President’s Corner—December 1, 2024 The past few months have been wonderful seeing the clubs starting up their Fall dances. It’s good to see so many dancers back on the dance floor. Many great pictures of our clubs Halloween Parties are being shared via our WNYF Facebook page. It is so much fun to see how happy and creative our dancers are in their costumes. Three years ago, the Federation was approached to host a New Year’s Eve Dance. We are happy to say the Federation has been co-sponsoring a New Years Eve Afternoon Dance with the Copy Cats since 2021 and will do so again on December 31, 2024, from 3–5 pm at the Penfield Baptist Church. Jim Gotta will be calling and cueing. Hope you can join us, dancing with your friends is a wonderful way to welcome 2025! Our DOR committee is busy preparing for our 65th Annual Dance-O-Rama on Saturday, May 3, 2025. It is Rochester’s annual dance festival. There will be mainstream, plus, advanced and rounds. The event will be at the Perinton Community Center on Turk Hill Rd. from 1–5 pm. Our guest caller is Jason Raleigh, a national square dance caller from Grove City, Ohio. We will also enjoy dancing to local caller Ron Brown and local cuer Mark Thone. During the DOR program our graduates’ parade will honor our graduates who just started lessons in Sept. and Oct. The Daphne Norma Leadership Award, presented annually at DOR, is the highest honor given to our dancers. It honors a couple or individual who has demonstrated leadership furthering the cause of square and round dancing for extended period of time. Each year the recipient(s) are chosen from the nominations from our dancing members. A committee of previously awarded Daphne Norma Leadership Award recipients vote on the person(s) to receive the honor at DOR. Their decision is based on all the nominations received both currently and in prior years. The award nominations 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 leadership, dedication, and service to our square and round dancing community. Nomination forms are available through the “Awards” button on the Federation website: squaredancingrochester.org. The Federation is busy arranging another Free Dance to be held on Friday night June 20, 2025. Our Free Friday night dance in June 2024 was a tremendous success and we wanted to do it again. This year we are adding a new feature, it will also be the kick-off of the Federation’s annual amateur calling/cueing event for our members. Individuals interested in trying their talent in square dance calling or cueing a round are welcome. Please reach out to one our wonderful callers or cuers to prepare for this event. We anticipate there is much hidden talent in our dancing members. Additionally, the Federation is in the process of creating a grant to assist potential callers and cuers from our club membership. This is a monetary grant to help them with calling/cueing school expenses. More details to follow. We are looking forward to all the upcoming holiday festivities and hope to see you on the dance floor. Take Care and Stay Well, Debbie & Jeff Blood -------------------------------- Charles J. Nientimp—June 15, 1939–September 13, 2024 Charlie Nientimp passed away peacefully at age 85 on Friday, September 13, 2024, at FF Thompson Hospital in Canandaigua, NY. He was born on June 15, 1939, in Rochester, NY to the late George and Georgiana Nientimp. Charlie graduated from Edison Career and Technology High School in 1957 where he was a member of the swim team. After high school, he had various jobs before his long career at Eastman Kodak where he worked as a millwright in the utility division and retired as a technician in the Engineering department. Upon retiring he enjoyed his time working for Bill Gray’s and maintaining machinery at their many restaurants. Charlie married Dale Scottow 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. Charlie and Dale enjoyed golfing, traveling and spending time with their large family and many friends. Charlie will be remembered for his love of his player piano, antique cars and collecting beer steins. He enjoyed playing cards including Euchre, Bridge and Cribbage along with sailing and fishing with his family on Lake Ontario. Charlie is predeceased by his wife of 29 years, Dale M. Scottow-Nientimp, brothers, George (Eleanore) Nientimp and Gerald (Babe) Nientimp, sisters, Helen (Richard) Miller, and Marion (Aaron) Duke. He is survived by his children, Karen (Matthew) Caton, Jennifer (David) Sauter, Christine (Rodney) Baumgartner, his step-children, Penny (David) Wasnock-Toal, Mark (Marie) Wasnock, grandchildren Benjamin M. Caton, Hope A. Caton, Tyler J. (Emily) Wheaton, Alyson M. (Conner) Strickland, Molly K. Sauter, Collin D. Sauter, Joseph L. Fisher, Reina E. Wasnock, Seiya A. Wasnock, Mia U. Wasnock, 2 great-grandchildren, special friend and companion Corky Trombley and many nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society www.lls.org. To share a memory or a condolence, please visit: www.doughertyfuneralhomes.com Recollections from Peter Emmel: I remember the pleasure of dancing with Charlie and Dale, not only at the Cloverleafs but also at several dances in western NY and (I think) at some of the new-Year’s Eve dances held by the Village Squares years ago. They even came to a few of the Village Squares Wednesday dances. Submitted by Anne Granger ---------------------- John R. Roden—July 9, 1941—October 1, 2024 John R. Roden, 83, of Weedsport, NY, passed away Tuesday, October 1, 2024, at St. Camillus Health & Rehabilitation Center in Syracuse. Mr. Roden was born on July 9, 1941, in Bethlehem, CT., to the late John S. and Alice Ruppel Roden. John was the former highway superintendent for the Town of Brutus and a member of the Weedsport Masonic Lodge. John’s true passion was farming. For many years he worked on the family farm, Roden Brothers Farm. John was able to stay at the farm, the place he loved for so long because of the help he received from his son, Eric and daughter-in-law, Joanna as well as their children, David, Erika, Timothy (Sarah) and Nicholas (Samantha). In addition to his love of farming, he loved spending holidays with Eric, Joanna, their children and especially his great grandchildren, Jack, Benjamin Schmidt, Nathan Roden, Cru and Chase. John always had a soft spot in his heart for his granddaughter Erika, who loved and doted on him all the time. John also loved square dancing. John and his wife, Dorothy, were both members of the Cayuga Cut Ups for many, many years. John continued to dance there after Dorothy passed away. John was loved by all of the Cayuga Cut Ups and is greatly missed. John is survived by his brother, Andrew Roden; sister Ellen (John) Samoska; children, John B. Roden, Eric (Joanna) Roden, Amy Pierce, Edmond Swan, Jennifer Swan, Peggy (Ron) Fredericks, and Tom (Linda) Swan; several grandchildren and great grandchildren. In addition to his parents, John was predeceased by his wife of 36 years, Dorothy Roden and his sister Alice Skarr. The Roden family would like to acknowledge and thank John’s neighbors on Oakland Rd. for always looking out for him. To offer condolences to the family, please visit whitechapelfh.com. Submitted by Anne Granger ------------------------ Phyllis Brucker Smeltzer—October 23, 2024 Webster: Wednesday, October 23, 2024, age 77. She leaves behind her husband and caregiver, Charles Smeltzer; her daughter, Heather Stokes (Jeremy) and their children, Joe and Evie; her husband’s daughter, Jenni Wetzler (Jim Hancock); her son, Jacob Brown (Vicki) and their sons, Luciano and Domonic; her husband’s son, Matt Smeltzer (Jolene) and their children, Rayna, Judah, Ziek and Lenora; sister, Carol Scholz (Ken) and their children, Arthur Scholz (Kate, and their children, Donald, Gordon and baby on the way, Karl Scholz and Eleanor OLeary (Paddy); brother, Charlie Brucker (Rene) and their children, Carl Brucker (Angelica) and Margaret Arata (Mike); sister, Cathy Staehli (Joel Reed) and her daughter, Anna Wiser (Chris) and their sons, Jaxon and Theo; foster brother, Herman Rolle. Phyllis liked to stay active. She was a 4-H leader, Sunday School teacher, Head of Trustees at Webster Presbyterian Church, Union Secretary and then President of Webster Transportation. She enjoyed Civil War reenacting with her husband. The most recent source of her enjoyment was square dancing. She was a bright star in the square dance community. She was always welcoming, and her smile was infectious. Her positive attitude and incredible outlook on everything drew people to her. As members of the Copy Cats Dance Club, Phyllis and Charlie helped new members with their dance skills. Phyllis helped people laugh and not take mistakes too seriously. She was a lovely, gracious, lady who will be greatly missed. Her most important focus was her family. Joe and Evie living right next door was so very wonderful. She was also able to be a caregiver for her mother, which was a very rewarding experience. Mother passed in 2023 and Daddy in 2006. Family and friends gathered for a Graveside Service 2:00 PM Saturday, November 16, at Webster Rural Cemetery and later attended a reception at Webster Presbyterian Church. Square dancer comments: “Any dance that Phyllis and Charlie attended was brightened by Phyllis’s smile.” Submitted by Anne Granger -------------------------- Headline: Silver Squares Halloween Dance—October 28, 2024 Our Halloween dance at Silver Squares is always a lot of fun!! Laughter, dancing, and food always makes for a great afternoon. Mike Callahan, caller for Silver Squares, had our dancers promenade in a circle and then everyone voted for the best costume. Joann Baxter and Diane and Richard Cundra won the contest!! Submitted by Anne Granger ---------------------------- Headline: Silver Squares Crazy Hat Dance—September 30, 2024 Silver Squares Dance Club had a “Crazy Hat” dance on September 30th. Four squares of people wore their crazy hats and danced to caller, Mike Callahan. Lots of laughs and lots of fun!!! Submitted by Anne Granger ------------------------------ Headline: Silver Squares Soup and Sandwich Dance—October 14, 2024 The Silver Squares Dance Club Annual Soup and Sandwich dance was a hit! Six different soups, a variety of sandwiches and many desserts were enjoyed by all. Five squares of people not only ate but danced too. What a fun day! Submitted by Anne Granger ------------------------- On Saturday, September 21, 2024, Rick & Donna LaDonna, along with Debbie & Jeff Blood and Mary Jo & David Webster, presented the Circle of Service Award to Lorraine and Gary Granath. The Award is presented to those individuals who for three or more years have contributed to the square dance community. Gary and Lorraine joined the Copy Cats after graduating in the 2016 class. They served as Copy Cats’ Refreshment Chairs. In this capacity, they attended every dance for their two-year term arranging for volunteers, organized set-up and clean-up quietly and efficiently. Gary volunteered his carpentry skills and made a platform for our water jug, constructed a new travel holder for our Copy Cats banner and re-engineered one of our Copy Cats sandwich board signs. Both have helped with our Copy Cats Annual Holiday Dinners since 2019. They assisted in all capacities—serving on committees, buying supplies, set-up, serving and clean-up. Additionally, Gary and Lorraine served the Federation as co-secretaries for a two-year term and have served on the DOR Committee for many years. After they thought they could sit back and dance the nights away, they selflessly volunteered to rejoin the Copy Cats Board as Secretaries. Their love of dancing and their desire to keep our Club and Federation going shows in the thoughtful ideas they brought forth at board meetings. Gary and Lorraine have met all the criteria, and we were proud to present the Circle of Service Award to them. On September 24, 2024, the LaDonna’s and the Blood’s presented the Circle of Service Award to Phyllis and Charlie Smeltzer at their home due to Phyllis’ illness. Phyllis and Charlie have been members of the Copy Cats for many years. We personally have known them for more than 12 years. They are the most dedicated dancers and angels we have known. With few exceptions, they are present at every Copy Cats class session from September to May. On the dance floor, they are among the first to join a square and help the new dancers navigate the calls. They are always ready to step in to the breech wherever they are needed. They arrive early for classes (or dances) to help set-up and stay late to help with clean-up. In addition, they have taken some of our more challenging students under their wing. They are always smiling and social to both new and old members of the Club. Charlie is always seen supporting the Club by buying 50/50 and turkey raffle tickets. They always attend DOR where they usually place themselves in squares where dancers may be having problems. They support other Clubs in the Federation. They are often seen dancing at Bubel’s, at Cloverleaf Squares, and others, where they show the same support to students and new dancers as they do at our Club. Additionally, they have been active in their community. He is a bus driver; she a bus monitor. They are very family-oriented and enjoy spending hours with their children and grandchildren. They have been dedicated Civil War historical interpreters and dancers. They participated in historical reenactments at Gettysburg and at local sites to educate today’s youth about the Civil War. As a couple, they have been active participants in restorations and re-dedications of Civil War veterans’ graves. In addition, he has participated in “living history” regarding the Civil War at the Genesee Country Museum. They were interim class coordinators and members of the Copy Cats Board. We were honored to present the Circle of Service Award to Charlie and Phyllis Smeltzer. Addendum: Phyllis passed away on October 23, 2023. She will be sadly missed by the writers and the entire square dance community. Submitted by Donna and Rick LaDonna -------------------- Headline: Silver Squares Pizza Party—September 16, 2024 Five squares of dancers welcomed in the Fall with a Pizza Party!! Monday afternoon is a lot of fun at Silver Squares Dance Club. We‘d love to have you join us! Submitted by Anne Granger ------------------------------- Headline: Copy Cats Retrieve Banner from Silver Squares—October 14, 2024 Banner Stealing is always fun. Copy Cats members visited Silver Squares and took their banner back! Don Naulin and Anne Granger, Presidents of Silver Squares, tried to keep the banner but no luck. Banner Stealing promotes good will and a lot of fun among clubs. Submitted by Anne Granger ---------------------------------- We would not be dancing if it weren’t for the extra efforts of a few dancers who consistently go out of their way to make things happen, to welcome and encourage new dancers and to help keep experienced dancers engaged. The Daphne-Norma Leadership Award is one of the ways we recognize and honor these special people. The award is presented each year in May, at Dance O Rama, to honor an individual or couple who have made an outstanding contribution to dancing in our area. Recipients are selected from nominations sent in by dancers like you. This is an award for dancers from other dancers. It’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. The deadline for nominations is the end of February. Now is the time to think about nominating dancers YOU appreciate for the Daphne-Norma Leadership Award. If you don’t take the time to nominate them, their contributions may go unrecognized. Nomination forms, along with a more complete description of the award and its historical background and guidelines for nomination, are available online via the Awards page on the WNYF website, or by contacting the most recent recipients—Linda and Glynn English—at glynnenglish@earthlink.net. You’ve probably seen them at a dance or two…with the Daphne-Norma Traveling Candy Dish. If that’s too much trouble, simply send an email to Linda and Glynn with the following information: It’s that simple! 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 contributions 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. If you know someone whom you feel stands out in their continuing service to square dancing and to others, please help us recognize and celebrate them. All it takes is for you to fill out a nomination form. Your input is very important! Tell us about the person or couple you wish to nominate by completing and submitting the Daphne-Norma Leadership Award Nomination Form. The Sooner, The Better! Every single nomination is very important, so please don’t think that what you have to say doesn’t matter! You don’t need to know their life history. The nomination form gives you the space to present what you do know about their contributions to square dancing. You can also ask others to help you fill in the information. If you have nominated someone in a previous year, please don’t hesitate to nominate them again this year adding to their record of service. Nominations are kept on file by the award committee, gaining weight as they accumulate. 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 are encouraged submit a new nomination form this year to add cumulative weight to their nomination file. Remember, the deadline for nominations is the end of February. If you have any questions, please contact the most recent recipient at the email address given at the bottom of the form. For 2024, that’s Linda and Glynn English, from the Cayuga Cut-Ups. Their email address is given above. Submitted by Peter Emmel ----------------------------------- Promenader - Club News - December 2024 - Edited 11/17/24 P. Emmel CLUBS DELETED: Boo Bull Rounds Boo Bull Squares CLUBS ADDED: Boo Bull Square and Round Dance Clubs REPORTS MISSING FROM: Dalton Gang - Generic description added Penn Yan FS - Existing news adapted to generic (PYFS does their planning in December) Village Squares - Generic description edited --------------------------------- Headline: WNYF to Host Free Friday Night Dance in June to feature Amateur Callers & Cuers Answering the call to help promote interest in square dance calling and cueing, the Western NY Federation is reviving the tradition by hosting an amateur calling and cueing event in June 2025. The Cloverleaf Squares’ “Roaring Tiger” trophy is coming out of hibernation and will be awarded to the most entertaining amateur. Volunteer amateur callers and cuers are encouraged to participate. Please reach out to our WNYF callers and cuers for help and advice. They are fantastic and they encourage newbies to try calling and cueing. Experienced callers and cuers are glad to guide you on music selection or obtaining cue sheets, if need be. Ron Brown, Mike Callahan and Jim Gotta will also be calling and cueing at this Free Dance so please mark your calendar for Friday, June 20, 2025. It will be at the Perinton Memorial VFW, 300 Macedon Center Rd, Fairport, NY. In March or April, we will be asking participants to register for this event so we can plan our dance program for the evening. We are looking forward to hearing our talented participants try calling and cueing. So, please think about it and pick a favorite singing call or round dance tune. Then see one of our local callers for advice on getting what you need to start practicing. We have heard from many past participants how much fun it is to step forward and take part in events like this—even for those who have no plans to ever become a caller or cuer. Dancers, you play an important role in this too! Please make a strong showing to support and encourage our participants. We are looking forward to a fun evening of dancing with our members and recent graduates. Submitted by Jeff and Debbie Blood -------------------------------- Batavia Silver Stars We dance Mainstream, Plus and Rounds in a 2x2 format on Monday evenings in Batavia, at the VA Medical Center, 222 Richmond Avenue—Building #4 (upstairs), Batavia, NY, starting at 7:00. Our Callers are Gary and Alice Bubel, and Denny Frey Information: Lucy Pietrzykowski (luciapietrzykowski@gmail.com) Reported by: Lucy Pietrzykowski (luciapietrzykowski@gmail.com) Boo Bull Square and Round Dance Clubs Where did the year go? Our Tuesday workshop, Wednesday Rounds and Friday Club are winding down for the winter. The last dances for this year are in the first week of December. Please join us for our Christmas celebrations at each of these dances. It will be a lot of fun celebration with everyone!! Thank you to everyone for the support you have given us to make our clubs a success for another year. We will be back dancing in May. Please watch for information as the time gets closer. We look forward to seeing everyone. Merry Christmas and Happy New year! Information: Gary & Alice Bubel (585-538-9887) Reported by: Gary and Alice Bubel Cayuga Cut Ups The Cut-Ups will continue our Winter Hours on Sundays from 2:00–5:00. Club dances from 2:00–3:00, class from 3:00–4:00 and then club from 4:00–5:00; we may end at 4:30 as needed. Our winter season activities include the Annual White Elephant Gifting Party (12/22/24) which asks folks to shop their houses for items to ‘regift.’ Wrap the item and play the game opening then stealing from each other, always amusing and that shower cap keeps returning, who will get it this year? In January (1/19/25) we will celebrate the Lunar New Year, wear red and maybe Chinese takeout! February (2/16/25) Valentine’s Day is Pie Dessert Day. March (3/16/25) is St. Paddy’s Day and Soup Night. During the winter season please call ahead to make sure we are dancing that afternoon, (315) 689-1679 and leave a message, I will return the call as the weather sometimes changes our well thought out plans, go figure! Keep dancing, Information: Linda English (315-689-1679) Reported by: Linda English, Club Secretary Champagne Whirl-A-Ways We traditionally dance at 7:00 on Saturday evenings at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 122 Liberty Street, Bath, NY. Look for us on Facebook as “Champagne Whirl-A-Ways Square Dance Club.” We are currently on an indefinite pause while we regroup following the COVID interruption and the passing of our traditional caller, the late Mike Herne. Information: Diane Camp (607-776-4528) Reported by: Art Diefenbach Cloverleaf Squares We have 21 members in our class. With our angels, we have six to seven squares dancing. It is amazing how our members have joined the class to help Mike Callahan teach beginning western square dancing. (Our snack “Buffet” has also increased). Our Class/Club Thanksgiving Dinner Dance was well attended, with the finest pot-luck course in Rochester. There was plenty of dancing after dinner to clear out any calories that had been consumed. Mike Callahan is scheduled to call for us this winter. (We hope that he will enjoy all of the snow—we do). Jim Gotta, Chuck Meyer, Lisa Treichler will be on hand to cue our round dances. Our latest classes of Waltz and Rumba/Cha will bring greater enjoyment to the evenings. Our theme dances are sure to put more fun in our step. Dress as a Santa or elf on December 8; enjoy our class/club dance with a catered holiday dinner on December 15. Bring in your favorite cheeses on Cheese Lover’s night, January 19. Dance with your valentine on February 2. There will be no dancing at the end of December 22 and 29, however. Because the Super Bowl will be played on Sunday, February 09, there will be no dancing during our regular evening times. Instead, our class will be in the afternoon from 3:00 to 5:00 pm. Many of us will be supporting our favorite team later in the evening. Information: (585-987-5972) or (https://www.cloverleafsquares.org) Reported by: Carl Webster Copy Cats Copy Cats started the class year by hosting two Free Open Houses and two Introductory Lessons that saw over 60 new faces coming to dance. Thanks to our Copy Cats Angels, Angels from other clubs and our caller/instructor, Ron Brown, we now have kittens, kittens, kittens everywhere! Our newest litter has 29 kittens, all of whom are eager to learn to square dance as they grow friendships and exercise their brains and bodies dancing. Copy Cats worked with Penfield Recreation to advertise our kitten classes this year and the Penfield Community Center is a great place to dance. Kitten classes are Wednesdays from 7:00–9:00, with Plus level refresher time from 6:15–7:00. Our fall dances have been well attended and feature alternating mainstream and plus tips, with a round dance in between. Dances are held at the First Baptist Church of Penfield, 1862 Penfield Rd, Penfield, NY. Our Veteran’s Day Dance is coming on Saturday, November 9, 7:00–9:00. All veterans will be admitted free. Then we promenade right into the holiday season with our Thanksgiving Dance, Saturday November 23, 7:00–9:00. There will be a turkey raffle and non-perishable food collection to support the Penfield Ecumenical Food Shelf. Please, plan ahead to bring a donation. Dig deep into your closets for your Ugly Sweater or Crazy Hat and come to our Dance on Saturday, December 7, 7:00–9:00. Celebrate friends and the holidays at our Holiday Dance on Saturday, December 23, 7:00–9:00. This is the first of our class/club dances. Students from any club are admitted to the dance for free. We will start the evening with an optional buffet dinner, for $20 per person, served 5:30–6:30. Dinner features grilled chicken, baked ham and sirloin tips with many delicious sides as well. RSVP and send payment by December 13 to Debbie and Jeff Blood, 108 Cindy Lane, Rochester, NY 14626. 2025 starts off with a switch to afternoon dancing with our New Year’s Dance from 2:00–4:00 on Saturday, January 4. Class/club dance #2, Winter Wonderland on January 18, 2:00–4:00 will be hosted by the kitten class and students from any club are admitted to the dance for free. Celebrate your home team or favorite sport (other than square dancing, of course!) at our February Sports Dance, Saturday, February 1, 7:00–9:00. This is our third class/club dance opportunity. Students from any club are admitted to the dance for free. Copy Cats Valentine’s Dance is for all who love square dancing! Share the love and join us on Saturday, February 15, 2:00–4:00. Jump into spring with our Hawaiian Theme Dance on Saturday, March 1, 7:00–9:00. Remember to wear a coat over your island attire. This is another class/club dance, and students from any club will be admitted free of charge. Shamrocks may not be blooming but it’s time for the St Patrick’s Dance! Join us Saturday, March 15, 7:00–9:00 for a lucky good time. This might be the perfect time to try your luck at the 50/50 raffle. Email: copy.cats@live.com Information: Bonnie Allen and Dick Wesner (bfallen3@aol.com phone 585-633-2044) Reported by: Lynn and Don Lucas, Secretaries Dalton Gang Dalton Gang dances Tuesday nights at the Living Hope Fellowship Hall (30 North Main Street, Castille, NY) from 6:30 until 8:30, with Ray Thompkins calling. Watch the flyer and schedule pages for our Pancake Dinner dance in March and our benefit dance for C.U.R.E. in the summer. Thanks to all who dance with us! Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Information: Jamond Billyard (jamondbillyard@yahoo.com) Reported by: Nancy L. Mirabal Dancing Shadows Dancing Shadows is an Easy Level (Phase II–III) Round Dance Club which meets on Monday evenings from 8:00–10:00. The program consists of Easy Level dancing and includes a teach part way through the evening. In addition, we will stop to address and work on any questions as they occur. Dress is casual/comfortable. We have not yet settled on a new dance location, so stay tuned for day, time and place. Information: Marlene Thone (585-748-5131 cell) (marlenethone@mindspring.com) Reported by: Marlene & Mark Thone The Fun Bunch We are a fun Mainstream and Plus club that dances every Tuesday from 6:45–9:00 at the Weedsport Presbyterian Church, 8871 S Seneca St, Weedsport, NY. Please visit our Facebook page: TheFunBunchSquareDanceClub. Information: Daniel Dobrovosky (mddobrovosky@verizon.net) Reported by: Elisa Keating (elisakeating1@gmail.com) Pairs N Squares The Pairs ’N’ Squares is a Mainstream and Plus club. We are pleased to have new class dancers taking lessons. We dance EVERY Monday night from 6:30–8:30 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Liverpool. Come join us with Ron Schweitzer calling. Information: Betty Green (bettygreenjafra82@gmail.com) (315-209-0541) Reporter: Betty Green Penn Yan Friendship Squares Penn Yan Friendship Squares holds workshops on Wednesdays in the fall and winter at the Penn Yan Grange Hall, 402 Elm Street in Penn Yan, 6:30–9:00. All workshops start with class-level dancing at 6:30 and club-level dancing later. The cost for workshops is $6.00 per dancer. Information: Lise Rosenfield (585-245-3720) Reported by: Gary & Sue Groom (585-489-6186) Round Towners Round Towners is an Easy to Intermediate Round Dance Club, dancing a Phase III & IV level program, on Thursday evenings from 8:00–10:00. A teach or a review, at the Phase III+ or Phase IV level, is included most evenings. We work on Phase III+ and Phase IV figures in all rhythms and welcome anyone to join us who is interested in dancing at this level. Dress is casual/comfortable. Round Dance Leaders/Instructors: Mark and Marlene Thone Information: Mark & Marlene Thone (585-226-8984 home); (585-748-5131 Marlene’s cell); (585-748-8568 Mark’s cell) Reported by: Mark & Marlene Thone (marlenethone@mindspring.com) Shamrock Squares Shamrock Squares dances the Callerlab Advanced A-2 program on Tuesday afternoons 2:30–4:30 at the Pieters Family Life Center, 1025 Commons Way, Rochester. We welcome all A-2 dancers to join us. For more information, please call. Information: Caller Mike & Wanda Callahan (585-352-7877) Reported by: Mike Callahan Shirts N Skirts We had a great fall of dancing. Our class is full of energy and doing fantastic with learning the calls each week. In October we brought donations during our Black Cat Dance for the Oswego Humane Society. There were some creative and spooky costumes and treats to celebrate Halloween. November was our annual Thanksgiving dinner and dance. Very delicious food was had by all. In December we will donate to “Toys For Tots” on the 13th and celebrate Christmas with yummy themed treats on the 20th. We will NOT dance on December 27. January 3 will be our New Year’s celebration with chili and cornbread. February will be our Valentine’s Dance and pie night on the 14th. Guests are always welcome. Hope to see you there. The Shirts ’N’ Skirts dances at the Fulton Municipal Bldg 141 South First Street, Fulton NY from 7:00–9:00. Caller: Dave Eno Information: Jerri Saintey (jsaintey@verizon.net) (315-546-3651) Reported by: Jerri Saintey Silver Squares Monday afternoon is a lot of fun at Silver Squares Dance Club. Five squares of dancers welcomed in the Fall with a Pizza Party!! We followed that with a Crazy Hat Dance on September 30th, when four squares of people wore their crazy hats and danced to caller, Mike Callahan. Lots of laughs and lots of fun!!! The club’s annual Soup and Sandwich dance was a hit! Six different soups, a variety of sandwiches and many desserts were enjoyed by all. Five squares of people not only ate but danced too. What a fun day! Banner Stealing is always fun. Copy Cats members visited Silver Squares and took their banner back! Don Naulin and Anne Granger, Presidents of Silver Squares, tried to hang onto the banner but no luck. Banner Stealing promotes good will and a lot of fun among clubs. Our Halloween dance is always a lot of fun!! Laughter, dancing and eating always makes for a great afternoon. Caller Mike Callahan had dancers promenade in a circle and then everyone voted for the best costume. The contest was won by Joann Baxter and Diane and Richard Cundra!! Information: Don Naulin / Anne Granger (naulin@netzero.net) (585-200-0464) Reported by: Anne Granger (ssunnyweather7@gmail.com) (585-317-6442) Southern Tier Wheelers We dance once a month May through October at the CampBell Campground, 8700 State Route 415, Campbell, NY. Most dancers camp for the weekend, but walk-ins are welcome at our dances. We dance at the Mainstream/Plus level with rounds in between each tip. However, our callers are very good at calling to the floor. Our posted Schedule Flyer gives details. Note that we now have our dances in the afternoon to better accommodate dancers who are willing to travel. Please call 607-857-1553 (Pat) or 607-739-3299 (Bill) to verify that we are dancing on that date. See our posted dance flyers (in season) for dance details, and see the CampBell website (https://campbellcampground.com) for campground information and local area attractions. Don’t have a camper???? Not a problem. Give Ed a call at CampBell Campground (607-527-3301). They have campers and cabins available to rent. Be sure to mention that you are coming to join us and they will give you a special rate. If you just want to come for an evening dance, consider staying for a while after dancing and join us at the campfire. There is always lots of laughter shared while keeping warm. There are also several nice hotels in the area if that is the style of “camping” that you prefer. We now welcome all dancers to join our club—campers or not! So, please consider becoming a member and save on the cost of the weekend. Information: Bill and Pat Mosher (607-739-3299) Reported by: Bill & Pat Mosher Village Squares The Village Squares are hibernating for now, having been decimated over the past few years by COVID and attrition, and by the passing of our caller, Gil Porter. A few of us are gathering most weeks on Zoom, to stay in touch while we wait for lightning to strike and bring the spark of life into the club to make a return to dancing possible. Information: Peter Emmel (585-732-1004) Reported by: Peter Emmel (p.emmel47@gmail.com) Water Wheel Squares Waterwheels is still “chugging along” as the last square dance club in the Buffalo area with our loyal cadre of dancers. All of our dancers know how very lucky we are to have Jim Gotta calling for us. Every Monday he makes the long drive to Buffalo and back so we can continue to enjoy square dancing. See you at Dance-O-Rama. Waterwheels dance 2 by 2’s on Monday nights (see schedule section for location) from 6:30–8:30. Our hall has an elevator to whisk you to our second floor that has a great wooden dance floor. Please come and join the fun! Information: Gary Etherton (ge14094@gmail.com) (716-796-9265) Reported by: Gary Etherton ---------------------------- Answering the call to help promote interest in square dance calling and cueing, the Western NY Federation is reviving the tradition by hosting an amateur calling and cueing event in June 2025. The Cloverleaf Squares’ “Roaring Tiger” trophy is coming out of hibernation and will be awarded to the most entertaining amateur. Volunteer amateur callers and cuers are encouraged to participate. Please reach out to our WNYF callers and cuers for help and advice. They are fantastic and they encourage newbies to try calling and cueing. Experienced callers and cuers are glad to guide you on music selection or obtaining cue sheets, if need be. Ron Brown, Mike Callahan and Jim Gotta will also be calling and cueing at this Free Dance so please mark your calendar for Friday, June 20, 2025. It will be at the Perinton Memorial VFW, 300 Macedon Center Rd, Fairport, NY. In March or April, we will be asking participants to register for this event so we can plan our dance program for the evening. We are looking forward to hearing our talented participants try calling and cueing. So, please think about it and pick a favorite singing call or round dance tune. Then see one of our local callers for advice on getting what you need to start practicing. We have heard from many past participants how much fun it is to step forward and take part in events like this—even for those who have no plans to ever become a caller or cuer. Dancers, you play an important role in this too! Please make a strong showing to support and encourage our participants. We are looking forward to a fun evening of dancing with our members and recent graduates. Submitted by Jeff and Debbie Blood ----------------------------- ----------------------------- ----------------------------- ----------------------------- ----------------------------- ----------------------------- ----------------------------- ----------------------------- ----------------------------- After ten years in its present on-line form, which were preceded by fifty-two years in hardcopy form, what you are reading now will be the final issue of my tenure as editor. Two years of searching has not brought forward a new editor to succeed me. The “Club News” and “Photo/Feature” articles that have been the heart of the on-line Promenader will not be going away. They will continue to appear, but submissions will go directly to the webmaster. To facilitate this, some aspects of the website may be revised over the next few months, and a new set of submission guidelines will be posted and distributed to club leaders and reporters. This is a bittersweet transition for me, but the center of my life has shifted far away from the Rochester area and, maybe even from square dancing. Time will tell. Webmaster Sidney Marshall and former Promenader editor Betty Ludwick did a great job a decade ago, translating the Promenader’s traditional look and feel into the on-line era and blending it with Sidney’s pre-existing online database of schedule and other information. I’d like to thank section editors Bonnie Allen (Schedules), Leon Smith (Club News) and Sharon Meyer (Class-Club events and Obituaries) for their assistance over the full decade of the online Promenader’s existence—sharing the quarterly workload to prepare submitted content for Sidney to post. I’d also like to thank a rotating corps of proofreaders who catch our typos and other rough edges before the final product “goes live” every three months. The currently active proofreaders are Carl Webster, Susan Thomas, Rick & Donna LaDonna, Jim Gotta, Jeff & Debbie Blood and Sharon Meyer. I will remain available to help club reporters with the transition. Submitted by Peter Emmel ---------------------------- Here’s the new Dalton news: Dalton Gang will be dancing every other week from now on—working on getting more people. We held a donkey dance in Warsaw in October. What a day! In the morning, a group of horseback riders and buggies entertained us for two hours. Then we had a potluck lunch with Ray calling a great square dance in the arena that was set up by the owners for us. They also had a miniature horse and burro in a pen in the arena, and we all had our pictures taken with them. Many of the horseback riders joined us for the dance, also square dancers from Rochester came to enjoy the fun with us. After dancing the daughters of the arena owners put on a trick riding exhibition for us. Yes, it was a drive but well worth it. A great time was had by all. Come join us in Castile at Living Hope Church right on Main Street in Castile. We welcome all and are a friendly warm fun-loving club. Reporter: Nancy L. Mirabal ------------------------ Headline: Circle of Service Awards Presented in November circle of service On November 24, 2024, Sharon Meyer was presented with the “Circle of Service Award” at a Cloverleaf Squares dance. Previous recipients Jeff and Debbie Blood presented it to her for her service to the square and round dance community. The award is given to dancers who have contributed significantly to the square and round dance Community for three years or more. Congratulations Sharon! This is a well-deserved award for all your dedication and service to the Western NY Federation of Square and Round Dancers since we became involved. For more than five years you have been serving behind the scenes in many ways, including the Dance-O-Rama committee for more than five years; executing contracts for all Federation sponsored events (DOR, special dances, demos, etc.); as an appointed standing member of the Daphne Norma Leadership Award Selection Committee, our highest honor given to a dancer or couple; and as a staff member of the Promenader staff. Sharon continues to make significant contributions through her responsibilities and the support and guidance she provides. Congratulations also to Sue Sepkowski of the Silver Squares. On November 25, 2024, Sue was presented with the nationally recognized Circle of Service Award by previous recipients, Anne Granger and Don Naulin. Sue is quiet, hardworking, unassuming dancer always asking, “What can I do to help?” and is there helping. Sue is the past president of Silver Squares and held the VP position prior to that. She was a Federation Representative for several years and on the Federation Board for a short time. Sue is square dancing contact for the Greece United Methodist Church for Silver Squares and was also the contact for the Federation’s post-Covid special summer dances. Sue continues to help angel new dancers at other clubs, since Silver Squares doesn’t offer classes. Sue is a constant supporter at Federation events (DOR, demos, etc.) assisting with set-up, selling tickets and whatever else is needed. She is friendly, kind, and positive to all who come into contact with her. She is known to give up her spot on the dance floor if someone has not danced in a while. Sue continues to actively support square dancing in our area and is always there behind the scenes ready and willing to help. Submitted by Jeff and Debbie Blood, Anne Granger and Don Naulin ------------------- Headline: WNYF Circle of Service Awards Lately you have been hearing a lot about the Circle of Service Awards being received by our dancers for their dedication, service in support of our dancing community. These awards are being presented to dancers in recognition of their significant contributions to our dancing community over a period of at least three years. There are all kinds of ways dancers can contribute to square dancing over and above the dancing itself. Some stand out and are noticed immediately, while others are less noticeable behind the scenes helping square dancing stay alive and active. The flurry of awards since 2021 reflects an increased awareness of the “unsung” contributors in the dancing community. The Circle of Service Award is a dancer award, presented only by dancers who have themselves previously received the same award. It is a nationally recognized award. The award consists of a framed award certificate and a proudly worn pin. The award began in 1985, to recognize dancers who for three years or more have made a significant contribution to the square and round dance community. The Circle of Service pin shows the stellar hub of the circle formed by a pattern of arcs and symbolizes the importance of each such person to the total picture. The same circular shapes flow outward to stylize musical symbols. This linear interplay suggests the strong bond between square and round dancing. Many of the recent awards have been received by members of our Federation clubs and Federation leadership who through their dedication and diligent efforts, brought their clubs back to the dance floor safely and kept dancing alive in Western New York following the Covid Pandemic. The intention of the Circle of Service Award is to honor and recognize those individuals or couples whose contributions too often go unrewarded. Within the past few years, the Federation Board voted to pay for all the costs related to both the Daphne-Norma Award and Circle of Services Awards. Previously, it was the presenter who paid for the awards, pins, plaques, etc. For a Circle of Service Award recipient to give the award to another person, they just need to contact Debbie & Jeff Blood, Co-Presidents of the Federation, to arrange for the framed award certificate and pin. The Bloods maintain the master list of all the Circle of Service awards given to our members, along with copies of all presentations. In honor and appreciation of receiving the award themselves, you will find several previous Circle of Service Award recipients attending these award presentations for others. Submitted by Jeff and Debbie Blood ---------------------------------- Editor’s Message—Winter Editor’s Message—Winter, 2024 Welcome to the Winter, 2024, issue of the Promenader, a quarterly publication of the Western NY Federation of Square and Round Dancers, Inc (WNYF). In the winter, we enjoy the festive dances of the holiday season, then wave to many of our dancers—our Snow-Birds—as they migrate south to ride out the cold and snowy months. Those who stay enjoy dancing as usual, though occasionally inconvenienced by weather-related cancellations. Keep an eye on the WNYF Home Page for “Breaking News” and on our Facebook page (Square Dancing Rochester group) for announcements. In this issue Articles in this issue cover awards recently presented to six dancers from the Copy Cats, Cloverleafs and Silver Squares. Photo articles feature four of the Silver Squares’ fall theme dances, as well as a Banner Retrieval by the Copy Cats. There’s also an article introducing the first post-COVID Amateur Caller dance. This should get you thinking about encouraging yourself or someone you know to speak with your caller about trying your hand at calling a tune. I can say from my own experience that it’s a lot of fun…even if you have no intention of ever taking up the microphone on a regular basis. Amateur caller dances have given many active callers their start, so even if you have no interest in calling yourself, please plan on coming to dance. The dancers on the floor are at least as important as the amateurs at the microphone. When your club hosts interesting dances or special events, be sure to take photos and send them to us with a brief description of the event. Sharing these in the Promenader and on the Facebook page will help new dancers see how much fun it would be to come to your dances. Awards The fall of 2024 saw multiple award presentations, as you’ll see in the Photo/Feature section. The Circle of Service award was presented to six dancers this fall, in appreciation of long-time service to their clubs and area dancing in general. Nominations for the annual Daphne-Norma Leadership Award are due in February. Please read the article about this significant award and consider the leaders you encounter in dancing around our area. Then download, fill out and submit the nomination form. Club News The Club News section contains descriptions and news from each of our member clubs. Federation Website Fresh Promenader Photo/Feature articles and Club News reports are posted every three months (March1, June 1, September 1 and December 1), with the submission deadlines set at one month before the publication dates. In addition, webmaster Sidney Marshall maintains the Calendar/Flyer database continually, posting flyers and updating changes to the schedule listings as soon as he can after he receives them. So, there’s no deadline for schedule information. For fastest service, he recommends sending flyers (in PDF form) and schedule change notices (as .doc/.docx attachment files) to him directly (sidneym@frontiernet.net), with a copy to the Promenader (promenader@rochester.rr.com). In addition, for maximum distribution of urgent messages, clubs should send Sidney the text for any “Breaking News” to go on the WNYF home page (squaredancingrochester.org). And clubs should also consider posting their news on the “SquareDancingRochester” group Facebook page. In Memoriam This issue includes the obituaries of Phyllis Smeltzer, John Roden and Charlie Nientimp. Editorial Comments My tenure as Promenader editor began ten years ago, when Betty Ludwick and Sidney Marshall merged the Promenader into the Federation website. As some of you already know, this issue will be my last in that role. I have truly enjoyed the connections this role has given me with leaders and dancers from all clubs in our area and a few from further away. My life has now shifted several hundred miles north, though I hope to keep up many of the friendships I’ve formed in 30+ years of Rochester square and round dancing. It all began in 1991, when our dear friends Gerry and Harold Schwartz invited Sally and me to dinner…and afterward “took us out” to what turned out to be a Village Squares Open House dance. Classes soon followed and we were hooked. Over the past two years, a group of us has been unsuccessfully seeking a successor, and more recently planning for my departure. You’ll hear more about that in the coming months. Quarterly Chuckle(s) To help save the economy, the government will announce next month that the immigration department will start deporting seniors (instead of immigrants) in order to lower Social Security and Medicare costs. Older people are easier to catch and will not remember how to get back home. Be sure to send this notice to your relatives and friends, so that when you go missing, they’ll know why. The thought of this happening to you made me start to cry. Then it dawned on me: I’ll see you on the bus! Hmmm, that might have been too close for comfort to be funny, so here’s my final offering: No wonder I was confused at school: Homographs are words of like spelling but with more than one meaning. A homograph that is also pronounced differently is a heteronym. You think English is easy?? Here’s the reality: 1) The bandage was *wound* around the *wound* 2) The farm was used to *produce* *produce* 3) The dump was so full that it had to *refuse* to take more *refuse* 4) We must *polish* the *Polish* furniture 5) He could *lead* if he would just get the *lead* out 6) The soldier decided to *desert* his dessert in the *desert* 7) Since there is no time like the *present*, he thought it was time to *present* the *present* 8) A *bass* was painted on the head of the *bass* drum 9) When shot at, the *dove* *dove* into the bushes 10) I did not *object* to the *object* 11) The insurance was *invalid* for the *invalid* 12) There was a *row* among the oarsmen about how to *row* 13) They were too *close* to the door to *close* it 14) The buck *does* funny things when the *does* are present 15) A seamstress and a *sewer* fell down into an open *sewer* manhole 16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his *sow* to *sow* 17) The *wind* was too strong to *wind* the sail. 18) The painter shed a *tear* upon seeing a *tear* in the painting 19) I had to *subject* the *subject* to a series of tests 20) How can I *intimate* this to my most *intimate* friend? Let’s face it—English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger, nor is there apple nor pine in a pineapple. English muffins weren’t invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren’t sweet, are meat. We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square, and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig. And why is it that writers write but fingers don’t fing, grocers don’t groce and hammers don’t ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn’t the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese, so why not one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn’t it seem crazy that you can make amends but not a single amend? Suppose you have a bunch of odds and ends and you get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it? If teachers taught, why didn’t preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, then what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell? How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on. English was invented and molded by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity and flexibility of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they become visible, but when the lights are out, they become invisible. P.S. Why doesn’t ‘Buick’ rhyme with ‘quick’? AND finally: if a male goat is called a ram and a donkey is called an ass, why is a ram-in-the-ass called a goose? Peter Emmel, Editor --------------------------------