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May 2012
Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers and
Grandmothers out there. We hope you have a wonderful day with your
family and friends.
We cannot believe it is already May. Where
will you be Memorial Day Weekend? In Lakeland at the State Convention,
we hope. We and our committees have worked very hard the past few
months to bring you and enjoyable weekend of dancing. Check out our
dance program in this issue or online at www.floridasquaredance.com to
see what our weekend dancing will be offering to Square, Rounds and new
prospective dancers. We are offering a “Welcome to Our World” room
for you to bring friends and family who you would like to introduce to
the wonderful world of Square Dancing.
The Host Hotel is the Ramada Hotel &
Conference Center of Lakeland (formerly Holiday Inn-North) (863)
688-8080. The room rate is $65.00 + tax. Be sure to ask for the "Square
Dance Rate". Price includes two free breakfasts each morning.
For the Campers, Lakeland RV Resort is giving
the Square Dancers a special rate for the Convention. Be sure to
identify yourself as a "Square Dancer" when you make your reservations.
(863) 687-6146
Have you purchased a Raffle Ticket for a $500
CASH prize? The $500 prize will be given away at the State Convention on
Sunday evening. See your area Ways & Means Chairman for tickets.
You do not need to be present to WIN, so purchase a ticket and be a
WINNER!
Did you miss the deadline to get reduced
priced ribbons in the mail? Well, you will have one more chance to get
them if you attend our Mardi Gras Trail End Dance on Thursday, May 24,
2012 at Strawberry Squares in Plant City, 4401 Promenade Blvd. We will
sell you a reduced priced ribbon this evening. After the dance ribbons
will be full price. Callers for this evening will be 2012 Caller
Chairman Charlie Pergrossi, Co-Caller Chairman Ted Kennedy and the 2012
Cuer Chairman Lisa Wall. Please plan on attending; we will be
accepting Donations at the door for this event.
On Friday night you may wear anything Mardi
Gras including costumes. There will be competition dancing on Saturday
afternoon and some dangle dances during the weekend in the Mainstream
Hall. Don’t forget to check out our Vendors.
Happy Memorial Day. God Bless our Troops.
Let the Good Times Roll.
Garland & Carole McKenzie
General Chairmen
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April 2012
Happy Easter & Passover everyone! Time sure
flies by. In less than two months, you will have an opportunity to dance
to the great Callers & Cuers from around the great state of Florida.
Friends, dancers, Callers, Cuers and even the mischievous Jesters will
gather to enjoy the upcoming Memorial Day weekend at the Lakeland Civic
Center in Lakeland, Florida at the 58th Florida State Square & Round
Dance Convention. Check out our dance program in this issue to see
what our weekend dancing will be offering to Square, Rounds and new
prospective dancers. We are offering a “Welcome to Our World” room
for you to bring friends and family who you would like to introduce to
the wonderful world of Square Dancing. See the advertisement in this
issue and invite many friends or family to this event.
If you don't have your ribbons yet, now is
the time to purchase them. Remember, the deadline for ADVANCE RIBBON
PURCHASE IS APRIL 30. Save $5.00 per person. At the Convention Box
Office, the price will be $40.00 per person. Purchase a YOUTH ribbon for
half-price ($17.50) before April 30, 2012. Any youth ribbons purchased
at the Convention Box Office will be full price.
The Host Hotel is the Ramada Hotel &
Conference Center of Lakeland (formerly Holiday Inn-North) (863)
688-8080. The room rate is $65.00 + tax. Be sure to ask for the "Square
Dance Rate". Price includes two free breakfasts each morning.
For the Campers, Lakeland RV Resort is giving
the Square Dancers a special rate for the Convention. Be sure to
identify yourself as a "Square Dancer" when you make your reservations.
(863) 687-6146
Have you seen a Mardi Gras Mask piñata
traveling around your area dances? If you get up real close to it, you
will see a small opening in the top center. Do you know what the opening
is for? YES, you're right. It is for dropping your change or a green
back or two into the piñata. We thank you for your donations. They will
be used to fund our upcoming convention.
Have you purchased a Raffle Ticket for a $500
CASH prize? The $500 prize will be given away at the State Convention on
Sunday evening. See your area Ways & Means Chairman for tickets.
You do not need to be present to WIN, so purchase a ticket and be a
WINNER!
Our Mardi Gras party will begin at the Trail
End Dance on Thursday, May 24, 2012 at Strawberry Squares in Plant City,
4401 Promenade Blvd. Callers for this evening will be 2012 Caller
Chairman Charlie Pergrossi, Co-Caller Chairman Ted Kennedy and the 2012
Cuer Chairman Lisa Wall. Please plan on attending; we will be
accepting Donations at the door for this event.
Happy Dancing.
Garland & Carole McKenzie
General Chairmen
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November 2011
On Saturday, October 1, we attended the NE
2012 Convention Benefit Dance. What a great time with many callers,
cuers and dancers coming out to support the Northeast in this effort.
Thank you to all the people who worked so hard to make this dance a
success. While we were there we met a lady who is just taking lessons.
She was so excited about our activity. If you have new students, please
encourage them so they will complete the lesson program and then invite
them to come to the convention with you in May. We will have a program
for them and also a "Welcome to our World" program for the non-dancers.
On Saturday, October 15, we traveled to
Lakeland to the dance held in conjunction with the Caller's Fall Clinic.
On Sunday we attended the caller meeting followed by the programming of
the callers for the convention. We promise you a great dancing weekend.
Do you exchange Christmas gifts with any of
your square dance friends? If so, now would be the time to start
thinking about giving them ribbons to the 2012 Florida State Convention.
If you cannot find any in your area, contact the Registration Chairmen,
Bob & Jennie Courter and they will be more than happy to assist you.
Also, don't forget the youth. We have a special half price for youth.
Time is running short to purchase raffle
tickets for a “3G Kindle” wireless reader to be given away at the
Northeast “Fall Festival” on November 19, 2011 (you do not have to be
present to win). The tickets were going fast at the Northeast
Benefit Dance and only 300 tickets will be sold for this prize!
Each Association President or Ways & Means Chairman has tickets.
What a great Christmas gift this would make for someone on your list.
Don't forget to submit your survey forms if
your caller or cuer promotes the State Convention at your dance. As of
the end of September, we have one person with a slight lead but a 3-way
tie for second place right behind the leader. Congratulations to the
callers and cuers who are taking the time to promote the State
Convention at their dances.
We wish you a Very Happy Thanksgiving and
safe travels.
Garland & Carole McKenzie
General Chairmen
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October 2011
The next couple of months will be busy ones
for the Convention Committee. In October we will start making the rounds
of Area Festivals. Look for someone (might even be one of the Jesters)
at the following festivals: Single-Rama, Caller Clinic Dance in Plant
City, NW Round-up, NSDCA Camporee, O'leno Hoedown, WC Fall Fun Fest and
the NE Fall Festival. If there is not room for us to have a table at
some of these locations, there will be someone with registrations and
ribbons.
We have Special Youth pricing on the ribbons
until April 30, 2012. Their ribbons will be half price providing they
have not reached their 16th birthday prior to June 1, 2012. Be sure to
mark "YOUTH" on the registration form. Let's get the Youth in our
activity to the convention.
You still have a little time to
purchase raffle tickets for a “3G Kindle” wireless reader to be given
away at the Northeast “Fall Festival” on November 19, 2011 (you do not
have to be present to win). Only 300 tickets will be sold for this
prize! Each Association President or Ways & Means Chairman has
tickets. If you are one of those people who want to have an actual
book in your hands, this reader makes a great Christmas present for
someone on your list. Remember, someone is going to win and it may as
well be YOU.
We are finalizing our Vendors for the
Convention and are happy to report there will be a
videographer/photographer taking candid and still photos. There will be
a DVD available for purchase at the end of the Convention.
Look for more information, in future
articles, about bringing a friend or new dancer to the Convention. We
are planning a "Welcome to Our World" program for the non-dancers.
Garland & Carole McKenzie
General Chairmen
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August 2011
Our Jesters are spending the month of August
getting their fittings for their outfits for the upcoming 58th
Florida State Square Dance Convention to be held in Lakeland on May
25-27, 2012. Several Jesters will be attending the “Trail In”
Dance to be held at Strawberry Squares in Plant City on Thursday, May
24, 2012.
This Convention will be a “Mardi Gras Fun in
the Sun” event only to be held in Lakeland, Florida! Wear your
“Mardi Gras” costumes or outfits on Friday night for the Mardi Gras
Ball…Don’t have time for a fitting for an outfit? Don’t worry we
will have beads, masks and other outrageous items to make you fit in
just perfectly! So buy your ribbons for this event (money back
guaranteed, if you find you can’t make it). Current price is
$35.00 per person. If you wait to purchase your ribbon at door at
the Convention it will be $40.00 per person. Buy now and SAVE.
Can’t find a registration form? Find it in the registration area
of our website:
www.floridasquaredance.com/convention.
Don't forget we have Special Youth pricing on
the ribbons until April 30, 2012. Their ribbons will be half price
providing they have not reached their 16th birthday prior to
June 1, 2012. Be sure to mark "YOUTH" on the registration form. Let's
get the Youth in our activity to the convention.
Our “Jesters” have been keeping track of the
“Caller / Cuer Survey” results. The caller or cuer who promotes the
convention the most will get their hotel accommodations provided
FREE ……Currently there is a tie between several of the callers and
cuers. Remember if you are a Club President or dance Host and the Caller
or Cuer (or both) promote the upcoming 58th FSSRDC from the
stage, please take the survey located on the
Convention website and report the Caller or Cuer on the website
survey form, you will have to do the survey twice if both Caller & Cuer
promote the Convention…and of course if (2) two Callers promote the
Convention, you would take the survey twice to record each of the
Callers.
We have an upcoming raffle for a “3G Kindle”
wireless reader to be given away at the Northeast “Fall Festival” on
November 19, 2011 (you do not have to be present to win). Get your
ticket soon only 300 tickets will be sold for this prize! Each
Association President or Ways & Means Chairman has tickets. You
can’t miss the chance to win this prize and enjoy it yourself or give it
away as a nice present.
Garland & Carole McKenzie
General Chairmen
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July 2011
Congratulations to Terri Little and Ailene
Picheco for putting together a great crew to cover all committees at the
2011 state convention. It was a great success and we thank the
many volunteers who worked so hard to make this convention such an
enjoyable fun-filled weekend!!
The focus is now on the 2012 convention.
The theme is “Mardi Gras Fun in the Sun.” General Chairmen Garland
and Carole McKenzie have put together a great team! The host hotel
for next year’s convention will be the Lakeland Hotel & Conference
Center (formerly the Holiday Inn – North at 3260 US Highway 98 North.)
To make your reservation, call them at 386-688-8080. Ask for the
square dance rate of $65 (plus tax of course). It’s also a good
idea to register now for the convention while the rate is still $35 for
such a great party weekend! One day tickets will also be available
at the convention box office.
Isn’t it great that the youth get a special
rate! Any youth, who has not reached their 16th birthday by
June 1, 2012, only pay one-half price if they register by April 30th!
Let’s encourage them to attend!! We saw several last May, and they
were having a great time!
As you know, fundraisers are necessary to
help defray the enormous expense of putting on an event of this size.
We hope each and every one of you will support your Ways and Means
Chairmen and anyone else soliciting contributions for this fabulous
exciting weekend. One of the popular fundraiser is the raffle for
the Kindle 3G Wireless Reading Device! Hurry and get your $5
tickets because they are limited to only 300 tickets! Someone’s
going to win – it could be you!! The winner will be drawn on November
19, 2011 and you do not have to be present to win.
Here's an exciting challenge for your club
caller and cuer to promote the 2012 Florida State Convention. Each
club should have one designated representative to complete the
“Caller/Cuer Survey” on the following website:
www.floridasquaredance.com/convention. Every
time the caller and/or cuer promotes the upcoming convention, that
designated representative should complete the survey after clicking the
button: “Caller/Cuer Survey.” If more than one caller and/or
cuer promotes the convention at a dance, you need to complete a survey
form for each one of them. This also applies to Association Dances and
any Special dances throughout the year. The caller or cuer
receiving the most votes will receive hotel accommodations for the
upcoming convention weekend. (The winning caller or cuer does not have
to be programmed for the 2012 Convention) Take a look at the
above-referenced web site and ask your caller and/or cuer to appoint a
representative to complete the survey in a caller/cuer run club or the
President can appoint someone in a Dancer run club. Callers and
cuers, please begin now to promote next year’s state convention.
Finally, if you still have clothes you don’t
wear any more, there is a place for them! Donate them to be
recycled! The income from these recycled clothes goes to support
the convention. But please remember! These donated clothes
must be clean and in good condition. Ask your Ways and Means
Chairman for more information on both the Caller/Cuer Survey and clothes
recycling project..
Elsa Huddleston, Publicity Chairman
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2012 Convention Kickoff
We would like to thank Ted & Nancy Kennedy
for a great job in presenting our Kickoff. Since Ted and Nancy come from
Slidel, LA and our theme was going to be Mardi Gras, we thought it would
be fitting to have someone, from Cajun Country, be the Kickoff Chairman.
Due to the distances between our Chairman and
the participants, we did not know until Sunday morning what the Kickoff
would really look like. We hope you enjoyed it. We believe you did based
on the number of Pre-Registration ribbons sold after the Kickoff.
We also want to thank all of our participants
and anyone who contributed in any way to the kickoff. We had couples and
singles from Homestead to Jacksonville to Pensacola and everywhere in
between participating in the kickoff.
Again, a BIG Thank You to everyone involved
and to you the dancers for purchasing your ribbons at our discounted
Pre-Registration price. See you all next May when we "Let the Good Times
Roll".
Garland & Carole McKenzie
2012 General Chairmen
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June 2011
We hope all of you enjoyed the 2011 State
Square Dance Convention!! Now it is time for us to begin focusing
on the next one. The kickoff for the 58th Florida state
convention on Sunday night, May 29, marked the beginning of another
upcoming three days of constant fun and entertainment. Did you
enjoy the kickoff and the Mardi Gras costumes? Make a note of
next year’s dates: May 25, 26 and 27, 2012. Although
it’s a year away, that time will pass quicker than we’re ready for it
to! Ribbons are on sale now for the 2012 convention. If you buy
them in advance, the cost is $35 per person for the entire weekend, but
if you wait to get them at the door they will be $40 per person – so buy
early and save! Where else can you go for a full weekend of such
fun! And you get to reacquaint yourselves with other dancers you
only see on this special weekend!
 Fundraisers have been ongoing to defray the
high costs incurred in a convention of this magnitude. We urge
dancers to support these various endeavors. These endeavors are
what help to keep the cost of the ribbons down. Look through your
closets for clothes you don’t wear any more. Take those clothes to
a Federation or Association representative who will in turn send them
along for recycling. Another fundraiser is the Kindle 3G Wireless
Reading Device. Download books to a smaller and faster reading
device. Tickets for this Kindle are limited to only 300, and the
price is $5 per ticket. Hurry and get yours while they last!!
Elsa Huddleston, Publicity Chairman
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