November 2004 Newsletter

a monthly publication

in this issue...

	Dance Calendar		Members of the Board
	Next Board Meeting		November Hilites
	Idea for the Month		September Lesson
	October Dances		October Guests
	Angels of the Month		October Lessons
	Etiquette Tip of the Month		Christmas Gifts for Children
	Local Chapter Dues		Dessert Contest
	Shall We Dance?

Dance Calendar

Members of the Board

Board Meeting

The next Board meeting will meet on Sunday, November 14th at 2:30 p.m. at the Richland County Library on the corner of Main and Assembly Streets. It meets on the Sunday following the first dance of the month, usually starting at 3:00 p.m. The meetings are open to any and all members in good standing. Feedback and input is important and welcome.

November Hi-lites

Wolfgang Elfe will be teaching The Blues on November 13th and he and his partner, Pam Marshall, will do a waltz exhibition that evening. Paul Lagatore of Columbia's Ballroom will be teaching Tango on November 27th. 

Idea for the Month

If you haven't seen "Shall We Dance?" yet, plan an evening out to do so. It is just plain fun and you will enjoy the respite from the daily chores of life. 

September Lesson

Paul Lagatore of Columbia's Ballroom graciously came to our rescue when our scheduled instructor failed to make it to teach the lesson at the second dance in September. We thank you so much, Paul, for filling in at the last minute and saving the day. 

October Dances

The Halloween dance decorations and set-up were courtesy of Edna Free, Kay Roberson, Tom Savage, and Doris Wood. Winners for best costumes were: 3rd Place: Edna Free as the "Dumb Blonde Who Entered a Brunette Beauty Contest", 2nd place: Mark Kelly as "Charlie Chaplin", and 1st place: Kay Roberson, Mercedes Hull, and Karin Puczkowski as "The Three Witches". A big thank you to all who participated and to our 3 judges: Kay Ayers, Bob Wall, and Michael Sherlack. It was a tough job, but you did it. Thanks to Al Jayne, recently back from surgery and looking great, who provided the music on Oct. 9th and to Stephanie who provided it on the 23rd. We received lots of positive comments about the special Halloween music you interspersed throughout the evening at the Halloween dance. A brilliant idea, Steph!!! 

October Guests

First-time guests attending in October were: Catherine Hepner, Lucy Wingard, Herbert Chandler, Jr., Chris and Rhonda Cantrell, George Booth, Betty Langstan, Cindy Dalton, Scarlett Saleeby, Hugh Jones, Sue Chin, and T. Michelle Milling, Dahlia Saleeby, Mitch Hydrick, Phil Grandon, Rick Sargle, John Pruitt, Dot Crapse, and Mark Kelly. We are happy that you chose to spend your time with us and hope to see you back again, soon. If I have omitted your name, or misspelled it, please call me so I can correct it. 

Angels of the Month

Kudos to all of the following people who helped with set-up and clean-up in October. It really does take a whole village to put on these dances. Clean-up crews were Jane Fisk, Uriah Heben, Al Jayne, Paul Lagatore, Jeane Mader, Naomi Mart, Tom Savage, Emma Sharpe, Tracy Steele, David Tammen, and Doris Wood, plus some whose names I failed to get. Naomi Mart deserves an extra pat on the back; she took all the white table cloths home to wash and iron, besides working in the kitchen. 

October Lessons

Robert Seay of Capital Ballroom taught Foxtrot lessons in October and did a wonderful job presenting something for both beginner and intermediate dancer alike. We enjoyed the exhibitions he presented starring Emma Sharpe dancing a Waltz, Jeane Mader dancing a Foxtrot, and Patti Hill dancing a Tango. You ladies looked lovely in your gowns and gave outstanding performances. Thanks to all of you for adding a touch of grandeur to our dances and our lives. 

Etiquette Tip of the Month

Maybe your Mama told you that ladies never ask a gentleman to dance, but times have changed and so have some of the rules. Remember, Ladies, it is perfectly permissible to ask a gentleman to dance, so don't be shy. Don't complain if you aren't dancing, if you persist in always waiting to be asked. There are lots of gentlemen at our dances who are also shy, especially the beginners, and they would love to have you ask them to dance. 

Annual Christmas Gifts for Children

Last year, the Board decided to start our annual Toys for Tots gift-collecting on the last dance in November and to carry it over to the first dance in December. This allows us the gift of time during a frenetic period of the year when nothing seems to get done on time. So, shop early, wrap early, and save yourself one more last minute hassle. Remember to put the intended sex and age range of the gift outside the package. 

Local Chapter Dues

This is just an early notice that local chapter dues ($5.00 a year) are due on January 1, 2005. The advantage of being a member is that the admission price to the USABDA dances is $5.00, instead of $8.00 that guests pay. The local chapter dues are primarily used to fund the dances. So, by being a member, if you attend both monthly dances for the year, you save $69.00 in the price of admission, alone. Remember, you do have to be both a member of National USABDA ($25.00) and a member of our local chapter ($5.00). Where else can you get dancing, entertainment, snacks, lessons, and great people to socialize with for that price? Even after spending that $30 to join both organizations, you still come out $39 ahead over a year's time. How can you lose? 

Dessert Contest

Last year about this time, we had a dessert contest and we promised that we would publish the winning entry for you. With the holidays coming up fast, it is now the perfect time to bake it and enjoy.

I made this the other night and it is EXCELLENT. It keeps well in the refrigerator for several days.  I recommend using reg. butter or stick margarine in the frosting.

Shall We Dance?

	Nov. 6	Starlight Ballroom, 108 Trade St., Greer.  USABDA Dance.  All dances $10 a person, 7:00-11:00 pm
	Nov. 6	Palmetto Ballroom Dance Club.   USABDA.  St. John's Church, 252 S. Dargan St, Florence, SC, 7:30 - 11:00 pm
	Nov. 13	The Barn, 680 Cherokee Lane, Columbia. USABDA Members: $5, Guests: $8, Students: $4, 7:30 pm.  Lesson: The Blues, Instructor: Wolfgang Elfe
	Nov. 18	Columbia's Ballroom - 35 Diamond Lane. Covered Dish Dinner. Students: bring a dish - Non students: $10, 7:30 pm.
	Nov. 18	Capital Ballroom - 2732 D Devine St. Columbia, SC.  Monthly dance, 8:00 - 10:00 pm
	Nov. 27	The Barn, 680 Cherokee Lane, Columbia. USABDA Members $5, Guests: $8, Students: $4, 7:30 pm. Lesson: Tango, Instructor: Paul Lagatore of Columbia's Ballroom. Bring a gift for Toys for Tots.
	Wednesdays	Sumter Dance Club, Sumter Cty Rec. Dept., 155 Haynesworth St., Sumter, SC 7:00 - 9:00 pm
	Thursdays	Adam's Mark, 6:00 - 9:00 pm, 1200 Hampton St., Columbia, SC
	Fri & Sat	Ballroom Dance Club, 1632 Ashley Hall Rd, Charleston, SC. 7:30 -11:00 Members: $8, Students: $5, Lesson: 7:30
	Fri. nights	Capital Senior Center, Maxcey Gregg Park, 1650 Park Circle, Columbia. Live Music. Members: n/c, Non member: $5
		More listings next month!   Doris Wood Newsletter Editor