Houston Area Traditional Dance Society Newsletter July 2002
Contents
Call for Volunteers
Bayou Bedlam 2003 Committee to Meet August 6
June 19 Board Meeting
Dance Thought for July
HATDS Contra Dances
Other Local Dances
Organization and Newsletter information
Call for Volunteers
- - By Dorcas Hand and Julia Land
HATDS was started so that we can dance. There are many things that have to come together so that we can dance. We need a band. We need a caller. We need a hall. And we need someone to handle the ordinary details of the dance. The board arranges for the band, the caller, and the hall. What we need is someone to handle the details of each dance. This person is called the dance manager, and there can be a different dance manager for each dance.
Dance Manager
What does the dance manager do? They get to the hall early to turn on the air conditioning, to unlock the door, to make the lemonade, to be sure the arriving dancers are greeted. The HATDS Board has been managing these tasks, but we think the group has many folks who could contribute an occasional Saturday evening of management talents. The dance manager gets in free to the dance, and mostly gets to dance the whole night. The dance manager gets the appreciation of the entire group. It is easy, and there are complete instructions at the hall.
Three cheers for Terri Chadwick who has volunteered to manage the July 13 dance! She saw the sign-up sheet on the Greeter's Table at the June 22 dance. We will have it there each dance now. If you are willing to be a dance manager, sign up at the next dance, just like Terri did.
Dance Manager Manager
We also hope there is someone who will be willing to manage the dance managers, to be the DMM or Dance Manager Manager. That doesn't mean managing every dance. It means being sure there is a manager for every dance, and that there are enough nametags, lemonade, and so on. We hope that by spreading the load more widely through the organization we will encourage greater participation. To volunteer to be Dance Manager Manager, talk to any board member or send email to board@hatds.org.
Newsletter Distribution Coordinator
The newsletter is another volunteer activity. Members write the articles and take the pictures. Lauren Singer designed the graphics. Julia Land edits the articles and lays out the newsletter. Eleanor Gutterman and Lida Keene proofread it. Alice Bohlae reproduces it and Willie Simmons posts it to the HATDS web page. But we need someone to fold the newsletters, paste on the address labels and stamps, and mail them. This can be a different person each month. If you want to volunteer to mail the newsletters one month, send email to board@hatds.org or to hatdsnews@jltwriter.com.
If you want to write an article or submit pictures from a dance send email to hatdsnews@jltwriter.com.
Bayou Bedlam 2003 Committee to Meet August 6
- - By Alice Bohlae and Julia Land
The Bayou Bedlam committee will meet on August 6, 2002, at 7:00 p.m. The committee will continue to plan the dance weekend and will mail promotional flyers to contra dance groups around the country. If you know of any dance groups we should send flyers to, please tell Alice Bohlae at michead@aol.com or (713) 861-4185. Or see her at a dance!
Working meetings are always fun. Stuffing and sealing envelopes generates more laughter than you might imagine. Everyone is encouraged to attend and lend a hand. The meeting will be held at Eleanor Gutterman's house. For the address and directions, contact Alice or Eleanor.
If you are traveling to any dance communities during the summer, please take some flyers to promote our weekend. Once again, call Alice to get flyers.
Registration forms will be available in about September.
June 19 Board Meeting
- - By Dorcas Hand
The Board met June 19. We discussed our ongoing need for a Dance Manager Manager (see article). And we discussed Roy's need for help with publicity and public relations. Serendipitously, Barb Muller is interested in working with Roy to help get our dances better publicized.
We are all looking forward to collaborating to build a stronger dance group in Houston. Meanwhile, Lauren and Alice have worked up some advance flyers for Bayou Bedlam which are already available to members traveling to dances away from Houston. And we are continuing to work with webmaster Willie Simmons to improve the HATDS web page _ check it out!
The next board meeting is July 17 at the Mucky Duck. The meeting starts at 7:00 p.m., but get there early for the happy hour buffet.
Dance Thought for July
For the good are always the merry,
Save by an evil chance,
And the merry love the fiddle,
And the merry love to dance....
William
Butler Yeats (1865-1939)
HATDS Contra Dances
Date: July 13
Caller: Dorcas Hand
Band: M&M
Date: July 27
Caller: TBA
Band: TBA
Date: August 10
Caller: Elmo Eldridge
Band: The Young Family Strings and No Foolin'
Date: August 27
Caller: Linda Mrosko
Band: The Beat Brothers
(aka Barry Cooper and Doug Stickle)
Where to Go and When
Dances are held at the Grace United Methodist Church at the corner of 13th Street and Heights Boulevard. Dances are from 8 to 11 p.m. Please come early to help set the hall up or stay late to help clean up. Food for the break is provided by generous dancers who bring goodies with them.
The cost is $5 members, $6 non-members, $4 students over 16 with ID, $4 non-members 12-16, $3 student members, and free for under 12. First time dancers receive a coupon for a free second visit.
Other Local Dances
Houston International Folk Dancers
Mondays, 7:30 to 10:00 p.m. (Beginners)
Fridays, 7:30 to 10:00 p.m.
www.folkdancers.org
Royal Scottish Dance Society
Tuesdays, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
www.houstonrscds.org
Scottish Country Dancing and More
Wednesdays, 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.
www.home.att.net/~diannashipman
Contra Dancing in Texas web page
www.blake.prohosting.com/austinbd/contratx
Houston Area Traditional Dance Society
www.hatds.org
PO Box 70135
Houston, TX 77270
Board Members board@hatds.org
Bill Budell (713) 270-8670
Dorcas Hand
Roy Simmons (713) 921-7387
Lauren Singer
George Eggleston (713) 988-9698
Webmaster webmaster@hatds.org
Willie Simmons
Newsletter hatdsnews@jltwriter.com
Editor: Julia Land
Graphics: Lauren Singer
Proofreaders: Eleanor Gutterman and Lida Keene