A Message From Our President

January 16, 2006

WOW!!    Thanks to a highly-focused & enthusiastic HTS membership, coupled with a very cooperative Mother Nature, our Founders' Dance of last Saturday evening resulted in 208 people signing in on our registers.   We also had at least ten visitors who were simply viewing square dancing.   Two-hundred-eight registered square dancers would comprise a total of 26 squares. So, what all sensed is correct -- we did have a big party.

      People who signed in included 19 clubs for a total of 101 visitors.

      We had 66 Happy Time Squares Members.

      There were 16 Callers/cuers/taws.

      We had 4 KSDA officers.

      There were 7 NE KSDA officers.

      Finally there were 14 who signed in with no club designated.

Happily, Phyllis Giffin & Bill Hampson joined as our 79th and 80th HTS club members.   (An HTS 1-14-06 Roster will soon be attached for Broadcast).   Barbara Neff is in the process of preparing an HTS Club Directory, which we hope to have for all of you at our March dance.   That directory will also include our students, who start in our first class.

We especially thank all of our HTS members who brought all of the wonderful food, as well as Betty Alexander & her crew, who set up and maintained the refreshments. It was a very tasty & beautifully-displayed spread.   The decorations Rosalee Rainbolt & her helpers arranged were quite colorful and neat to dance in.

The signs from Sandra & Charlie Cain directing dancers to our dance location were also very helpful, and several positive comments came about the signs.   Folks also felt good about the Welcoming Signs.   Once in the front door, Lois Zaremba & her greeters made visitors feel welcome to be at the Founders' Dance.

Barbara Neff and her crew at the registration tables ushered the visitors quickly & efficiently into the dance, (& still had time to sign up two new HTS members!).   She also passed out seven $10 Pots of Gold, and so she made many folks happy.

Of special importance is to report feedback of many of our guests who said how much fun they had, with a smiling face, at our dance.   It was evident throughout the evening that HTS was "the hosts with the most."   Thanks for making it such a friendly experience for everyone.

Our club has rapidly grown.   It was good that members wore our travel outfits so they could recognize other members of HTS who were indeed peers.

Vic, Judy & Vernon all did a wonderful job of keeping the music & activities on schedule.

Truly, a grand time was had by all at the HTS Founders' dance.   We can readily say our club is now "well-founded."

It was especially good to have the Grand Mom of Square Dancing, Helen Edwards, to share with our festivities.   All of us in Eastern KS owe her a debt, which dates back to the earliest 1960's, when her husband, Dr. Karl Edwards taught both Callers and Square Dancers.

A final thank you to those who remained to help sweep & clean the site.

There will be an article in the Journal-World, and so you might watch for that.

Hope to see you for our second Travel Dance, when we travel to the Strato-Jets. Please do let Vernon or Toni Nelson know if you will be traveling, so our hosts may have an estimate.                -- Lloyd & Connie

"Let the Happy Times Roll On"