancingrochester.org).

  For maximum distribution of their messages, clubs should also consider
  using the &ldquo;SquareDancingRochester&rdquo; Facebook page.


articleid: 323
position: 11
type: text
content:
  In this issue we sadly say farewell to John McNeill, who danced with
  his wife, Sally, for many years, principally at Ekco Squares and
  Tecumseh Squares.


articleid: 323
position: 13
type: text
content:
  My own opinion is that the &ldquo;all clear&rdquo; is relatively far
  off&mdash;many months at least&mdash;and that the
  resumption of dancing will be gradual, as venues become available
  again and dancer confidence rises to the point where clubs reach
  viable numbers of willing dancers. But, until an effective vaccine is
  widely administered, there will still be a genuine risk of infection
  at indoor close-quarters gatherings&mdash;like dances. All it
  takes is one spreader at an event to make the overall statistics
  irrelevant.

  I know there are many who are more optimistic than I am, and I truly
  hope that precautions taken as dancing resumes are effective at
  preventing outbreaks among our friends. Until enough of us are
  vaccinated, our collective behavior is our only COVID-19 defense.

  Established dancers are motivated to return to the dance floor to
  reconnect with dancing friends and resume our healthy activity. But
  our ability to attract new dancers to join beginner classes will
  depend on public perceptions of the risk in social gatherings like
  ours. The COVID pause gives us an opportunity to re-think our approach
  to recruiting, and to teaching, and to the social and learning
  pathways we offer to new dancers entering our activity.

  The &ldquo;Return to Dance&rdquo; task force described in the
  &ldquo;Photos and Features&rdquo; section was established in August by
  the RAF leadership. This group will address questions about dance
  resumption and about the promotion and re-establishment of
  classes. Their consideration will also extend to our teaching and
  dance program, drawing inspiration from dancers and callers in other
  parts of the country who are grappling with these same issues.


articleid: 323
position: 15
type: text
content:
  How Smart Is Your Right Foot???

  This is bizarre! How smart is your right foot? Just try this. It is
  from an orthopedic Surgeon&nbsp;&hellip;

  This will boggle your mind and you will keep trying it over and over
  again to see if you can outsmart your right foot, but you
  can&rsquo;t. It&rsquo;s preprogrammed in your brain!

  1. Without anyone watching you and while sitting where you are at your
  table or desk, in your kitchen or lounge, in front of your computer or
  wherever you are sitting, lift your right foot off the floor and make
  clockwise circles.

  2. Now, while doing this, draw the numeral &ldquo;6&rdquo; in the air
  with your right hand.  Your foot will change direction.

  I told you so!!! And there&rsquo;s nothing that you can do about it!

  (My thanks to Gene Turner for this interesting tidbit!)


articleid: 324
type: text
content:
  We hope everyone is well and safe. We miss seeing you all on the dance
  floor but also recognize the importance of a safe return to dancing
  when it is possible. Some good news related to Covid-19, the vaccine
  testing is progressing well and looks promising for being available
  sooner rather than later. We are thankful to live in an area where
  most people are very considerate and follow the CDC guidelines.

  Following the club presidents, callers &amp; RAF meeting in August, a
  Return to Dance (RTD) Task Force was created. The task force is made
  up of a very dedicated team including callers, club presidents and RAF
  leadership. The RTD task force has been diligently working on
  establishing Virtual Square Dancing in the Rochester Area with our own
  local callers. We are happy to have our first RAF sponsored Virtual
  Square Dance scheduled for Friday 12/4 at 7pm. Five of our local
  callers will be calling: Ron Brown, Mike Callahan, Dave Eno, Jim Gotta
  and Gil Porter. The dance is a Zoom session so you can dance in the
  safety of your home. RAF will be sending the dance flyer and Zoom link
  to your club president and or RAF representative. We hope you can join
  the fun either dancing or watching. We consider the best part of a
  Zoom session is seeing everyone. Now this is becoming more important
  since we can&rsquo;t gather with each other in person. We already have
  scheduled two more virtual Friday night dances for 12/11 and 12/18 at
  7pm. The 12/18 Dance will have a holiday theme. Also, we are currently
  working on testing Virtual Round Dance sessions too.

  Another task of the RTD Task Force has been to provide recommended
  safety measures to our RAF clubs when in-person dancing can safely
  return. The safety recommendations are being included in the December
  2020 Promenader.

  We realize this is an uncertain time for all our clubs and dancers. We
  all are missing the social aspects of dancing and being with our
  friends. RAF&rsquo;s current priorities are to protect
  everyone&rsquo;s safety.

  As the holidays approach it is uncertain if or when we will see family
  &amp; friends.

  The callers, club presidents &amp; RAF have been working hard to
  provide this opportunity for fun safe dancing in your homes,
  appropriate for all RAF club members and recent graduates. We
  definitely are ready for Fun Square Dancing and anticipate Virtual
  Round Dancing will be available shortly. Your club presidents and RAF
  representatives will be given the Zoom link for you to access the
  dances.

  We hope you take advantage of our virtual dances. Please join us to
  dance or watch
  on Friday nights at 7pm.

  As always, you can reach out to us if you have any questions.

  Hope you all enjoy the holidays!

  Take Care &amp; Stay Safe,

  Debbie &amp; Jeff Blood

  Email: dfbjvbhome@aol.com

  Cell: 585-880-9161


articleid: 325
position: 01
type: text
content:
  Last year our club supported the George Eastman House Fund Drive at
  Christmas time. They provided a table-top sized artificial tree which
  our club decorated. The tree was on display at the George Eastman
  House and auctioned off in the Rochester community, where it sold for
  $180.

  We were contacted again this year to decorate another tree to support
  their annual fund drive. They again provided the tree and Bob and I
  worked along with Dee and Roy to make that happen. A special thank
  you to Dee and Roy for spear heading this project and picking the tree
  up and delivering the decorated tree.

  We came up with a rather unique theme for this year:
  &ldquo;COVID-19&rdquo; complete with an ace bandage garland,
  &lsquo;Covid germ&rsquo; tree top ornament, and &lsquo;face
  mask&rsquo; tree skirt.

  It was a fun project and we thought you might like to see some
  pictures. Thursday the tree will be at the George Eastman house for
  their display and auction.

  If anyone goes to see the tree, please provide some feedback.


articleid: 326
position: 01
type: text
content:
  From Bill Ryan&rsquo;s family, posted on Facebook:

  It is with great grief that I share that my father William Michael
  Ryan of West Seneca, New York went to be with his lord and savior this
  past Monday, September 28, 2020. He had a hard fight the last few
  months but was lucky enough to pass peacefully in his sleep.

  He was born August 24, 1950 in Buffalo, NY the second child to William
  James Ryan and Rose Vincent McGuire. He married Connie Ann Ryan
  January 28, 1984. He was a graduate of Kent State
  University. Following school, he continued his passions of performing
  on stage (sometimes with his son David), telling the world&rsquo;s
  best Dad Jokes and square dance calling throughout his entire life up
  until his last year.

  Bill is survived by his loving wife Connie. His sisters and
  brother-in-law Patricia Hyatt and Kathleen &amp; Randy Jackson of
  Oregon. He was proud of each and every one of his sons and daughters;
  William James Ryan of Omaha, Nebraska, David Ryan &amp; Dj Hill of New
  York, NY, Kyle &amp; Samantha Ryan of Cheektowaga, NY, and Daryl &amp;
  Laura Ryan of Tonawanda, NY. He was also greatly loved by each of his
  grandchildren: Carter, Adalynn, Emma, and Hannah.

  Bill will be cremated and laid to rest in Forest Lawn cemetery at a
  later date, with his parents. Due to the unfortunate circumstances of
  these current times no services will be held, out of respect for all
  the family out of state, however a memorial will be held once the
  Covid restrictions allow everyone to be together to remember Bill as
  we should.

  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his honor to the Diabetes
  Action Research and Education Foundation. Any letters of sympathy
  should be sent to 256 Nagel Drive Cheektowaga, NY 14225 where Connie
  will now be residing with her son and daughter.

  -----

  Bill Ryan began square dancing calling in his early teens, so
  it&rsquo;s safe to say his music and charm have touched a large number
  of people.

  Square Dancers reading this will likely know Bill from his recent
  years of calling in western New York for the Batavia Silver Stars and
  the Waterwheel Squares.

  We gathered comments from square dancers, some from email and others
  posted on Bill&rsquo;s Facebook page:

  My wife Donna and I first met Bill in mid-1960&rsquo;s at the Skirts
  &amp; Shirts teenage square dance club. It was there, when Bill was 13
  years old, that his calling career started when the club&rsquo;s
  caller let Bill call a tip or two from time to time. He called for a
  number of years for the Lock City Curly Q&rsquo;s (Lockport, NY) as
  well as for our Waterwheel Squares club here in Buffalo, NY. We will
  miss him.

  We will miss his calling. We would also dance the cha cha, waltz, or
  two-step to his cueing. We loved having him in the Rochester
  area. This picture is from his Batavia club, the Silver Stars.

  We knew Bill as an entertaining square dance caller. He came all the
  way to Rochester to call dances for our club. During one of his visits
  the snow started falling during the dance. We later heard he
  didn&rsquo;t reach home until 4am! His dances were a lot of fun. We
  will miss him. RIP, friend.


articleid: 327
position: 01
type: text
content:
  Dave and I were at the Copy Cats summer get-together and mentioned
  that we would love to have a square dance in our garage in Victor. God
  love Mike Callahan, who volunteered to do the calling. So, we set
  everything in motion. We can fit two squares in our garage, and we
  decided that twenty people was the most we could have and still
  maintain COVID &ldquo;safety.&rdquo; We sent out emails and had a
  wonderful response.

  The day arrived for our first dance. We had the doors open and fans
  going, as it was warm and muggy. We even had a little rain, but you
  know the spirit of dancers&mdash;we had a great time. We were
  all quite surprised at how many calls we remembered. Mike wasn&rsquo;t
  easy on us&mdash;testing how much we remembered&nbsp;&hellip;
  We danced with our masks on and kept our hands sanitized. It was such
  as success we decided to have a couple more. If the weather would
  cooperate, we&rsquo;d still be getting together for our &ldquo;Garage
  COVID-19 &rdquo; square dances. It was wonderful to dance and see our
  square-dancing family.

  At the last of these dances, Mike introduced his
  hilarious&nbsp;&hellip; COVID-adapted lyrics to the tune of
  &ldquo;Those Were the Days&rdquo; that go something like this
  (reproduced here with Mike&rsquo;s permission):

  Opener:
  <br>
  Once upon a time there was a virus
  <br>
  And we had to cancel a dance or two
  <br>
  Those Covid days my friend we thought they&rsquo;d never end
  <br>
  We had to stay inside, wash hands and sanitize
  <br>
  Those Covid days, oh yes, those Covid days

  Verses:
  <br>
  If you wanted to eat out today
  <br>
  Take out was the only way
  <br>
  Those Covid days, oh yes, those Covid days
  <br>
  We had to stay inside
  <br>
  To keep our friends alive
  <br>
  Those Covid days, oh yes, those Covid days

  Middle Break:
  <br>
  It started with a run on toilet paper
  <br>
  There wasn&rsquo;t one roll to be had
  <br>
  Those Covid days my friend we thought they&rsquo;d never end
  <br>
  No bars or weddings
  <br>
  Cause of social distancing
  <br>
  Those Covid days, oh yes, those Covid days

  Verses:
  <br>
  Got kind of lazy&nbsp;&hellip;
  <br>
  We were going crazy&nbsp;&hellip;
  <br>
  Those Covid days, oh yes, those Covid days
  <br>
  We stayed inside and ate
  <br>
  We gained that Covid weight
  <br>
  Those Covid days, oh yes, those Covid days

  Ending:

  If you ventured out to go shopping
  <br>
  You had better make sure to wear your mask.


articleid: 328
position: 1
type: text
content:
  Despite all the disruption to our dancing schedule, our current
  insurance coverage expires on December 31st. The rate for RAF Clubs in
  2021 will remain the same as last year&nbsp;&ndash; $4.80 per
  dancer. Unbelievably, the Insurance provider has raised the rate to
  the USDA, even though almost no one was dancing for the majority of
  2020 and COVID-related incidents are not covered. Feeling frustrated,
  like most of us, the USDA has agreed to absorb the increase, so that
  our 2021 rate will be unchanged.

  For those clubs that have a place to dance, let me know where and I
  will request a certificate of insurance for next year.

  For those clubs that have resumed dancing, you probably have an idea
  as to who has chosen to remain a member. Using a printout of your
  current insurance roster, make the necessary additions/subtractions
  and MAIL (not email) the list to me at 350 Fishell Road, Rush,
  N.Y. 14543. I will make the necessary changes online and do my best to
  cross reference those who belong to more than one club. Then
  I&rsquo;ll let you know the amount you will owe, and you can send your
  check (made out to USDA) to me at the above address. The new roster
  and certificates will be emailed to me by USDA, and I will forward
  them on to the clubs.

  The TARGET DATE for this is DECEMBER 1, which I realize is near to
  impossible, since many of us are not even considering dancing before
  January 1st or later. The USDA coordinator has promised further
  instructions, but they have yet to be sent.

  As for CLASSES: In most cases the free insurance will have expired by
  the end of the year. Those who resume classes will no doubt find they
  need to start over with lessons. A restart of lessons can be
  considered the start of a new class. Send me the names of those
  returning and the date of the restart and it will be considered a new
  class with nine months FREE coverage. If you have chosen to bring them
  in as club members, they must be included in your membership roster
  and be included with your paid members.

  I will try to answer questions you may have. My email is
  stahlsinrush@rochester.rr.com

  PS (From a later email):

  This only matters to those clubs that have a place and are currently
  dancing or have firm plans to resume. I have told the USDA national
  insurance chair that this is the situation. In most cases there is no
  reason to have insurance if no one is dancing outside private homes,
  which are not covered anyway.


articleid: 329
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content:
  The Grand Squares held an open-air &ldquo;Meet and Greet&rdquo;
  get-together on the afternoon of September 26, in the yard of George
  and Carol Ann Stahl, Presidents of the club. It was a fun gathering,
  planned just a few days ahead. The weather was gorgeous and it was
  wonderful to see one another in person for a change!


articleid: 330
position: 1
type: text
content:
  One goal of the RAF&rsquo;s &ldquo;Return To Dance&rdquo; task force
  is to gather and share &ldquo;best practices&rdquo; for clubs to
  consider when they plan their own return to dancing. The tabulation
  that accompanies this article is one outcome of that effort - a matrix
  of Club Safety Considerations. It&rsquo;s a work in progress but it
  gives a good idea of where the consensus is heading.

  At the bottom for reference are links to available CDC cleaning
  guidelines and EPA approved cleaning materials. This matrix is
  available in spreadsheet form. Send your email request to the
  Promenader and we will make the connection
  (promenader@rochester.rr.com).

  The Silver Squares were on the verge of resuming club dancing, but
  when COVID conditions deteriorated they decided to wait. For COVID
  risk management, they had developed a plan (consistent with the
  matrix) that other clubs can use as a starting point for their own
  planning.

  Their process is described in &ldquo;Silver Squares COVID19 In-Person
  Guidelines&rdquo; that accompanies this article. In addition to taking
  temperatures at sign-in, a key feature of their plan is a list of
  &ldquo;Screening Questions&rdquo; for dancers to sign on entry to the
  hall. Dancers would answer the questions and sign the questionnaire on
  arrival. The sheet would then be saved by the club for re-use use at
  future dances, where the signatures would go on the log printed on the
  back of the questionnaire.

  An image of the questionnaire and signature log accompanies this
  article. These documents (Guidelines, Screening Questions and
  Signature Log) are available in editable form on request. Send your
  email request to the Promenader and we will make the connection
  (promenader@rochester.rr.com).


articleid: 331
position: 1
type: text
content:
  Over the summer, the RAF has been working through the many issues that
  COVID has presented to square dancing. In addition to meeting with
  club presidents in the summer, we established the &ldquo;Return To
  Dance&rdquo; task force to look at ways the RAF could contribute to the
  response in Rochester. Several efforts are in progress, including (a)
  gathering and sharing &ldquo;best practices&rdquo; and guidelines for safe
  dancing, (b) thinking through problems and opportunities around
  resuming classes, and (c) developing local options for virtual
  (&ldquo;Zoom&rdquo;) dancing with our area callers.

  COVID restrictions will be with us for a while, keeping most of us off
  the dance floor. But a few have been experimenting with virtual
  dancing at home and found it works pretty well. It keeps us in touch
  and keeps our square dance memory in shape, and it&rsquo;s good exercise.

  Whether you are two couples in the same room, one couple dancing with
  a phantom couple, or a solo dancer with three phantoms, in Zoom
  sessions, there&rsquo;s at least some social contact. Visitors are also
  welcome to log in to simply watch the dancing and of course take part
  in the conversation between tips.


articleid: 331
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type: text
content:
  The Rochester Area Federation is teaming up with area callers to bring
  virtual square dancing to Rochester. Our goal is to offer a regular
  Mainstream-Level program of &ldquo;Virtual Square Dancing for
  Everyone&rdquo; by familiar callers from our own area. Look for the
  2-page flyer in this issue of the Promenader.

  The dances will begin at 7pm on Fridays Dec. 4th, 11th, &amp;
  18th. (The 12/18 dance will have a holiday theme.) We hope you will
  encourage your members and recent graduates to join us to dance&nbsp;&hellip; or
  watch. The calls at these dances will be &ldquo;safe&rdquo; for recent
  graduates, and even for some who were in class when COVID shut things
  down.

  Callers will use only figures that can easily be done by two
  couples. You will be surprised at how many of the Basic/Mainstream
  calls fit this description! A companion article elsewhere in this
  issue describes the mechanics of virtual square dancing from a
  dancer&rsquo;s perspective.


articleid: 331
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content:
  Dancers can connect via their smart phone, or tablet, or laptop.

  A desktop computer can also be used, but to be visible to others and
  speak with them, it will need to be equipped with a webcam and
  microphone.

  If you already have the Zoom app (or if you download it and install it
  now from zoom.us.com), then all you need to do is open it and then use
  the session number and passcode.

  To receive an invitation with the Zoom information and an embedded
  link, please contact the RAF presidents Jeff and Debbie Blood at
  &ldquo;dfbjvbhome@aol.com&rdquo; and request one.

  If you don&rsquo;t already have the Zoom application loaded on your device,
  your browser will make the connection once you click on the Zoom link
  provided in the e-mail invitation. This is the same Zoom link that
  will be used for all three Friday night Virtual Zoom Dances in
  December.

  If you have any questions&nbsp;&hellip;

  Please don&rsquo;t hesitate to contact RAF Presidents, Debbie &amp;
  Jeff Blood

  at dfbjvbhome@aol.com or 585-880-9161


articleid: 332
position: 0
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content:
  Let&rsquo;s start with comments from the November &ldquo;caller
  tune-up&rdquo; sessions:

  From Rick LaDonna:

  &ldquo;Donna and I have tried Zoom dancing on two occasions, dancing
  with John Wright and Barb Green the first evening, and adding MaryJo
  and David Webster the second evening. One couple sat out each tip. We
  found two-couple dancing to be somewhat challenging but lots of
  fun. We had tried dancing with phantoms in a couple of Wednesday night
  Zoom dances, but found the two-couple format to be very much easier,
  with lots of laughs. The social aspect added a lot to the
  evening.&rdquo;

  From Debbie Blood:

  &ldquo;The first experience with virtual square dancing as one couple
  feels very different. We found it very beneficial to listen carefully
  to the calls and pay attention to the positioning our hands for
  phantom dancers. After our second time dancing with phantoms we felt
  much more comfortable and confident, and really started to enjoy
  it.&rdquo;

  From Jeff Blood:

  &ldquo;It was so nice to be dancing and seeing our square dance
  friends again. We loved hearing and seeing our local callers even
  though it was virtually. We&rsquo;re looking forward to our next
  virtual dance.&rdquo;


articleid: 332
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type: text
content:
  &ldquo;Two-couple&rdquo; dancing refers to the call
  selection. It&rsquo;s most fun with two couples dancing together, but
  it doesn&rsquo;t necessarily mean you need two couples.

  If you are a couple who prefer not to take the COVID risk of getting
  together in person with another couple, or if you are solo, these
  dances will work for you too. You will need to imagine two or three
  &lsquo;phantom&rsquo; dancers, but that&rsquo;s not as hard as you
  might think.

  At the beginning of the RAF Virtual Fun Dance on December 4, Gil
  Porter will provide dancers with a brief introduction to two-couple
  virtual dancing. The points he will cover are listed later in this
  article.

  Each foursome dancing together in person should agree in advance on
  whatever COVID precautions you are all comfortable with, such as
  masks, hand sanitizer, etc.

  The two graphics accompanying this article show the recommended floor
  space. (The same graphics are on the second sheet of the flyer.) For
  two couples, you should clear a circular area to a diameter of at
  least eight feet.

  One couple with phantoms takes less space, about six feet diameter,
  while a solo takes even less. A hard floor is recommended, but several
  dancers have reported that carpet is also okay. Be sure to remove any
  tripping hazards!


articleid: 332
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content:
  1) Two-Couple Dancing uses a foursome&hellip;
  <br>
  &hellip;arranged as two couples at the Heads position.
  <br>
  There are no Side couples (so you don&rsquo;t have to imagine them).

  2) Couples start as &ldquo;Normal&rdquo; couples&hellip;
  <br>
  &hellip; with the Boy on Left, and the Girl on Right
  &hellip;holding hands.
  <br>
  During the dance, you may sometimes become &ldquo;Half-Sashayed&rdquo;
  <br>
  &hellip;with Boy on the Right, and Girl on the Left
  <br>
  (The Caller will generally let you know when you are Half-Sashayed.)

  3) For wall alignment, you should consider your camera to be the
  Caller:
  <br>
  The Heads will have their faces (or their backs) toward the camera.
  <br>
  The Sides will have one shoulder to the camera.
  <br>
  (This makes it easiest for the Caller to tell when couples are in
  trouble.)
  <br>
  (If your floor space doesn&rsquo;t allow this, it&rsquo;s okay to
  align the other way.)

  4) Square up as Heads, so you are Couples #1 &amp; #3
  <br>
  Couple #3 is Facing the Camera
  <br>
  Couple #1 has their Backs to Camera
  <br>
  Or, if you are one couple dancing with a Phantom couple:
  <br>
  Couple #3 is YOU, Facing the Camera
  <br>
  Couple #1 is your Phantom couple, with their Backs to the Camera

  5) Leave enough space between you and the couple facing you&hellip;
  <br>
  &hellip;so that both couples can take a full step forward.
  <br>
  (That allows room for calls like &ldquo;Forward and Back&rdquo; or
  &ldquo;Grand Square&rdquo;)

  6) The partner you start with is referred to as &ldquo;Your
  Date&rdquo;
  <br>
  &hellip; your special partner.
  <br>
  (The caller will often remind you when you are &ldquo;with your
  date&rdquo;)
  <br>
  (If you get separated, that&rsquo;s your cue to get back together
  again.)

  7) When you&rsquo;re &ldquo;Squared up&rdquo;&hellip;
  <br>
  Your &ldquo;Corner&rdquo; is the person you are facing in your
  foursome&nbsp;&hellip;
  <br>
  So, your Corner is also your Opposite.
  <br>
  (The Caller will bring you to Home often enough to help you stay in
  sync.)
  <br>
  (When you should be at home with Your Date&nbsp;&hellip;
  <br>
  &hellip;the Caller will say something like &ldquo;and you&rsquo;re
  Home.&rdquo;)

  8) For calls like &ldquo;Circle&rdquo; or &ldquo;Weave the Ring&rdquo;
  or &ldquo;Grand Right and Left&rdquo;&hellip;
  <br>
  &hellip;you should visualize a circle, even though there are only
  four of you.

  9) Swings are optional !!!

  10) If you are dancing with phantoms&hellip;
  <br>
  Don&rsquo;t be surprised if it takes more than a couple of sessions to
  feel comfortable!
  <br>
  But, as you get used to it, you&rsquo;ll find there&rsquo;s less to
  &ldquo;imagine&rdquo; than you think.
  <br>
  Positioning of your body and hands are key!&nbsp;&hellip; greatly
  reducing the mental work.


articleid: 332
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content:
  There are downloadable aids available to help you visualize where your
  phantoms are and get accustomed to dancing with them&mdash;including
  &ldquo;Tip Sheet&rdquo; pages accompanying this article and in past
  issues of the Promenader.

  Dancing with phantoms is fun but requires concentration, along with an
  awareness of where you are and where the other dancers should be. A
  good place to practice is with the Pandemic Squares&mdash;via
  Zoom on Wednesdays at 8pm. Email the Promenader for an invitation
  (promenader@rochester.rr.com).


articleid: 332
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content:
  1) Imagine a square pattern on the floor, and imagine a dancer at each
  corner of it.

  As you dance, pay attention to where you are relative to the imaginary
  square.

  In general, you will either be at the corners of that square or along
  lines that cross in the middle of it. (see Tip Sheet graphics)

  2) Your HANDS turn out to be an important aid.

  They tell can you where you are and which way to turn.

  Four different hand positions are useful for dancers with phantoms:

  Position 1) Hand(s) up; Shoulder height; Palm forward (As in an ocean
  wave or partner facing opposite).

  Position 2) Elbow 90 degrees; Hand waist high; Palm open (As with
  partner at your side, facing same way).

  Position 3) Arm &amp; hand down; Palm against leg (As when
  there&rsquo;s nobody on that side).

  Position 4) Inside arm &amp; hand pointing diagonally down (As when
  you are a Pointer, in a Diamond).

  Usage: When doing a call, move and place your hands in the way you
  know they would be if there were a real dancer there, whose hand you
  were touching.

  Example 1: Stepping to a Wave:

  If you are a Center, raise both hands to shoulder height with palms
  high &amp; facing front (#1 above).

  If you are an End, hold your inside hand up with palm
  forward and your outside hand at your side (#3 above).

  Your &ldquo;up&rdquo; hand is in contact with the &ldquo;up&rdquo;
  hand of a dancer (real or phantom) who is facing the other way.

  From the Wave, on a &ldquo;Swing Thru&rdquo; or &ldquo;Hinge,&rdquo;
  you will pivot around one or the other of your &ldquo;up&rdquo;
  hands.

  Example 2: Right and Left Thru:

  Reach out your Right Hand; Pull your Opposite by; Courtesy Turn.

  End up with your Partner, side by side, facing in, with inside hands
  joined at position #2 above.

  (For animated call diagrams, refer to
  https://www.tamtwirlers.org/taminations/)

  (For diagrams showing you in relation to Phantoms, see the
  accompanying Tip Sheet diagrams.)


articleid: 333
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content:
  A few of our local clubs are getting together regularly on Zoom. The
  Silver Squares join with the Belles N Beaus on Mondays, and the
  Village Squares &amp; Friends gather on Wednesdays.


articleid: 334
position: 0
type: text
content:
  As part of the RAF&rsquo;s &ldquo;Return To Dance&rdquo; task force
  effort, our local round dance cuers gathered on Zoom recently to begin
  working out sound and logistics for Virtual Round Dancing. Several
  dancers joined them for feedback&mdash;of the helpful
  kind&mdash;and to help determine what would be needed at the
  dancers&rsquo; end in the way of floor space.


articleid: 335
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content:
  Virtual Square and Round dancing from home is most fun with local
  callers and dancers you know. But once you get started dancing at
  home, you will find there is no shortage of on-line opportunities. Two
  Facebook groups &ldquo;Virtual Square Dances&rdquo; and &ldquo;Square
  Dance Flyers&rdquo; carry numerous announcements for virtual dances of
  all kinds&mdash;including beginner lessons and Two-Couple Dancing.

  Brenda Bixby has been attending virtual square dances on Facebook for
  many months. Here&rsquo;s what she said about it in October:
  &ldquo;The best thing about Zoom is that you can choose whether to
  have your camera on. I will admit that after 6 months participating
  in Virtual Square Dances, today is the first day I feel comfortable
  having my camera on. And ya know what? I find I really don&rsquo;t care now
  if and WHEN I make a mistake. I&rsquo;m always "home" and when the caller
  actually says we&rsquo;re home, I know I have a fresh start. I also can
  choose to blame my phantom dancers at my home. They care even less
  than I do, and are always willing to try again!&rdquo;

  Access:

  For access to these, type the group name into the Facebook Search box,
  then when you get to their page, click the &ldquo;Join Group&rdquo;
  button. There may be a few questions to answer, and you might have to
  wait a few minutes (or at most a day) for confirmation.

  Once you are a member, you can scroll through their full listings of
  event announcements, flyers and comments. They both have an expandable
  &ldquo;Upcoming Events&rdquo; side-bar that makes it easy to find ones
  you might be interested in.

  These dances cover the full range of skills, so pay attention to the
  level designations! Some of them are Zoom-type events and others are
  in-person dances being live-streamed. Some are for lessons at various
  levels.

  When you get there, you will find a range of situations. Some are
  clubs having their own weekly Zoom dance. Others are callers welcoming
  an international audience.

  I&rsquo;ve found a good way to introduce yourself when you arrive in
  an unfamiliar Zoom group is to type a greeting and introduction into
  the chat &ldquo;to everyone&rdquo; (something like &ldquo;Hi,
  I&rsquo;m Peter, from Rochester NY, here to try virtual dancing with
  you!&rdquo;). Someone will notice at a break and welcome
  you&mdash;just like at a real dance!  You can start with the
  camera off, if it makes you more comfortable, then I generally turn it
  on after someone has noticed me or my chat or my empty square. So far,
  at both events I&rsquo;ve attended someone has said &ldquo;Hey, do you
  know Mike Callahan?&rdquo; so, you&rsquo;ll fit right in!

  Process:

  The process for attending these events varies depending on the
  preferences of the host.

  Some put all the Zoom login info in the flyer. Others post the Zoom
  invitation on the day of the event&mdash;so you&rsquo;ll come
  back to the group&rsquo;s Facebook page on that day for the login
  info. Some include a button for you to make a reservation (or at least
  express your interest, as in &ldquo;might&rdquo; or &ldquo;will&rdquo;
  attend). Some will ask for your email address, so they can send you an
  invitation.

  Bottom line: for an event you are interested in, just click and follow
  the directions wherever they lead.

  Many will have a &ldquo;Tip Jar&rdquo; for donations to charity, or
  for the caller/cuer&mdash;with payment via PayPal or possibly
  credit card.

  The jar will be somewhere on the Facebook screen where you found the
  flyer or the login.

  A few events will require registration and payment in advance.

  This is a mode of dancing that&rsquo;s still seeking its
  best-practices for serving its dancers and its leaders.

  What these Groups say about themselves:

  The &ldquo;Virtual Square Dances&rdquo; page is maintained by callers
  Denise Carbonell and Mike Dusoe.

  Here is their official description:

  &ldquo;This is a group for managing Virtual Square Dances for those
  who already know how to do Modern Western Square Dance. We will be
  posting dates, times, and conference links in the group.&rdquo;

  The &ldquo;Square Dance Flyers&rdquo; group draws from a broader base
  of callers, but operates in much the same way.

  Here is their official description:

  &ldquo;We love to dance and are glad you are here! We encourage you to
  post or share your dances here. There are dances from all over the
  world including Virtual Dances which you can do from home. Our mission
  is to promote Square &amp; Round Dancing. This group is for anyone to
  share Square &amp; Round Dances and is open to Callers, Cuers,
  Dancers, and anyone interested in dancing. We started Square Dance
  Flyers in November 2019 as an experiment to help others to promote and
  find dances. We were amazed at the number of square dancers and clubs
  there are. This group is for sharing your dance events! Off-topic
  posts may be removed by our administrators. Posts that advertise past
  dances will be removed from the group. Thanks for joining Square Dance
  Flyers!&rdquo;

  Other on-line dancing resources:

  For links to a wide range of lessons, you can Google the phrase:
  &ldquo;learn to square dance online&rdquo; which brings up a long list
  of opportunities, mostly on YouTube, but also live events.

  Taminations&mdash;a resource for every call in the book,
  organized by level (Basic, Mainstream, Plus, etc.), with definitions
  and animated diagrams. You can find them online at
  (https://www.tamtwirlers.org/taminations), or you can download their
  app for your phone or tablet.

  The dance calendar site &ldquo;Where&rsquo;s the Dance&rdquo;
  (https://www.wheresthedance.com) caries virtual dances, indicated by
  &ldquo;VSD&rdquo; and a cloud graphic, though at the moment most of
  the listings are at the higher skill levels.


articleid: 336
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content:
  For clubs anticipating the post-COVID recovery beyond, the other USDA
  (United Square Dancers of America) has instituted a Zoom-based
  tutorial program called &ldquo;Beyond the Dance Floor&rdquo; that
  augments their extensive library of available printed club resources.

  The following three upcoming workshops look particularly interesting
  to RAF area clubs:

  (For log-on information and access to other USDA materials, visit
  their website: http://usda.org/)

  Sat 1/16/21&mdash;2pm EST&mdash;Do you Hear What I Hear?
  <br>
  - By USDA leadership panel
  <br>
  - Topic: Using newsletters and other forms of social media to get the
    word out

  Sat 2/13/21&mdash;2pm EST&mdash;Promoting Square Dancing
  During the Most Challenging of Times
  <br>
  - By Mike Hogan- Marking Executive of IHeart Media
  <br>
  - Debbie &amp; Jeff Blood heard him present at USDA convention in
    Atlanta GA in 2019
  <br>
  - Mike does an outstanding job, his presentation was excellent,
  <br>
  - Highly recommend to everyone for their recruiting efforts later in
    2021

  Sat 3/13/21&mdash;2pm EST&mdash;USDA Educational
  Materials
  <br>
  - By USDA leadership panel
  <br>
  - USDA offers an extensive range of brochures
    (http://www.usda.org/Education.php)
  <br>
  - Debbie &amp; Jeff Blood have a master listing and many brochures
    that were available at the USDA convention in Atlanta GA in 2019,
    including the electric files for the ones listed in the USDA list of
    materials pdf file.


articleid: 337
position: 0
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content:
  Some of the learnings from the past few weeks of VSD experimentation
  are more on the technical side. We&rsquo;ll report them here in hopes
  they will be useful for dancers, callers and cuers.

  We will revise and improve this section based on experience.

  (Dancers, Callers &amp; Cuers, please send email with recommendations
  to promenader@rochester.rr.com)

  1) General issues

  a) Mute your Zoom microphone when you are not talking. (Extraneous
  sounds at your end will draw Zoom&rsquo;s attention away from the
  caller/cuer and from whoever is speaking in breaks.)

  b) If you are the caller/cuer, turn off your Zoom camera when you are
  calling/cueing. (Reduces demand on limited &ldquo;outgoing&rdquo;
  bandwidth at your end.)

  2) Connection issues at home

  If your sound cuts in and out, and/or the video of people in the
  frames on your screen freeze, there can be several causes&mdash;some at your end and some at the other end. Steps you can take at
  your end that might help include:

  a) Close other internet applications or inactive tabs in the browser
  on your Zoom device. (They can be doing things in the background that
  use bandwidth.)

  b) If you are using a wireless home network, turn off other
  internet-connected devices in your home that are sharing your wireless
  router bandwidth.

  c) If possible, switch to a wired connection (i.e. connect your device
  directly to your internet connection box&mdash;your modem).

  d) Turn off your Zoom camera. (Reduces demand on limited bandwidth.)

  3) Issues we can do little about

  a) Audio speed-up and slow-down is Zoom&rsquo;s way of keeping video
  and audio in sync despite connection glitches. Your experience with
  this isn&rsquo;t necessarily the same as others, since it can be a
  local adaptation based on your own connection, or it can be from the
  caller/cuer connection.

  4) Sound hookup advice for callers and cuers

  a) Set up your normal sound equipment as for a normal dance, including
  your hand microphone and speaker.

  b) Put your Zoom/Internet device in front of your speaker (with its
  microphone as close to the speaker as you can get it).

  c) Launch the Zoom app on your Internet device (phone, tablet or
  laptop) and turn its speaker volume down/off. (It will have a delay
  from your outgoing signal.)

  d) Call/Cue into your normal equipment.

  e) Adjust music and microphone volume on your normal sound equipment
  for balance (as judged by dancers).

  f) When not calling/cueing, to talk with dancers: Turn off your hand
  microphone; Turn on your Zoom camera; and Turn up the speaker volume
  on your Zoom device.

  5) For Zoom hosts

  a) An important duty of the host is to ensure that dancers are muted
  while dancing (mainly to prevent extraneous noises from interrupting
  the music and calls). Do this by clicking the &ldquo;Mute All&rdquo;
  button (and again in the &ldquo;are you sure&rdquo; box that follows),
  then before also muting yourself, you will have to remind the caller
  to &ldquo;Unmute.&rdquo;

  b) If sound quality or intermittency is a problem, the Zoom support
  site says they use automatic noise canceling that sometimes affects
  music. It can be disabled by the host clicking &ldquo;Turn On Original
  Sound&rdquo; in their account screen.


articleid: 338
position: a
type: text
content:
  Welcome to the Winter, 2020 issue of the Promenader&mdash;a
  quarterly publication of the Rochester Area Federation of Round and
  Square Dance Clubs. (squaredancingrochester.org)


articleid: 338
position: c
type: text
content:
  The &ldquo;Photos &amp; Features&rdquo; section of this issue
  continues our coverage of the various ways that area dancers are
  coping with the continuing COVID interruption. We include photos from
  activities, such as dancing in David and Mary Jo Webster&rsquo;s
  Victor garage and the Grand Squares&rsquo; outdoor meet-and-greet at
  the Stahl&rsquo;s home in Rush. A particular focus in this issue is on
  &ldquo;Virtual Square Dancing&rdquo;&mdash;via the now-familiar
  Zoom screen.

  The RAF&rsquo;s &ldquo;Return to Dance&rdquo; task force has been busy
  and productive, organizing priorities to focus attention on Safety
  Guidelines and on helping to bring Virtual (Zoom) Square Dancing
  (&ldquo;VSD&rdquo;) with our local callers into our area. In this
  issue we feature several articles related to VSD, including tips for
  dancers who are just getting started with this unfamiliar mode of
  dancing.

  We are also publishing a set of COVID-related Safety Guidelines from
  the RTD task force for clubs to use as a starting point for their
  eventual resumption of dancing&mdash;courtesy of the Copy Cats
  and the Silver Squares.

  There&rsquo;s also an important message from Carol Ann Stahl on club
  insurance that all club leaders should read.

  Be sure to look in the Federation section to read the
  President&rsquo;s Corner message from RAF presidents, Jeff and Debbie
  Blood.


articleid: 338
position: e
type: text
content:
  Club news in this issue is limited, since many clubs have suspended
  activities during the COVID-19 pause. But take a look to see how some
  are coping with the isolation. Some clubs, such as the Cayuga Cut-Ups
  have continued to dance by staying conscientious about safety.


articleid: 338
position: g
type: text
content:
  With gathering size restricted and dance venues closed or not allowing
  outsiders, it&rsquo;s unlikely that there will be much dancing until
  spring at the earliest. Some clubs have sent hopeful schedules, which
  we have posted in the calendar database. But before you drive to any
  particular event, it will be best to look at our Breaking News
  listings (on the RAF Home page: squaredancingrochester.org) and to
  check with club leaders to make sure it is happening.

  One thing that is not shut down is Virtual Square (and Round) Dancing
  via Zoom! The RAF has scheduled three VSD dances for the first three
  Fridays of December&mdash;December 4, 11, and 18. See more
  about this&mdash;including login information&mdash;in
  the Photos and Features section, and look for the flyer in the Flyers
  section.

  A Virtual Round Dance has not been scheduled yet, the wheels are in
  motion. Stay tuned!


articleid: 338
position: i
type: text
content:
  With dance schedules torpedoed by COVID-19, the &ldquo;Breaking
  News&rdquo; section on the RAF Home Page is our primary repository of
  up-to-date schedule information. When clubs notify Sidney Marshall
  (RAF Webmaster&mdash;sidneym@frontiernet.net) of a schedule
  change or other short-notice announcement, he posts it immediately
  under a banner titled &ldquo;Breaking News&rdquo; on the RAF Home Page
  (squaredancingrochester.org).

  In addition, for maximum distribution of their messages, clubs should
  also consider using the &ldquo;SquareDancingRochester&rdquo; Facebook
  page.


articleid: 338
position: k
type: text
content:
  In this issue we sadly say farewell to caller Bill Ryan, who called
  for many years at the Batavia Silver Stars and the Waterwheel
  Squares. And farewell also to long-time dancer Carole Kingston,
  dancing most recently with the Shamrock Squares.


articleid: 338
position: m
type: text
content:
  Despite there being, at this writing, three apparently effective
  COVID-19 vaccines poised for approval and distribution, I believe that
  we are still many months away from safe, regular, in-person dancing.

  And when that time comes, we will need to re-assess our approach to
  recruiting, teaching and retaining new dancers. That path will be an
  important subject for the RAF Return-To-Dance task force, club leaders
  and area callers to think through.

  Meanwhile, we should all at least try Virtual Dancing via
  Zoom&mdash;which starts locally at 7pm on December
  4&mdash;see the the flyer and articles in this issue.

  The folks working on this locally and across the country over the past
  few months have sorted out the variables and settled on a format of
  calls that can be done by two couples&mdash;a
  foursome&mdash;without having to imagine any dancers who
  aren&rsquo;t there&mdash;i.e. without imaginary phantom
  dancers.

  With care and trust, it should be possible for dancers to organize
  into foursomes to dance in one another&rsquo;s homes, while
  maintaining COVID safety in whatever way they agree on. Several
  foursomes have already started this, reporting it works quite well.

  The two-couple calls can also be done by one couple, with imaginary
  phantom dancers filling the places of the second couple. It sounds
  difficult, but once you get over the initial distraction of trying to
  actually imagine the phantoms, it boils down to two things: (1) being
  somewhat more precise in your own movements and (2) paying attention
  to where your hands should be so, that they match up with the dancer
  (or dancers) on either side of you&mdash;be they phantom or
  real. (See the &ldquo;Dancer Tips&rdquo; article in this issue for
  more on this.)

  Phantom dancers don&rsquo;t give hints, so there&rsquo;s more pressure
  on the real dancers to know the calls. With animation apps like
  &ldquo;Taminations&rdquo; on your phone or tablet, it&rsquo;s easy to
  remind yourself where you should be.

  I&rsquo;ve been participating in VSD with the Pandemic Squares since
  spring (solo, because Sally isn&rsquo;t as gung-ho for it as I
  am). So, I&rsquo;m dancing with three phantoms. They mess up as much
  as I do, but there are no complaints and nobody&rsquo;s toes get
  crushed. The callers always announce when I should be home, so if
  I&rsquo;m someplace else, I just scurry to my home spot to get back in
  sync.

  I encourage everyone to give this a try&nbsp;&hellip; starting on
  December 4&nbsp;&hellip; and to stick with it for a few dances, to get
  over the initial confusions. To get ready, be sure to read the
  articles in the Photos and Features section of this issue. (You can
  copy/paste them, for saving on your device as a stand-alone document,
  or send me a request by email to Promenader@rochester.rr.com and
  I&rsquo;ll reply with the originals.)


articleid: 338
position: o
type: text
content:
  A Little Lock-down Humor:

  Just be careful!

  People are going crazy from being in lock-down!

  Actually, I&rsquo;ve just been talking about this over a cup of coffee
  with the microwave and toaster, and all of us agreed that things are
  getting bad. I didn&rsquo;t mention anything to the washing machine,
  as she puts a different spin on everything. Certainly not to the
  fridge, as he is acting cold and distant. In the end the iron
  straightened me out, saying everything will be fine and no situation
  is too pressing. The hoover was very unsympathetic&nbsp;&hellip; told
  me to just suck it up, but the fan was more optimistic, saying it
  would all soon blow over! The toilet looked a bit flushed and
  didn&rsquo;t say anything when I asked its opinion, but the door knob
  told me to get a grip. The front door said I was unhinged and so the
  curtains told me to&nbsp;&hellip; yes, you guessed it&nbsp;&hellip;
  pull myself together.


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  Henrietta - peacefully with her family by her side on November 6,
  2020. Predeceased by parents parents Warren and Helen (Coyle)
  Abbott. Survived by her children, Deborah (John) Hastings, Amy
  Kingston and Stephen (Deena) Kingston; grandchildren Chessa, Carina
  and Cuyler Hastings, Lyla and Abel Kingston; brother Thomas Abbott and
  his husband Leon Koneiczny; niece Jennifer Ray and nephew Justin
  Abbott; life partner, Dave Onesti and extended family.

  Carole was a compassionate caring person who loved people. She loved
  to round and square dance, garden, read, cook, camp and travel. She
  was a people person and spent many hours volunteering her time. She
  enjoyed being with her family and her extended family and caring for
  her dog.

  Graveside Service will be held Saturday, November 21, 2020 at 11 am at
  the Honeoye Falls Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to Heritage
  Christian Services, https://heritagechristianservices.org/donate To
  leave a condolence, please visit www.mertonkaysfuneralhome.com

  To Plant Memorial Trees in memory, please visit our Sympathy Store.

  Published in Rochester Democrat And Chronicle from Nov. 14 to Nov. 15,
  2020.


articleid: 341
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  Karen L. Vetter, age 66, passed peacefully into the Lord&rsquo;s arms
  on January 15, 2021. She was predeceased by her father, Ernest
  &ldquo;Bud&rdquo; Vetter and beloved guide dogs, Megan, Shelby and
  Kelly. Karen is survived by her guide dog, Cody; mother, Gladys
  Vetter; three sisters, Ginny (Rich) Muller, Linda Vetter and Pam
  (Terry) Cleveland; two brothers, Eric and Greg Vetter; and several
  nieces and nephews.

  Karen was a graduate of Bloomfield Central School, class of 1972 and
  Rochester Business Institute, class of 1973. She worked as an
  executive secretary for Farm Credit Bureau in Rochester until health
  issues forced her to retire. Karen lost her sight due to Type 1
  diabetes and embarked on a journey to educate the public and in
  particular, school-age children about the role guide dogs have in
  assisting their humans. She wasn&rsquo;t held back in her choice of
  activities and enjoyed many years of square dancing and line
  dancing. Karen&rsquo;s faith remained strong throughout the years with
  the knowledge that Heaven awaited her and where she would be made
  whole. She was blessed with friends whose support allowed her to
  remain independent and in return, were blessed by Karen&rsquo;s sense
  of humor and simply by spending time with her.

  Her memorial service was held on Thursday, January 21, at 4pm, at
  Perinton Community Church, 636 High St., Ext., Fairport. A graveside
  service was held Friday, January 22, at 3 pm, at Woodlawn Cemetery,
  130 N. Pearl St., Canandaigua. Memorial contributions may be made to
  Guiding Eyes for the Blind, 611 Granite Springs Rd., Yorktown Heights,
  NY 10598. Arrangements are by Johnson-Kennedy Funeral Home, Inc.,
  Canandaigua. Condolences may be offered at www.johnsonkennedy.com.

  To Plant Memorial Trees in memory, please visit our Sympathy Store.

  Published in Rochester Democrat And Chronicle from Jan. 19 to Jan. 20,
  2021.

  <hr>

  Some of you may remember Karen from her square dancing days. In 1993
  she came, with her friends and counselor, Anita and Dave Olsson, to
  the Village Squares (along with Megan, her seeing eye dog) to see if
  Jerry Carmen, Will Herzog and the club dancers could help a blind
  person learn to square dance. The answer was yes (!) and for the
  following many years we had the inspiration of Karen&rsquo;s company
  on the dance floor&mdash;with Megan (and later Shelby) standing
  by for scraps in the kitchen.

  Eventually, her health made square dancing impossible, but she
  continued with line dancing, and some of you might remember she spoke
  at Jerry Carmen&rsquo;s 50th Anniversary celebration dance, in
  2016. As her &lsquo;tech support guy&rsquo; I kept in touch with Karen
  over the years, helping her stay connected with friends and the online
  world via her laptop and talking keyboard, until the past several
  months when even that became too difficult for her. She passed away on
  January 15th, at end of a long and inspiring road. She certainly
  showed us how much you can make out of a limited set of options if you
  focus on what you *can* do, rather than dwell on what you can&rsquo;t
  do!


articleid: 342
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  Karen Vetter lost her sight to diabetic retinopathy in her late
  twenties.

  We met her many years later, in 1993, when she discovered square
  dancing and asked if we could teach her to square dance. Our caller,
  Jerry Carmen, and our club, the Village Squares, took on the
  challenge.

  She quickly became one of the more proficient dancers in the club, and
  stayed with us for many, many years&mdash;as long as she was
  physically able. She also joined two different line dance groups that
  danced weekly with Jerry Carmen and Will Herzog.

  As we got to know Karen through the 1990s, we found she was a very
  active and energetic lady, on a mission to make guide dogs available
  to anyone who needed them. She founded and grew the Upstate Guide Dog
  Association, raising, training and placing guide dogs in the Rochester
  area. They also distributed an inspiring book: &ldquo;Through
  Otis&rsquo; Eyes&mdash;Lessons from a Guide Dog Puppy.&rdquo;

  As the internet grew, she became proficient with email and enjoyed her
  online connection to friends and access to audio books and other
  resources.

  Karen passed away on January 15, after a long journey down a hard
  road, but she always found ways to help others and have fun all along
  the way&mdash;focusing on what she *could* do, rather than
  dwelling on what she couldn&rsquo;t do.

  Photo #1: Karen and her guide dog, Shelby, with Tom Reynolds at a
  Village Squares Costume square dance in the 1990s. Karen, totally
  blind but with her ready sense of humor, came as a &ldquo;Seer&rdquo;
  with a crystal ball, and Shelby came as an angel with wings. Karen
  graduated from our square dance class in 1993. She and Shelby were
  active and welcome members of the club for many years. If we bumped
  into Karen during a dance, it was never Karen who was out of position!

  Photo #2: Karen and Cody in 2016, with square dance caller Jerry
  Carmen, at a special dance in honor of Jerry&rsquo;s 50 years of
  square dance calling and teaching. Karen gave a moving speech thanking
  Jerry for teaching her to square dance and line dance in
  1993&mdash;activities that she enjoyed for many, many years.


articleid: 343
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  William Mishoe, 87, of Binghamton, NY passed away on January 12th 2021
  at Lourdes Hospital in Binghamton, NY. He was born in St. Johns,
  Newfoundland. He was a longtime resident of Binghamton, NY and also
  lived in Sodus Bay and Rochester areas for several years. As a young
  man, he served in the US Army and put himself through college,
  graduating with an Accounting Degree from Syracuse University. He had
  a career he loved working for the New York State Dept of Labor. Bill
  loved to travel and he loved sailing. He spent much time navigating
  the waters of Cayuga Lake and Lake Ontario. Bill is predeceased by his
  sister Martha Lovallo. He is survived by his partner Ericka (Pinky)
  Bradley, children Dean Mishoe, Scott Mishoe (Teresa) and Janet
  Michaud. He has three grandchildren Tracy Miller, Jamie Spellman and
  Drew Michaud-Goetz as well as four great grandchildren Natalie, Nora,
  Eddie and Charlie, two nieces Nancy and Frances Lovallo.

  A Memorial will be held at a later date. Online condolences may be
  expressed at www.SavageFS.com. In lieu of flowers, please consider a
  donation to www.michaeljfox.org Parkinson&rsquo;s
  foundation. Arrangements were entrusted to SAVAGE-Demarco Funeral
  Service.

  <hr>

  Bill and his partner Ericka (Pinky) Bradley were long time members of
  the Copy Cats Square Dance Club. Bill had also been a member of
  Cloverleaf Squares. They stopped square dancing a few years ago,
  because of Bill&rsquo;s declining health. They moved to the Binghamton
  area to be closer to Bill&rsquo;s sons.


articleid: 344
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  Junius/Waterloo&mdash;Patricia Sue Smith, 57, passed away
  Sunday (January 10, 2021) at her home with her loving family by her
  side.

  Patty was born July 24, 1963, in Waterloo, NY, the daughter of
  Clarence A. and Margaret L. Bates Green. She was a 1981 graduate of
  Waterloo Central High School. Patty earned an Associates Degree in
  Accounting from Cayuga County Community College in Auburn. She was
  employed with P &amp; C and then Tops for 30 years. She loved Square
  Dancing with the Cayuga County Cut-ups and playing with her
  grandchildren. Patty was a devoted wife, mother, and Nana.

  She is survived by her husband Robert J. Smith; son Curtis (Marti
  Faul) Andreas of Covington, LA; daughters Sarah (Donnell) Jackson of
  Geneva, NY, Erica (Jovan) Wimberly of Sherrill, NY, and Latasha Baker
  of Auburn, NY; grandchildren Taliyah, Alexandria, Jayden, Andrea,
  Jillian, Donnell, Jr., Olivia, Daniel, Milana, Lucas, Isaac, Onolee,
  Adrianna, Mia, and Theodore; brother Daniel (Valerie) Green of
  Waterloo, NY; sisters Victoria Green of Leicester, NC, Pamela
  Patterson of Mooresboro, NC, and Catherine McKoy of Geneva, NY;
  half-brothers William Green of Bath, NY, Ronald (Betty) Green of
  Geneva, NY, and Fred Stickane of Ithaca, NY; half-sisters Diane
  Schibley of Waterloo, NY and Sharon Green of Cato, NY; many nieces and
  nephews.

  Patty was predeceased by her parents.

  Condolences and remembrances for the family may be sent to
  www.coegenungfuneralhome.com.

  <hr>

  Pat Smith was club treasurer and a relative newcomer to square dancing
  and the Cut-Ups. Her enthusiasm for the club and dancing was a joy to
  watch. She was at every event ready to dance! She told us, &ldquo;When
  I get to heaven I will be looking for a square.&rdquo; Go with God, we
  will miss you always!


articleid: 345
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  Robert M. Frendak, 84, passed away on Jan. 6, 2021, from complications
  due to COVID-19. He was born in Elmira, N.Y., on May 18, 1936, to Paul
  and Sue Frendak.

  In his younger days, Bob lived and worked on the family farm on Lacy
  Road in Mandana. He was a member of the Skaneateles High School Class
  of 1955. Bob later worked as a carpenter at the Syracuse University
  Physical Plant, retiring in 1998 after 33 years of service. He was a
  lifelong communicant of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Skaneateles.

  Bob enjoyed working in his wood shop, playing golf, watching SU
  basketball and the NY Yankees, square dancing with the Cayuga Cut-ups,
  and wintering in Winter Haven, FL.

  Bob is survived by his beloved wife of over 39 years, Melissa; his
  sons, Rodney and Todd Frendak (Tammy), all of Skaneateles; his
  daughter Jessica Meyer of Auburn; and his grandchildren, Sierra and
  Trevor Frendak. He is also survived by his brother Paul (Beverly)
  Frendak of Georgia and sister Joyce Sholtes of Florida. Bob was
  predeceased by his parents; infant brother James; his first wife and
  the mother of his two sons, Dolores Horning; and infant daughter,
  Lisa.

  Calling hours will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 13,
  with a private service to follow at Robert D. Gray Funeral Home,
  Skaneateles. Burial in Lakeview Cemetery, Skaneateles.

  To send condolences, visit robertdgrayfuneralhome.com

  <hr>

  Bob &amp; Missy Frendak are long time Cayuga Cut-Ups, part of the
  backbone of our club. They served as club officers and angels to new
  students. Bob&rsquo;s easy-going manner and wit will be greatly
  missed. Love and blessings to Missy and family.


articleid: 346
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content:
  Hilton, NY&mdash;After a full and rich life, David W. Fisher,
  82, passed away on December 12, 2020, at home with his wife and family
  by his side. He was born in Hornell, NY, and is predeceased by his
  parents, Ethel and Harold Fisher, and his sister, Kay Varlan-Britt.

  David is survived by his loving wife, Mary; children, David (Kristin
  Shields), Andrew, and Timothy (Megan) Fisher, Wendy (Richard Sheldon)
  Salamone; Habteab (Saba) Yemane; grandchildren, Cassidy (Landon Allen)
  and William Salamone, Hannah and Nathan Yemane, Kailyn and Anthony
  Sheldon, and Brandon O&rsquo;Brien; sister-in-law, Christine
  (Christopher) Casaccia; brothers-in-laws, Lawrence Britt, William
  (Eileen) Perkins, Thomas (Ethel) Perkins, and Timothy (Anne) Perkins,
  and many nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends. A special thank
  you to Tom and Eileen Henion for their love and support.

  David was a friendly, caring, kind person who always had a twinkle in
  his eyes. He was a dedicated, active member of Hilton Baptist
  Church. He loved to entertain his family and friends and was known for
  his clambakes, picnics, Easter egg hunts, cross country ski parties
  and game nights. Most of all, he loved his family and found great joy
  in spending time with his grandchildren.

  A celebration of David&rsquo;s life will be held in 2021. Those
  wishing may make memorials in his name to the Hilton Baptist Church,
  50 Lake Ave., Hilton, NY 14468. To share a memory, send the family a
  condolence, or to view photos, please visit www.burgerfuneralhome.com.

  To Plant Memorial Trees in memory, please visit our Sympathy Store.

  Published in Rochester Democrat And Chronicle from Dec. 18 to Dec. 20,
  2020.

  <hr>

  David Fisher was a past SSDUSA president and chairperson of
  Dance-A-Rama &rsquo;88 in Rochester, New York. He also mentored the
  committee for the Dance-A-Rama &rsquo;06 in Rochester. He also was a
  president of the local singles club, the Cloverleaf Squares. I have
  attached a copy of the June, July, August 1993 issue of the
  &ldquo;Promenader&rdquo; (page 5), the Rochester Federation newsletter
  that carried an article honoring him as a recipient of the
  Daphne-Norma Leadership Award that year.


articleid: 347
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  Bernard R. Heroux Sr. of Rochester&mdash;Passed away peacefully
  on November 21, 2020.

  Bernie was predeceased by his beloved wife, Denise; parents, Ovila and
  Jeanne; brothers, R&eacute;mi, Marcel, Jean Claude, and Clement. He is
  survived by his children, Danielle (Eric) Zielinski, Pierre (Karen),
  Paul (Linda), Jacqueline (William) Penwell, &amp; Bernard
  Jr. (Vilmarie); brother, Roland (Monique); sister, Grace (Steve); 13
  grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren.

  Due to the COVID pandemic a private family service will be held.

  In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to: Alzheimer&rsquo;s
  Association at alz.org

  To share a memory please visit: www.NewcomerRochester.com

  Published in Rochester Democrat And Chronicle on Nov. 29, 2020.

  <hr>

  Bernie and his wife, Denise, were long-time members of the Country
  Twirlers, of Chili, NY. I remember how consistently welcoming they
  were whenever Sally and I visited the Washington Irving School to
  dance with the Country Twirlers.


articleid: 348
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  Chip (Murray) Kellogg, a long-time square dancer and square dance
  caller, passed away on December 12th. Chip&rsquo;s only survivor in
  the area is his wife Sue, who is in poor health. Square dancing and
  square dance calling were major activities in Chip&rsquo;s life for
  many years, including a stint as the Copy Cats class caller. He was
  Liz&rsquo;s and my first square dance instructor when we started
  square dancing in 1993. Health problems forced him to retire from
  teaching square dancing in 1994. Both he and Sue continued dancing
  until Sue&rsquo;s health forced them to give it up.

  Chip&rsquo;s other hobbies were centered on his farm in Walworth. He
  really loved that farm with its horses, beef cows, pigs, etc. His John
  Deere tractors were also a major hobby which included his belonging to
  the two-cylinder club.

  Liz and I first met Chip and Sue at his square dance class in 1993. We
  remained friends and did things (square dance trips, dinners, farm
  tasks, etc) with them all these years. As a result, I came to know and
  understand Chip as a very fair and honest man of his word, and a very
  good friend. Both Liz and I are going to miss him.


articleid: 349
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  Welcome to the Spring issue of the Promenader&mdash;a quarterly
  publication of the Rochester Area Federation of Round and Square Dance
  Clubs. (squaredancingrochester.org)


articleid: 350
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  We welcome 2021 with hope to see our dancing family back together on
  the dance floor as the Summer weather returns. The current priority on
  the Covid vaccine roll out is good news and provides thoughts of
  returning to some normalcy.

  We currently anticipate our clubs could restart in Sept 2021. The
  primary focus will be to get our dancers back to the dance floor.

  We officially cancelled the DOR dance scheduled for May 1st 2021 at
  the January RAF meeting. We are now planning a DORish Dance for the
  Fall to follow the RAF summer dances. We are looking for an outside
  location such as, open sided pavilions, tent, etc. Please send us any
  recommendations you have.

  We started a virtual dance program for our dancers in December. Using
  Zoom, we are keeping our local callers &amp; cuers and dancers stay
  connected. We are averaging at least 20 dancers per session.

  We have two virtual square dances and one virtual round dance
  scheduled each month from January to June 2021. If you haven&rsquo;t
  joined one of the sessions yet we hope you do. Whether you dance or
  watch it is so much fun to hear our local callers &amp; cuers calling
  live. The zoom sessions are kept open after the dance as long as
  participants want to socialize.

  Hope to see you soon.

  Debbie &amp; Jeff

  Email: dfbjvbhome@aol.com

  Cell# 585-880-9161


articleid: 351
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  UPDATE: The availability of vaccines is beginning to make a difference
  in our area, as increasing numbers of dancers are protecting
  themselves from COVID-19. We&rsquo;ve decided to hold this article
  over for the Spring issue, in hopes it will be useful to clubs
  planning to resume dancing before Fall. Depending on your dance
  venue&rsquo;s rules and NY State mandates, some of these
  considerations might be allowed to relax.

  One goal of the RAF&rsquo;s &ldquo;Return To Dance&rdquo; task force
  is to gather and share &ldquo;best practices&rdquo; for clubs to
  consider when they plan their own return to dancing. The tabulation
  that accompanies this article is one outcome of that
  effort&mdash;a matrix of Club Safety Considerations. It&rsquo;s
  a work in progress but it gives a good idea of where the consensus is
  heading.

  At the bottom for reference are links to available CDC cleaning
  guidelines and EPA approved cleaning materials. This matrix is
  available in spreadsheet form. Send your email request to the
  Promenader and we will make the connection
  (promenader@rochester.rr.com).

  The Silver Squares were on the verge of resuming club dancing, but
  when COVID conditions deteriorated over the winter Holidays they
  decided to wait. For COVID risk management, they had developed a plan
  (consistent with the matrix) that other clubs can use as a starting
  point for their own planning.

  Their process is described in &ldquo;Silver Squares COVID19 In-Person
  Guidelines&rdquo; that accompanies this article. In addition to taking
  temperatures at sign-in, a key feature of their plan is a list of
  &ldquo;Screening Questions&rdquo; for dancers to sign on entry to the
  hall. Dancers would answer the questions and sign the questionnaire on
  arrival. The sheet would then be saved by the club for re-use use at
  future dances, where the signatures would go on the log printed on the
  back of the questionnaire.

  UPDATE: An obvious addition would be to add a &ldquo;Vaccination
  Status&rdquo; section above the &ldquo;Screening Questions,&rdquo;
  leaving the other questions as is.

  An image of the questionnaire and signature log accompanies this
  article. These documents (Guidelines, Screening Questions and
  Signature Log) are available in editable form on request. Send your
  email request to the Promenader and we will make the connection
  (promenader@rochester.rr.com).


articleid: 352
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  Our beloved Ed Briggs passed away on Friday, January 15, 2021, at the
  age of 96. Ed was predeceased by his wives, Millie and Sybil, and son
  Charles Durling, and survived by his children, Edward 11, Ellen,
  Walter, Cindy, Jim, Ruth and Mary; 17 grandchildren and 27
  great-grandchildren. He is also mourned by the square dance
  community. Ed served in the Navy (Submarine Service) during WWII. He
  retired from the US Postal Service and loved square dancing, camping
  and hunting, and was an avid fan of the Buffalo Bills.

  Ed was dancing before most of us were walking. He was a beloved member
  of Country Twirlers, Village Squares, Circul-8-tors, Victor
  Swing-Alongs and Southern Tier Wheelers. In 2000, Ed rejuvenated the
  faltering Dance-O-Rama, Rochester&rsquo;s annual spring square dance
  festival, turning a negative balance into a consistent profit. Ed and
  Sybil received the Daphne Norma Leadership Award at their successful
  2001 DOR. For many years he served as a Federation Rep and DOR
  organizer. Ed then turned his attention to reorganizing the
  Circul-8-tors club, for which he received the Circle of Service Award.

  Ed never missed a dance or an opportunity to go camping. He was active
  in the National Square Dancers Campers Association as a representative
  of the Southern Tier Wheelers, and was the Northeast area
  representative for the organization.

  Ed was full of tales that enlivened the conversation at any dance. He
  drew on a long list of past exploits, including: His days riding the
  rails in the 30s, at age 13 as a true hobo; His WWII submarine
  service; His job at &lsquo;Surplus World&rsquo; in Chili, selling
  Army/Navy items after the war; The many battles he waged with Post
  Office management; His retirement job as the &lsquo;Tooth Fairy&rsquo;
  delivering false teeth for a dental lab; or Humbly (but with a
  twinkling eye) acknowledging his consistent casino winnings.

  If you danced with the Village Squares when we were in East Rochester,
  you might remember Ed and Sybil (pictured here) leaving a few minutes
  early, to reserve tables at Friendly&rsquo;s for the after-party. Even
  when health issues prevented him from dancing, he would drive across
  town to socialize with dancers&mdash;and support the 50/50
  (which he often won).

  Ed was a beloved role model for dancers in every organization he took
  part in. He will be sadly missed.

  Due to COVID restrictions, a private service will be held at the
  convenience of Ed&rsquo;s family. Memorials may be made to a charity
  of your choice.


articleid: 353
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content:
  Priscilla &ldquo;Peela&rdquo; Hooke, loving wife and mother, passed away on
  November 7, 2020 after a brief illness. She was 96.

  Peela was the daughter of the late Livingston Platt and Agnes Booth
  Platt of Rye, N.Y. She married Albert B. Hooke (Al) in 1945 and had
  four children, Helen, Carrie, Bill and Rich.

  Peela graduated from Miss Hall&lsquo;s School and Smith College and moved to
  Rochester in 1948 with Al. In Rochester, Peela was a Girl Scout
  leader, and active in the YMCA, Copy Cats, and her Saturday morning
  breakfast club. She was known for her sunny, lively disposition and
  the love, care and generosity she shared with all who knew her. At 55,
  she returned to college and got her AAS Degree in Horticulture at
  FLCC, and became a New York State Master Gardener.

  Peela was happiest in the company of her family and extended family of
  friends and neighbors, and she cherished the time she spent creating
  her beautiful garden. A long-time member of Unity Church of Greater
  Rochester, she also served on the Board, and she attended YMCA Family
  Camp Gorham annually for 50 years. She loved going to the Seneca Park
  Zoo and Rochester Philharmonic concerts. Peela&lsquo;s ability to find joy
  in life and gratitude for everything is a gift to all those who knew
  her.

  She was predeceased by her husband Albert, her sister Ellen Barstow
  &ldquo;Polly&rdquo;, and her three brothers. Frank. William , and Livingston
  &ldquo;Peter&rdquo;. She is survived by her four children, Helen Hooke (Colleen
  McDonough), Carolyn Stockman (Mike), A. William Hooke (Casey), and
  Richard Schuyler Hooke; four grandchildren, and four
  great-grandchildren.

  Once the fog of the pandemic has cleared, a joyous celebration of her
  life will be held in Rochester. In lieu of flowers, donations can be
  sent in her name to Unity Church of Greater Rochester, the Rochester
  Philharmonic Orchestra, and PBS-WXXI.

  To Plant Memorial Trees in memory, please visit our Sympathy Store.

  Published in Rochester Democrat And Chronicle from Nov. 23 to Nov. 29,
  2020.

  <hr>

  Peela Hooke was a friend to everyone who knew her: always smiling,
  happy and welcoming. Peela with husband Al, started dancing during the
  nineteen-eighties. They were presidents of the Copy Cats at least
  twice. We first met Peela (and Al) in 1993 when we started square
  dance class. They were our mentors that first year. Peela was the
  perfect square dance ambassador. Family was also important to
  Peela. The Hookes were very supportive of Camp Goram which gave them a
  chance to combine two activities they loved: square dancing and family
  time. Peela was also an avid gardener and was always eager to share
  her plants. Though only we old-timers might remember Peela, she will
  always be thought of fondly.


articleid: 349
position: 03
type: text
content:
  The &ldquo;Photos &amp; Features&rdquo; section is a little thin, reflecting the
  COVID-suppressed world we have lived with for the past year and are
  all heartily weary of. The cold weather has deprived us of many of the
  outdoor gatherings we enjoyed up to around November, and the year-end
  surge sent us back to our home bubbles.

  One article focuses on the story of Karen Vetter, who did not let her
  lack of sight be an obstacle to her learning and enjoyment of
  dancing. She and her series of guide dogs were active members of the
  Village Squares from 1993 to the late-aughts. Her obituary is also in
  this issue.

  To capture general news from the area, we introduce &ldquo;Heard on the
  Street&rdquo; with an assortment of tidbits. This section also includes an
  update of the winter article on COVID safety guidelines, updated to
  reflect the growing availability of vaccines.

  Please don&lsquo;t miss the &ldquo;President&lsquo;s Corner&rdquo; message under the
  Federation tab. Debbie and Jeff are working hard to help us get
  through this unique gap in normal social life.


articleid: 349
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content:
  Club news in this issue is limited, since many clubs have suspended
  activities during the COVID-19 pause. But take a look to see how some
  are coping with the isolation.


articleid: 349
position: 07
type: text
content:
  The Federation-sponsored &ldquo;Virtual Fun Dances&rdquo; began in January and are
  providing monthly opportunities for square dancing (2/ month) and for
  round dancing (1/month). The &ldquo;Heard on the Street&rdquo; article includes a
  schedule through June.


articleid: 349
position: 09
type: text
content:
  With dance schedules torpedoed by COVID-19, the &ldquo;Breaking News&rdquo;
  section on the RAF Home Page is our primary repository of up-to-date
  schedule information. When clubs notify Sidney Marshall (RAF
  Webmaster&mdash;sidneym@frontiernet.net) of a schedule change or other
  short-notice announcement, he posts it immediately under a banner
  titled &ldquo;Breaking News&rdquo; on the RAF Home Page
  (squaredancingrochester.org).

  Sidney will also post flyers as soon as he can after he receives them.

  In addition, for maximum distribution of their messages, clubs should
  also consider using the &ldquo;SquareDancingRochester&rdquo; Facebook page.


articleid: 349
position: 11
type: text
content:
  In this issue we sadly say farewell to far too many beloved dancers
  and friends. You&lsquo;ll find obituaries for Walter Boughton, Ed Briggs, David Fisher, Bob
  Frendak, Bernie Heroux, Peela Hooke, Chip Kellogg, Bill Mishoe,
  Patricia Smith, Karen Vetter


articleid: 349
position: 13
type: text
content:
  To listen in on what callers around the country are thinking about
  recovery from COVID, I&lsquo;ve been monitoring the American Square Dance
  Magazine (for callers) and the &ldquo;Social Square Dancing&rdquo; Facebook page
  (mostly callers). The discussions are lively!

  There is a strong sentiment for a program called Social Square Dancing
  (SSD) that consists of 50 calls and can be taught in 12 weeks, so two
  sessions can fit in one season, with dancers from the first session
  returning as angels for the following session. These 50 calls are
  roughly comparable to the Mainstream program that has been the first
  season of our local program for decades.

  To get an idea what this is about, you can read Gene Turner&lsquo;s article
  included in our September, 2020, Promenader
  (<a href="http://www.squaredancingrochester.org/articles/articles-2020-09.html">http://www.squaredancingrochester.org/articles/articles-2020-09.html</a>)


articleid: 349
position: 15
type: text
content:
  Quotes from Steven Wright:
  <ol>
  <li>I&lsquo;d kill for a Nobel Peace Prize!
  <li>Borrow money from pessimists&mdash;they don&lsquo;t expect it back.
  <li>Half the people you know are below average.
  <li>99% of lawyers give the rest a bad name.
  <li>82.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot.
  <li>A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good.
  <li>A clear conscience is usually a sign of a bad memory.
  <li>If you want a rainbow, you&lsquo;ve gotta put up with the rain.
  <li>All those who believe in telekinesis, raise my hand.
  <li>The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the
  cheese.
  <li>I almost had a psychic girlfriend,&nbsp;&hellip; but she left me before we
  met.
  <li>OK, so what&lsquo;s the speed of dark?
  <li>How do you tell when you&lsquo;re out of invisible ink.
  <li>If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously
  overlooked something.
  <li>Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
  <li>When everything is coming your way, you&lsquo;re in the wrong lane.
  <li>Ambition is a poor excuse for not having enough sense to be lazy.
  <li>Hard work pays off in the future; laziness pays off now.
  <li>I intend to live forever&nbsp;&hellip; So far, so good.
  <li>If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?
  <li>Eagles may soar, but weasels don&lsquo;t get sucked into jet engines.
  <li>What happens if you get scared half to death twice?
  <li>My mechanic told me, &ldquo;I couldn&lsquo;t repair your brakes, so I made
  your horn louder.&rdquo;
  <li>Why do psychics have to ask you for your name?
  <li>If at first you don&lsquo;t succeed, destroy all evidence that you
  tried.
  <li>A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.
  <li>Experience is something you don&lsquo;t get until just after you need
  it.
  <li>The hardness of the butter is proportional to the softness of the
  bread.
  <li>To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many
  is research.
  <li>The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard.
  <li>The sooner you fall behind, the more time you&lsquo;ll have to catch
  up.
  <li>The colder the X-ray table, the more of your body is required to
  be on it.
  <li>Everyone has a photographic memory; some just don&lsquo;t have film.
  <li>If at first you don&lsquo;t succeed, skydiving is not for you.
  <li>If your car could travel at the speed of light, would your
  headlights work?
  </ol>


articleid: 354
position: 01
type: text
content:
  With so little dancing going on, it&rsquo;s hard to find news. So,
  here&rsquo;s a run-down of what we&rsquo;ve heard since December at
  various Zoom gatherings and other events. Refer to the Club News
  section for further activities and thoughts from area clubs.


articleid: 354
position: 03
type: text
content:
  For in-person encounters with square dancers, I&rsquo;m batting 0.500
  on the Quaker Pond Trail at Mendon Ponds Park! Today
  (2/21&mdash;see photos) I encountered Jet &amp; Shirley Thomas
  (Copy Cats), along with Shirley&rsquo;s sister, Pat. A couple of weeks
  ago, someone looked at me and said &ldquo;You look familiar.&rdquo; It
  was Gary Albright (Grand Squares) out on the trail with his daughter.


articleid: 354
position: 05
type: text
content:
  The Silver Squares and the Belles &rsquo;N&rsquo; Beaus (and friends)
  continue regular Zoom chats on Monday evenings at
  6:30pm. There&rsquo;s always something to talk about. (For an
  invitation, contact Anne Granger&nbsp;&hellip;
  ssunnyweather7@gmail.com)

  On Wednesdays at 7:00pm, the Village Squares (and friends) gather for
  their weekly Zoom chats. (For an invitation, contact Peter
  Emmel&nbsp;&hellip; pemmel@frontiernet.net)


articleid: 354
position: 07
type: text
content:
  The Federation-sponsored Zoom &ldquo;Virtual Fun Dances&rdquo; are
  continuing, with two square dances and one round dance each
  month. Flyers are posted in the Promenader, and reminder emails are
  sent to club leaders for distribution.

  Attendance at these seems light compared to a full dance floor, but
  those who join in are having fun&mdash;see photo from the 2/13
  square dance. The remaining schedule&mdash;with tentative
  caller listings&mdash;is shown beside this article.


articleid: 354
position: 09
type: text
content:
  The Federation is looking for venues where outdoor dances could be
  held when the weather warms up. If you know of a park or other site
  with a roof, electricity and smooth floor that would work for dancing
  over the summer, please contact Jeff and Debbie Blood, or any member
  of the RTD task force.


articleid: 354
position: 11
type: text
content:
  Now that vaccines are flowing, the talk is turning to resumption of
  dancing. Most venues have not issued new guidelines or even
  established timelines, but it seems clear that sometime between now
  and September, most clubs should be able to settle re-opening plans.

  A separate article in this Promenader provides COVID safety protocol
  &ldquo;templates&rdquo; established by members of the
  Federation&rsquo;s Return To Dancing (RTD) Task Force. Club leaders
  may use these as starting points for their own planning.

  If your club has already developed guidelines, they might be useful
  for other clubs, so please consider sharing them with a task force
  member&mdash;or email them to us at promenader@rochester.rr.com
  and we&rsquo;ll relay them.


articleid: 354
position: 13
type: text
content:
  There&rsquo;s a wide range of opinions on what&rsquo;s next for square
  dancing, but almost everyone I&rsquo;ve heard from agrees that the
  initial focus in our clubs should be on re-grouping existing dancers
  around Mainstream calls to get us back into the swing.

  For clubs with classes, this means reaching out to recent class
  members and encouraging them back to dance for the coming season. Over
  the next few months, callers and club reps in the RTD task force will
  be thinking through the options for resuming classes and recruiting
  new dancers. Given the uncertainty in COVID risk levels in 2021, many
  view recruitment and teaching as a 2022 priority, with 2021 devoted to
  re-establishing club dancing&mdash;maybe re-teaching.

  The Federation&rsquo;s &ldquo;Return to Dance&rdquo; task force and
  our area callers and cuers are thinking through some of these issues,
  to envision and plan for the resurgence of square dancing. If you have
  ideas or would like to join the group of dancers who are working to
  shape the future of square dancing in our area, please contact Jeff
  and Debbie Blood (dfbjvbhome@aol.com or 585-880-9161) to offer your
  help.


articleid: 355
position: 1
type: text
content:
  The Federation is looking to fill three open positions to join a team
  of dedicated local dancers for the current season! Even in COVID
  times, the Federation is active, keeping attention focused on
  activities that are keeping dancers in touch and active, and
  facilitating the return of dancing when the pandemic recedes.

  The open positions (traditionally occupied by couples) are: Vice
  President, Secretary, and Promotions Coordinator

  Quoting the Federation Constitution and By-Laws: &ldquo;The Federation
  has a dual purpose: (1) to promote and maintain interest in
  western-style square &amp; round dancing in the Rochester area, and
  (2) to foster a collaborative spirit among affiliated square dance and
  round dance clubs.&rdquo;

  About six times each year, the Federation officers get together (on
  Zoom, lately) with representatives from area clubs to carry out its
  mission. This includes planning and cross-club activities like
  Dance-O-Rama and other multi-club dances, and to develop promotional
  campaigns.

  This is the &ldquo;behind the scenes&rdquo; team that helps keep clubs
  informed, communicating and collaborating in our area. The Promenader
  is the newsletter of the Federation.

  We would love for you to join us!

  Please contact Jeff and Debbie Blood to discuss: dfbjvbhome@aol.com or
  585-880-9161


articleid: 356
position: 1
type: text
content:
  Dance-O-Rama 2020 was torpedoed by COVID. Its cousin
  &ldquo;DOR-ish&rdquo; planned over-optimistically for fall, 2020, was
  also canceled, and there&rsquo;s no realistic chance for DOR, 2021, in
  its normal May time slot. So, we are setting our sights on early fall
  for an outdoor version of DOR-ish in 2021. The date is still open,
  while outdoor venues are being evaluated. Rather than line up a big
  indoor hall, our plan is to schedule it in early fall, while the
  weather is still good enough for an outdoor gathering.

  From all signs, it looks like this will be well timed to coincide with
  the resumption of dancing at several clubs. We&rsquo;d like to make it
  a festive occasion, with some of the familiar features of
  Dance-O-Rama, but that depends on lining up enough helpers.

  This will be a Federation dance, so it will rely on volunteers from
  several clubs. With nearly zero dancing going on, it will be hard for
  us to recruit volunteers, so please help us out by contacting Jeff and
  Debbie Blood to offer a little of your time. (dfbjvbhome@aol.com or
  585-880-9161)


articleid: 357
position: 1
type: text
content:
  Victor, NY&mdash;Walter L. Boughton, Sr. passed away on December 30, 2020,
  at age 99. He was predeceased by his wife Doris; daughter Camille
  Boughton. Walter is survived by his children Lane (Kathy) Boughton and
  Douglas (Patty) Boughton; 6 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren.

  Funeral Services at this time will be private. Interment Boughton Hill
  Cemetery. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to UR Medicine
  Hospice (2180 Empire Blvd Webster, NY 14580) or a charity of choice in
  his memory.

  Published in Rochester Democrat And Chronicle from Jan. 6 to Jan. 11,
  2021.

  <hr>

  Walter Boughton and his dance partner Eileen Hellems (who died in
  October 2019) danced for many years with Grand Squares. Records of
  their membership go back to the 1990&rsquo;s, when the group was Lima Grand
  Squares. They danced with Grand Squares up to about 10 years ago,
  proving that square dancing helps to keep you young. Those who have
  been dancing for a while will, I&rsquo;m sure, remember his quiet but
  friendly smile.


articleid: 358
position: 1
type: text
content:
  Hi Everyone!

  So much has happened in our dancing community the past few weeks, it
  is positive news that several of our clubs are starting up with
  &ldquo;members only&rdquo; dances in May. We have so many dancers
  wanting to return to in-person dancing.

  Returning to dancing safely is a prime concern. Our clubs along with
  the Federation plan to follow the local safety protocols at our
  dances. Currently they will include wearing masks, using hand
  sanitizer between tips, providing bottled water, no food or snacks,
  etc. From some initial polling of dancers, our dance community vaccine
  rate (vaccinated or in process) exceeds 80%, one of our clubs
  reported 95%.

  Another concern of many dancers is how much will they remember, for
  most it has been more than a year since they danced. In a recent
  meeting, several callers indicated it is their job to call to the
  level of the floor. The callers unanimously assured us that our
  returning dancers should not to worry, also they anticipated our
  dancers would be pleasantly surprised how well they will do upon
  returning to the dance floor.

  All the Federation sponsored dances have been booked in open-air
  facilities. We have 3 Free Fun Dances scheduled on Saturday afternoons
  in pavilions&mdash;two in June (5th &amp; 19th) and one in July
  (17th). The August DORish Dance on August 21st is in an open-air
  facility at Barnard Restaurant &amp; Party House. The open-air
  facility is large enough for a 250&ndash;500 sit down reception so it
  has plenty of room for our dancers.

  Please save the date for our DORish Dance scheduled for Saturday
  August 21. It will be quite the event, planning a full afternoon of
  dancing with most of our local callers &amp; cuers. With enough
  participation, we can provide an on-site buffet dinner (need at least
  50 people). Dinner menu and price along with the Dance program and fee
  will be shared as soon as they are available. An after-dinner
  highlight being planned is a &ldquo;pass the mic&rdquo; dancing
  session featuring all the callers. At the national dance conventions,
  &ldquo;pass the mic&rdquo; is one of the most memorable dancing
  sessions, it is so much fun to see all the callers having fun calling
  together.

  On the Virtual Dance front, several callers/cuers have offered to
  continue the Zoom sessions in May for any interested dancers without
  compensation. The Virtual Dance Zoom Sessions have been scheduled for
  Saturday May 8th and Friday May 21st. They will start at 6:30pm and
  continue to about 9pm. We have a full lineup of dancing options:

  Rounds 6:30 to 7 pm.

  Mainstream/Announce Plus 7&ndash;8 pm

  Advanced/Challenge 8&ndash;9 pm

  Everyone is welcome to dance or watch.

  We want to thank all the callers and cuers along with others who
  assisted with all the work effort to start up virtual dances last
  November &amp; December. Also thank you to everyone involved with
  providing Federation sponsored virtual square and round dancing to our
  members from December to April. Virtual Dancing is challenging both
  for the callers and dancers. There was a lot of behind-the-scenes
  efforts and coordination to make Virtual Dancing on Zoom available to
  our dancers. We appreciated everyone&rsquo;s efforts in trying to keep
  square &amp; round dancing alive during the pandemic. We realize
  nothing replaces the fun and social aspect of dancing together
  in-person with our dance family. Fortunately, we had Zoom sessions as
  a way for our dance family to meet and dance together safely over the
  past 12+ months.

  Regretfully we have some dancers that will not be returning to the
  dance floor with us.

  We will miss them and reflect on our good memories of fun times we
  enjoyed together.

  Please Take Care &amp; We hope to see you in a square in the near
  future!


articleid: 359
position: 1
type: text
content:
  On Facebook in mid-May someone indicated that USDA (United Square
  Dancers of America) required everyone to be vaccinated to dance. The
  post was NOT from the National USDA that insures our dancers. It
  turns out, that post pertained to square dancing in California and
  their Dept of Public Health regulations.

  As a result of that post, Carol Ann Stahl reached out to her
  insurance contact at USDA, to verify any guidelines being issued by
  them. She received the official &ldquo;3/20/21 Coronavirus
  Letter&rdquo; from USDA, which is available on the USDA.org website
  via this link:
  (http://www.usda.org/USDA_Miscellaneous/Coronavirus_Lletter_03-20-21.pdf).
  Copy and paste this link into your favorite browser.

  At this time, we believe the guidelines prepared by Anne & Don of
  Silver Squares and Mary & Phil of Copy Cats on behalf of the
  Federation&rsquo;s Return to Dance Task Force were well prepared and
  complete. We plan to use them for the Federation Summer Fun Dances.
  (Copy Cats samples included here)

  To date, we are aware that the following clubs are currently dancing
  with members only:

       Cayuga Cut Ups (Sundays in Auburn&mdash;Ron Brown)

       Copy Cats (Tuesdays in Penfield&mdash;Ron Brown)

       Dalton Gang (Tuesdays in Castile&mdash;Ray Tompkins)

       Shamrock Squares (Tuesdays in Henrietta&mdash;Mike Callahan)

       Silver Squares (Mondays in Greece&mdash;Mike Callahan)

  Club leaders, please remember to work with Carol Ann Stahl for your
  insurance questions. Her email address is:
  stahlsinrush@rochester.rr.com

  It is so nice to start in-person dancing again.

  We hope to see you on the dance floor!

  Take Care,

  Debbie & Jeff


articleid: 360
position: 11
type: text
content:
  Federation plans for the summer of 2021 include three Free Summer Fun
  Dances in June and July, and the &ldquo;DORish&rdquo; Dance in
  August! All are being held on Saturdays in open-air facilities. Local
  and CDC guidelines will be followed.

  All area dancers are welcome. The format will be &ldquo;fun
  dancing&rdquo; so we encourage recent graduates to join the fun!
  Regardless of whether your club has re-started yet, these dances will
  help clear the cobwebs and get us all moving to the music again.

  June 5th - 3:00&ndash;4:30 pm, with Jim Gotta Calling &amp; Cueing
  Greece Methodist Church Pavilion, 1924 Maiden Lane, Rochester NY
  14626

  June 19th - 3:00&ndash;4:30pm, with Mike Callahan Calling &amp;
  Cueing Greece Methodist Church Pavilion, 1924 Maiden Lane, Rochester
  NY 14626

  July 17th - 3:00&ndash;5:00pm, with Ron Brown &amp; Dave Eno Calling
  and Chuck Meyer Cueing Perinton Park Pavilion, 99 O&rsquo;Connor Rd,
  Fairport, NY 14450

  For these Free Summer Fun Dances, dancers should bring their own
  bottled water and snacks. We will have some bottled water on hand but
  no snacks will be provided. Seating is in the form of picnic tables,
  so if you want more support, please bring your own lawn chairs. See
  the Free Summer Dance Flyer posted in the Flyer pages.

  Save the date for the &ldquo;DORish&rdquo; Dance on Saturday
  afternoon and evening, August 21st. This dance is intended as a
  partial substitute for the two Dance-O-Rama events that we missed due
  to the COVID interruption. We are planning a full day of dancing in
  an open-air facility along with a buffet dinner. More information on
  the &ldquo;DORish&rdquo; Dance Program and Dinner will be distributed
  soon.

  It is so nice to start in-person dancing again. We hope to see you on
  the dance floor!


articleid: 361
position: 15
type: text
content:
  Perhaps you noticed changes to the logo on our home page, or maybe
  you saw it on our Facebook page. No? Well, look again!

  The Rochester Area Federation of Square and Round Dance Clubs has
  completed the process of re-incorporating as the Western New York
  Federation of Square and Round Dancers Inc. Our filing for tax exempt
  status as a 501(c) (3) organization has been submitted to the IRS.

  There has been no change in the mission or operation of the
  Federation. The new name is still a mouthful, so we&lsquo;ll be using
  &ldquo;WNYF&rdquo; for short.

  On April 8, 2021, the slate of officers for the coming season was
  elected, with a couple of open seats:

  President &nbsp&mdash;Jeff &amp; Debbie Blood

  Vice President&mdash;Open

  Secretary&mdash;Linda English

  Treasurer&mdash;Rick &amp; Donna LaDonna

  Promotions Coordinator&mdash;Open

  Other non-elected positions include:

  Insurance Coordinator&mdash;Carol Ann Stahl

  Callers Co-Op Rep&mdash;Mike Callahan

  Webmaster&mdash;Sidney Marshall (with understudy, Rick
  LaDonna)

  Promenader Editor&mdash;Peter Emmel

  The openings are opportunities for you to step up and lend a hand to
  the folks who help keep dancing organized in our community. The WNYF
  board meets with club representatives roughly every two months, to
  plan Federation-sponsored events and address issues and opportunities
  in the dancing community.

  It&lsquo;s a fine group of people who would love to have you join
  them. Please consider volunteering, if not for one of the open
  positions, then maybe as your club&rsquo;s representative at WNYF meetings.


articleid: 363
position: 25
type: text
content:
  The Copy Cats resumed dancing in May 2021. As you can see from the
  photos, we are happy to be back :-)

  At each dance, from 3 to 5 squares have taken the floor. Ron Brown is
  doing a great job leading us through a mainstream refresher program
  designed to dust off the mental cobwebs. Folks have not hesitated to
  take the floor and give it a try. Amazingly enough, we all remember
  quite a bit! Although the occasional call does evoke some &ldquo;deer
  in the headlight&rdquo; facial expressions, followed by laughter and
  helpful instructions.

  Since all participating dancers are COVID vaccinated, we are taking
  advantage of the recently revised NYS regulations that allow dancing
  without masks. Also, vaccinated dancers from other clubs can now join
  the fun as capacity limits for indoor social gatherings have been
  relaxed.

  Copy Cats dancing will continue on Tuesday evenings in June at First
  Baptist Church Penfield. See you in a square!!


articleid: 364
position: 2
type: text
content:
  The Pandemic Squares will probably continue virtual square dancing
  via Zoom through the summer, on Wednesdays at 8pm. Contact Brenda
  Bixby, Gil Porter or Dave Eno for details.

  We hear that Dave Eno is starting a weekly Zoom VSD session with
  Canadian caller Dave Hutchinson (Quinte Twirlers). These will be Plus
  and Advanced level dances at 7:30 on Thursdays. Contact Dave Eno at
  dave@daveeno.com.


articleid: 365
position: 1
type: text
content:
  The Dalton Gang has resumed dancing! Ray Tompkins is calling, and a
  group of enthusiastic dancers are enjoying the freedom to swing and
  promenade. They are dancing at 6:30 on Tuesdays in Castile, while
  their traditional venue sorts out plans for getting back to normal.
  See the schedule pages for the Dalton Gang dance dates and other
  details. The address in Castile is 30 North Main Street&mdash;&ldquo;above the post office&rdquo;&mdash;as Jamond Billyard
  notes in the club&lsquo;s News Article in this Promenader issue.


articleid: 366
position: 1
type: text
content:
  Mike Callahan&lsquo;s Advanced square dancing group, the Shamrock
  Squares, resumed dancing on May 4. They dance at the Pieters Family
  Center on Tuesday afternoons, starting at 2:30. You&lsquo;ll need to
  wear your mask to enter the building, but may remove it in the gym,
  where the club dances. This schedule is expected to continue through
  August.


articleid: 367
position: 1
type: text
content:
  There&lsquo;s Square dancing again on Maiden Lane, at the Greece
  Methodist Church, where Mike Callahan calls on Monday afternoons for
  the Silver Squares. They resumed dancing in May, for members only,
  but we understand this is flexible, so Call Don Naulin and Anne
  Granger (585-317-6442) to see if they can fit you in &nbsp;&hellip;
  and consider joining the club. See their Club News (in this issue)
  for further details, including COVID protocols.


articleid: 364
position: 4
type: text
content:
  Maybe you&lsquo;re mystified by this odd-looking name for a dance.
  Maybe you have COVID-brain from too many months indoors, and missing
  two Dance-O-Rama festivals has caused you to forget about them. May
  of 2020 and 2021 have both passed without our area&lsquo;s spring
  square and round dancing festival, the traditional DOR.

  To partially offset those losses, the WNYF is planning an event that
  will have some of the flavor of Dance-O-Rama ... DOR-ish. All area
  dancers are welcome, the venue (Barnard, on Maiden Lane) is
  semi-outdoors, and offers a buffet if we have enough people. Plans
  are still in progress, but hopefully some of the features of our
  traditional DOR will be included. Mark your calendar now for August
  21, and stay tuned for details!


articleid: 364
position: 6
type: text
content:
  Many area clubs resumed in-person dancing in May. COVID protocols
  vary, so bring a mask and be prepared to answer questions at the
  sign-in desk. Here&lsquo;s the list of clubs we know of that are
  dancing in some form as we go to press at the end of May. Look for
  details in the Club News section of this Promenader issue:

  Copy Cats (Ron Brown, Tuesday evenings in Penfield)

  Silver Squares (Mike Callahan, Monday afternoons in Greece)

  Shamrock Squares (Mike Callahan, Tuesday afternoons in Henrietta)

  Cayuga Cut-Ups (Ron Brown, Monday afternoons in Weedsport)

  Dalton Gang (Ray Tompkins, Tuesday evenings in Castile)

  Happy Squares (Jim Gotta, Monday evenings in Fairport&mdash;see posted flyer)

  &nbsp;&hellip; and the Southern Tier Wheelers are taking reservations
  for their August, September & October schedule.


articleid: 362
position: 01
type: text
content:
  Welcome to the Summer issue of the Promenader&mdash;a quarterly
  publication of the Western NY Federation of Round and Square Dancers
  Inc. (squaredancingrochester.org)


articleid: 362
position: 03
type: text
content:
  The &ldquo;Photos &amp; Features&rdquo; section highlights the beginning of a return to normalcy for some of our square dance clubs. A few clubs have resumed dancing and others are working out resumption plans. The Federation is sponsoring a series of three outdoor dances, culminating in the &ldquo;DORish&rdquo; dance in August.

  You may have noticed that the Federation has a new name, and it will soon have tax exempt status. We also welcome Linda English &ldquo;(Cayuga Cut-ups)&rdquo; as the new WNYF secretary, and we thank the many other leaders whose dedication to organized dancing helps keep us together as a community of dancers, rather than just an assortment of clubs.

  In our effort to help clubs navigate the post-COVID restart, we include updated guidance and sample sign-in forms that clubs are encouraged to use at dances until COVID concerns are well and truly behind us. These were developed over the winter by leaders of the Copy Cats and Silver Squares, as part of the Federation&lsquo;s &ldquo;Return To Dancing Task Force&rdquo; agenda.

  Please don&lsquo;t miss the &ldquo;President&lsquo;s Corner&rdquo; message under the &ldquo;Federation&rdquo; tab at the top of this page. Debbie and Jeff Blood are working hard to help us stay together through this unique gap in normal social life.


articleid: 362
position: 05
type: text
content:
  Club news in this issue shows signs that the end of the the COVID-19
  pause is drawing closer. Many clubs are reviving their dancing
  programs, as their dancers become vaccinated. Take a look to see how
  each club is coping with the situation, and consider dancing with
  them if your club is not ready to re-start.


articleid: 362
position: 07
type: text
content:
  The Federation-sponsored &ldquo;Virtual Fun Dances&rdquo; have
  continued through May, providing opportunities for two-couple square
  dancing and one-couple round dancing. Those sessions are now ended,
  but I understand that the Pandemic Squares will continue on Wednesday
  evenings with Gil Porter and Dave Eno (contact Brenda Bixby for an
  invitation). Also, Dave and Canada&rsquo;s Dave Hutchinson are
  planning a regular the Plus and Advanced level Zoom dance session at
  7:30pm on Thursdays (contact Dave Eno for an invitation at
  dave@daveeno.com). Watch our Ads and Flyers section and the schedule
  pages for details as these plans are established.


articleid: 362
position: 09
type: text
content:
  With dance schedules beginning to revive, the schedule pages will
  carry more and more dance information, but the &ldquo;Breaking
  News&rdquo; section on the WNYF Home Page will continue to carry
  change notices and other updates.

  Here&lsquo;s the process: Notify Sidney Marshall (WNYF Webmaster&mdash;sidneym@frontiernet.net) of a schedule change or other
  short-notice announcement. He will post it immediately under a banner
  titled &ldquo;Breaking News&rdquo; on the WNYF Home Page
  (squaredancingrochester.org).

  Sidney will also 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 both the
  Promenader and to him directly&mdash;at the above email address.

  In addition, for maximum distribution of urgent messages, clubs
  should also consider posting on the
  &ldquo;SquareDancingRochester&rdquo; group Facebook page.


articleid: 362
position: 13
type: text
content:
  Promenader issues over the past year I have been sharing thoughts on
  new developments in square dancing, gleaned from callers and websites
  of caller organizations such as Callerlab. There was a lot of
  discussion of programs like &ldquo;SSD&rdquo; that are built around a
  simplified call list, and about re-directing our focus to emphasize
  the social aspect of square dancing.

  Well, in our area at least, the dance program will likely remain as
  it has been, with Basic/Mainstream classes for new recruits, followed
  by Plus instruction for the survivors. I&lsquo;m agnostic on the
  dance program, because I&lsquo;ve long thought that it&lsquo;s the
  socializing that keeps our clubs together. Whatever program our
  callers and clubs adopt is secondary to how well club members foster
  a welcoming atmosphere that draws in recruits and helps them become
  friends first &nbsp;&hellip; and then dancers. Somehow, I think we
  all need to see the &ldquo;several years&rdquo; it takes to get
  really comfortable with Plus dancing not as a &ldquo;long learning
  process&rdquo; that&lsquo;s measured by the calls we know, but as a
  fun assimilation process that&lsquo;s fun from the start and builds
  our dancing confidence as it satisfies our social urge to belong to a
  group. Perfection is not the goal. The goal is comfort&mdash;in the
  social setting and the dance activity.

  I do think that we should do what we can to reduce the sense of a
  &ldquo;Rush to Plus.&rdquo; It leaves first-year dancers feeling
  un-prepared and, what&lsquo;s worse, un-welcome in our clubs. In my
  opinion, it also short-changes beginning dancers of experience
  (&ldquo;mileage&rdquo;) on Mainstream dancing that is so essential to
  building a &ldquo;comfort zone&rdquo; that will sustain interest in
  dancing.

  I will continue to do what I can to promote Mainstream dancing. That
  includes encouraging experienced Plus dancers to recognize Mainstream
  dances (and Mainstream clubs) as important opportunities for them to
  befriend, encourage and develop new dancers to perpetuate our
  wonderful activity.


articleid: 362
position: 17
type: text
content:
  With my thanks to Mike Keane:

  We&lsquo;re still battling COVID-19, and the next thing has already
  arrived&nbsp;&hellip;

  Now we hear that virologists have identified a new Nile virus&mdash;type C.

  It appears to target those who were born between 1930 &amp; 1970.

  Symptoms include:

  1. Causes you to send the same message twice.

  2. Causes you to send a blank message.

  3. Causes you to send a message to the wrong person.

  4. Causes you to send it back to the person who sent it to you.

  5. Causes you to forget to attach the attachment.

  6. Causes you to hit SEND before you&rsquo;ve finished.

  7. Causes you to hit DELETE instead of SEND.

  8. Causes you to SEND when you meant to DELETE.

  It is called the &ldquo;C-NILE&rdquo; virus!

  And if you won&lsquo;t admit to doing any of the above, you&lsquo;ve
  obviously caught the mutated strain&mdash;The &ldquo;D-NILE&rdquo; virus.


articleid: 368
position: 01
type: text
content:
  The past few months have been exciting with several of our clubs
  successfully returning to the dance floor. The Federation-sponsored
  free summer dances have been very well attended, with at least six
  squares dancing at each dance. The dances were very well supported by
  our club members near and far.


articleid: 369
position: 01
type: text
content:
  Joann Baxter, member of Silver Squares &amp; Batavia Silver Stars
  became involved in this program 10 years ago through a friend. The
  Copy Cats have also been involved in this program for several years
  but coupon donations have been sparse during the pandemic. The Copy
  Cats hope to continue supporting this program as dancing restarts in
  the Fall.

  Participants in this program donate their unused coupons to our
  military through the &ldquo;Support our Troops Troopons
  Program&rdquo; (SUPPORTOURTROOPS.ORG). Joann indicated that
  &ldquo;over the years several churches, senior groups, college kids
  and groups, hospital staff, and at least three square dance clubs
  have donated their coupons to us and we have been mailing them since
  2010&rdquo;.

  The least amount of coupons we sent was in 2020, just 73 pounds. The
  most we sent was in 2014, 327.6 pounds. A group at Rochester
  Institute of Technology provided a formula to estimate of the value
  of the coupons. In 2014, we had $1,179,351.00 estimated face value
  for the donated coupons.

  The coupons are valid in this program up to two months after their
  expiration.

  Joann indicated &ldquo;Our military families thank you for getting
  the word out about this program. Our support is making a
  difference&rdquo;.

  If you are interested in contributing coupons, they are currently
  being mailed to:

  Support Our Troops, PO Box 70, Daytona Beach, FL 32115-0070.

  The coupons can be mailed the cheapest way.

  It is recommended coupons are separated into baggies marked:

  Food

  Pets

  Household

  Baby

  Personal items

  This makes it easier for volunteers at each Military Base PX or Navy
  Base Exchange to get the coupons where they need to go.

  There is also a website(https://supportourtroops.org/troopons) that
  has some great information to share.


articleid: 368
position: 03
type: text
content:
  Reminiscing back to my younger days;&nbsp;&hellip; it was probably a
  late 1960&rsquo;s or early 1970&rsquo;s TV commercial where there was
  this young girl carrying a big dish of food to the Thanksgiving
  dinner table and with this huge grin she proudly indicated &ldquo;and
  I helped!&rdquo; Especially right now as our clubs are returning to
  dancing, we need your help. Any way you can offer to help will be
  appreciated&nbsp;&hellip; whether it is helping with making calls on
  a club phone tree, printing dance flyers, cutting coupons for the
  troops, submitting articles to the Promenader, helping proofread the
  Promenader, arriving early or staying late to help set up or clean up
  after dances, we need you. Any help is very much appreciated.

  Currently, many clubs and even the Federation are operating without
  all their leadership positions filled. The leadership is getting
  burned out by trying to do it all themselves. There is so much behind
  the scenes planning that goes into everything we do, whether it is a
  dance, ice cream social, pie night, picnic, DORish or DOR Dances,
  etc. Because we want to continue to offer the fantastic dancing
  programs as we have done in prior years, we need more members to
  offer their assistance. This is at both the Federation and club
  level. If you are available and want to help out, please let your
  club leadership or Federation leadership know. As the tasks are being
  more spread out to others, it is easier on everyone. Jeff and I have
  learned one of the best benefits of volunteering on various tasks or
  committees for the Federation or our clubs, you are given the
  opportunity to work with your square &amp; round dance family more
  closely and appreciate how truly wonderful they are.

  Currently, most clubs are planning to offer dance programs in
  September. Several clubs are holding off till January 2022 to offer
  square dance classes. Please check the Promenader for the current
  dance schedules.

  Our first Federation Meeting is Weds. Sept 8th and will be a Zoom
  session. A DOR meeting is scheduled at 6:30pm and Federation Meeting
  Scheduled for 8:00pm. (DOR 2022 is already booked for Sat May 14th,
  at the Perinton Community/Recreation Center.)

  Also please save the date for our Federation, Club Presidents and
  Callers Meeting on Tuesday, October 19 and it will also be a Zoom
  session. An email will be distributed with all the details.

  We are looking forward to seeing you on the dance floor.

  Take Care,

  Debbie &amp; Jeff Blood


articleid: 370
position: 01
type: text
content:
  Robert Harold Greenlee, Penfield, NY, on July 15, 2021. Predeceased
  by his wife, Delora. Harold is survived by his wife, Linda; 3
  daughters, Ronda (Gary) Greenlee-Berkowitz, Joyce (Gerald) Dunn, and
  Robin Greenlee; step-daughters, Pamela Hobbs, Sherry Haylett and Lori
  (Gavin) Lorenz; 10 grandchildren, Amanda, Matthew, Stacey, Erik,
  Keri, Jenaye, Alia, Addison, Connor and Carson; brother, Ronald
  (Georganna).

  Calling hours for family and friends were held at Jennings, Nulton
  &amp; Mattle Funeral Home, 1704 Penfield Road, Saturday, July 24,
  2021. A memorial service was held privately. In lieu of flowers,
  kindly consider donations to Veterans Outreach Center.

  Comments from local square dancers:

  &ldquo;Harold attended the Village Squares Plus Refreshers for a few
  years and joined the club from 2012-2017. He was a gentle man and a
  smooth dancer.&rdquo;

  &ldquo;Harold would come to our Copy Cat dances when he wasn&rsquo;t
  in Florida. Many of us will remember him from those dances.&rdquo;


articleid: 371
position: 01
type: text
content:
  Victor, NY&mdash;Dale M. Scottow Nientimp, 75, died June 7,
  2021 at her home. She was born June 21, 1945, in Medina, NY, the
  daughter of Frances I. (Raymond) Scottow and Mark E. Scottow.

  Dale graduated from Medina High School in 1963. After high school she
  held many positions including Home Health Care and Certified Doll
  Doctor, and retired from her Customer Service role at Kodak in 2004.
  She married Charles J. Nientimp on October 25, 1991, and together
  they were active in round and square dancing with area festivals,
  national conventions, and many western NY area clubs including the
  Southern Tier Wheelers and Cloverleaf Squares for 25 years. Dale was
  gifted at sewing, knitting, and crocheting, and made many doll
  outfits for her grandchildren. She also loved playing cards including
  Euchre, Bridge, and Cribbage. Charlie and Dale enjoyed golfing,
  traveling and spending time with their large family and many friends.

  Dale will be remembered by her wonderful laugh and great smile. In
  addition to her parents, she is predeceased by a sister, Janet L.
  Scottow. She is survived by her husband of 29 years, Charles,
  daughter Penny Wasnock (Dave) Toal of Hamlin, son Mark (Marie)
  Wasnock of Waltham, MA, step-daughters Karen (Matthew) Caton of
  Pittsford, Christine (Rodney) Baumgartner of Horseshoe Bay, TX, and
  Jennifer (David) Sauter of Penfield, siblings Joanne Johnson of
  Lockport, Donna Bane of Lyndonville, grandchildren Reina E Wasnock,
  Seiya A. Wasnock, Mia U. Wasnock, Joseph L. Fisher, Benjamin M.
  Caton, Hope A. Caton, Tyler J. (Emily) Wheaton, Alyson M. Wheaton,
  Molly K. Sauter, Collin D. Sauter along with many nieces, nephews and
  cousins.

  A celebration of her life was held on Friday, June 11th from 11:30
  a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Gypsum Mills Community Center at 6392
  Plastermill Rd. Victor, NY 14564.

  In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to the
  Leukemia &amp; Lymphoma Society www.lls.org.

  To leave the family condolences, visit jarmuszcottonfuneralhome.com

  Comments from Dick &amp; Irma Halstead:

  &ldquo;It is with great sadness that we report the untimely passing
  of Dale Nientimp after a relatively short battle with cancer, shown
  here with her devoted husband Charlie. Send condolences to Charlie at
  6308 Kim&rsquo;s Drive, Victor NY 14584.

  In our earlier, i.e. &lsquo;Pre-A Level Dancing&rsquo; days, I
  believe we met Charlie and Dale when we joined the Southern Tier
  Wheelers Square Dance Camping Club, but it could have been someplace
  else, because Irma and I started dancing with the Wayne Westerners
  back in the 70&rsquo;s or 80&rsquo;s, and were always at DOR, so it
  could have been there.

  We became fast friends after they invited us to visit their then home
  right next to the big Kodak Complex. Charlie had a player piano and a
  vast collection of songs, that we both enjoyed singing to. We also
  both enjoyed playing bridge together, but that was after they
  relocated to their big farm South of Rochester &nbsp;&hellip; way
  South of Rochester!

  Charlie and Dale were long time members of Mike and Wanda
  Callahan&rsquo;s Monday Night &lsquo;A&rsquo; Club, that he always
  referred to as his, &lsquo;Bread and Butter&rsquo; Club. This,
  because in his early and leaner days of calling, it could always be
  relied upon to feed his family for the week, year-around!&rdquo;


articleid: 372
position: 01
type: text
content:
  Spencer, Donna Claire - July 13, 2021

  Donna Claire (Felthouse) Spencer, born in Oak Park, Illinois
  September 5, 1941, daughter of Dorothy (Shearer) Felthouse and
  Stanley N. Felthouse, died July 10, 2021. She is survived by her
  husband of 57 years Rex T. Spencer; daughter Cynthia (Mike) Fortner
  and son Matthew (Rita) Spencer; grandchildren Luke and Jack Fortner
  and Asha and Deven Spencer.

  Donna was a graduate of Redford High School in Detroit, Michigan;
  Western Michigan University, and Oakland University, with
  undergraduate and graduate degrees in elementary education.

  Donna was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother (Grammy/Nana) who
  enjoyed doing things for her family and friends. She was kind,
  caring, and considerate. She loved being a school teacher and taught
  kindergarten and first grade in Warren and Plymouth, Michigan; Lima,
  Ohio; Center Point, Alabama; and East Aurora, New York. She was a
  devoted Christian and taught Sunday school in many of the areas she
  lived. She was also an active long time member of P.E.O., a
  world-wide woman&rsquo;s organization supporting the education of
  women, and served as her local chapter president on several
  occasions. But her favorite role was Grandma. She loved Luke, Jack,
  Asha, and Deven, and so enjoyed spending time with them and being
  involved in their activities. She was always their champion.

  Donna was very creative. She was an avid scrap booker; meticulously
  documenting our family activities every year. She enjoyed making
  cards for everyone and every occasion and they were works of art.
  Donna loved sewing and at one time had her own business making
  clothes for small children. She was an excellent cook and baker. One
  of her favorite activities was baking cookies and brownies,
  especially with help from her grandchildren.

  Donna was a good friend and worked hard to stay in touch over the
  years with people in all of the places she had lived. She loved
  hearing from and getting together with friends. Her kindness and
  caring as a wife, mother, grandmother and friend was how she lived
  her life. She was always concerned about how she could best help
  others; driving them to appointments, making casseroles or baked
  goods, and visiting them when ill. She will be greatly missed by all
  those who were lucky enough to know her.

  Calling Hours were held at the Richard H. Keenan Funeral Home (Egypt
  Location) 7501 Pittsford Palmyra Road, Fairport. Funeral Service was
  held Saturday at United Methodist Church of Webster 169 East Main
  Street, Webster.

  In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Camp Abilities
  (www.campabilities.org) or P.E.O. International&rsquo;s P.E.O.
  Foundation (www.peointernational.org/peo-foundation).

  Comments from square dancers:

  &ldquo;Donna and her husband Rex were Copy Kittens in the class
  before COVID. They had returned to square dancing this summer (2021)
  by attending Jim Gotta&rsquo;s dances at Perinton Rec Center. Donna
  died suddenly and will certainly be missed by all of us.&rdquo;

  &ldquo;Donna and Rex were a lovely couple who eagerly joined a square
  and had a good time with every call. My last photo of her was on
  March 7, 2020, at the (Copy Cats) March Square Dancing Madness Dance.
  I will miss dancing with her and hope that Rex will eventually
  continue in the club.&rdquo;


articleid: 373
position: 01
type: text
content:
  The past few months, the Federation sponsored Free Summer Fun Dances
  on Saturdays June 5, June 19 and July 17. All three dances were very
  well attended. It was so much fun to see our square dance family
  together. Our callers and cuers did a wonderful job creating a fun
  way to welcome our dancers back to the dance floor.

  On June 5, Jim Gotta called and cued at the Greece Methodist Church
  Pavilion at 1924 Maiden Lane in Greece. We had 59 dancers and 8 clubs
  represented. Members from the following clubs attended: Copy Cats,
  Village Squares, Silver Squares, Cloverleaf Squares, Shamrock
  Squares, Dalton Gang, Waterwheels and Belles &amp; Beaus. Despite the
  40 mph winds that made it difficult for Jim to call, we all had a
  wonderful time.

  On June 19, Mike Callahan called and cued at the Greece Methodist
  Church Pavilion at 1924 Maiden Lane in Greece. We had 64 dancers and
  8 clubs represented. Mike even called a Covid-themed singing call.
  Members from the following clubs attended: Copy Cats, Village
  Squares, Silver Squares, Cloverleaf Squares, Shamrock Squares, Grand
  Squares, Waterwheels and Penn Yan Friendship Squares.

  The July 17 dance was moved inside to the Perinton
  Recreation/Community Center from the Perinton Park Pavilion. The
  rainstorms were unbelievable that week so for dancer safety, the
  dance was moved inside. Ron Brown and Dave Eno called and Chuck Meyer
  cued. We had 50 dancers from 10 clubs: Copy Cats, Village Squares,
  Silver Squares, Cloverleaf Squares, Shamrock Squares, Cayuga Cut-Ups,
  Dalton Gang, Southern Tier Wheelers, Grand Squares and Penn Yan
  Friendship Squares.

  We want to thank everyone who volunteered and helped with the summer
  dances&nbsp;&hellip; whether you helped with set up, running
  extension cords, bathroom signage, dance signage, moving tables in
  the pavilion, checking in dancers, selling 50/50 tickets, cleaning
  up. Each person&rsquo;s help was very much appreciated and
  contributed to the overall success of the Federation&rsquo;s summer
  dances.


articleid: 374
position: 01
type: text
content:
  Our first Federation Summer Dance was held in the pavilion at the
  Greece United Methodist Church. Over 50 dancers attended, enough for
  six squares dancing.

  It was so nice to see everyone back on the dance floor on that warm
  and windy day. Jim Gotta did a great job calling &amp; cueing.
  Dancers joined us from Copy Cats, Village Squares, Cloverleaf&rsquo;s,
  Waterwheels, Grand Squares, Silver Squares, Penn Yan Friendship
  Squares, Shamrock Squares, Cayuga Cut-Ups were in attendance.


articleid: 375
position: 01
type: text
content:
  Our second Federation Summer Dance was held in the pavilion at Greece
  Methodist Church on June 19. Over 60 dancers attended, with seven
  squares dancing.

  It was so nice to see everyone back on the dance floor. The afternoon
  was warm, with a gentle breeze and no rain. We enjoyed dancing
  together from 3 to 4:30 pm, to Mike Callahan&rsquo;s wonderful
  calling & cueing. Mike even called a COVID-themed singing call to
  welcome our dancers back to dancing. We had members from nine clubs
  attending: Copy Cats, Village Squares, Cloverleaf&rsquo;s, Waterwheels,
  Grand Squares, Silver Squares, Dalton Gang, Belles & Beaus and
  Shamrock Squares.


articleid: 376
position: 01
type: text
content:
  The rain&mdash;both forecast and real&mdash;forced a
  quick shift of venue for the Federation Summer Series dance on July
  17 to the Perinton Rec/Community Center. Despite the disruption, at
  least 50 dancers attended&mdash;enough for six squares&mdash;from the following clubs: Village Squares, Penn Yan
  Friendship Squares, Silver Squares, Cayuga Cutups, Grand Squares,
  Shamrock Squares, Cloverleaf Squares, Copy Cats, Dalton Gang &amp;
  Southern Tier Wheelers.

  Thank you to Ron and Dave for calling and to Chuck for cueing. As you
  can see from the accompanying photos, everyone had a great time.


articleid: 377
position: 01
type: text
content:
  On behalf of the Federation membership, we&rsquo;d like to thank the
  Return to Dance (RTD) Task Force members for all their commitment and
  dedication over the past year to keep square &amp; round dancing
  going in Western New York. A full year ago the RTD Task Force was
  formed. During the past year the RTD Task Force members monitored and
  surveyed their dancing membership, first in July last Summer and
  again this spring to see if and when in-person should be started
  again in Western NY. The task force closely monitored Covid safety
  guidelines and made recommendations to our club leadership,
  established zoom sessions for both square and round virtual dancing
  sessions, 3 Free Summer Dances (2 in June and 1 in July) and
  August&rsquo;s DORish Dance. If not for this wonderful group&rsquo;s
  dedication and support, we would not be back dancing &amp;
  socializing with our dancing friends today.


articleid: 377
position: 03
type: text
content:
  The members:

  Ron Brown, Mike Callahan, Peter Emmel, Dave Eno, Jim Gotta, Anne
  Granger, Donna LaDonna, Rick LaDonna, Phil LaRussa, Mary Martin, Don
  Naulin, Gil Porter, Eileen Webster, Debbie Blood &amp; Jeff Blood

  The RTD Task Force met virtually this past year to help keep square
  and round dancing active for our members. For those of you who either
  danced or watched or called/cued virtual square and round dancing, it
  really makes you appreciate returning to in-person dancing so much
  more!

  Virtual dancing is definitely challenging for dancers as they dance
  with phantom dancers as well as callers and cuers who are dealing
  with internet variables and sound issues. We appreciated all who
  worked on this project. It helped to keep our dancing community
  connected while we all were in isolation. Thank you for all the
  coordination and effort behind the scenes.


articleid: 377
position: 05
type: text
content:
  Our dance schedules are starting to fill up again. We are happy to
  report many of the clubs are starting up now or in the next month or
  two. Cloverleafs Squares are offering beginning classes in September.
  A few of the other clubs such as Silver Squares and Copy Cats will be
  waiting until January before offering classes.


articleid: 377
position: 07
type: text
content:
  Our first Federation meeting will be a Zoom session on Weds. 9/8/21.

  We also have a Zoom Presidents, Callers/Cuer, Federation Zoom meeting
  scheduled for Tues. 10/19/21. If you want to be invited to these Zoom
  meetings, just contact us via email: dfbjvbhome@aol.com or call us at
  585-880-9161.


articleid: 378
position: 02
type: text
content:
  It was great being together with all our square dance friends. Our
  Callers: Ron, Mike, Dave &amp; Jim and Cuers: Eileen, Chuck, Mark
  &amp; Marlene did a fantastic job.

  We had 9 to 10 squares for the mainstream announced plus dancing
  sessions. The callers ended the evening with a mic sharing session.
  It was awesome, to hear them blend their wonderful voices. Their
  camaraderie was so much fun to watch. We ended the evening with a
  large thank you circle.

  Thank you to everyone who made today happen. We appreciate everyone&rsquo;s
  help, setting up tables &amp; chairs, sound systems, checking in
  dancers, selling 50/50, serving or cleaning up dinner and helping
  reset the facility when the dance ended. Overall, it was a fantastic
  day dancing with friends.


articleid: 379
position: 01
type: text
content:
  Welcome to the fall, 2021, issue of the Promenader&mdash;a
  quarterly publication of the Western NY Federation of Round and
  Square Dancers, Inc. (squaredancingrochester.org)


articleid: 379
position: 03
type: text
content:
  The &ldquo;Photos &amp; Features&rdquo; section highlights summer
  dancing activities, including three dances organized by the WNY
  Federation, as well as the &ldquo;DORish&rdquo; dance held on August
  21. There is also a description of the &ldquo;Troopons&rdquo;
  program, a very successful charitable opportunity that many of our
  dancers already take part in&mdash;to help support Americans
  in the armed services. (Encourage your club leaders to participate.)

  In an article of appreciation, Jeff and Debbie Blood acknowledge the
  efforts of the &ldquo;Return to Dance Task Force.&rdquo; This is the
  group of dedicated dancers who met periodically via Zoom to help area
  clubs and dancers navigate the COVID interruption.

  Be sure to read the &ldquo;President&rsquo;s Corner&rdquo; by
  clicking on the following: <a
  href="../articles/president-2021-09.html">President&rsquo;s
  Corner</a> section of the Federation pages for Jeff&rsquo;s and
  Debbie&rsquo;s comments about Federation activities and perspective
  on the coming dance season.


articleid: 379
position: 05
type: text
content:
  Speaking of Jeff and Debbie Blood, they received the Daphne-Norma
  Award for 2020, at the DORish dance in August. This award would have
  been presented at the 2020 DOR festival dance&hellip; had it not been
  canceled by COVID. They have worked tirelessly on behalf of dancing
  throughout the COVID pause, and we look forward to their guidance
  through the recovery.

  One couple can&rsquo;t do it all, and there are positions open at the
  Federation as well as in numerous clubs. Please consider volunteering
  to fill one of these positions&mdash;to help spread the load.
  Contact your club leadership, or ask Jeff and Debbie how you can
  help.


articleid: 379
position: 07
type: text
content:
  Our &ldquo;Club News&rdquo; section shows signs of recovery from the
  COVID pause, as several clubs are resuming in-person dancing, with an
  understandable range of COVID-related protocols.


articleid: 379
position: 09
type: text
content:
  In this issue we say farewell to three of our beloved dancers: Harold
  Greenlee, Dale Nientimp and Donna Spencer.


articleid: 379
position: 11
type: text
content:
  Our schedule pages are beginning to re-populate with club events, and
  flyers are arriving at an increasing rate. It&rsquo;s still a good
  idea to check &ldquo;Breaking News&rdquo; on the WNYF Home Page&mdash;squaredancingrochester.org&mdash;to see if
  anything else has changed.


articleid: 379
position: 13
type: text
content:
  For this issue, we welcome Rick LaDonna as CoWebmaster! He and
  Webmaster Sidney Marshall have been working together over the past
  few months, developing his familiarity with the website structure and
  updating processes. This issue of the Promenader has been processed
  almost entirely by Rick.

  As usual, if you see erroneous items on any of our pages, please
  alert us by email to promenader@rochester.rr.com and we&rsquo;ll fix
  them as quickly as we can. We depend on the information we receive
  from clubs and dancers, so please don&rsquo;t just assume someone
  else will take care of any errors or omissions. Let us know as soon
  as you see them.


articleid: 379
position: 15
type: text
content:
  The coronavirus is still a significant public health threat that
  should not be underestimated by anyone planning or attending an
  indoor gathering of any kind. Vaccinated dancers are safe from
  serious illness, but while their immune system is fighting off the
  infection they can still be contagious enough to put unvaccinated
  family, friends and the public at serious risk.

  Dance organizers are subject to guidelines and/or requirements from
  civic authorities and owners of dance venues, which can change as
  local conditions change. So, pay attention to the CDC
  &ldquo;Community Transmission&rdquo; level rating for our area,
  because requirements like masking are often keyed to that rating.


articleid: 379
position: 17
type: text
content:
  (This one is from the &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t mess with the elderly&rdquo;
  collection. I hope it isn&rsquo;t a repeat, but even if it is, maybe
  you&rsquo;ve forgotten too and will still find it as funny as I do)

  HOW TO CALL THE POLICE...

  WHEN YOU&rsquo;RE OLD, AND DON&rsquo;T MOVE FAST ANYMORE.

  George Phillips, an elderly man from Walled Lake, Michigan, was going
  up to bed, when his wife pointed out he&rsquo;d left the light on in the
  garden shed, which she could see from the bedroom window.

  George opened the back door to go turn off the light, but saw people
  in the shed stealing things. He phoned the police, who asked "Is
  someone in your house?"

  He said &ldquo;No, but some people have broken into my garden shed
  and stealing from me.&rdquo; The police dispatcher said &ldquo;All
  our patrols are busy, so you should lock your doors and an officer
  will be along when one is available.&rdquo;

  George said, &ldquo;Okay&rdquo; and hung up the phone. He counted to
  30, then phoned the police again.

  &ldquo;Hello, I just called you a few seconds ago because there were
  people stealing things from my shed. Well, you don&rsquo;t have to worry
  about them now because I just shot and killed them both, and the dogs
  are eating them right now.&rdquo; Then he hung up.

  Within five minutes, six police cars, a SWAT team, a helicopter, two
  fire trucks, a paramedic and an ambulance showed up at the Phillips&rsquo;
  residence, and caught the burglars red-handed.

  One of the policemen said to George, &ldquo;I thought you said that
  you&rsquo;d shot them!&rdquo;

  George said, &ldquo;I thought you said there was nobody
  available!&rdquo;


articleid: 380
position: 01
type: text
content:
  On behalf of the Promenader and the Federation, Webmaster Sidney
  Marshall and I would like to welcome and express thanks to Rick
  LaDonna for diving into the deep end and taking care of this
  quarter&rsquo;s website update and Promenader issue.

  As CoWebmaster, Rick has worked under the hood with Sidney on the
  details of processing editorial content (i.e. news and articles) and
  especially of maintaining and updating the database of events, dates,
  venues, clubs, callers, fliers and other Federation items.

  For this issue - September, 2021 - Rick has done the entire job with
  very little help from start to finish.


articleid: 381
position: 01
type: text
content:
  The Daphne-Norma leadership award was established in 1977 by John
  Fink and Frank Salvaggio, in honor of their wives, Daphne and Norma.
  The purpose of the award is to show appreciation for extensive and
  sustained leadership over a number of years in square or round
  dancing.

  The award has been presented 42 times over the years since then. The
  Daphne-Norma committee selected the next recipients early in 2020,
  but were unable to present the award at DOR 2020 due to the COVID
  pandemic. Then when both DOR-ish 2020 and DOR 2021 were also
  canceled, DOR-ish 2021 on August 21, 2021 became the first
  opportunity to present the award.

  The newest recipients are Jeff and Debbie Blood. They graduated from
  Triggers in May 1980 and were co-presidents of the Triggers from 1994
  to 1996. They took a 20-year break to raise their family and advance
  their careers. Debbie and Jeff returned to Square Dancing as members
  of the 2016 Copy Cats class. Since they graduated, they have been
  active dancers of Copy Cats, Village Squares and most recently Silver
  Squares.

  As Vice Presidents of the Federation, they also reactivated the
  Federation&rsquo;s Promotions Committee, promoting square dancing
  including news articles, demonstrations and promotional dances at the
  malls and Stone Dewey Family night events before turning it over to
  Amy and Kris Aeckerle to lead in July 2019. As Federation Vice
  Presidents and heads of the Dance O Rama organizing committee, they
  toured many facilities around the county looking for potential
  dancing venues, concluding the Perinton Rec/Community Center is the
  best choice for the annual DOR.

  As if that weren&rsquo;t enough, in the months since the committee
  made their selection, Jeff and Debbie&mdash;now as Federation
  presidents&mdash;have put in a tremendous amount of effort to
  keep square dancing alive and active through the pandemic. They
  established the Return to Dance Task Force to help guide club
  leadership back to dancing safely, and they organized the
  Federation&rsquo;s series of free (outdoor) Summer Fun Dances.

  When you see Jeff &amp; Debbie, congratulate them on being the latest
  Daphne Norma recipients.

  An important tradition of the Daphne-Norma Leadership Award is the
  candy dish that is passed from one recipient to the next. Whenever
  you see the candy dish at an event, you are reminded about the award,
  and the legacy of service behind it.

  If you can think of anyone that is deserving of this award, please
  fill out the nomination form. They are available on the
  Federation&rsquo;s website SquareDancingRochester.org or traveling
  with the candy dish to club dances and Federation events.

  Nominations for the Daphne-Norma Leadership Award are accepted each
  year until the end of February. Please email nominations and/ or any
  questions to Debbie &amp; Jeff Blood at dfbjvbhome@aol.com

  The next Daphne-Norma Award presentation is planned for the May 2022
  DOR on Saturday, May 14, 2022.


articleid: 382
position: 02
type: text
content:
  The past few months have been wonderful, seeing the clubs starting up
  and our dancers back on the dance floor. So many great pictures of the
  club&rsquo;s Halloween Parties are being shared. It is so much fun to
  see how creative our dancers are with their costumes.

  As with everything else, COVID has affected our club membership. Most
  clubs have noticed a decline in membership. At our Club Presidents,
  Callers, Cuers and Federation Leadership Zoom Meeting, held on

  Monday, 10/25/21, we had an update on the status of most of our clubs.

  2 clubs have discontinued.

  3 clubs currently are not dancing due to lack of location, etc.

  3 clubs have finished their Fall Season and will resume again in the
  Spring.

  10 Clubs are currently dancing.

  There are a few clubs whose dancing status we don&rsquo;t know.

  Cloverleaf Squares and Cayuga Cut-Ups are the only clubs with classes
  right now.

  Cloverleaf has 12&ndash;15 class members and we had heard the class is
  doing very well.

  Cayuga Cut-Ups just held their open house and hope many perspective
  dancers return to continue lessons. As we all know, the future of
  square dancing still is dependent on recruiting new dancers for
  lessons.

  Showcasing Square Dancing is also very important. Most people think
  modern square dancing is what they did in elementary school many years
  ago. We hope our clubs are able to participate in any and all
  opportunities for demos. We are aware of a group that danced at the
  Strong Museum of Play in August and we recently heard of several other
  demos being planned. If you are willing to participate in demos,
  please let either your club leadership, Promotions Coordinator Eileen
  Webster or Jeff &amp; Debbie Blood know. They always are a lot of fun!

  A few months ago, we were approached about hosting a New Year&rsquo;s
  Eve Dance. We are currently checking out the feasibility of having a
  dance. We have a caller and location. It hasn&rsquo;t been determined
  yet whether we can also serve food. Currently the Federation and Copy
  Cats are co-sponsors, putting together a proposal and planning to seek
  approval to proceed within a few weeks. We have asked Club Presidents
  to poll their membership whether an afternoon New Year&rsquo;s Eve
  dance would be popular with their dancers. At this time, we are
  considering dancing at the Penfield Baptist Church where Copy Cats
  dances. We will keep you posted on this potential event.

  There are several milestone club anniversaries being celebrated this
  year:

  Cayuga Cut-Ups celebrated 60-year Anniversary with a dinner/dance on
  Oct 2, 2021.

  Copy Cats will celebrate their 50-year Anniversary with a dinner/dance
  on Saturday, 12/18/21.

  Grand Squares will be celebrating their &ldquo;60th +&rdquo;
  Anniversary in Spring, 2022.

  Nominations for the Daphne Norma Leadership Award are due by the end
  of February.

  Please look around and take the time to recognize couples or
  individuals who deserve this honor and recognition for their
  dedication and service to our square and round dancing community.

  Stay well and we hope to see you on the dance floor.

  Debbie &amp; Jeff Blood


articleid: 383
position: 01
type: text
content:
  <hr>Ms. Joann Baxter

  Dear Ms. Baxter,

  I am writing to thank you for your continued support of the Support
  our Troups Troopons Program. The immense amount of time and effort you
  continue to put toward this enduring program is greatly appreciated!

  We are delighted to include your coupons in the many boxes we send to
  commissaries over seas that benefit from your generosity. These
  coupons reach countless hands of grateful military members, families
  and children who express how exponentially helpful it is receiving
  coupons from citizens like you.

  <i>&ldquo;Thank you for your continued support by mailing coupons. Our
  service members and families appreciate your
  support&rdquo;</i>&mdash;Japan

  <i>&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t believe how much we can save by using these
  coupons!  Thank you for your dedication and support for me and my
  children&rdquo;</i>&mdash;Germany

  We look forward to your continued support!

  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Thank you again.

  Sincerely,<br>
  Support Our Troops&reg;

  Heather, Support Our Troops Team
  <b>They Support Us&mdash;<i>Let&rsquo;s Support Them!</i></b>&reg;

  Unified national mailing address: P. O. Box 70, Daytona Beach, FL
  32115-0070


articleid: 383
position: 00
type: text
content:
  We received the accompanying letter copy from Joann Baxter. The
  &ldquo;Support Our Troops&rdquo; team sent Joann a thank-you letter
  for her continued support of the program. Their thanks, of course,
  extends to all our dancing friends who have contributed coupons and/or
  cash. We wondered if you would want to include it as follow up to the
  &ldquo;Troopons Program&rdquo; article in the Fall Promenader edition.

  Submitted by Jeff &amp; Debbie Blood


articleid: 384
position: 01
type: text
content:
  We&rsquo;ve spent hours &ldquo;pawing&rdquo; electronic and paper
  copies of the Promenader to bring you a synopsis of the Copy Cats over
  the past 50 years.

  The Copy Cats began as a non-Federation Club, dancing at the Xerox
  Recreation Building in Webster in 1971. Our name &ldquo;Copy
  Cats&rdquo; resulted from the association with Xerox and their
  products. The first copies Xerox produced were Black and
  White&mdash;thus these became our Club colors. One of our goals was to
  promote friendliness and good fellowship through square dancing. The
  first Club Presidents were Fred and Charlotte Speccio. Since 1971, we
  have had a succession of 39 Presidents/Co-Presidents. Some of whom are
  still dancing!

  In February 1972, under the leadership of Jan and Judy Brederson, the
  Copy Cats joined the Rochester Area Federation of Square and Round
  Dancers, Inc. Over the years, the Copy Cats danced at a number of
  venues including Xerox Recreation Center, Bayview Y, Rochester
  Christian School, the Green Lantern Inn, Bay Trail Middle School,
  Scribner Road School, First Presbyterian Church (East Avenue), a barn
  in Walworth, Penfield High School, Dolomite Lodge in Penfield and the
  Brighton Town Park. In October 2005, we began dancing at the First
  Baptist Church of Penfield (FBCP), which continues to be our
  venue. But, the FBCP has a rich history for square dances dating back
  to the early 1960&rsquo;s.

  If you don&rsquo;t think square dancing was a popular
  activity&mdash;in September 1972, the Copy Cats hosted National
  caller, Randy Anderson. There were 53 couples (13 squares!) in
  attendance and the cost of the dance was $2.50/person.

  The Copy Cats held their first class for new dancers on September 12,
  1972. Thirteen couples from that class graduated in on May 12, 1973,
  after a Xerox strike precluded dancing. Dressing to the 9&rsquo;s was
  always the order of the day. Western shirts, petticoats, dresses and
  other dancing accessories could be purchased at Weniger&rsquo;s on
  South Avenue, the Ironda Square Dance Shop on Washington Avenue and
  the Calkins Square Dance Shop in Leroy.

  Chuck Prister was our first Club Caller. Mike Callahan, our current
  Club Caller, started calling as a teenager in 1960; he was 13 years
  old. YIKES! That&rsquo;s 60+ years of calling. Mike&rsquo;s father
  Ray reworked a scrounged sound projector, integrated two oval car
  speakers and a toy turntable and Mike was on his way. He has been
  calling full-time since 1974. He calls regularly for the Copy Cats,
  Cloverleafs, Grand Squares, Silvers Squares and Shamrock Squares. Up
  until recently, Mike has been busily involved in teaching square
  dancing in the Monroe County area school Physical Education programs.
  The Fairport School District recently honored Mike with induction to
  their Wall of Distinction. Ron Brown, our Class Caller, started
  dancing with the Triggers Square Dance Club in Greece, NY in 1987. He
  learned Mainstream dancing from the late Mike Herne. Ron learned Plus
  calls from Mike Callahan and Bruce Shaw. Ron began guest calling in
  1988 and then taught classes for the Wayne Westerners, eventually
  becoming their Club Caller. Ron is currently calling for the Copy
  Cats and the Cayuga Cut-Ups. Ron will long be remembered as the
  caller who took us to the New York State Fair and who got 16 tractors
  to do a Grand Square at the Lyons, NY Peppermint Festival. The Copy
  Cats club is delighted that these dedicated gentlemen continue to be
  part of our square dance community.

  We had many guest callers throughout the years&mdash;Jeff Bobst, Ken
  Boss, Gary Bubel, Jerry Carmen, Tim Crawford, Brad Deibert, Dave Eno,
  Todd Fellegy, Nancy Fincher, Betsy Gotta, Jim Gotta, Keith Harter,
  Mike Herne, Chip Kellogg, Tom Mallory, Greg Marling, Tim Marriner, Bob
  Meagher, Harold Pierce, Gil Porter, Jeff and Andrea Priest, Ken
  Ritucci, Bill Ryan, Joe Saltel, The Hip Boot Boys (Ron Brown, Jerry
  Carmen, Greg Marling, Bob Schlenker (a group started in 1989 as a fun
  take-off of the nationally popular, Red Boot Boys!), and Don
  Yosten. We hope we haven&rsquo;t missed anyone. And we cannot forget
  some of our talented cuers&mdash;Brian Adams, Alice Bubel, Phil Eno,
  Roy Gotta, Jeanne Harter, Mary Hinkle, Chuck Meyer, Eileen (Okolowicz)
  Webster, Mark Thone, Lisa Treichler, and recently Jim Gotta. They have
  provided many hours of entertainment for the Copy Cats!

  The Copy Cats have done charitable work, too. In 2009, six boxes each
  weighing 45 pounds were sent to Sonny Lee to distribute to his
  overseas unit. Sonny was the husband of a class member, Kendra Lee,
  and son-in-law of club members, Jean and Barry Jump. For the past six
  years, the Copy Cats have collected cereal, pasta and sauce for the
  Penfield Ecumenical Food Shelf. The yearly turkey raffle also raises
  funds for the PEFS. We have also participated in the Troopons
  Program. Our members have cut, counted and packaged coupons for our
  troops around the world.

  In 2015, when the Country Twirlers rolled up their dance floor, the
  Copy Cats joined the Cloverleaf Squares and the Village Squares to
  become co-sponsors of the popular Tri-Club Dance.

  Recounting these times as we &ldquo;pawed&rdquo; through the archives
  has been almost as much fun as dancing with the Copy Cats. To
  celebrate our 50 years as a Club on Saturday, December 18, 2021 we
  will host a combined Anniversary Party and Holiday Dinner Dance. Ron
  Brown and Mike Callahan will call; Eileen Webster will cue. The Dinner
  Dance will be held at the First Baptist Church of Penfield. We will
  follow COVID protocols. Space will be limited. Please see the Flyers
  section for more information.


articleid: 385
position: 01
type: text
content:
  Mike will be celebrating 50 years of calling next year. For that we
  plan to have a celebration party, on Friday, February 4th in Mesa,
  Arizona. I wanted to let you know about this in case you knew anyone
  who might be interested in coming to the celebration. If you can,
  please help spread the word, I&rsquo;m trying to get the word out as
  far and wide as I can.

  As part of the celebration I&rsquo;m working with my sister on a
  SURPRISE memory book for him. I&rsquo;ve attached the flyer to this
  email that describes what I&rsquo;m trying to do regarding a SURPRISE
  memory book for Mike. I ask that you pass this on to others that you
  know who might want to provide something for the book.

  For any clubs that you think might want to provide something for the
  book that works too. In the &ldquo;instruction&rdquo; sheet it
  doesn&rsquo;t mention anything about a club page and I couldn&rsquo;t
  decide how I wanted to add it, so I decided I&rsquo;d just mention the
  club stuff when I send this to people.

  For more information, check the flyers: <a href="../flyers/Sikorsky1-2022-02-04.pdf">here</a> and <a href="../flyers/Sikorsky2-2022-02-04.pdf">here</a>.

  Let me know if you have any questions.


articleid: 386
position: 01
type: text
content:
  On September 27th, 2021, the Silver Squares &ldquo;went
  westward&rdquo; and gussied themselves up in western garb for a fun
  night of dancing with Mike Callahan calling.


articleid: 387
position: 01
type: text
content:
  The Copy Cats held their annual Halloween Party dance on Saturday,
  October 23, 2021. We had three squares of enthusiastic dancers on the
  floor. The creativity of costumes was great&mdash;hippies, Cruella
  Deville and one of her Dalmatiians, a hobo, a tube of toothpaste,
  clergy, a queen, pumpkins, train engineers, a scarecrow, and Charlie
  and Phyllis Smeltzer came as wedding guests! Thank You to our callers
  &ldquo;The Hip Boot Boys&rdquo; (Greg Marling and Ron Brown) and our
  cuer Eileen Webster who provided great Halloween music selections.


articleid: 388
position: 01
type: text
content:
  Congratulations to the Cayuga Cut-Up Square Dance Club: 60 years as a
  club, family and community!

  It was 1961 when the McGee&rsquo;s, Perry&rsquo;s, Steven&rsquo;s
  &amp; Dickman&rsquo;s got together in the members&rsquo; basements to
  dance. Doug Schultz and Tom Trainor were the first callers for the
  club. Their first activity was a Summer Weekend on Association Island
  at Henderson Harbor. With a budget of $10&ndash;$15 to start the new
  year they decided to have the weekend locally at Owasco Lake. In 1986
  they celebrated 20 years of Summer Weekends: Wells College, Emerson
  Park, Gulliver&rsquo;s farm, all became locations for the party and
  dancing! The club has danced at Owasco School, Masonic Temple, Elks
  Club, YMCA, St. Peter&rsquo;s Church, Auburn United Methodist Church
  and recently at Bailiwick&rsquo;s gazebo. Let&rsquo;s not forget the
  festivals and fairs that were part of the demonstrations thru the
  county and state; Tomato Fest, Cayuga County Fair, NY State Fair,
  Wheat Harvest Festival, Jordan Fall Festival and so many parades!

  Reviewing the 10 scrapbooks created by Club Historians, over 60 years,
  I saw the family that was created. Members shared dancing, yet the
  family events impressed me the most: weddings, anniversaries,
  birthdays, graduations, baby showers, picnics, weekends, parties,
  funerals all told the story of family creating a community.

  We are proud to be a Non-for-Profit 501 C3 organization with
  established By-laws and elected leadership encouraging and supporting
  the Folk Dance of Modern Western Square Dance. We dance at the
  Weedsport United Methodist Church, 2744 E. Brutus Street, Weedsport, 7
  PM. (We wear masks for indoor dancing and use hand sanitizer after
  each tip.)

  All are welcome to come, join the family!


articleid: 389
position: 01
type: text
content:
  On October 25, 2021, the Silver Squares paraded their Halloween
  costumes for all to see. A wonderful time was had by all!


articleid: 390
position: 01
type: text
content:
  Barb Mason and Bob Jackson were married on October 2, 2021. Since they
  met through square dancing, the Silver Squares wanted to hold a
  wedding celebration for them. Congratulations, Barb and Bob. We wish
  you much happiness!


articleid: 391
position: 01
type: text
content:
  William E. Dodge, 84, of Greece, NY, passed away peacefully on
  November 2, 2021, surrounded by his family.

  Bill was born in Hornell, NY. He was predeceased by his parents
  Gaylord and Ruth Dodge and HIS brother Robert. Bill is survived by his
  daughters and son, Debra (Ed) Wildow, Eric (Margaret) Dodge, and Linda
  (Christopher) Chamot, Sister-in-law Chrystal Dodge as well as 9
  grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.

  Bill graduated from Alfred State with a degree in Mechanical
  Engineering, and worked for Eastman Kodak for 35 years. After
  retirement, he earned a degree in Microbiology at Brockport with the
  hope to better the lakes/ponds in the where he lived for 30 years.

  Bill enjoyed traveling to document his family genealogy. His
  creativity brought to life many unique projects found throughout his
  home. Bill was part of the square dance community for 35 years. He was
  an accomplished square and round dancer, including being an angel
  dancer for new members. He also volunteered regularly at Rochester
  General Hospital escorting clients to hospital offices. Bill recently
  became a Buffalo Bills fan, sharing his new interest with his best
  friend Liz.

  Private services will be held at a later date.

  Published by Dusckas Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Inc.

  Recollections from Bill&rsquo;s square-dancing career, by Eileen
  Webster:

  When I graduated from Cloverleaf&rsquo;s class in 1986 or 87
  (can&rsquo;t remember for sure which it was&nbsp;&hellip; but I think
  it was 87), I also belonged to a support group for single, divorced,
  and widowed Catholics (SDWC) and Bill also attended that group. We met
  on Saturday nights and after the meeting, we would go out to a local
  country bar and do some dancing.

  Since I knew that they all liked to dance and I was very excited about
  square dancing, I wanted that group to have a chance to try it. So, I
  held a picnic at my house in August and invited the SDWC group as well
  as some of the Cloverleaf folks. We cleared out my 2-car garage and
  Mike came and called a few tips&nbsp;&hellip; sort of a mini open
  house. Bill fell in love with it, joined the new class in September
  and never looked back. He later took round dance lessons as well and
  loved doing both squares and rounds.


articleid: 392
position: 01
type: text
content:
  Niketas J. Haldoupis passed away in Webster,NY on Friday, October 8,
  2021 at age 89, surrounded by his loving family. Predeceased by his
  parents, Clara and James N. Haldoupis; sisters, Dorthea McGuire and
  Catherine Chapman; brother, John Haldoupis. Survived by his wife of 69
  years, Laura "Fran;" daughters, Debra (Steve) Watson, Laura (Lynn)
  Bohm and Janice (Mike) Mintz; grandchildren, Nicholas (Kari) Newman,
  Amy VanWuyckhuyse, Justin (Pauline) Mintz, James (Erika)
  VanWuyckhuyse, Julieta (James) Rosselle and Angela Watson;
  great-granddaughter, Kadence Newman.

  Nick was a member and volunteer of numerous organizations including
  Webster Masonic Lodge #538, American Legion, Webster Baptist Church
  and Easter Seals. He was an active member of the YMCA and had square
  danced with Fran for 33 years. He was a retiree from Xerox and the
  Army Reserves.

  Calling hours were held on Sunday afternoon, October 10, at Willard
  H. Scott Funeral Home, 12 South Ave., Webster. Interment, Webster
  Union Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to Shriner&rsquo;s
  Children&rsquo;s Hospital or a charity of your choice.

  Square dancing notes by Peter Emmel:

  As Sally and I gradually expanded our dancing range, I remember seeing
  Nick and Fran at various dances around town. As happens in dancing,
  casual conversations eventually turned our acquaintance into a
  friendship. They began to attend theme dances at our
  &lsquo;home&rsquo; club, the Village Squares, and in 2015 joined as
  members. Their sunny outlook was always a pleasure to share.

  Before joining the Village Squares, Nick and Fran were members of the
  Emerald Squares and before that, they were long-time members of the
  Web Spinners. I know they won&rsquo;t mind me posting the accompanying
  photo of them as presidents of the club, on the Web Spinners&rsquo;
  two-hole throne. I can see Nick smiling right now.


articleid: 393
position: 01
type: text
content:
  June 15, 1934&mdash;September 15, 2021

  Surrounded by photos of her grandchildren, and with her family at her
  side, Sally Emmel passed away peacefully in her home on September
  15th. From her childhood growing up on &ldquo;Dumpling Hill&rdquo; in
  Rochester until her death, Sally&rsquo;s warm heart, curious mind and
  adventurous spirit were always on display. Her commitment to learning
  never stopped. She graduated at the top of her class at West High
  School (&rsquo;52), was Phi Beta Kappa at the University of Rochester
  (&rsquo;56) and was a devoted member of the Osher Lifelong Learning
  community until the last months of her life. During her summers on the
  Bay of Quinte near Picton, Ontario, she developed her love for the
  water, becoming a skilled sailor, talented swimmer and a champion
  water-skier and instructor.

  Sally was a leader in numerous organizations but always had a special
  place in her heart for WXXI Public Television, where she dressed as
  Big Bird for many an auction fundraiser, for the Burby Hollow Ski Club
  and for her square dance friends at the Village Squares. Sally was
  also an entrepreneur, co-founding the Second Season Clothing store, an
  institution known to many families in Rochester, on Mt. Hope Avenue
  and managing it for 25 years.

  To say she was an enthusiastic traveler does not do her justice. Sally
  loved to visit new cultures and no place was too exotic for her,
  whether she was snorkeling in the Galapagos, exploring in Turkey,
  sightseeing in Europe, riding camels in Egypt, watching lions in
  Botswana, sailing in the Caribbean, canoeing in northern Ontario or
  helicopter-skiing in the Canadian Rockies.

  She was always happiest though with her family and friends around the
  table on the dining porch at her beloved Campy, sharing a meal
  overlooking the Bay, admiring the moonbeam shimmering on the water and
  playing games deep into the evening.

  She lived without regrets and leaves behind a lifetime of wonderful
  memories. Her family, including devoted husband Peter, daughter Susan
  and her partner Thomas, son Doug and his wife Honor, grandchildren
  Devon, James, Dylan, Jack and Lucy, great-granddaughter Isabel, and
  wonderful extended family including Charlene Anderson, Jeff and Betsy
  Dunham, Stephen and John Emmel, Laura Hercher, Elizabeth Hercher,
  Casey Weiss, Arjun Thakkar, Emily &amp; Michele Anderson, Hallie
  Cullinane, Sofie and Sebastian Pinto Basto will always remember her.

  A funeral service was held at the University of Rochester Interfaith
  Chapel on Saturday, October 2nd at 3 PM. Visiting hours were held on
  Sunday, October 3rd from 10 AM&ndash;5 PM at 24 High Hill Drive,
  Pittsford, NY.

  In lieu of flowers, Sally asked that you consider a donation to one of
  the following charities that were particular favorites of hers:

  the Humane Society at Lollypop Farm (www.lollypop.org), Joining Hearts
  and Hands (www.joiningheartsandhands.org) or WXXI Public Television
  (www.wxxi.org/support)

  Square dancing notes by Peter Emmel:

  Sally and I started square dancing in a Village Squares beginner class
  of three squares (that&rsquo;s right, 24 people!) taught by Jerry
  Carmen and Will Herzog. At our Mainstream graduation in 1992, to test
  our dancing precision, we were shown a whipped-cream pie (pictured) on
  the floor in the center of our square. Dancing in our stocking feet,
  club members blindfolded us, then swapped a damp sponge for the pie,
  and Jerry proceeded with a patter call. Inevitably, one of us stepped
  on the sponge, and a hearty laugh was had by all!

  It took Gerry and Harold Schwartz many years of invitations to square
  dance open house dances before our other activities cleared out enough
  to make room for dancing. But once started, we were hooked. We met
  friendly and welcoming dancers everywhere we went, first at the
  Village Squares and later, when we visited other clubs.

  As our dancing matured, we &ldquo;angeled&rdquo; classes and
  contributed our share to club leadership, serving as treasurers and
  later presidents, but Sally&rsquo;s focus was always on special theme
  dances&mdash;especially promoting them in person by dancing at other
  clubs and welcoming all who came to our dances. She lived by the
  mantra that &ldquo;if you make it fun, people will come.&rdquo;

  One of her "signature" events was the Hip Boot Boyz New Year&rsquo;s
  Eve party dance, which she organized for 17 years in the beautifully
  paneled hall at Saint Thomas Episcopal church in Brighton. She also
  put on special anniversary celebrations for Village Squares, along
  with multi-club dances to honor especially beloved dancers like Ken
  &amp; Rita Tucker, and Jerry Carmen. Another of her signature concepts
  began as an annual spring &ldquo;Progressive Dinner,&rdquo; but
  morphed into a spring brunch at our house (as our friends moved to
  smaller homes).

  In 2016, our 25th year of dancing, the square-dance community
  unexpectedly bestowed on us its highest honor&mdash;the Daphne-Norma
  Award. People give me a lot of credit, but Sally&rsquo;s role was at
  least as significant. My role was mostly in support. Sally was the one
  who made things happen.


articleid: 394
position: 01
type: text
content:
  Every year, the square &amp; round dancing community honors a person
  or couple for their outstanding leadership. It&rsquo;s an opportunity
  to recognize service that stands out from others. Anyone can fill out
  and send a nomination, and nominations are saved over the years. This
  is an award for dancers from other dancers.

  The official Daphne-Norma guidelines describe it as an award for
  &ldquo;extensive and sustained leadership over an extended period of
  years.&rdquo; The full &ldquo;History and Guidelines&rdquo; document
  is available by clicking its thumbnail on the &ldquo;Awards&rdquo;
  page of this website, at
  http://www.squaredancingrochester.org/awards/awards.html&mdash;see the
  page image that accompanies this article.

  To download the Nomination Form, click its thumbnail image, which is
  also on the &ldquo;Awards&rdquo; page. Then print the form and fill it
  out, naming your nominee and giving your reasons. Then mail it to the
  address at the bottom of the form.

  A list of past recipients is available by clicking the &ldquo;Past
  Recipients&rdquo; thumbnail on the same page.

  You can also get blank nomination forms directly from the most recent
  recipient(s) when they bring the traditional candy dish to one of your
  club dances.

  Each year in March, a committee made up of previous recipients reviews
  the accumulated nominations. They typically choose someone who has
  received multiple nominations over several years. So, even if you have
  nominated someone in the past, you can submit a new nomination form
  this year to add cumulative weight to their nomination file.


articleid: 395
position: a
type: text
content:
  Welcome to the Winter issue of the Promenader&mdash;a quarterly
  publication of the Western NY Federation of Round and Square Dancers
  Inc. (squaredancingrochester.org)


articleid: 395
position: c
type: text
content:
  The &ldquo;Photos &amp; Features&rdquo; section highlights activities
  of three area clubs that have resumed dancing&mdash;the Copy Cats, the
  Silver Squares and the Cayuga Cut-Ups. We know there are more, but
  these are the ones who sent us photos. One of these dances celebrated
  the marriage of Barb Mason and Bob Jackson.

  There&rsquo;s also a follow-up and &ldquo;Thank You&rdquo; from the
  Support Our Troops office for contributions to the popular Troopon
  program that local dancers have been participating in for many
  years. An article from the Copy Cats, follows the club&rsquo;s history
  from its origin at Xerox in 1971.

  Two articles urge readers to respond&mdash;one solicits nominations
  for the Daphne-Norma Leadership Award and the other asks dancers to
  contribute memories to Mike Sikorsky&rsquo;s 50-year anniversary book.

  Please don&rsquo;t miss the &ldquo;President&rsquo;s Corner&rdquo;
  message from Debbie and Jeff Blood, accessible via the
  &ldquo;Federation&rdquo; tab at the top of this page.


articleid: 395
position: e
type: text
content:
  The COVID virus is still with us. Several clubs have not resumed, and
  those that are dancing are taking precautions. Before you attend a
  dance, check their flyer, or check with their club contact listed
  under &ldquo;Clubs&rdquo; on this website, or check their posting in
  the &ldquo;Club News&rdquo; section. Most are requiring full
  vaccination and some are requiring that masks be worn at least part of
  the time.


articleid: 395
position: g
type: text
content:
  Virtual dancing is still active with national and international
  callers, but our local sessions have given way to in-person dancing. A
  few clubs still gather regularly on Zoom, to keep in touch with those
  who are not dancing.


articleid: 395
position: i
type: text
content:
  The WNYF website is beginning to look more normal, with News, Schedule
  and Flyer pages filling out.

  Sidney 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 both the Promenader
  (promenader@rochester.rr.com) and to him directly
  (sidneym@frontiernet.net).

  In addition, for maximum distribution of urgent messages, clubs should
  also consider posting on the &ldquo;SquareDancingRochester&rdquo;
  group Facebook page.


articleid: 395
position: m
type: text
content:
  This is a very sad issue for me, personally, having lost Sally to
  cancer in mid-September. I will be back on the dance floor at some
  point, but it may take a while. Meanwhile, I&rsquo;m staying in close
  touch with many of our dancing friends via Zoom and other electronic
  formats as well as in-person with occasional visits. I&rsquo;ve just
  returned from my granddaughter&rsquo;s wedding in Detroit and
  I&rsquo;m traveling for Thanksgiving with family in New England and
  Christmas in New York.

  I&rsquo;m still concerned about COVID. Our local statistics are all
  going in the wrong direction, so there is clearly more virus
  circulating in our area than one would expect from the concentration
  of medical technology and education that resides here. Our demographic
  appears less at risk than younger folks, maybe because we are more
  careful and because more of us are vaccinated. Let&rsquo;s not let our
  guard down prematurely. I don&rsquo;t fear COVID, but I respect
  it. Viruses have been a part of life for eons and it behooves us to
  pay them the respect they deserve. That just means taking practical
  precautions and availing ourselves of protections ranging from
  behavior (distance and masks) to technology (vaccines and
  therapeutics). In addition to our own self-interest in staying
  healthy, I think we have a duty to our family, friends and the public
  at large to keep ourselves out of the transmission path as best we
  can. That doesn&rsquo;t mean shutting social life down. It just means
  staying aware and taking precautions.

  Peter Emmel, Editor


articleid: 395
position: o
type: text
content:
  <b>A Little Senior Citizen Humor</b>

  A little silver-haired lady calls her neighbor and says, &ldquo;Please
  come over here and help me. I have a killer jigsaw puzzle and I
  can&rsquo;t figure out how to get started.&rdquo;

  Her neighbor asks, &ldquo;What is it supposed to be when it&rsquo;s
  finished?&rdquo;

  The little silver haired lady says, &ldquo;According to the picture on
  the box, it&rsquo;s a rooster.&rdquo;

  Her neighbor decides to go over and help with the puzzle.

  She lets him in and shows him where she has the puzzle spread all over
  the table.

  He studies the pieces for a moment, then looks at the box, then turns
  to her and says, &ldquo;First of all, no matter what we do,
  we&rsquo;re not going to be able to assemble these pieces into
  anything resembling a rooster.&rdquo;

  He takes her hand and says, &ldquo;Secondly, I want you to
  relax. Let&rsquo;s have a nice cup of tea, and then,&rdquo; he said
  with a deep sigh&nbsp;&hellip;

  &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s put all the Corn Flakes back in the box.&rdquo;


articleid: 396
position: a
type: text
content:
  Long-time Rochester-area square dance caller, Mike Callahan, has been
  inducted into the Fairport Central School District&rsquo;s Education Wall of
  Distinction. The November 3, 2021, ceremony included inductees from
  2020 and 2021.

  Fairport&rsquo;s Education Wall of Distinction recognizes individuals in the
  Fairport school community who have had positive, lasting effects on
  the educational process of a student or group of
  students. Congratulations to the following inductees:


articleid: 396
position: c
type: text
content:
  <ul>
    <li>Patrice Cantwell
    <li>Debra Doherty
    <li>Rich Greene
    <li>Kate Kar
    <li>John Kidd
    <li>Amy Samuel
  </ul>


articleid: 396
position: e
type: text
content:
  <ul>
    <li>Mike Callahan
    <li>Midge Marshall
    <li>Joan Rogers
    <li>Bill Tiberio
    <li>Jim Zumbo
  </ul>


articleid: 396
position: g
type: text
content:
  Mike Callahan is a professional square dance caller who has been part
  of the Fairport Physical Education curriculum for over 35 years. He
  just retired and is very well known for his annual Hoedown Showdown
  competitions, every year at Fairport High School. Mike incorporates
  teamwork, cooperation, acceptance of all, and working toward success
  through square dance. A Fairport staff member says of Mike: &ldquo;Although
  some FHS students are hesitant about dancing in the beginning, most
  end up loving the square-dancing unit and the final competition at
  FHS.&rdquo; Former students and graduating seniors have hired Mike to call
  square dancing at their graduation parties. Says an FHS staff member
  of Mike: &ldquo;Students love him and his impact on student fitness is
  immeasurable.&rdquo; Mike&rsquo;s positive energy and professionalism has always
  been a highlight for staff and students.


articleid: 396
position: i
type: text
content:
  I would like to introduce Mr. Mike Callahan. Mr. Callahan is a
  professional square dance caller who has been part of the Fairport
  Physical Education curriculum for over 35 years, He just retired and
  is very well known for his annual Hoedown Showdown competitions, at
  Fairport High School. Mike incorporates teamwork, cooperation,
  acceptance of all, and working toward success through square dance. A
  Fairport staff member says of Mike, &ldquo;Although some FHS students are
  hesitant about dancing in the beginning, most end up loving the
  square-dancing unit and the final competition at FHS.&rdquo; Former students
  and graduating seniors have hired Mike to call square dancing at their
  graduation parties. Says an FHS staff member of Mike: &ldquo;Students love
  him and his impact on student fitness is immeasurable.&rdquo; Mike&rsquo;s
  positive energy and professionalism have always been a highlight for
  staff and students.

  Mike grew up in Chili and attended Aquinas High School. He went on to
  receive a bachelor&rsquo;s degree in English from St. John Fisher
  College. After college, he worked at a bank for two years, and served
  in the army, stationed in Germany. He eventually decided to pursue his
  passion for square dance calling as a career.

  Mike was hired to work with Fairport students in the late 80s, and
  every year since then, he&rsquo;s been sharing his talents and love for
  square dancing with each school in the district. Mr. Callahan&rsquo;s career
  stretches far beyond Fairport, as he has called in Alaska three times,
  as well as Australia and Germany. Mr. Callahan&rsquo;s favorite part of
  working with Fairport schools is how hilarious the staff members
  are. He values the connections he has been able to make with the
  physical education staff, as well as many students, who he says have
  always been friendly and willing to chat.

  Mr. Callahan is extremely proud to be recognized for this distinction
  and says that this is the best award he&rsquo;s ever received. He would like
  to thank his wife for all of her support over the years. I speak on
  behalf of all students and staff at Fairport when I say Mr. Callahan
  has made an extremely positive impact on our community. The joy he
  brings to our district by sharing his love for square dancing is
  unmatched, and the memories students have made with him over the years
  will be cherished forever. Congratulations, Mr. Callahan!

  Reference: <a href=https://fairport.org/district/wall-of-distinction/"">https://fairport.org/district/wall-of-distinction/</a>


articleid: 397
position: 1
type: text
content:
  Sally was born September 13th, 1942, to her parents, Henry W. and
  Pauline Besaw. She graduated from General Brown High School and
  married her high school sweetheart, James Lee on July 28th, 1962.

  She and James had three children, Stephen H. (Sally) Lee, Rebecca
  J. (Ed) Schmitz and Christina (Greg) Speer; and seven grandchildren,
  Michelle Lee (Jeff) Sharts, Christopher Lee, AJ (Bryce) Engelhardt,
  Ashley Schmitz, Elizabeth Schmitz, Lucas Speer and Edward Schmitz; and
  a sister, Nancy Williamson. Sally was predeceased by a brother, Henry
  L. Besaw and a sister, Judy L. Zonver.

  Her primary career was raising children&mdash;her own and many others. She
  loved them all. She was always active in her church which was the
  Hilton Methodist Church for the last 44 years. She sewed many things
  (shirts, pajamas, quilts, COVID masks, etc.) and knitted many articles
  as well.

  Her family would like to extend a special thank you to the Unity IC
  staff and Pastor Jennifer Green.

  A Celebration of Life will be held in the future. Please refer to this
  website obituary again for any updates.

  Donations can be made in memory of Sally to the Hilton United
  Methodist Church, 21 West Avenue, Hilton, NY 14468.

  The obituary is found on the Thomas E. Burger Funeral Home,
  Inc. website at www.burgerfuneralhome.com.

  Look under current obituaries, then click past obituaries and type in
  Sally Lee. Here you will find a beautiful picture of Sally. If you
  click on her picture, you will find many pictures of Sally and her
  family. It is a wonderful treasury of family pictures. Here is the
  direct link:
  https://burgerfuneralhome.com/tribute/details/6464/Sally-Lee/obituary.html#tribute-start

  Square Dancing

  We lost our Sally on December 4th 2021. There are no words to express
  how much she will be missed. Sally Lee was a very treasured member of
  Silver Squares. She went into the hospital very suddenly and died
  within a very short period of time. She was not only the Silver
  Squares co-treasurer with her husband, Jim, but also a smiling and
  friendly face to all who came to our club. She made time to visit with
  the new people and make them feel welcome and special.

  Sally and Jim started dancing in 1979 at Boots and Slippers in
  Hilton. They were the Treasurers at Boots and Slippers until it
  disbanded and then started dancing at Silver Squares, which at that
  time was located at the Redman Club. At this time, they also became
  Treasurers of Silver Squares!

  SALLY LOVED TO DANCE! She absolutely loved square and round dancing
  and as Jim says, &ldquo;She should have been a drummer&mdash;she loved the
  beat.&rdquo; Sally loved all kinds of dancing, but square dancing was
  her favorite.

  Our club will go on, but it will not be the same without Sally. Jim
  continues to come weekly to dance and proudly wears the many different
  masks that Sally made for him. I, for one, cannot sit in Sally&rsquo;s
  chair yet at the membership table. This will take time. One thing we
  can all do to honor Sally is to enjoy each day with family and friends
  and enjoy the love of square dancing


articleid: 398
position: 1
type: text
content:
  Cloverleaf Squares honored its past president, Henry Capron. He recently stepped down as the club&rsquo;s president after six years of leadership. He was awarded a Certificate of Life Membership which the club presents to outstanding contributing members. The certificate stated:

  &ldquo;You exemplify the ideal square dancer in your hospitality, friendship, and leadership. You were a key factor in the success of our 50th anniversary celebration and got the club back on its feet and back to dancing after more than a year of pandemic lockdown. In appreciation for all you have done to help make our club a success over the years, we are awarding you a Lifetime Membership in Cloverleaf Squares Round and Square Dance Club.&rdquo;

  He attended almost all of the club&rsquo;s events often not dancing to allow as many other dancers as possible the opportunity to dance. For six years he opened the dance hall and closed afterward. The club is extremely grateful for all of his years of service and dedication.


articleid: 399
position: 1
type: text
content:
  The Christmas Dinner Dance was amazing! Our dancers came dressed in
  their best attire and had a great time. The dinner was catered by
  Forest Hills and served by members of Silver Squares. Many of our
  wonderful bakers made individual desserts and served them to the
  group. Where could you possibly go on a Monday afternoon and have so
  much fun?


articleid: 400
position: 1
type: text
content:
  We held a Square Dance Exhibition at the Villages at Unity on
  November 17th, 2021. Sally Baechle, one of our experienced square
  dancers, requested we come to the Villages and dance for the
  residents. Mike Callahan called for us and we had an incredible
  afternoon. People kept pouring in to watch and more and more chairs
  needed to be brought into the huge conference room. The Villages
  provided water and snacks and everyone had a really enjoyable time!


articleid: 401
position: 1
type: text
content:
  Hawaiian Day at Silver Squares was great fun. Everyone came dressed
  in their Hawaiian finery: grass skirts, coconuts,
  authentic Hawaiian shirts and whatever one could find. There is no
  better place to be on a Monday afternoon!


articleid: 402
position: 1
type: text
content:
  The Silver Squares made the most of the fact that this year,
  Valentine&rsquo;s Day fell on Monday&mdash;their dance day. They went
  all-in with decorations and, as you can see, made the most of the
  photo booth. Everyone had a wonderful time!


articleid: 403
position: 1
type: text
content:
  Keith was born March 19, 1958 in Auburn to Miles and Florence
  Harter. He grew up in South Hannibal where he was a member of 4H and
  was a graduate of Hannibal High School in 1976. Keith had been
  employed at Travis Floral Shop in Hannibal and was a Square Dance
  Caller since 1980. He was currently employed as a Rural Postal Carrier
  for the United States Post Office in Fulton, a career that he
  thoroughly enjoyed. Keith enjoyed playing golf and he most recently
  attended the Palermo United Methodist Church. He will always be
  remembered for his kindness and being a loving caring man who was
  always willing to help anyone in need. Keith was a good listener and
  would converse with anyone. He always cherished time spent with his
  family along with his extended postal and square dance families. Keith
  was an amazing dad, loving father, best friend and he enjoyed calling
  and dancing with his wife.

  Keith is survived by his wife of 26 years, Jeanne; his children,
  William S. (Olivia Frost) Hudson of Rochester, Alicia M. (Keith) Wise
  of Fulton, Markus A. Harter of Syracuse and Mallory Mae (Joseph Murtha
  II) Harter of Brownville; his siblings, Donna (Philip) Frani of
  Liverpool, Dawn (Lowell) Badgley of Troy, VA, Lois (Charles) Malone of
  Batavia, Lance (Nancy) Harter of Greece and Kent (Kathleen) Harter of
  Phoenix; four grandchildren, Grey Wise, Bram Wise, Jack Hudson and
  Navy Wise as well as several nieces, nephews, great nieces and great
  nephews.

  Calling hours were held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022
  at the Palermo United Methodist Church, 11 County Route 35, Fulton,
  NY. Funeral services were held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022 at
  the Palermo United Methodist Church. Burial will be in the spring at
  White Cemetery in Ira.

  To leave a message of sympathy for the Harter family, please visit
  www.brownfuneralhomefulton.com

  http://www.oswegocountynewsnow.com/obituaries/keith-e-harter/article_b4296bc2-90ca-11ec-b2bb-b37cfc738b48.html

  Comments from Linda English, in announcing Keith&rsquo;s passing to square
  dance friends:

  &ldquo;A longtime friend and former Cut-Up, turned caller, Keith Harter
  has passed due to a heart attack on Tuesday. Keith and Jeanie called
  our Mystery Dance on October 7th this year. We are so saddened to hear
  of his passing, and we offer our sincerest sympathies to his family
  and our greater Square Dance community.&rdquo;

  Keith and Jeanne were a regular guest caller/cuer team in the
  Rochester area, especially at the Copy Cats, and occasionally at
  Dance-O-Rama.


articleid: 404
position: 2
type: text
content:
  While we were optimistic in 2021 that we had turned the corner on
  Covid and that square dancing would be bouncing back in full swing by
  now, the Delta and Omicron variants had different plans. We ended 2021
  with a successful New Year&rsquo;s Eve Dance co-sponsored by the WNYF and
  Copy Cats. The afternoon celebration included 4 squares of dancers and
  10 round dance couples. In addition to dancers from Copy Cats, dancers
  from the following clubs attended: Cloverleafs, Grand Squares,
  Shamrock Squares and Silver Squares. It was a fun time dancing
  together to Jim Gotta calling and cueing as we welcomed in the new
  year.

  So far between Covid and winter weather, several early 2022 dances
  have already been cancelled. Some clubs have temporarily stopped
  dancing, taking a Covid pause until the infection rates are lower. We
  all are being very cautious as we attend various events and
  gatherings, adhering to the various precautions being recommended.

  As you check the dancing schedules in the Promenader for the next few
  months, there are several special dancers coming up&mdash;Valentine&rsquo;s Day,
  Mardi Gras, St Patrick&rsquo;s Day dances, etc. A lot of fun dancing is
  being planned.

  Plans are underway for our 62nd annual Dance-O-Rama (DOR) on Saturday,
  May 14. Please save the date for our afternoon DOR dance at the
  Perinton Recreation Center in Fairport. More information will be
  available shortly; flyers, dance schedules, pre-sale tickets,
  etc. They will be sent to our club presidents to share with their
  members.

  Discussions are currently underway for three Federation-sponsored
  Summer dances. Last year all the Summer dances were very well attended
  despite some challenges with heavy winds and rains. We currently are
  checking into several outside pavilion venues. As soon as we know the
  dates, locations, callers &amp; cuers we will share them with
  everyone.

  We know we all enjoy our dancing and want to share it with others. A
  great way to share square dancing is through demos. If you have any
  ideas or opportunities to demo square dancing, please let the
  Federation know. We will gladly assist with helping obtain a caller,
  getting additional dancers, etc.

  Another resource many of the clubs may not be aware of involves the
  recruitment and retention funding programs the WNY Federation has
  available. At our last WNYF meeting it was unanimously approved to
  re-institute these two funding programs for our member clubs. There
  are two types of financial help that clubs can apply to the
  Federation for:

  1. Promotion / Advertising Reimbursement Program&mdash;limited to up $60
  per member club per calendar year. This reimbursement can be used to
  offset the costs of advertising intended to get new dancers into the
  program. Advertising can include expenses for posting on the Internet,
  radio or print advertising, lawn signs, flyers, etc.

  2. New Dancer Recruitment and Dancer Retention Grant Program&mdash;limited
  up to $125 per member club per calendar year. This can be used for
  special or different events necessary to get new dancers or retain our
  current dancers. Can be for advertising, demo at a community event,
  special dances, etc.

  More information on these grants, the application process and forms
  are the WNYF home page under the Forms and Documentation Tab. Here is
  the weblink:
  http://www.squaredancingrochester.org/formsanddocuments.html

  We recently received notification from the IRS that WNY Federation of
  Square and Round Dancers Inc. has been granted not-for-profit status
  as a 501(c)(3) organization. We want to thank everyone who
  participated in this effort. The process has taken more than a year to
  complete. It first required we be recognized as a charity and
  incorporated in New York State.

  At the onset of Covid in 2020, the Federation was approached about
  accepting donations. Our response at that time was that we were not
  legally structured to do so. We are now able to accept donations as a
  qualified 501(c)(3).

  We look forward to seeing &amp; dancing with you on the dance floor
  sometime soon!

  Please Take Care&mdash;stay well &amp; safe,

  Debbie &amp; Jeff Blood


articleid: 405
position: 1
type: text
content:
  The Copy Cats held their Valentine&rsquo;s Dance on February 19.
  Special thanks go to both Ron Brown for calling and Eileen Webster
  for cueing. Despite Ron&rsquo;s challenging commute both to Rochester
  and return home to Syracuse, a good time was had by all. We enjoyed
  dancing with our guests from Silver Squares and Cloverleaf Squares.


articleid: 406
position: b
type: text
content:
  Welcome to the Spring issue of the Promenader&mdash;a quarterly
  publication of the Western NY Federation of Round and Square Dancers
  Inc. (squaredancingrochester.org)


articleid: 406
position: d
type: text
content:
  The &ldquo;Photos &amp; Features&rdquo; section highlights recent
  activities of two area clubs that have resumed dancing&mdash;the Copy
  Cats and the Silver Squares. Holidays and the onset of winter brought
  out dancers and festive themes. As you will see, Valentines Day was
  specially meaningful in these days of resumed face-to-face gatherings!

  There&rsquo;s also an expression of appreciation, honoring Henry
  Capron for his many contributions to the Cloverleaf Squares.

  A delightful article from Ron Brown brings to life the origins and
  past history of the &ldquo;storied&rdquo; Hip Boot Boys&mdash;renowned
  local callers and entertainers. I stay *past* history because
  surviving &ldquo;Boys&rdquo; Ron Brown and Greg Marling are still busy
  making their future history&mdash;calling, singing and joking round
  our part of the square dance world.

  Please don&rsquo;t miss the &ldquo;President&rsquo;s Corner&rdquo;
  message from Debbie and Jeff Blood, accessible via the
  &ldquo;Federation&rdquo; tab at the top of this page. In this issue
  they highlight the Federation&rsquo;s financial support programs for
  clubs advertising and recruitment/retention efforts.


articleid: 406
position: h
type: text
content:
  Virtual dancing is still active with national and international
  callers, but our local sessions have given way to in-person dancing. A
  few clubs still gather regularly on Zoom, to keep in touch with those
  who are not dancing. The ones I know about are the Silver Squares
  (Mondays at 6:30pm&mdash;contact Anne Granger) and the Village Squares
  (Wednesdays eat 7p.m.&mdash;contact Peter Emmel).


articleid: 406
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content:
  Sidney 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 &ldquo;Breaking News&rdquo; to go on the
  home page. Clubs should also consider posting their news on the
  &ldquo;SquareDancingRochester&rdquo; group Facebook page.


articleid: 406
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  A few things are on my mind at this time. First of all, I loved
  reading Ron&rsquo;s article in this issue about the Hip Boot
  Boys. They are always fun, with their mix of dancing and off-beat
  humor. The Village Squares were pleased for many years, until COVID
  shut it down in 2020, to host their annual New Year&rsquo;s Eve dance
  party. I remember the first time we met them as a group (we already
  knew Ron Brown and Bob Schlenker from individual dances, but had not
  yet met Greg Marling). It was at one of their weekend events in the
  Watson Homestead Retreat, near Painted Post, NY. As all
  &ldquo;newbies&rdquo; did, I fell for one of their many semi-harmless
  pranks. On a subsequent HBB weekend at the same venue, those of us
  from the Village Squares paid them back by performing our original
  skit version of Kenny Rogers&rsquo; song, &ldquo;Lucille.&rdquo; The
  words &ldquo;a wonderful time was had by all&rdquo; were never more
  true!

  Secondly, I want to encourage anyone who cares about maintaining the
  activities of square and round dancing in our area to step up and
  volunteer for one of the open positions on the Federation board
  (and/or at your home club, as well). These are not hard jobs, and in
  the case of Federation roles, they serve the important purpose of
  facilitating inter-club communications and multi-club dance
  events. Such things don&rsquo;t happen on their own. There is always a
  team of dancers whose combined efforts make things happen. Even if you
  see yourself as &ldquo;just a dancer&rdquo; I urge you to offer your
  time&mdash;for a season or two&mdash;to help spread the
  load. It&rsquo;s not fair to leave it to the few who are picking up
  the slack of these two open positions: (1) Vice President and (2)
  Promotions Coordinator.

  Please, please, contact Jeff and Debbie Blood to discuss these
  positions and join the dedicated group of present and past
  contributors to our wonderful activity.

  Thirdly, while I&rsquo;m on the subject of &ldquo;giving back&rdquo;
  to dancing, now is the time for you to nominate a dancer or
  couple&mdash;maybe from your club or maybe another club&mdash;whose
  contributions over the years have been consistently outstanding and
  deserving of the honor of the Daphne-Norma Leadership Award. Please
  click HERE (http://www.squaredancingrochester.org/awards/awards.html)
  for guidelines, including a list of previous recipients and a
  downloadable nomination form.

  And finally, I&rsquo;m still concerned about COVID, but also very
  pleased to see how effective the protections in use at local dances
  has been. After one well-attended dance over the holidays, a dancer
  reported a positive test result. All dancers at that event were
  subsequently notified. As the incubation window went by, nobody at
  that dance reported contracting the virus. Well played! Our
  countermeasures work.

  The Omicron variant seems to be subsiding, but there is no guarantee
  we won&rsquo;t be faced with other variants as time goes by. We are
  part of the natural world, which includes viruses that depend on our
  social behavior to propagate themselves. Our demographic should
  continue being careful, even though most of us are
  vaccinated. Let&rsquo;s not let our guard down prematurely. As I
  mentioned last quarter, I don&rsquo;t fear COVID&mdash;but I respect
  it. Viruses have been a part of life for eons and it behooves us to
  pay them the respect they deserve.

  That just means taking practical precautions and availing ourselves of
  protections ranging from behavior (distance and masks) to technology
  (vaccines and therapeutics). In addition to our own self-interest in
  staying healthy, I personally think we have a duty to our family,
  friends and the public at large to keep ourselves out of the
  transmission path as best we can. That doesn&rsquo;t mean shutting
  social life down. It just means staying aware and taking precautions.


articleid: 406
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  (Sorry for the continued &lsquo;elderly&rsquo; theme, but the older I
  get, the funnier these sound.)

  Two old ladies, Dolly and Ruby, are talking about their grandchildren.

  Dolly says, &ldquo;Every year I send each of my grandchildren a card
  with a generous check inside. I seldom receive a thank you message,
  and they almost never come to visit me!&rdquo;

  Ruby replies, &ldquo;I too send mine a very generous check. I hear
  from them within a week after they receive it. In fact, they each pay
  me a personal visit!&rdquo;

  &ldquo;Wow!&rdquo; exclaimed Dolly &ldquo;How does that happen?&rdquo;

  &ldquo;Very simple, I don&rsquo;t sign the check.&rdquo;


articleid: 407
position: 1
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content:
  Ron Brown and Greg Marling have written a wonderful article covering the background and
  history of the Hip Boot Boys. It starts at their origin in a 1986 New
  Year&rsquo;s Eve skit by Jerry Carmen and Greg Marling, and follows
  them through their fun-filled career and evolution into the popular
  callers and entertainers they are today. The full text with photos is
  posted in this <a href="../png/202203-HipBootBoys.pdf">pdf</a> file.

  Some pictures from the article follow.


articleid: 408
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  On December 18, 2021, the Copy Cats celebrated their 50th year as a
  Club! We thank Debbie and Jeff Blood and their committee who pulled
  together an outstanding evening. The First Baptist Church as
  decorated with everything GOLD from balloons, tablecloth,
  centerpieces and beads for this festive event. Fifty members and
  guests enjoyed a delicious dinner catered by Forest Hill Caterers.
  Ron Brown and Mike Callahan blended their voices calling tunes of the
  last 50 years. Mike surprised Donna LaDonna with a number that he
  called and she danced to when they were teens. As usual, Eileen
  Webster was festive in her Christmas attire and led us through round
  dancing tips with ease and grace. We had five squares and many guests
  to help us celebrate this momentous occasion.


articleid: 409
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  We hope you had a chance to check out our Square-Dancing Display at
  the Webster Public Library. Diane &amp; Richard Cundra arranged for
  the square dance display in the Webster Museum &amp; Historical
  Society display case during the months of March and April.

  The display was located in the center of the library. It included
  write ups of Copy Cats Club history (the club originated as a Xerox
  square dancing club) along with several square-dancing articles,
  sample dancing attire, and several pictures. A poster listing all the
  WNYF member clubs with dance locations and contact information was
  prepared by Anne Granger and Debbie Blood. Special thanks to all those
  dancers who helped or contributed to the display.

  To help promote our square-dancing classes in the Fall, we are in the
  process of contacting several other libraries and community
  organizations in the area to set up similar displays this summer. If
  you are interested in helping with this project, please contact Debbie
  Blood at dfbjvbhome@aol.com or 585-880-9161.

  We are always looking for wonderful ways to promote square
  dancing&hellip; please don&rsquo;t hesitate to share your ideas!


articleid: 410
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  A devoted and much-loved wife, mother, sister and friend was called
  home on March 27, 2022. She is survived by her husband Donald Naulin;
  children Amy (Scott) Sharpstene, James Robinson, Mary Wardwell,
  Melissa (Richard Scigaj) Naulin and James Naulin; seven grandchildren
  Danielle, Briana, Derek, Kimberly, Evan, Garrett and Natalie; sisters
  Bernice (Donald) Belt, and Karslee (Alan) Alcott; brother John (Mary
  Beth) Jameson; sisters-in-law Pamela Redmond, Kathy (Robert) Brown and
  Mary Naulin; and numerous nieces and nephews. Her family meant the
  world to her.

  She was the second child of John and Shirley Jameson born on February
  25, 1938, in Cortland NY. She attended Geneseo State Teachers College
  and became a teacher after she graduated. She worked for many years at
  Lightnin after teaching. She was married to John Robinson and had
  three children with him. After their divorce she met and fell in love
  with her current husband Donald and they were married in May,
  1983. She added two more children to her life. She loved her family as
  was shown as she established the bi-annual family reunions that are
  still held. She supported her children and grandchildren in the
  activities they were involved in. She cheered them on at their
  sporting events, concerts and musicals, etc.

  Eunie loved to sew and made everything from dolls to clothing to
  quilts and collectibles. She was active in square dancing with
  Tecumseh, EKO squares, Country Twirlers and many other Rochester
  clubs. She enjoyed attending the national conventions. She loved to go
  camping with her family and friends, both in the local region as well
  as around the country. She enjoyed the local arts, including plays at
  Geva Theatre and many other local theaters. She thrived on the vast
  variety of music that always seemed to be playing in her home.

  A memorial service celebrating Eunie&rsquo;s life was held on Saturday
  May 7, 2022 at 11 am at The Church of the Epiphany on Buffalo Road in
  Gates, NY, where Eunie was a long-time member. A reception was held
  following the service. In lieu of flowers a donation can be made to
  the Alzheimer&rsquo;s Association or the Hearing Loss Association of
  America in Eunie&rsquo;s honor.


articleid: 411
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  Cloverleaf Squares graduated thirteen dancers this past April. Our new
  dancers are John Anderson, Chuck Cordaro, Emily Cordaro, Laurie
  Cordaro, Pete Flynn, Barb Jackson, Liz Marr, Phil Marr, Walter
  Meisenzahl, Carol Pietrzykowski, Marilyn Stalker, Bonnie Swanson, and
  Paul Sutton. Many were from the previous class which was interrupted
  by the recent pandemic. Some had previous square dancing experience
  like Paul Sutton. Paul was a founding member of the Cloverleaf square
  dance club and was a past treasurer and director. We also had Sue Eddy
  complete the class but as a &ldquo;left side&rdquo; dancer this time
  around. Cloverleaf members, Jim Gotta, Becky Sabin, Jerry Barker,
  Henry Capron, and Marie Gorse officiated the ceremony.

  After a brief graduation ceremony, our new dancers demonstrated their
  skills by dancing as twosome couples. Each dancer paired with another
  dancer and danced as if they were one dancer. That couple danced with
  another couple as their partner. As a twosome, one person used her
  left outside hand and the other dancer used her right outside hand.


articleid: 412
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  This Daphne-Norma Leadership Award was established 45 years ago. Since
  1977, this award is given to a person or couple who have made
  significant contributions toward fostering square dancing activities
  in Western New York. It is the highest honor awarded in our
  square-dancing community.

  Jeff and Debbie Blood, recipients of the 2020 award, were very honored
  to present this year&rsquo;s award to Donna and Rick LaDonna. Donna
  and Rick are a very special couple&mdash;always ready, willing and
  able to assist our square-dancing community in any endeavor. Over the
  years you have seen them at everything, always helping: dances, demos,
  DOR, MS fundraisers, Jerry Carmen walks, picnics, serving as
  Federation officers and as officers for more than one club.

  Here are quotes taken from several of the nomination sheets the
  committee received for Donna and Rick:

  &ldquo;Whenever they are asked to help with a task, the response is
  always: We would be happy to help in any capacity, just let us know
  where you need us.&rdquo;

  &ldquo;They do whatever is needed to keep the clubs and square dancing
  going&rdquo;

  &ldquo;They consistently go above and beyond for all of square
  dancing.&rdquo;

  Donna and Rick began square dancing in the Fall of 2012.

  Currently, they are Co-Presidents of the Copy Cats. They recently
  returned to this leadership role due to unplanned officer
  vacancies. In the past they served terms as the Copy Cats Vice
  Presidents, Presidents, and Past Presidents. They keep members well
  informed of upcoming square dance activities, fundraisers and the
  health of club members. Even when they are out of town, they stay
  connected with the club. They also serve as Co-Secretaries on the
  Village Squares Board.

  In addition to their club activities, this couple also has been very
  actively supporting the Federation. They have been co-treasurers of
  the Federation since July, 2019.


articleid: 413
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  Last Spring, the Grand Squares joined a rather elite group of Square
  Dance Clubs which have danced for 60 years. As a spinoff of the old
  barn dances of Americana, a new form of social gathering&mdash;casual
  but programmed dancing called Western Square Dancing was born in the
  1950&rsquo;s. Formed in 1957, Genesee Dancers was the first Square
  Dance club in Rochester. Following their lead, a group of four couples
  from the Lima area decided to form a club in Lima. They held their
  first dance in March of 1961 in the basement of the Lima Town Hall and
  consequently named themselves the Lima Grand Squares. Members came not
  only from the Avon and Lima areas but from as far away as Victor,
  Geneseo, Batavia and Wellsville. Their dance schedule included
  dinners, barbecues, socials, themed dances and costumed parties as
  well as the square dancing, and Lima Grand Squares soon became known
  as the friendliest club around. Their history even records chartering
  a bus to take members to visit other local dancing clubs. (maybe
  Cayuga Cut-Ups, which has also been dancing for over 60 years). Many
  clubs are no longer in existence, but over the years, of the
  dedication of our members and officers, and also our faithful guests,
  has enabled us to survive and celebrate this momentous occasion.

  Since Grand Squares&rsquo; initial dance location was in the basement
  of the Town Hall, without air conditioning, it proved too warm for
  summer dancing. Seeking an alternate site, it was decided to hold
  dances from June to September at a barn in East Bloomfield. When
  seeking a design for the club badge and banner, members affectionately
  chose a picture of this structure for the club&rsquo;s identifying
  symbol and it remains so today. It&rsquo;s not the original location,
  but we get a chance to occasionally have that real barn feeling when
  Alan and Ellen host a dance fund raiser at their barn in Bloomfield.

  Don Stumbo was Lima Grand Squares first caller and called for 14
  years. It is interesting to note that our present caller, Mike
  Callahan, made his first appearance at Grand Squares on New
  Year&rsquo;s Eve 1968 to fill in for Don who was down with the
  flu. After a few short-term callers (Dick Casper, Gary Brandt, Jerry
  Carmen and Will Herzog among others), Gary Bubel began calling in the
  late 70&rsquo;s for the class, and a few years later took over duties
  for both class and club dances. Due to gradual decline of local
  membership, the club first changed its name to the Grand Squares of
  Lima and then to just the Grand Squares. They continued to use the
  Lima Town Hall as their primary dance site for many years. In the
  1990&rsquo;s they danced for a few years at the Lima Elementary
  School.

  Another change was on the horizon as the club welcomed in the new
  century. Several reasons prompted the search for a different dance
  location and in the Fall of 2001, Roth Middle School (now known as
  Roth Junior High) in Henrietta became the club&rsquo;s new home. Our
  next change occurred in 2005 when Gary announced he was cutting back
  on regular dance commitments and we needed to secure another
  caller. Luckily, Mike Callahan had Thursday evenings free and agreed
  to be our regular caller. We used the smaller cafeteria for many years
  and, after surviving the remodeling projects, have been lucky to be
  granted use of their present cafeteria location. The school staff has
  been very good in accommodating us, and we appreciate the tireless
  efforts of the custodial staff in setting up and taking down our
  dancing and visiting areas.

  We can&rsquo;t claim to have any of the original members still dancing
  but we do have several dancers present who have memories of the way it
  was many years ago. I&rsquo;ll bet Barb Miller, Matt and Gail Berger,
  Jerry and Helen Bischoping and Terry Irvine could tell you many a
  story. Here&rsquo;s a hair-raising story from Gary Bubel:

  Years ago, one of the more gregarious and flamboyant members, Bob
  LaBore, who danced at the club with his wife, Jean, got the idea to
  take the whole club to a distant dance. He borrowed the bus from his
  church&rsquo;s youth ministry and drove the group to Canada, where
  they danced with the Rainbow Squares in Niagara Falls. As he drove, he
  talked and laughed all the way, so somebody had to sit behind him and
  remind him to stay in lane on the Thruway. Everyone had a great time
  at the dance, but the bus wouldn&rsquo;t start for the trip home. The
  fix was a group effort with a lot of advice given and sleeves rolled
  up, ending in successful repair of the battery connection. Somehow,
  all got home safe and sound&hellip;and repeated the trip again the
  following year. The Rainbow Squares reciprocated, bringing a busload
  to the Grand Squares&mdash;fun for all, and great memories.


articleid: 414
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  Surviving 60 years of most anything is certainly an accomplishment. A
  lot of factors have to align. On May 20th, members of the Grand
  Squares, along with visitors from neighboring clubs and even a couple
  from not-so-near&mdash;the Dalton Gang&mdash;joined to celebrate
  the survival of the Grand Squares. As can be seen from our history,
  many changes have occurred in 60 years, but the resilience and
  dedication of officers and dancers, past and present, have made this
  evening possible.

  Our regular caller, Mike Callahan, drew from songs and calls of the
  past and was joined for a special tip by our past (and still active)
  caller Gary Bubel. And our member, Terry Irvine, added to the special
  evening by leading one of her variety of line dances&mdash;a unique
  but regular feature at Grand Squares dances.

  We shared cake and snacks, but also a renewal of friendship with those
  present. The ever-present COVID virus, I&rsquo;m sure, diminished
  attendance, but we are grateful to all who braved the threat and
  joined us in making this an evening to remember.


articleid: 415
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  Just a quick note to thank everyone for participating in DOR 2022.

  Whether you helped set up, made a basket to be raffled, greeted
  dancers at the door, registered dancers, called or cued, sold 50/50
  tickets, sold basket raffle tickets, helped with the graduates, took
  pictures or videos, or stayed after to clean-up, we appreciated
  everyone&rsquo;s efforts and support.

  It was so nice to have a full dance floor again on Saturday
  afternoon. It has been a long 3 years since our last DOR. We were
  pleased so many dancers were able to attend.

  This year&rsquo;s basket raffle was a huge success. We appreciated the
  overwhelming generosity from both individual dancers and our clubs. We
  raffled 13 gift baskets. When planning for the basket raffle earlier
  this year, we had only anticipated a few baskets.

  We were glad so many of our graduates attended DOR. We were able to
  recognize our 33 graduates from the classes of 2020&ndash;2022 at DOR
  with Eileen Webster&rsquo;s help. It has been a challenging time to
  learn square dancing and they are doing great.

  Special Thanks to the members of the DOR 2022 Committee, we appreciate
  all you do:

  Linda &amp; Glynn English Lorraine &amp; Gary Granath

  Anne Granger Jane &amp; Stu Jones

  Donna &amp; Rick LaDonna Sharon &amp; Chuck Meyer

  Mary Jo &amp; David Webster


articleid: 416
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  President&rsquo;s Corner June 1, 2022

  Like flowers in the warm spring weather, square dancing is blooming!
  Several Clubs are dancing and many upcoming events are being planned
  throughout our dancing area. Our snowbird dancers returned in time
  for DOR, and we are starting to enjoy more dancers and squares on the
  floor.

  Some exciting events are being planned for this summer.

  This Summer the WNYF is sponsoring three Saturday Afternoon Summer
  Dances in open-air pavilions. Last year&rsquo;s pavilion summer dances
  were so much fun, we hope you will save the dates for these Saturday
  dances: 6/18/22, 7/16/22, 8/27/22. For details, see our article in the
  Promenader &ldquo;Photos and Features&rdquo; section and download the
  flyer from the &ldquo;Ads and Flyers&rdquo; section.

  Please save the date for a WNYF square dance demonstration at the
  Greece Historical Society &amp; Museum Annual Strawberry Festival on
  Monday 6/20/22 at Greece Town Hall Pavilion&mdash;next to Senior
  Center at 3 Vince Tofany Blvd.

  The event runs from 4&ndash;7 pm and is a fund raiser for the
  historical society. We have been told there will be several desserts
  to choose from along with food trucks with hots and hamburgers. What a
  wonderful way to start the summer sharing our square dancing at this
  public event. Mike Callahan will be calling for this
  demonstration. (For details, see Promenader article and flyer.)

  Promotions Task Force (PTF) established

  At the WNYF meeting on April 11, a Promotions Task Force and budget
  were approved. The focus of this group is to help our member clubs
  promote square dancing from now until October through the following
  avenues:
  <ol style="list-style-type:lower-alpha">
    <li>Print promotions&mdash;Contact local newspapers, Penny savers,
    free community radio &amp; TV
    <li>Live square dance demos at local community events
    <li>Displays at local libraries and community
    organizations&mdash;This started with the Webster library display
    (see Promenader article) but we are currently in contact with
    3&ndash;4 other libraries. Also, the Greece Historical Society has
    already approved us setting up a square dance display there.
    <li>Lawn signs&mdash;Determine needs and order signs.
  </ol>
  Several excellent volunteers have joined the PTF. If you would be
  interested in working on any of the four above mentioned action items,
  please let us know, we definitely need more help. Our dancer
  population has been severely reduced in the past two years due to
  COVID and the shut downs. Hopefully, with the efforts of this task
  force we will assist our member clubs with restarting and rebuilding
  by encouraging people to try the square dance classes being planned at
  many clubs for September.

  We look forward to seeing you on the dance floor!


articleid: 417
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content:
  At the WNYF meeting on April 11, a Promotions Task Force and budget
  were approved. The focus of this group is to help our member clubs
  promote square dancing from now until October through the following
  avenues:

  Print promotions&mdash;Contact local newspapers, Penny savers, free
  community radio &amp; TV

  Live square dance demonstrations&mdash;at local community events

  Displays at local libraries and community organizations&mdash;This
  started with the Webster library display (see Promenader article) but
  we are currently in contact with 3&ndash;4 other libraries. Also, the
  Greece Historical Society has already approved us setting up a square
  dance display there.

  Lawn signs&mdash;Determine needs and order signs.

  Several excellent volunteers have joined the PTF. If you would be
  interested in working on any of the four above mentioned action items,
  please let us know, we definitely need more help.

  Our dancer population has been severely reduced in the past two years
  due to COVID and the shut downs. Hopefully, with the efforts of this
  task force we will assist our member clubs with restarting and
  rebuilding by encouraging people to try the square dance classes being
  planned at many clubs for September.


articleid: 418
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content:
  This Summer the WNYF is sponsoring three Saturday Afternoon Summer
  Dances in open-air pavilions. Last year&rsquo;s pavilion summer dances
  were so much fun, we hope you will save the dates for these dances in
  2022 listed below, and check the flyer posted in the Promenader
  &ldquo;Ads and Flyers&rdquo; section.


articleid: 419
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  On Monday 6/20/22 the WNYF will hold a square dance demonstration at
  the Greece Town Hall Pavilion&mdash;next to their Senior
  Center&mdash;at 3 Vince Tofany Blvd.

  The event runs from 4pm to 7 pm and is a fund raiser for the
  historical society.

  We have been told there will be several desserts to choose from, along
  with food trucks selling hots and hamburgers. What a wonderful way to
  start the summer sharing our square dancing at this public event. Mike
  Callahan will be calling for this demonstration.

  We hope you will join us!

  We must provide a list of volunteer square dancers for the demo by
  Saturday, 6/18, so let us know if you plan to attend.

  We are hoping to have two squares &amp; few additional dancers to
  help with the square dance info booth.

  There will be two demo sessions: 15 to 20 minutes each, one at 5 pm
  and one at 6 pm.

  Dancers will be admitted free. If they want to enjoy the dessert
  tastings they need to pay $8 admission fee.


articleid: 420
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content:
  Lise Rosenfield sent us the following update on the Finger Lakes Area
  Council of clubs, whose website and newsletter she manages:

  FLAC clubs are still recovering from COVID. One club has announced its
  demise, several others are still waiting to find out if they can start
  again (mostly because of lack of able dancers, some because of lack of
  venue, one because it also lost its caller, Keith Harter).

  The FLAC website has been updated and is the go-to source of
  information for Finger Lakes dancers. The &ldquo;Coordinator&rdquo;
  (FLAC Newsletter) will no longer be published, unless there is an
  uptick of dancers instead of COVID cases.

  The Ithaca Sunday Squares (a caller-run club) is doing well, in a new
  wonderful venue, and getting new dancers&mdash;their dances are free for
  all vaccinated dancers.

  Happy dancing!  Lise

  FLAC&rsquo;s website is found at https://squaredancefingerlakes.com


articleid: 421
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content:
  The Photos and Features section highlights recent activities of area
  clubs and the WNY Federation. Most of our clubs are back to dancing,
  except those who still lack a caller and/or a venue. You&rsquo;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.

  The lead-off article introduces a new idea for promoting square
  dancing through displays in public spaces. The article describes the
  first of these, which was in the Webster Historical Society case at
  Webster&rsquo;s Pubic Library throughout March and April. The display
  centered around the Copy Cats, a club tied to Webster through the its
  roots in Xerox. The display included square dance clothing and other
  items, plus an array of information on all area clubs.

  Other articles in this issue include the 2022 Dance-O-Rama festival,
  covering the parade of graduates and the Daphne-Norma Leadership award
  presentation; the Cloverleafs class graduation of thirteen dancers;
  the Grand Squares&rsquo; milestone 60th Anniversary Dance and the
  story of their club since its first dance in 1961.

  There are also articles on WNY Federation initiatives, such as the
  program of summer dances, a task force to address the special need for
  promotion of square dancing to recruit new prospective dancers for
  fall classes, and a dance demonstration to be held at the annual
  Strawberry Festival held by the Greece Historical Society &amp; Museum
  on June 20.

  We&rsquo;ve also posted an article received from the Finger Lakes Area
  Council (FLAC) on the overall status of clubs in their area.


articleid: 421
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content:
  The COVID virus is still with us. A few clubs have not resumed, and
  those that are dancing are taking precautions. Before you attend a
  dance, be sure to check their flyer, or check with their club contact
  listed under &ldquo;Clubs&rdquo; on this website, or check their
  posting in the &ldquo;Club News&rdquo; section. Most are requiring
  full vaccination and some are requiring that masks be worn at least
  part of the time.


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content:
  Virtual dancing is still active with national and international
  callers, but our local sessions have given way to in-person dancing. A
  few clubs still gather regularly on Zoom, to keep in touch with those
  who are not dancing. The ones I know about are the Silver Squares
  (Mondays at 6:30pm&mdash;contact Anne Granger) and the Village Squares
  (Wednesdays at 7pm&mdash;contact Peter Emmel).


articleid: 421
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type: text
content:
  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 &ldquo;Breaking News&rdquo; to go on the
  home page. Clubs should also consider posting their news on the
  &ldquo;SquareDancingRochester&rdquo; group Facebook page.


articleid: 421
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type: text
content:
  In this issue we say farewell to Eunice (&ldquo;Eunie&rdquo;) Naulin,
  beloved wife of Silver Squares co-president Don Naulin.


articleid: 421
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type: text
content:
  It has been very impressive how well the &ldquo;square dance
  community&rdquo; responded to the COVID pandemic. Considering that
  square dancing is by definition a contact activity, it is remarkable
  that our area clubs have navigated through more than two years without
  any dance becoming a spreader event.

  Before most of us were vaccinated, area leaders got together online
  and adapted to lockdowns&mdash;dancing via Zoom and dancing
  outdoors. Later, when vaccines became widely available they worked out
  protocols that have kept dancers safe. Positive cases reported by
  dancers have been very few, and those have remained isolated. They
  have not spread through dancing. That may change as more people become
  more relaxed, but with therapeutic medications becoming widely
  available, the personal risks are dropping toward those of the
  familiar flu and common cold.

  In the post-COVID world, all of us in square dancing will need to
  redouble our recruitment efforts. That&rsquo;s what the WNYF&rsquo;s
  new &ldquo;Promotions Task Force&rdquo; is all about. A small number
  of leaders from area clubs are focusing efforts to raise public
  awareness of square dancing&mdash;America&rsquo;s Folk Dance. If you
  have ideas and/or would like to help out with this crucial effort,
  please contact Jeff &amp; Debbie Blood. Your help is needed. For a
  glimpse at what this group is up to, I encourage you to read the
  article in the &ldquo;Photos and Features&rdquo; section.

  Even those who aren&rsquo;t able to volunteer for an organized effort
  should still be in &ldquo;recruiting mode&rdquo; 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.


articleid: 421
position: o
type: text
content:
  I was visiting my son the other night, when I asked if I could borrow
  a newspaper.

  &ldquo;Dad, this is the 21st century,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I
  don&rsquo;t waste my money on newspapers. But if you like, you can
  borrow my iPad.&rdquo;

  I can tell you this: That spider never knew what hit him!


articleid: 418
position: c
type: text
content:
  1&ndash;3:30 pm at: Post 8495 VFW Pavilion
  <br>
  300 Macedon Center Rd., Fairport NY 14450
  <br>
  Squares &amp; Rounds 2x2 $7 per person
  <br>
  Caller: Mike Callahan Cuer: Eileen Webster


articleid: 418
position: e
type: text
content:
  at Barnard Restaurant Pavilion
  <br>
  360 Maiden Lane., Rochester NY 14616

  Dance&mdash;1&ndash;5:00 pm with Buffet Dinner to follow
  <br>
  Advanced, Mainstream, Plus &amp; Rounds
  <br>
  Callers: Ron Brown &amp; Dave Eno Cuer: Chuck Meyer
  <br>
  Prepaid Dance Tickets $8 per person ($10 at the door)

  Buffet Dinner&mdash;must reserve by Wednesday July 6th 2022
  <br>
  $17 per person (need at least 50 dinners)
  <br>
  Hots, Hamburgers, BBQ Chicken, Salt Potatoes, Baked Ziti, Baked Beans
  <br>
  &amp; Toss Green Salad. Bottled Water will be provided


articleid: 418
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type: text
content:
  1&ndash;3:30 pm at the Post 8495 VFW Pavilion
  <br>
  300 Macedon Center Rd., Fairport NY 14450
  <br>
  Squares &amp; Rounds 2x2 $7 per person
  <br>
  Caller: Gary Bubel Cuer: Alice Bubel


articleid: 422
position: a
type: text
content:
  One of the many Dance-O-Rama highlights is the annual parade of graduates. These are our new dancing friends who have completed the past season of Mainstream Square-Dancing classes at clubs in our Federation.

  Many established dancers already know our new dancers&mdash;from serving as class angels or from the season&rsquo;s many &ldquo;class/club&rdquo; dances. But the annual parade is their official welcome into the Rochester-area dancing community.

  The June Promenader issue is our opportunity to congratulate this year&rsquo;s graduates by name.


articleid: 422
position: d
type: text
content:
  Bertollini, Shane (2021)<br>
  Kinne, Colleen (2021)<br>
  Potter, Dave (2022)<br>
  Rathburn, BJ (2022)<br>
  Rathburn, Samali (2022)<br>
  Whitmore, Jean (2021)<br>
  Witchey, Carol (2022)


articleid: 422
position: f
type: text
content:
  Anderson, John (2022)<br>
  Cordaro, Chuck (2022)<br>
  Cordaro, Emily (2022)<br>
  Cordaro, Laurie (2022)<br>
  Flynn, Pete (2022)<br>
  Jackson, Barb (2022)<br>
  Marr, Liz (2022)<br>
  Marr, Phil (2022)<br>
  Meisenzahl, Walter (2022)<br>
  Pietrzykowski, Carol (2022)<br>
  Stalker, Marilyn (2022)<br>
  Sutton, Paul (2022)<br>
  Swanson, Bonnie (2022)


articleid: 422
position: h
type: text
content:
  Allis, Frances (2020)<br>
  Ankrom, Dennis (2020)<br>
  Barnett, Robin (2020)<br>
  Goodell, Mary Ellen (2020)<br>
  Theurer, Hank (2020)<br>
  Theurer, Lea (2020)<br>
  Vangraafeiland, Debbie (2020)<br>
  Vangraafeiland, Paul (2020)


articleid: 422
position: j
type: text
content:
  Holly, Jeff (2022)<br>
  Holly, Melissa (2022)<br>
  Kawalewski, Toni (2021)<br>
  Kemp, Lynette (2020)<br>
  Milroy, Adrian (2022)


articleid: 423
position: 1
type: text
content:
  President&rsquo;s Corner September 1, 2022

  The past few months have been exciting with several dances, demos,
  promotional activities etc. A few more clubs returned to the dance
  floor. Batavia Silver Stars, Village Squares and Pairs N Squares. The
  Federation sponsored three summer fun dances on Saturday
  afternoons. It has been fun to stay in touch during the summer with
  our dancing family.

  Currently many clubs and even the Federation are operating without all
  their leadership positions filled.

  There is so much behind the scenes planning that goes into everything
  we do, whether it is a dance, ice cream social, pie night, picnics,
  DOR Dances, etc. Because we want to continue to offer the fantastic
  dancing programs as we have done in prior years, we need more help
  from our dancing members. This is at both the Federation and club
  level. If you are available and want to help out, please let your club
  leadership or Federation leadership know. As the tasks are being more
  spread out to others, it is easier on everyone. Any way you can offer
  to help will be appreciated, whether it is helping with making calls
  on a club phone tree, printing dance flyers, cutting coupons for the
  troops, submitting articles to the Promenader, helping proof reading
  the Promenader, arriving early or staying late to help set up or clean
  up after dances, we really need you.

  Currently all our member clubs are planning to offer dance programs in
  September. Several clubs are holding open houses and offering square
  dance classes. Please continue to check the Promenader and our
  Facebook page, Square Dancing Rochester, for the current dance
  schedules.

  The Federation&rsquo;s Promotions Task Force has been very busy. The
  square dance demo at the Greece Historical Society&rsquo;s annual fund
  raiser in June was well attended by our dancers, we had 35 dancers
  participating. The Historical Society announced that over 500 people
  attended that event. Thanks again to Mike Callahan for calling the
  demo for us.

  Community and library displays are keeping us busy. Diane Cundra
  organized the Webster library display back in April. She actively
  contacted many other libraries and we plan to create similar displays
  at the Henrietta, Penfield and Pittsford libraries this Fall. Starting
  Sept 1st, The Greece Historical Society is providing us an entire room
  at their center on Long Pond Rd to display Square Dance attire and
  information on Square Dancing. The timing is perfect, just before our
  clubs start their Open Houses and Fall classes. Anne Granger, Don
  Naulin along with Jeff and Debbie Blood are coordinating this display
  at the Greece Historical Society.

  The &ldquo;55 Plus&rdquo; magazine focuses on the following
  qualities&mdash;healthy activity, mentally challenging, physically
  active and socially interactive. Our dancing matched their criteria
  perfectly. In addition to interviewing us in July, their reporter
  attended the Federations Barnard Dance &amp; Dinner on July 16 to
  interview dancers and take photos. We are looking forward to seeing
  their Sept/Oct issue featuring an article on square &amp; round
  dance. This timing should be a perfect promotion for our Fall classes
  start up. Mike Callahan is preparing a square dance article for the
  &ldquo;Westside News&rdquo; that we plan to share with several other
  area publications. We also are in process of setting up a few radio
  &amp; TV interviews as well.

  Special thanks to the 2022 Promotions Task Force members for all their
  efforts promoting square and round dancing:

  Ronni Camiolo, Mike Callahan, Peter Emmel, Dave Eno, Gil Porter, Donna
  &amp; Rick LaDonna and Debbie &amp; Jeff Blood

  Our new lawn signs are in and were distributed at the July 16th dance
  at Barnard. Anyone wanting to add QR codes to any of their existing
  signs, just contact Jeff Blood. He has printed and laminated several
  QR codes to fit the previous Learn to Square Dance signs.

  Our first Federation Meeting for 2022&ndash;23 is on Wednesday, September 21,
  and will be a Zoom session. The DOR meeting is scheduled at 6:30 p.m.
  and Federation Meeting will follow at approximately 7:30 p.m. Anyone
  interested in being on the DOR committee in any other capacity, please
  let us know.

  We are looking forward to seeing you on the dance floor.

  Take Care,

  Debbie &amp; Jeff Blood


articleid: 424
position: 2
type: text
content:
  Attribution:<br>
  This article, written by John Addyman, dated August 16, 2022, appears
  in the Sept/Oct issue of &ldquo;55 Plus&rdquo; magazine. The magazine
  is free and is distributed in many locations around the Rochester
  area including Wegmans, fitness clubs, libraries, hospitals,
  doctors&rsquo; offices, and other locations.

  <a
  href="https://www.roc55.com/features/square-dancing-is-kicking-up-its-heels-again/">https://www.roc55.com/features/square-dancing-is-kicking-up-its-heels-again/</a>


articleid: 424
position: 3
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content:
  It was the first thing that struck you. People started arriving just a
  few minutes before the event started on a Saturday afternoon in
  July. They were dressed casually and comfortably because of the
  heat. Ducking into the shade of the pavilion of the party house, they
  signed in.

  And every one of them was smiling. No shy smiles. No perfunctory
  smiles. No prim polite smiles. But big smiles. Grateful
  smiles. Ready-to-have-fun smiles.

  What was being served here, anyway?

  Then the music started. In seconds, the pavilion transformed into a
  dance hall at 1 p.m. On a day too hot and humid to cut your grass,
  people were dancing&mdash;square dancing.

  The Western New York Federation of Square and Round Dancers organized
  the event at Barnard Restaurant &amp; Party House in Greece.

  Co-presidents Debbie and Jeff Blood live right down the road and were
  playing hosts.

  A photographer was trying to get a shot of the two. They smiled and
  walked away.

  &ldquo;We have to dance,&rdquo; Debbie explained.

  The Bloods have accounting backgrounds. Jeff worked at Park Ridge
  Hospital for 23 years, and then became a consultant for Coordinated
  Care Services. Debbie worked in public accounting, then for General
  Railway Signal, for five years and finally at Wegmans for 34 years&mdash;in accounting, management, and as an auditor.

  &ldquo;I loved being an auditor,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Our last 10 years Jeff and I
  had great jobs and we could travel together and still work because we
  could work remotely.&rdquo;

  The Bloods have a son and daughter and five grandchildren. And like
  thoughtful parents, their house has obvious set-aside areas for their
  young visiting grandkids.


articleid: 424
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type: text
content:
  &ldquo;With square dancing, we were both working in accounting when we got
  married, and we were working more than six days a week in tax season,
  we&rsquo;d be working on weekends, but we always saved Tuesday night as date
  night and we&rsquo;d go dancing with our friends,&rdquo; Debbie added.

  In America, square dancing got its start in the 1700s, died out in the
  1800s, and got kick-started again after World War II.

  But after the pandemic put a dent in membership and activities, square
  dancing (where eight people dance together in a &ldquo;square&rdquo;) and round
  dancing (for couples) are just coming back, slowly.

  &ldquo;COVID really hit us hard,&rdquo; Debbie said. &ldquo;We lost a lot of people who
  moved to be with family, with their parents or kids or someone else.&rdquo;

  &ldquo;We had 20 clubs in the federation back in 2019,&rdquo; Jeff added.

  There are 14 clubs now, with two more expected to become live again
  this fall. The federation has member clubs from Buffalo to the other
  side of Syracuse, from the Rochester area south to Bath and Ithaca.

  &ldquo;Square-dancing clubs can range from 15 members to 120, but all those
  people may not be actively dancing. Copy Cats is the largest club and
  it originated at Xerox,&rdquo; Debbie explained.

  &ldquo;Copy Cats has 120 members but they&rsquo;re down to 70&ndash;80 now,&rdquo; Jeff
  said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;ll come back. Our members are not spring chickens; they&rsquo;re
  in their 60s, 70s and 80s. People age out. You simply can&rsquo;t dance like
  you used to. Family activities arise that they enjoy as much as
  dancing, and after COVID, some people just haven&rsquo;t come back to
  dancing.&rdquo;

  And that might explain the big smiles on the folks who gathered this
  hot afternoon. They represented many clubs and they came ready to
  dance.

  Ron Brown has &ldquo;called&rdquo; square dancing for decades, providing the
  directions and pacing for a square dance &ldquo;tip&rdquo; that normally lasts
  about 15 minutes. He points out that dancing is low-impact exercise, a
  social experience and a mental exercise&mdash;the three things that keep all
  of us moving ahead in life. And yes, square dancing is unabashedly
  fun.

  In an article he wrote on the benefits of square dancing, Brown
  described how the movement strengthens muscle and bone, exercises the
  heart and challenges the mind.

  &ldquo;Square dancing provides an opportunity to develop strong social ties,
  which can contribute to self-esteem and a positive outlook,&rdquo; he added.

  &ldquo;After COVID, the clubs went back to dancing very gradually,&rdquo; Debbie
  said. &ldquo;We dance in schools, in churches and sometimes in community
  centers.&rdquo; And because COVID was an issue that hung in the air, clubs
  that had live dancing had to comport with the rules of each facility&mdash;some rules that are still in practice.

  Debbie said the Copy Cats dancers &ldquo;had to disinfect all the chairs
  before we left and sanitize the bathrooms.&rdquo; At a live dance, everyone
  uses hand sanitizer after each tip.

  Many clubs resorted to dancing on Zoom, and some still have that
  option out of fear of a resurgent COVID.

  &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t social-distance in square dancing,&rdquo; Jeff pointed
  out. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re constantly touching hands, shaking hands, and going
  around in circles. There was a big fear of COVID in square
  dancing. But, it never happened. We recognized the issue and took
  extra precautions. We danced whole dances with masks on. If someone
  told us the next day that a dancer had tested positive, we would
  follow protocols and skip the next dance.

  &ldquo;There was never an outbreak because we were so precautious,&rdquo; he
  stressed.

  &ldquo;Last year, the federation was critical in helping provide the clubs
  with guidelines to return safely to dancing,&rdquo; Debbie said.

  Two member club presidents worked to establish protocols that were
  shared with everyone.


articleid: 424
position: 7
type: text
content:
  The Bloods were married in 1978 and each has an accounting background.

  &ldquo;I started with a CPA firm where the husband was a CPA and the wife
  had her own finance company. Jeff and I were getting married and
  studying for the CPA exam and all that. They said when things calm
  down, &lsquo;You&rsquo;ve got to try square dancing and they wouldn&rsquo;t leave us
  alone. I said to Jeff, &lsquo;We&rsquo;ve got to go square dancing.&rsquo; We did, and
  we fell in love with it. We danced for 15 years, and then with two
  kids and our jobs, we took a break.

  &ldquo;We got back to it in 2016 at the annual Snowflake Dance with the Copy
  Cats. We walked in and we knew the caller, Ron Brown. We didn&rsquo;t
  dance. We were petrified to dance and we just watched. They said to us
  after, &lsquo;Why don&rsquo;t you join our class?&rsquo; The class had started in
  September and we&rsquo;d be joining it in January, so we joined and
  graduated with the class in May, and have been dancing ever since.&rdquo;

  You don&rsquo;t just walk into a square dance and start high-struttin&rsquo;.

  There&rsquo;s a language to learn and moves to master&mdash;about 60 of them&mdash;and
  it takes a while.

  If you&rsquo;re looking to dip your toes into a do-si-do, there are several
  open houses coming up:
  <ul>
  <li>At the Cloverleaf Squares, First Baptist Church in Chili, Sep. 18 at
    5 p.m.
  <li>At the Copy Cats, Scribner Road School in Penfield, Sep. 20 at 7
    p.m.
  <li>At the Cayuga Cut-Ups, Weedsport Methodist Church in Weedsport, Oct
    2, 9 and 16, 2 p.m.
  <li>At the Batavia Silver Stars, VA Medical Center in Batavia, Sep. 19
    at 7 p.m.
  <li>At the Dalton Gang, New Hope Fellowship Church in Castile, Sep. 27
    at 6:30 p.m.
   </ul>


articleid: 424
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type: text
content:
  Program for Seniors who want to learn square dancing at the Happy
  Squares, Spiegel Community Center, Pittsford, Friday afternoons at 2
  p.m.

  &ldquo;We invite people to come in and try square dancing,&rdquo; Debbie
  said. &ldquo;And you will be dancing before you leave that night. It will be
  basic calls. And if you ever want to try it, it&rsquo;s a lot of fun.&rdquo;

  If you have fun at an open house, which is pretty much a foregone
  conclusion, it&rsquo;s time to sign up for lessons. You have to know what
  you&rsquo;re doing at a square dance. Otherwise, collisions and lost
  partners will ensue. Lessons start at a local club in the fall and
  finish in the spring. Meanwhile, you&rsquo;re dancing a little more each
  time.

  As a graduate with new-found square-dancing skills, you can go just
  about anywhere they&rsquo;re taking allemande lefts. The Bloods dropped in
  on a square dance on a trip to Arizona and were welcomed there.

  Jeff explained that you won&rsquo;t have trouble understanding the caller
  even if you&rsquo;re out of the country and run into a square dance.

  &ldquo;Square dancing is worldwide. The calls are always in English. They
  decided many years ago to do it in English all over the world,&rdquo; he
  said. &ldquo;So, no matter where you are in the world, you hear the same
  calls, because it isn&rsquo;t language-driven. One time we were dancing at
  this one club and the people were from Germany. Wonderful
  dancers. Afterwards we couldn&rsquo;t understand a word they said because
  they were German, but they were wonderful dancers because they
  followed the words.&rdquo;

  &ldquo;People who travel the country can log onto the website,
  wheresthedance.com, and find thousands of dances locally and around
  the world. It will tell you square dances within 20 miles of where you
  are and you can dance where you want to dance,&rdquo; he added.


articleid: 424
position: b
type: text
content:
  We all face stresses in our lives. Square dancing is a means to
  getting away from it all.

  Jeff explained how that works: &ldquo;When Debbie and I are dancing, we
  know that we&rsquo;re not going to be talking about work; you focus on the
  dancing and enjoying the camaraderie of the people you&rsquo;re with and at
  the end of the evening you say to yourself, &lsquo;We just had a whole
  evening of no issue from work or complaining about this or that.&rsquo; 44
  years married and I tell Debbie I love her more today than I did
  yesterday.&rdquo;

  &ldquo;At a national convention, you might be dancing in a room with 50
  people, but you wouldn&rsquo;t know they weren&rsquo;t members of your own club
  because they&rsquo;re just so friendly. It&rsquo;s just amazing,&rdquo; he said. I&rsquo;m
  usually a kind of quiet person, but in square dancing you get to know
  everyone. When you graduate from a class in square dancing, you have
  30 or 40 new friends. And friends are not easy to come by. You just
  have this wonderful relationship with people. It&rsquo;s just a wonderful
  social atmosphere.&rdquo;

  You can do a lot of research on square (and round) dancing by checking
  out the federation&rsquo;s Facebook page, &ldquo;Square Dancing Rochester&rdquo; or by
  going on the website www.squaredancingrochester.org where you&rsquo;ll find
  a listing of all the clubs in the federation, schedules and locations
  of dances, a newsletter, even video dance lessons. If you&rsquo;re
  interested in learning a lot more before you go to your first dance,
  you can spend hours on that website.

  Debbie urges people to come out to dance, especially women.

  &ldquo;Right now, we&rsquo;re short on women in square dancing,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;In the
  last three months, Jeff has sat out as I danced with other men because
  we want them to dance.&rdquo;

  There&rsquo;s no dress requirement. People can wear jeans and polo shirts
  and shorts&mdash;anything.

  &ldquo;We enjoy this so much,&rdquo; Debbie said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s something you wish more
  people would try.&rdquo;


articleid: 425
position: a
type: text
content:
  Ogden&mdash;Friday, November 26, 2021 at age 59. Predeceased by his
  father, Hans Grossmann; brother, Klaus Grossmann. Survived by his
  loving wife, Pam Grossmann; his mother, Rosemarie Grossmann; brother,
  Peter (Viviana) Grossmann; his children, Erich (Cassandra), Frankie,
  Elizabeth; step-children, Brandon and Ken; grandchildren, Peyton,
  Eliott, and Luca; nephews, Alex (Katie), Nico; and many loving
  friends. &ldquo;Frank lived life to the fullest and was completely devoted
  to his family, community, country, and his Lord. You are our
  superhero.&rdquo;

  His Funeral Service was held Saturday (Dec 4th) 11:00 in the chapel of
  the Funeral Home. Interment, Westside Cemetery, Chili, NY.

  Frank and Pam were members of the Cloverleaf Squares, dancing both
  squares and rounds.

  Posted online on November 30, 2021

  Published in Rochester Democrat and Chronicle


articleid: 426
position: a
type: text
content:
  On July 16, 2022, dancers from many of our Western New York clubs
  gathered in the pavilion outside Barnard&rsquo;s Restaurant for a mid-summer
  dance and dinner. It was wonderful to see so many come out to
  socialize in the breezeway on this clear sunny day!

  As an extra bonus, Peter Emmel presented Circle of Service award
  citations to five of the couples who provided outstanding service to
  the square dance community during the COVID interruption. Two
  additional CoS awards will be presented at a later date to couples who
  did not attend this dance.


articleid: 427
position: 1
type: text
content:
  On August 21st, we had a great time celebrating the Cayuga Cut-Ups
  61st Anniversary at Vince&rsquo;s Park! Great food, fun and dancing!


articleid: 428
position: 1
type: text
content:
  We had a wonderful time manning the booth and dancing demos at the
  6/20/22 Greece Historical Society&rsquo;s Annual Fundraiser,
  &ldquo;Sweet Sensations.&rdquo; Over 35 square dancers attended the
  demo. We heard over 500 tickets were sold for the event.

  Mike Callahan did a fantastic job calling for us. His selection of
  modern music made the dancing so much fun. Thank you to everyone who
  participated in sharing our love &amp; enjoyment of square dancing.

  With help of Anne Granger and Don Naulin, we are currently putting
  together a square-dancing display at the Greece Historical Society and
  Museum. Stop in and see it at 595 Long Pond Road. Museum hours are
  Sunday 1:30&ndash;4pm.


articleid: 429
position: 1
type: text
content:
  In May, at DOR-2022, the Rochester square dance community presented
  its highest honor&mdash;the Daphne-Norma Leadership Award&mdash;to
  Rick and Donna LaDonna.

  But there is another award&mdash;nationally recognized&mdash;known as
  the Circle of Service. This award is presented by a previous
  recipient whenever and wherever he or she judges that such special
  recognition is appropriate. This is explicitly a &ldquo;dancers&rdquo;
  award, presented to dancers by dancers.

  Sally and I received this award in 2018, and I am presenting it now to
  several people who I believe merit this recognition for their
  outstanding service to square dancing, especially in bringing their
  respective clubs safely through the COVID-19 pandemic without
  incident.

  In an activity that in my opinion could easily have produced one or
  more &ldquo;super-spreader&rdquo; events, I want to recognize the
  dedication that these dancers showed in working together and
  separately to develop and implement protocols that got their clubs
  back onto the dance floor as early as possible, and with <b>zero</b>
  dance-related COVID transmissions.

  Here they are, in alphabetical order by club:
  <ul>
  <li>Linda &amp; Glynn English (Cayuga Cut-Ups)
  <li>Henry &amp; Jodi Capron (Cloverleaf Squares)
  <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Absent, but I will present at next opportunity]
  <li>Mary Martin &amp; Phil LaRussa (formerly of Copy Cats)
  <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Moved to Virginia, but presented by other recipients on 8/2]
  <li>Rick &amp; Donna LaDonna (Copy Cats)
  <li>Carol Ann &amp; George Stahl (Grand Squares)
  <li>Anne Granger and Don Naulin (Silver Squares)
  <li>Jeff &amp; Debbie Blood (Western NY Federation)
  <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[The RTD Task Force that they formed facilitated the COVID response]
  </ul>
  The award itself consists of a certificate and a pin, with a logo
  signifying the interconnectedness of dancers, and of the two dance
  formats&mdash;square dancing and round dancing. An image of the
  certificate accompanies this article.


articleid: 430
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content:
  Impressive and coordinated promotional efforts are under way to help
  square dancing recover from the COVID break and increase recruitment
  of new dancers for classes at area clubs. Some of these are outlined
  below and others are described by Jeff &amp; Debbie Blood in the
  Federation&rsquo;s &ldquo;President&rsquo;s Corner&rdquo; column
  (Click <a href="president-2022-09.html">HERE</a>).

  The Greece Historical Society held their Strawberry Festival
  fundraiser in June. Thirty-five square dancers provided a dance demo
  with Mike Callahan calling, and over 500 people attended the
  event. Photos from this Festival are included in a dedicated article
  in this Promenader issue.

  As I write this on August 28, Spectrum Live TV is scheduled to air a
  square dance demo tomorrow morning. Mike Callahan will call for about
  20 dancers. They plan to capture two live spots of two minutes each.

  An article on square dancing by Mike Callahan will soon be published
  in the Westside news.

  Seventy-five updated lawn signs were ordered and distributed to
  Federation clubs. The new signs include a space for the club phone
  number and a QR code that links to the Federation Home Page. These
  should help prospective new dancers to find our full array of
  information including the Promenader and the &ldquo;Welcome
  Prospective New Dancers&rdquo; page and resource links and Open House
  listings.

  If you don&rsquo;t have a sign in your yard, ask your club leadership
  for one!

  Starting in early September, the Living Room at the Greece Historical
  Society Museum will display square dance dresses, men&rsquo;s western
  shirts, signs, the Daphne-Norma Award poster board, and numerous other
  square dance items. Debbie &amp; Jeff Blood are teaming with Ann
  Granger &amp; Don Naulin to coordinate this display.

  Similar displays will be coming to area Libraries, including
  Henrietta, Pittsford &amp; Penfield.

  Individual clubs are mounting their specific campaigns, with
  &ldquo;Open House&rdquo; dances (listed on the Federation Home Page)
  and ads placed in the Penny Saver.


articleid: 431
position: a
type: text
content:
  Welcome to the Fall, 2022 issue of the Promenader&mdash;a quarterly
  publication of the Western NY Federation of Round and Square Dancers
  Inc.

  (Website: <a href="http://www.squaredancingrochester.org">http://www.squaredancingrochester.org</a>)


articleid: 431
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content:
  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&rsquo;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 &ldquo;55
  Plus&rdquo; magazine. It features the WNYF Summer dance on July 16,
  2022, and is based largely on an interview with Jeff &amp; Debbie
  blood, describing their experiences getting started and becoming
  square dancers&mdash;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&rsquo;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&rsquo;s Strawberry Festival Fundraiser and a rundown of other
  current and upcoming activities and displays around town. A unique
  opportunity&mdash;that&rsquo;s about to occur as I write this&mdash;is
  a live square dance demonstration to be aired on Spectrum Live TV,
  scheduled for early morning on Saturday, August 27, 2022.

  There&rsquo;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&mdash;with <b>zero</b>
  dance-related COVID transmissions.


articleid: 431
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type: text
content:
  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 &ldquo;Club
  News&rdquo; section, or check with their club contact listed under
  &ldquo;Clubs&rdquo; on this website. Most are requiring full
  vaccination and some are requiring that masks be worn at least part of
  the time.


articleid: 431
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content:
  In this issue we say farewell to Frank Grossmann, who danced with his
  wife Pam at the Cloverleaf Squares club.


articleid: 431
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type: text
content:
  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&rsquo;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&mdash;that they
  belong here with us&mdash;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&rsquo;s time for others to step up and shoulder
  some of the load.

  Those who aren&rsquo;t able to volunteer for a leadership role should
  still be part of the &ldquo;recruiting team.&rdquo; 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.


articleid: 431
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  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&mdash;and by now the salesman wondered if he&rsquo;d gone
  crazy. Finally, he called to the farmer&rsquo;s daughter.

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


articleid: 432
position: 1
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content:
  President&rsquo;s Corner December 1, 2022

  The past few months have been very busy and exciting as we have been
  promoting Square Dancing and the start-up of lessons within our
  communities. We have lawn signs, ads, articles, interviews, live demos
  along with square dancing displays in many local libraries. We all
  have been working together to promote square dancing. The classes have
  begun and hopefully we will retain at least 25 new dancers graduating
  in the Spring. It would be wonderful if we are able to encourage these
  new dancers to stay committed to the classes, recruit their friends
  and become members of our clubs.

  We currently have 17 clubs in the Federation: Batavia Silver Stars,
  Boo Bull Squares and Rounds, Cayuga Cut-Ups, Cloverleaf Squares, Copy
  Cats, Dalton Gang, Dancing Shadows, Fun Bunch, Grand Squares, Penn Yan
  Friendship Squares, Round Towners, Shirts N Skirts (Fulton), Shamrock
  Squares, Silver Squares, Southern Tier Wheelers, Village Squares,
  Waterwheel Squares. We have been so happy to welcome more clubs back
  to the dance floor the past several months.

  In checking with the clubs at the last Federation meeting on safety
  protocols, most clubs have indicated masks are optional and they have
  plenty of hand sanitizer on hand for the dancers. One or two clubs
  still sanitize the dance hall chairs, tables and bathrooms after the
  dance. One club requires dancing with masks.

  Our dance floors are getting fuller as we enjoy all the autumn
  celebrations such as Halloween, Veterans Day, and look forward to
  Thanksgiving and our special Christmas Holiday celebrations.

  Plans are underway for an afternoon New Year&rsquo;s Eve Dance. The
  dance is being co-sponsored by the Federation and Copy Cats. The dance
  will be from 1&ndash;3:30pm on 12/31/22 at the First Baptist Church of
  Penfield located at 1862 Penfield Rd. Jim Gotta will be calling and
  cueing. Dancers are welcome to bring appetizers, snacks or desserts to
  share.

  It will be so much fun to ring in 2023 with our dancing family. Hope
  you save the date and come join us!

  Please save the date for DOR 2023 on May 6, 2023. The DOR 2023
  Committee is busy making plans and issuing contracts. DOR 2023 will be
  at the Perinton Rec Center. We just contracted with Betsy &amp; Roy
  Gotta and Dave Eno for calling and cueing. Everyone seemed to have
  such a good time last year we anticipate another wonderful event again
  in May 2023. Our Clubs will be asked to donate a basket for the basket
  raffle. It is amazing how generous everyone is and how fun it is to
  see the variety of baskets that are donated.

  We are looking forward to seeing you on the dance floor.

  Take Care,


articleid: 433
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content:
  On the weekend of October 15&ndash;16, several dancers from the
  Rochester area attended the &ldquo;Autumn Leaves&rdquo; festival in
  Brattleboro, Vermont. We had a wonderful time&mdash;on and off the
  dance floor!


articleid: 434
position: a
type: text
content:
  On October 27, the Grand Squares held their 2022 Halloween Costume
  Dance in Henrietta. Three squares enjoyed one another&rsquo;s company
  and Mike Callahan&rsquo;s calling and cueing.

  At least a dozen dancers brought their Halloween spirit in the form of
  costumes. All had a wonderful time.

  Additional photos from Jeff &amp; Debbie Blood


articleid: 435
position: a
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content:
  On October 31, the Silver Squares hosted their annual Halloween Dance
  and members arrived in a variety of awesome costumes. The club voted
  on their favorites. Stu and Jane came in first place, with Joann a
  close runner up. Where else can you go on a Monday afternoon and have
  so much fun!!!!

  The Silver Squares club dances every Monday afternoon from
  1:00&ndash;3:00 at the Greece United Methodist Church. Come visit
  anytime!


articleid: 436
position: a
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content:
  Cayuga Cut-Ups held their Halloween Dance on Sunday, October 30, in
  Weedsport with Ron Brown calling. What a fun afternoon of dancing!


articleid: 437
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type: text
content:
  The Copy Cats Halloween Dance on October 22 was so much fun! Four
  squares of dancers enjoyed dancing to the Hip Boot Boys with Ron Brown
  &amp; Greg Marling calling many special Halloween tunes. Seven round
  dancing couples danced to the cues of Jim Gotta.

  We enjoyed dancing with guests from Cayuga Cut Ups, Cloverleaf&rsquo;s
  Squares, Shamrock Squares &amp; Village Squares. Thanks everyone for
  coming, helping out and making it such a wonderful evening!!

  This dance coincided with Debbie Blood&rsquo;s birthday, so we all
  wished her well and sang the Spike Jones Happy Birthday Song.


articleid: 438
position: a
type: text
content:
  After a two-year hiatus, Copy Cats Club is excited to offer a class
  for new square dancers at the Scribner Road School, 1750 Scribner
  Road, in Penfield. On Tuesday nights from 7&ndash;9, there are 19 new
  dancers. Classes are going well. They are enjoying being a part of a
  grand square and are quickly learning to star through and promenade.

  We always welcome and encourage experienced dancers to come and be
  Angels alongside the class as they learn. We want to thank all those
  who helped spread the word with signs in their yard, talking to
  friends, placing ads, and supporting 55 Plus magazine for an article
  they published.


articleid: 439
position: a
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content:
  Thanks mainly to the efforts of square dancers Diane Cundra and Sandy
  Trumble, square dancing continues to be on display at public libraries
  in the Rochester area.

  Pictured here are two library display cases they prepared, one for
  September in the Henrietta library and the other for October in the
  Pittsford library. They also set up a third case at the Penfield
  Public library, which will be on display throughout November.


articleid: 440
position: a
type: text
content:
  Ronald Reagan said &ldquo;Veterans know better than anyone else the
  price of freedom, for they&rsquo;ve suffered the scars of war. We can
  offer them no better tribute than to protect what they have won for
  us.&rdquo;

  Three Copy Cats members recently were honored with a &ldquo;Welcome
  Home&rdquo; from Honor Flight Rochester. Elizabeth Beauter, escorted
  by her son Michael, and Rick LaDonna, escorted by his son Alan, were
  on Honor Flight Mission #73 which departed Rochester on September 10,
  2022. They were among 57 Vets from the Rochester area. Joseph (Joe)
  Carlino departed Rochester on October 22, 2022 as part of Honor Flight
  Mission #75 escorted by Honor Flight Rochester Volunteer, Kim Gould.

  As they sat on the plane, Mail Call was announced. All Vets will
  remember Mail Call as a connection to home and loved ones. Each
  veteran received letters written by students from local schools
  including Palmyra-Macedon, Pittsford and Rush-Henrietta.

  Liz served as a Private in the United States Army during the Korean
  War. She was assigned to the Signal Battalion as a clerical at Camp
  Gordon, GA.

  Rick, an E4, served in the United States Navy from 1965&ndash;1968 as
  an Electronics Technician on the USS Esteem, an ocean-going
  minesweeper, during the Vietnam War as part of Operation Market
  Time. Rick reminisced that he didn&rsquo;t know that the Navy had
  wooden ships in the 1960&rsquo;s. The minesweeper was the smallest
  naval vessel that could cross the ocean on its own power. Their duties
  included patrolling the coast of Vietnam and the intercostal
  waterways.

  Liz and Rick are members of VFW Post #8495 in Fairport, NY. Liz is
  also active with their Ladies Auxiliary.

  Joe served as an E5 in the United States Army from 1964&ndash;1967. He
  was stationed in Berlin, Germany near the Berlin Wall. He was
  scheduled to report to Vietnam but was sent instead to Oklahoma where
  he finished his military duties as a cook.

  These Vets toured Washington, DC with stops at the Air Force Memorial,
  and the Navy Yard and Museum. At the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at
  Arlington National Cemetery, Liz was part of a team that laid a wreath
  from Honor Flight Rochester. They also visited the Vietnam Wall,
  Korean Memorial, Iwo Jima Memorial and Lincoln Memorial. The shared
  military experiences at a dinner that evening.

  Upon arriving at the Rochester airport terminal, they were given a
  &ldquo;water canon salute&rdquo; by airport firefighters. After
  deplaning, a brass band escorted them through the terminal. They were
  greeted by flag-waving and sign-carrying family, friends including
  current and former square dancers (Steve Barkley, Karen Olmsted, Mary
  Jo and David Webster, Pat Santacrocce, Mary Claire (Wise) Carlino, Don
  Jermyn, Paul Weitz and Fran Haldoupis), members of the community and
  previous Honor Flight participants (Don Jermyn &amp; Paul Weitz).

  Liz, Rick and Joe and their escorts will never forget the experience
  provided them through Honor Flight Rochester. This was their
  &ldquo;Welcome Home&rdquo; which was so richly deserved after so many
  years.


articleid: 441
position: a
type: text
content:
  Welcome to the Winter, 2022, issue of the Promenader, a quarterly
  publication of the Western NY Federation of Square and Round Dancers,
  Inc.

  <a href="http://www.squaredancingrochester.org">Website</a>


articleid: 441
position: c
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content:
  The Photos and Features section highlights the various Halloween
  dances held by area clubs who sent us photos. It&rsquo;s always fun to
  see dancer creativity at work in the form of costumes!

  In another step forward to normal dancing, there is also an article on
  the Copy Cats&rsquo; re-started beginner classes at Scribner Road
  School in Webster on Tuesdays.

  Several clubs have successfully recruited beginner classes, thanks to
  the promotional efforts of club members and leaders, and to support
  and initiatives from the WNY Federation. An article in this issue
  highlights one promotion effort initiated by Diane Cundra. She and her
  helpers carried forward her display-case assemblages of square dance
  items and information, for month-long viewing in three different area
  libraries.

  In other articles, the military service of three Copy Cats dancers was
  honored with participation in the Honor Flight Rochester
  program. Also, several area dancers traveled to Vermont to attend the
  &ldquo;Autumn Leaves&rsquo; festival in October.


articleid: 441
position: e
type: text
content:
  News from clubs this quarter indicates a continued return to normal
  dancing, though with reduced numbers and still some missing clubs.


articleid: 441
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type: text
content:
  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 (in PDF form) and schedule
  change notices (in the body of an email) 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 &ldquo;Breaking News&rdquo; to go on the
  WNYF home page (squaredancingrochester.org).

  And clubs should also consider posting their news on the
  &ldquo;SquareDancingRochester&rdquo; group Facebook page.


articleid: 441
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  Last quarter, I emphasized the importance of established dancers in
  recruiting new dancers, promoting dancing among friends, neighbors and
  associates for its social and physical benefits and encouraging them
  to give it a try.

  Now that classes are started, it&rsquo;s essential for established
  dancers to keep up a welcoming and encouraging demeanor toward new
  recruits. A sense of hesitancy on the part of established dancers will
  quickly undo the spirit of inclusion that we all value in this
  activity&mdash;the spirit that brought each of us into the fold when
  we were beginners.


articleid: 441
position: m
type: text
content:
  Sign on an appliance repair truck: &ldquo;We repair what your husband
  fixed&rdquo;

  My doctor asked if anyone in my family was suffering from mental
  illness.

  &ldquo;No.&rdquo; I answered, &ldquo;We all seem to enjoy it.&rdquo;

  Lost Car Keys:

  On return from a trip, I felt in my pocket for the car keys. They
  weren&rsquo;t there! I realized I must have left them in my car.

  Frantically, I headed for the parking lot. My wife has scolded me many
  times for leaving my keys in the car&rsquo;s ignition. She&rsquo;s
  afraid the car will be stolen. As I looked around the lot, I realized
  she was right. The car was not there!

  I immediately called the police. I gave them my location, admitted I
  had left the keys in the ignition and that the car had been stolen.

  After a while mulling what to say, I made the most difficult call of
  all&mdash;to my wife: &ldquo;Well, sweetie, you were right. I left my
  keys in the car and now it&rsquo;s been stolen.&rdquo;

  There was a long moment of silence. I thought the call had been
  disconnected, but then came her angry reply: &ldquo;You&rsquo;re
  kidding me!&rdquo; She barked &ldquo;I dropped you off! Don&rsquo;t
  you remember?&rdquo;

  Now it was my turn to be silent. Embarrassed, I humbly said,
  &ldquo;Well, could you come and get me?&rdquo;

  In a tense but somewhat softer voice, she replied: &ldquo;I will. But
  first, I have to convince this cop that I didn&rsquo;t steal your
  d****d car.&rdquo;

  Welcome to the Golden Years :-)


articleid: 442
position: 1
type: text
content:
  The Daphne-Norma Leadership Award is the way that our dancing
  community recognizes a couple or individual dancer who has
  demonstrated leadership for an extended period of time, furthering the
  cause of square and round dancing. Think about efforts that have been
  made over past years as well as recently.

  Leadership styles vary greatly as each person is different. But going
  that extra mile for the sake of other dancers, and of dancing itself,
  is something we want to recognize and encourage.

  If you know someone whom you feel stands out in their continuing
  service to others, please help us to celebrate and take note of them.

  You don&rsquo;t have to know their life history. Just tell us what you
  do know. Most likely, others will fill in more of the information.

  Every single nomination is very important, so please don&rsquo;t think
  that what you have to say doesn&rsquo;t matter! It boils down to: Who
  do YOU feel should receive the leadership award, and why?

  Nominations should be sent to Rick and Donna LaDonna
  (rladonna@rochester.rr.com) by the end of February, 2023. The link for
  the instructions and the nomination form is:

  <a href="http://squaredancingrochester.org/awards/awards.html">Nomination Form</a>

  <a href="http://squaredancingrochester.org/awards/DNHistory2022.pdf">History</a>


articleid: 443
position: 1
type: text
content:
  Just as more dance time helps make dancers better, callers need
  microphone time to get better. Also as it did for dancers, the COVID
  shut-down had an impact on callers trying to get started.

  In order to help make up for this, Mike Callahan along with Jim Gotta
  and Ray Tompkins are putting together a one-day caller school in early
  December. They are expecting the session to be attended by four
  dancers who have tried or expressed an interest in trying square dance
  calling.

  The day will be devoted to things like technical details of square
  dance formation and arrangements, and how to move dancers from one
  formation to another. There will also be microphone time for
  practicing calling to a square of test dancers. Wish them well!


articleid: 444
position: 1
type: text
content:
  What a great way to start the New Year with our Hawaiian Dance!! We
  just danced, relaxed and had fun.


articleid: 445
position: 1
type: text
content:
  Hi all! The Cayuga Cut-Ups are on a Banner Stealing Mission, and your
  club could be next!

  We have the Copy Cats&rsquo; and the Shirts n Skirts&rsquo; banners!
  We&rsquo;re looking for more, with the hope that clubs could retrieve
  their banners at our 62nd Anniversary Dance and Steak Roast. Save the
  Date August 12th, Vince&rsquo;s Park, Seneca Falls.

  Keep dancing!


articleid: 446
position: 1
type: text
content:
  President&rsquo;s Corner 3/1/23

  The Holiday Season brought wonderful dancing opportunities across our
  region. The WNYF &amp; Copy Cats second annual New Year&rsquo;s Eve
  Afternoon Dance was a fun time to welcome the new year with our square
  dance friends and family. We had five squares of dancers and seven
  couples round dancing to Jim Gotta&rsquo;s calling and cueing.

  We hope everyone is enjoying 2023 so far.

  We currently have 16 clubs in the Federation: Batavia Silver Stars,
  Boo Bull Squares and Rounds, Cayuga Cut-Ups, Cloverleaf Squares, Copy
  Cats, Dalton Gang, Fun Bunch, Grand Squares, Pairs N Squares, Penn Yan
  Friendship Squares, Shirts N Skirts (Fulton), Shamrock Squares, Silver
  Squares, Southern Tier Wheelers, Village Squares and Waterwheel
  Squares. It&rsquo;s been fantastic to see our clubs back dancing. We
  hope you take the opportunity to dance with our member clubs.

  Our dance floors are getting fuller as we enjoy all the upcoming
  celebrations such as the Winter Wonderland Dances, Hawaiian Dances,
  Mari Gras Dances, Valentine&rsquo;s Day Dances, St Patrick&rsquo;s Day
  Dances, etc. For details, please see the Promenader&rsquo;s Club News
  and Dance Schedule pages.

  Please save the date for the Federation&rsquo;s Dance-O-Rama 2023 on
  Saturday, May 6, 2023. It is our sixty-third DOR. This currently is
  the largest square and round dance in Western NY. DOR 2023 will be at
  the Perinton Rec Center, 1350 Turk Hill Rd, Fairport NY. Ribbons
  purchased before 4/29/23 are $10 each. Ribbons purchased on or after
  4/29/23 are $12.

  DOR 2023 will feature international caller and cuer Betsy &amp; Roy
  Gotta and Western NY &amp; Canadian Caller, Dave Eno. The event runs
  from 1:00&ndash;5:30 pm. Dancing levels include Mainstream, Plus, A2
  and Round Dancing. We are happy to announce this year&rsquo;s DOR
  program will include recognition of our 2023 graduates, our first
  graduates since COVID. We know from our recent club/class dances that
  the classes are doing very well learning the mainstream program. We
  are looking forward to their graduation. The Daphne-Norma Leadership
  Award will be presented which is the highest award given in our square
  &amp; round dancing community. The recipients are recognized for their
  demonstrated leadership furthering the cause of square and round
  dancing for an extended period of time. The DOR 2023 Committee will be
  creating a Federation Wall of Recognition honoring all of our current
  active WNYF callers and cuers. To accomplish this wall, the committee
  is requesting each caller and cuer provide a photo and brief bio from
  questions provided by the DOR 2023 committee. This year we are again
  asking each of our WNYF clubs to donate a basket for the basket raffle
  as was traditionally done in prior years. The basket raffle is one of
  the highlights of DOR. Each club is asked to include 2 free dance
  tickets to one of their regular dances in their donated basket. The
  DOR 2023 Ribbons were ordered and will be distributed to the WNYF Club
  Presidents by the end of February or beginning of March.

  We are looking forward to seeing you on the dance floor.

  Take Care,


articleid: 447
position: 1
type: text
content:
  The Western New York Federation of Square and Round Dancers (WNYF) is
  a regional organization of dance clubs in the Rochester area, as well
  as parts of the Buffalo and Finger Lakes regions. The
  Federation&rsquo;s purpose is to promote interest in round dancing and
  square dancing through a variety of activities, and to provide a forum
  for coordination among its affiliated clubs as well as the Callers
  Co-op of Rochester. The Federation&rsquo;s executive Board meets with
  club representatives most months to keep clubs up-to-date and help
  coordinate inter-club activities.

  The Federation annually contracts with the United Square Dancers of
  America for insurance coverage for our dancers in our 16 member clubs.

  The premier Federation-organized event is the annual Dance-O-Rama
  festival, generally held on the first weekend in May. Currently it is
  the largest square dance event held in Western New York.

  The Federation began co-sponsoring an annual Afternoon New
  Year&rsquo;s Eve Dance with the Copy Cats Square Dance Club in
  2021. The dance is held on 12/31 in the afternoon. What a wonderful
  event to welcome the New Year with our square dance friends and
  family.

  Our Website: squaredancingrochester.org

  The &ldquo;Federation&rdquo; page will take you to details about our
  organization and its activities, including meeting dates, meeting
  minutes and other items of interest. Scroll this page to find seasonal
  articles. Navigate through the site using labeled
  &ldquo;buttons&rdquo; at the top of every page and on the home page
  and Promenader page.

  Our Facebook Page: Square Dancing Rochester includes posts and
  pictures from our member club dances and events.

  Online Quarterly News: The Promenader

  This web site is also home to our quarterly online news publication,
  the Promenader. There you will find schedule information, articles,
  and flyers covering the activities of our many round and square dance
  clubs. A new issue is posted every three months: on the first day of
  March, June, September, and December. Each new issue contains fresh
  news and updated schedule information, open house and class listings.

  HELP WANTED:

  We are always looking for volunteers to help behind the scenes with
  our Annual Dance-O-Rama, the Quarterly issues of our Promenader and
  our Facebook page postings, etc.

  Currently we also have leadership openings on our Executive Board.

  1. Vice President or Co-Vice Presidents

  2. Promotions Coordinator or Co-Promotions Coordinators

  If you are interested in becoming more involved with our square dance
  and round dance community, please consider volunteering to help on the
  Board or a committee.

  It is a fun and wonderful way to get to know members of our dance
  community.

  If you are interested, please contact us:

  Debbie &amp; Jeff Blood, Co-Presidents

  Western NY Federation of Square and Round Dancers Inc

  Email: dfbjvbhome@aol.com


articleid: 448
position: 1
type: text
content:
  Joann Baxter, member of Silver Squares &amp; Batavia Silver Stars
  became involved in the Troopons program over 10 years ago through a
  friend. In this program, you donate your unused manufacturers coupons
  to our military through the Support our Troops Troopons Program
  (SUPPORTOURTROOPS.ORG). Joann indicated that over the years several
  churches, senior groups, college kids and groups, hospital staff, and
  at least three local square dance clubs have donated their coupons.

  The value of the coupons is estimated based on the weight of coupons
  collected, using a formula provided by a group at Rochester Institute
  of Technology. The accompanying table shows the estimated annual
  donated coupon value donated from our area over the years. As
  expected, the volume of coupons we sent took a major dip during the
  COVID pandemic.

  The total from 2010 through 2022 are:

  Pounds of coupons 2,287

  Coupon $ Value $7,226,628

  If you are interested in participating in this program, manufacturers
  coupons are collected at the Silver Squares Dances held on Monday
  afternoons. Or you can mail them in directly yourself.

  Here are the guidelines:

  Coupons are valid in this program up to two months after their
  expiration.

  It is recommended coupons be separated into baggies marked the
  following five categories:

  Food, Pets, Household, Baby, Personal items

  Sorting by category makes it easier for volunteers to get the coupons
  where they need to go in the PX&rsquo;s on the various bases.

  The coupons can be mailed the cheapest way to the following address:

  Support Our Troops, PO Box 70, Daytona Beach, FL 32115-0070.

  There is also is a website you can check for additional information:

  https://supportourtroops.org/troopons

  Joann indicated &ldquo;Our military families thank you for getting the
  word out about this program. Our support is making a
  difference.&rdquo;

  Manufacturers Coupons Sent to the Troops
  2010 to Present

  <table>
  <tr><td>year<td>pounds of coupons mailed*<td>mailing costs $<td>coupon $ value</tr>
  <tr><td>2010<td>98.0<td>105<td>350,945</tr>
  <tr><td>2011<td>160.0<td>176<td>576,576</tr>
  <tr><td>2012<td>212.0<td>224<td>761,552</tr>
  <tr><td>2013<td>235.0<td>256<td>845,937</tr>
  <tr><td>2014<td>327.6<td>320<td>1,179,351</tr>
  <tr><td>2015<td>266.0<td>379<td>957,600</tr>
  <tr><td>2016<td>196.5<td>244<td>707,400</tr>
  <tr><td>2017<td>139.5<td>207<td>502,200</tr>
  <tr><td>2018<td>135.5<td>227<td>476,360</tr>
  <tr><td>2019<td>107.3<td>194<td>382,280</tr>
  <tr><td>2020<td>73.1<td>141<td>263,160</tr>
  <tr><td>2021<td>28.1<td>103<td>104,748</tr>
  <tr><td>2022<td>308.5<td>94<td>118,519</tr>
  <tr><td>Totals<td>2,287.2<td>2,668<td>$7,226,628</tr>
  </table>


articleid: 449
position: 1
type: text
content:
  GENEVA&mdash;Fred L. Ventura, 89, passed away on Wed. (Jan. 25, 2023),
  at Clifton Springs Hospital. In honoring his wishes, there will be no
  prior calling hours. A graveside service will be held at 2:00pm on
  February 10th, in St. Mary&rsquo;s Cemetery, with military honors. A
  &ldquo;Celebration of Life&rdquo; will be held at the Border City Hose
  Company on 3000 Fallbrook St in Geneva immediately following the
  service.

  Fred was born on Sept. 30, 1933, in Geneva and was the son of the late
  Fred. N. and Antoinette (DeJohn) Ventura. He proudly served his
  country in the United States Marine Corp from 1953 to 1955. Fred
  worked as an HVAC plumber and steam fitter in the Rochester Local
  13. He was known as &ldquo;Grandpa Fred&rdquo; and was a friend to
  everyone. Fred loved snowmobiling, racing and dancing.

  He is survived by his son, John F. (DeAnna) Ventura of Ontario;
  son-in-law, Paul Krug of Farmington; sister, Marie Antoinette
  McFarland of GA; grandchildren, Jessica Jones, Kelly (Alex) Sitton,
  Christopher Ventura, Victoria Ventura and Nicholas Ventura; several
  nieces and nephews.

  Fred was predeceased by his wife, Beverly (Steurrys) Ventura and
  daughter, Teresa Krug.

  https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/27197709/fred-l-ventura/wall

  Fred and his dance partner, Carolyn Nedwidek, were members of the
  Village Squares and the Copy Cats, where they danced for many
  years. We will miss Fred&rsquo;s quiet humor and gentle ways.


articleid: 450
position: 1
type: text
content:
  On the afternoon of December 31, The WNYF teamed up with the Copy Cats
  for their second annual New Years Eve dance at the Copy Cats venue in
  Penfield. Five squares of dancers enjoyed Jim Gotta&rsquo;s calling
  and cueing.


articleid: 451
position: 1
type: text
content:
  The Copy Cats&rsquo; catered Christmas Holiday Dance, December 17,
  2022, was a class/club dance. It was well attended with six squares on
  the dance floor. Their 2022&ndash;23 class of Kittens received a warm
  welcome!


articleid: 452
position: 1
type: text
content:
  Gary and Alice Bubel held the Christmas dance for their clubs on
  December 2, 2022. Everyone had a wonderful time.


articleid: 453
position: 1
type: text
content:
  The Copy Cats Winter Wonderland Dance, January 21, 2023, was organized
  and decorated by the Copy Kittens. Our dance was held from 2&ndash;4
  pm. The Kittens arrived at 1:00 pm and did a beautiful job of
  decorating, setting up chairs, caller/cuer tables and sign-in
  tables. There were pastel snowflakes and icicle lights hanging from
  the ceiling, white snowflakes on the walls, and even a snowman
  standing beside the snack table. The Kittens brought snacks, which
  were thoroughly enjoyed! We had eight squares on the dance floor
  keeping tempo to Ron Brown&rsquo;s proficient calling. Eight couples
  round danced to Lisa Treichler&rsquo;s excellent cueing. Our banner
  was stolen by the Cayuga Cut-Ups after Ron Brown put them through
  their paces on the dance floor! We already have plans to retrieve it!
  Many clubs participated in this fantastic event.


articleid: 455
position: 1
type: text
content:
  At a recent Silver Squares dance, Jim Lee celebrated his birthday with
  a special cake made by Rosie Holley!

  We did not have enough girls to dance so Don Naulin and Jim Lee donned
  skirts and danced the girls part for the afternoon!!! They did a great
  job.

  Our own Jane Jones from Silver Squares celebrated a very special
  birthday with her husband, Stu, and her daughter, Susan.

  Happy Birthday, Jane!


articleid: 456
position: 1
type: text
content:
  The DOR 2023 Committee is planning to create a &ldquo;Western NY
  Federation Wall of Caller and Cuer Recognition.&rdquo; The wall will
  honor our current active callers and cuers for the 16 WNYF Clubs.

  We plan to include a photo and brief biography for our callers and
  cuers. We hope all clubs will participate in this project and assist
  us in creating this wall of recognition for DOR 2023.

  Please encourage you club&rsquo;s leadership and your caller and/or
  cuer to participate in this.


articleid: 457
position: 1
type: text
content:
  Welcome to the Spring, 2023, issue of the Promenader, a quarterly
  publication of the Western NY Federation of Square and Round Dancers,
  Inc.

  Website

  In this issue

  The Photos and Features section highlights club dances around the
  winter holidays, including the Silver Squares, Copy Cats, Cloverleafs,
  Cayuga Cut-Ups and the BooBull clubs.

  There&rsquo;s also an update on the Troopon program, through which
  area dancers donate manufacturer coupons to US military families.

  In another sign of returning toward normal, we see from the Cayuga
  Cut-Ups that Banner Stealing has resumed. That&rsquo;s good news
  indeed!

  In other articles, Jeff &amp; Debbie Blood explain the role of the
  WNYF and encourage dancers to volunteer for roles in the Federation
  leadership. Also, the WNYF announces initiation of a Wall of
  Recognition for Callers and Cuers, to be unveiled at DOR-2023.

  Club News

  News from clubs this quarter indicates a continued return to normal
  dancing, with the return of traditional events and classes.

  We sadly note the demise of the Belles N Beaus, and send well-wishes
  to Bob and Alice Hager, their long-time leaders and source of
  inspiration.

  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 (in PDF form) and schedule
  change notices (in the body of an email) 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 &ldquo;Breaking News&rdquo; to go on the
  WNYF home page (squaredancingrochester.org).

  And clubs should also consider posting their news on the
  &ldquo;SquareDancingRochester&rdquo; group Facebook page.

  In Memoriam

  In this issue, we say farewell to Fred Ventura, who danced with the
  Village Squares, the Copy Cats and others.

  Editorial Comments

  It&rsquo;s wonderful to see Banner Stealing resuming and to hear about
  class activities, as square dancing rebounds from the shock of the
  past few years.

  Quarterly Chuckles

  Some thoughts on getting older&mdash;source unknown.

  1. Age 60 might be the new 40, but 9:30 pm is the new midnight.

  2. It&rsquo;s the start of a brand new day, and I&rsquo;m off like a
  herd of turtles.

  3. The older I get, the earlier it gets late.

  4. When I say, &ldquo;The other day,&rdquo; I could be referring to
  any time between yesterday and 15 years ago.

  5. I remember being able to get up without making sound effects.

  6. I had my patience tested. I&rsquo;m negative.

  7. Remember, if you lose a sock in the dryer, it comes back as a
  Tupperware lid that doesn&rsquo;t fit any of your containers.

  8. If you&rsquo;re sitting in public and a stranger takes the seat
  next to you, just stare straight ahead and say, &ldquo;Did you bring
  the money?&rdquo;

  9. When you ask me what I am doing today, and I say
  &ldquo;nothing,&rdquo; it does not mean I am free. It means I am doing
  nothing.

  10. I finally got eight hours of sleep. It took me three days, but
  whatever.

  11. I run like the winded.

  12. I hate when a couple argues in public, and I missed the
  beginning&mdash;so I don&rsquo;t know whose side I&rsquo;m on.

  13. When someone asks what I did over the weekend, I squint and ask,
  &ldquo;Why, what did you hear?&rdquo;

  14. When you do squats, are your knees supposed to sound like a goat
  chewing on an aluminum can stuffed with celery?

  15. I don&rsquo;t mean to interrupt people. I just randomly remember
  things and get really excited.

  16. When I ask for directions, please don&rsquo;t use words like
  &lsquo;east.&rsquo;

  17. Don&rsquo;t bother walking a mile in my shoes. That would be
  boring. Spend 30 seconds in my head. That&rsquo;ll freak you right
  out.

  18. My luck is like a bald guy who just won a comb.

  19. Sometimes, someone unexpected comes into your life out of nowhere,
  makes your heart race, and changes you forever. We call those people
  cops.

  I hope you enjoy this issue!


articleid: 458
position: 1
type: text
content:
  George Washington (aka George Stahl) came to dance at Silver Squares
  on President's Day. Five squares of dancers gathered to celebrate the
  day!


articleid: 459
position: 1
type: text
content:
  The Daphne-Norma Leadership Award was established 46 years ago. It is
  the highest honor awarded in the Western New York Federation. Since
  1977, this award has been given to a person or couple who have made
  significant contributions toward fostering square dancing activities
  in Western New York. The recipient each year is chosen on the basis
  of accumulated nominations and letters of support from dancers.

  Rick and Donna LaDonna, as recipients of the 2022 award, were honored
  to present this year&rsquo;s award to Anne Granger and Don
  Naulin. Anne and Don are a very special couple. They met square
  dancing&hellip;Don was an accomplished dancer; Anne a beginner. They
  found common goals on the square dance floor and in their lives. They
  have been Co-Presidents of the Silver Squares for several years. Each
  Monday, their members say, &ldquo;Club dances are like parties!&rdquo;
  Anne is very creative coming up with themes for each weekly
  dance. When COVID struck, Anne helped establish health and safety
  guidelines for returning to dance after the pandemic which other clubs
  used as a template for their own CDC procedures. Anne served as Vice
  President of the Federation for one year. They were active members of
  the Federation&rsquo;s Return to Dance Task Force. They have been on
  the DORish, Summer Dance and DOR committees for the past four
  years. They are always willing to help no matter what task is put
  before them. In addition, Anne and Don have brought square dancing
  into the community with participation in demos at local nursing homes,
  participation in the Greece Historical Society&rsquo;s Strawberry
  Festival and Square Dance Demo and setting up square dance displays at
  local libraries. Anne, Don and the Silver Squares hosted the live
  Spectrum News square dance demo at the Greece United Methodist Church
  last year. No matter what the upcoming event is, they say &ldquo;How
  can we help?&rdquo;

  Here are some statements from nominations the Daphne-Norma Committee
  received:

  &ldquo;(They) started a Club Zoom Meeting (during the pandemic). The
  goal was to keep communication alive. They did more than
  that&mdash;relieving the cabin fever of COVID fever and reassuring us
  that the square dance community is alive and well.&rdquo;

  &ldquo;We feel that the outstanding leadership that this couple has
  provided to square dancing in the Rochester area during this recent
  pandemic make them ideal candidates for the Daphne-Norma Leadership
  Award&hellip;&rdquo;

  &ldquo;They have the leadership skills, diplomacy and sense of humor a
  good leader needs.&rdquo;

  This year&rsquo;s recipients are true &ldquo;Ambassadors&rdquo; of
  square dancing. It was with great pleasure that we were able to
  present the 2023 Daphna-Norma Leadership Award to Silver
  Square&rsquo;s Co-Presidents, Anne Granger and Don Naulin.

  We thank all those who submitted nominations, and we thank the
  Daphne-Norma Selection Committee.


articleid: 460
position: 1
type: text
content:
  Dance in a square and make a circle of New Friends! Last September,
  the Copy Cats held an Open House for new dancers. It was our first
  Open House since the beginning of the COVID pandemic. Twenty-seven
  guests arrived to try square dancing. Some decided not to continue and
  14 decided that square dancing was fun and for them! Weekly they
  learned new dance steps and reviewed ones previously learned. Maybe
  discouraged at times, but they persevered. After our return from
  Florida, we could not believe the improvement in dance skills these
  new dancers had achieved.

  We thank Debbie and Paul VanGraafeiland, our Class Coordinators, for
  the fabulous job they did this year shepherding the
  &ldquo;kittens&rdquo; each week. We extend a big thank you to our
  angels who weekly gave up their time to help our &ldquo;kittens&rdquo;
  learn the necessary steps. Lastly, we could not have had a class
  without our Caller/Instructor, Ron Brown. For more than 30 years, Ron
  has been instructing new Copy Cats dancers and we appreciate his
  dedication to our Club and square dancing in general.

  April 18, 2023 was Graduation Night. We welcomed members and family
  &amp; friends of our graduates. Everyone enjoyed a pizza party prior
  to the ceremony. Our candidates for graduation took the dreaded test
  while the Copy Cats did some Plus dancing. Following the
  Graduates&rsquo; grand march set to Pomp and Circumstance, members of
  the Copy Cats Board lit the candles signifying the four corners of a
  square&mdash;Friendship, Duty, Enjoyment and Democracy. Rick LaDonna
  then read a short poem about square dancing.

  Square Dance is a Puzzle

  It&rsquo;s a puzzle of geometry: Squares, lines, columns and waves.

  The puzzle is constantly changing.

  Although you are only one piece of the puzzle, it can&rsquo;t be
  completed without you.

  There is always a specific place left for you to fit in.

  So, dance, have fun, help others.

  And if all else fails, Blame the Caller!

  Ron presented each graduate with their &ldquo;Bachelor of Square
  Dancing&rdquo; Diploma. As Presidents, we presented each graduate with
  an invitation to join the Copy Cats Square Dance Club.

  It is with great pleasure that we announce the Copy Cats Graduates of
  2023:

  Doris Eckert, Nancy Hutchings, Renee (Nay) Jacobson, Don Lucas, Lynn
  Lucas, Barb Manchee, Nadine Mucci, Pam Oblein, Edith Onusseit,
  J. Riddell, Mary-Ellen Riddell, Jim Schaefer, Timothy Storm Coleman,
  and Bernie Hoke.


articleid: 461
position: 1
type: text
content:
  Many of you know that I was struck unexpectedly with a serious illness
  last fall. After an MRI, I was diagnosed with an infection in my spine
  and rushed into emergency surgery performed by a neurosugeon. Over the
  next 3 months, I had 4 more surgeries and spent more than 50 days in
  the hospital, returning home finally on January 3.

  I want to thank all of you for the wonderful outpouring of love and
  support. I received many cards, gifts, texts, emails, and most
  importantly prayers offered up on my behalf. There are no words to
  express how grateful I am for the friendship and support of this
  wonderful square dance community.

  Thanks to all the caring and prayer, I am recovering well and have
  been able to return to my favorite activity&hellip;square dancing!

  Through it all, I felt the warmth and love&hellip;and as it is
  said&hellip;the greatest of these is love. I feel very blessed to have
  all of you in my circle of love. Hope to see you in a square soon!

  Dance in a square, make a circle of friends!


articleid: 462
position: 1
type: text
content:
  On April 27 Grand Squares was privileged to celebrate a special
  anniversary of one of our members, Barb Miller. On that date 50 years
  ago, Barb was awarded her Graduation certificate after completing
  lessons at a club called Merry Mixers. And her diploma was not just
  something she filed away in her memory album. Barb has continued
  dancing at various clubs, including Southern Tier Wheelers, Swinging
  Singles, Belles &rsquo;N&rsquo; Beaus and Cloverleafs, and is
  currently a member of Silver Squares as well as Grand Squares. She has
  also, in the past, been club reporter and has held various offices in
  her clubs and in the Federation.

  So, we congratulate Barb on this remarkable achievement and also thank
  her for her continued support of square dancing all these years.


articleid: 463
position: 1
type: text
content:
  Silver Squares said farewell to Jim Gotta on March 27. He had been
  calling for the Silver Squares since January 1, keeping the club
  dancing, smiling, and laughing. We thank you for everything, Jim!

  Rosie Holley made him a beautiful cake from Silver Squares.


articleid: 464
position: 1
type: text
content:
  President&rsquo;s Corner&mdash;June 2023

  We currently have 16 clubs in the Federation: Batavia Silver Stars,
  Boo Bull Squares and Rounds, Cayuga Cut-Ups, Cloverleaf Squares, Copy
  Cats, Dalton Gang, Fun Bunch, Grand Squares, Pairs N Squares, Penn Yan
  Friendship Squares, Shirts N Skirts (Fulton), Shamrock Squares, Silver
  Squares, Southern Tier Wheelers, Village Squares and Waterwheel
  Squares. It&rsquo;s been fantastic to have our clubs back dancing. We
  hope you take the opportunity to dance with our member clubs. We have
  so many summer dancing opportunities this summer.

  We want to highlight two fundraising dances are coming up in the near
  future:

  Fulton Shirts N Skirts are sponsoring the Elaine Eno Memorial Dance on
  Saturday, June 3rd from 1&ndash;9p.m. in Fulton NY, all proceeds will
  be donated to the ALS Association.

  Dalton Gang is sponsoring a benefit dance for CURE Childhood Cancer
  Awareness on Saturday, August 19th from 1&ndash;5p.m. in Bliss NY.
  all proceeds go directly to CURE.

  If you can&rsquo;t attend these dances, please consider donating to
  them. Our callers and cuers are volunteering their time to these
  events. Please check the Promenader for more details on these dances.

  The Federation&rsquo;s Dance-O-Rama (DOR) 2023, held on Saturday, May
  6, 2023, was very successful. It was our 63rd Annual DOR. And was
  held at the Perinton Rec Center, 1350 Turk Hill Rd, Fairport NY. We
  had 170 + in attendance. We all enjoyed dancing to international
  caller and cuer Betsy &amp; Roy Gotta and Western NY &amp; Canadian
  Caller, Dave Eno. We were happy to recognize 15 of our 2023 graduates
  who attended DOR. Our clubs&rsquo; classes have added 27 new dancers
  to our dancing community. The Daphne-Norma Leadership Award, highest
  honor awarded in our square dance community, was presented to Anne
  Granger and Don Naulin, Co-Presidents of Silver Squares.

  This year DOR 2023 Committee created a Federation Wall of Recognition
  honoring 14 of our current active WNYF callers and cuers. Each caller
  and cuer provided a picture and answered 8 questions for the committee.
  In addition, 7 of our callers and cuers were given plaques from the
  Federation for their outstanding dedication and support to our clubs
  and the Federation throughout the Covid pandemic and helping to get
  the dancers back to the dance floor. These honored 7 were involved
  with virtual calling or cueing over the Internet using Zoom, 2 years
  of Federation&rsquo;s Summer Dances, the 2020-2021 Federation&rsquo;s
  Return to Dance Task Force and/or 2022 Federation&rsquo;s Promotions
  Task Force. We successfully achieved the goal of starting up square
  dance lessons again in Fall 2022. Thank you again to Ron Brown, Mike
  Callahan, Dave Eno, Jim Gotta, Chuck Meyer, Gill Porter and Eileen
  Webster for all you do for the Federation and our member clubs. This
  year the basket raffle and 50/50 were very successful. Thank you to
  everyone who participated in DOR, as volunteers, dancers, callers,
  cuers, etc. Without everyone&rsquo;s efforts, DOR would not happen.
  Thank you!

  Special thank you to the DOR2023 Committee for all their hard work and
  commitment.

  They are a wonderful team, the DOR 2023 Committee members:

  Linda English, Lorraine &amp; Gary Granath, Anne Granger &amp; Don
  Naulin, Donna &amp; Rick LaDonna, Sharon &amp; Chuck Meyer, Mary Jo
  Webster, Debbie &amp; Jeff Blood

  Upcoming Summer Demos: more details coming, please save the dates:

  Greece Historical Society&mdash;Annual Strawberry Festival Fund Raiser
  Monday, June 19th 4&ndash;7p.m. (free admission if dancing only, if
  eating need to pay admission)

  Josh Jensen&rsquo;s Health Fair at Greece Ridge Mall,
  Saturday, August 26th 9 am to 12 noon. Currently checking if able to
  provide square dance demo.

  We hope to see you on the dance floor this summer!


articleid: 465
position: 1
type: text
content:
  Just a quick note to thank everyone for participating in DOR 2023.

  Whether you helped set up, made a basket to be raffled, greeted
  dancers at the door, registered dancers, called or cued, sold 50/50
  tickets, sold basket raffle tickets, helped with the graduates, took
  pictures or videos, or stayed after to clean-up, we appreciated
  everyone&rsquo;s efforts and support. DOR 2023 wouldn&rsquo;t have
  been possible without your help.

  It was so nice to have a full dance floor again on Saturday
  afternoon. There were 12 squares dancing. It was a fun afternoon of
  dancing and socializing with our friends. We are pleased so many
  dancers were able to attend.

  This year&rsquo;s basket raffle was a huge success. We appreciated
  the overwhelming generosity from our individual dancers and our clubs.

  We were glad so many of our 2023 graduates attended DOR. We were able
  to recognize 15 of our 27 graduates at DOR. We are happy to welcome
  all the 2023 graduates, you are doing great!

  Special Thanks to the members of the DOR 2023 Committee, we appreciate
  all you do!

  Linda English, Lorraine &amp; Gary Granath, Anne Granger &amp; Don
  Naulin, Donna &amp; Rick LaDonna, Sharon &amp; Chuck Meyer, Mary Jo
  Webster


articleid: 466
position: 1
type: text
content:
  Meet the new mascots for the Western NY Federation: Panda Bears Acey
  &amp; Deucey.

  They are our &ldquo;new&rdquo; traveling mascots given to the
  Federation by Village Squares.

  They made their WNYF debut at the 63rd Annual DOR on May 6, 2023.

  Their original debut was 10 years ago on May 4, 2013, they attended
  DOR 2013.

  It was their first dance.

  From Acey&rsquo;s &amp; Deucy&rsquo;s diary:

  &ldquo;We love to travel and dance and meet new friends in other
  places.

  We like to record our travels through the words of our host so before
  you pass us on, we hope you&rsquo;ll write a few lines in our diary to
  remind us of you and your club.

  If your club or special dance has a dangle or some other small
  souvenir, we would love to add it to our collection.

  A little history: Jerry Carmen gave Acey &amp; Deucey to Village
  Squares back in 2013. We have been told they have attended several
  square and round dances throughout the US and enjoyed being traveling
  companions to our dancers. So, if you are at a dance and see them, you
  are welcome to take them with you to a dance or on vacation, etc.

  All they ask is that you help them with their diary by providing a
  quick write up and a picture of their adventure with you.


