Policies

 

Practices and Procedures of the La Grande Star Promenaders

This is a guide for operating the club to benefit all members.

Article 1 - SCHEDULE

Our schedule is normally as follows:

  1. Workshops are held every Thursday from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. They include mainstream, rounds, and some plus. 

    NOTE: At our April, 2009 meeting we voted to dance only on the third Thursday of June, July & August this year. There will be a POTLUCK dinner at 6 PM, and we will have the business meeting during dinner. The dance workshop starts about 7 PM, with Dale calling and Don cueing.  We are looking into several more events at which we might perform demonstration dances, so please check back for updates on the "Summer Schedule" page.
  2. Formal dances are held the second and fourth Saturday evenings the months of September through May from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. We may occasionally vote to cancel a dance to attend some other club’s dance.
  3. At times we have a plus workshop on the Friday that falls six days after the second Saturday and eight days before the fourth Saturday. Times are from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.
  4. Our club cuer may also schedule separate round dance and/or advanced round dance workshops and/or lessons.
  5. Our business meeting is on the third Thursday of each month at 9:00 p.m.
  6. Dance demonstrations are scheduled at various times. Examples include the Agricultural & Timber parade; Crazy Days; the Union County Fair; the fair parade; Celebrate La Grande, and other opportunities.

Article 2 - LESSONS

Square dance lessons for beginners are normally offered once each year starting in January and run for about 18 weeks. Lessons are on Thursdays instead of the workshop. The club members will determine tuition for lessons each year. During lessons the suggested donation for "angel dancers" who assist the beginners during their lessons is $1 per person. Caller fees for said lessons are negotiated once a year prior to the class.

Article 3 - DRESS CODES & OTHER

  1. Casual attire is appropriate for workshops.
  2. Formal square dance attire is required for all public demonstrations and encouraged for formal dances, except for certain theme dances such as the "hobo dance".
  3. Please sign in at our dances for insurance purposes.
  4. Profanity is not appropriate language during our club functions.
  5. Alcohol, drugs, and smoking is never allowed inside our club.

Article 4 - DUES & DANCE ADMISSIONS

  1. Dues are $30 a couple per year ($15 per person). Dues are payable by September 30th each year.
  2. The suggested donation for admittance to the regular dance workshops is $4 per couple, $2 for a single unless otherwise posted.
  3. The suggested donation for admittance to the regular formal dances is $5 per couple, $2.50 for a single unless otherwise posted.
  4. Special dances may have higher suggested donations to cover costs such as hall rental away from our club, guest caller and/or cuer, photographs, meals, door prizes, etc.

Article 5 - CALLER AND CUER

Our caller and cuer are vital to our club. Their responsibilities and fees will be determined by contract negotiated annually by the Board of Directors subject to approval of the majority of members at a regular business meeting. Besides our regular club caller and cuer, other club members are encouraged to call and/or cue, as time permits.

Article 6 - COMMITTEES

Regular committees and coordinators shall be either voluntary or appointed by the President. Listed alphabetically, they include the Bulletin Board Coordinator; Decorations Coordinator; Hosts; Hosts Scheduling Committee; Newsletter Editor; Nominating Committee; Publicity Coordinator; Telephone Committee; and Sunshine Coordinator. Responsibilities and length of terms are listed below.

Bulletin Board Coordinator:

  1. Post items as appropriate.
  2. Remove outdated items.
  3. Keep the bulletin board neat in overall appearance.

Decorations Coordinator:

Rotate general decorations from time to time to avoid stagnant surroundings. The Decorations Coordinator is not responsible for theme dance decorations (that is done by the hosts for any given month).

Hosts:

  1. Bring the water jug filled with water and lots of ice to all club activities, on or off site.
  2. Unlock the door at least 15 minutes prior to all dances and workshops.
  3. Prepare the hall as necessary.
  4. Dry mop the dance floor prior to each dance and workshop, frequently shaking out the mop outside. Launder the mop once during the month.
  5. Wet mop the kitchen, dining room, and dance floor once during the month.
  6. Make coffee. Consider making punch also.
  7. Food treats are not mandatory but always appreciated.
  8. Greet dancers as they arrive
  9. One of the hosts will be the badge sheriff, collecting 25 cents from members who do not wear their club badge. The other hosts that month will be deputies to act in case the sheriff is absent.
  10. Clean up after all dances and workshops.
  11. Lock the door or insure that a certain person will who must be the last person out the door.
  12. Plan one theme dance for the month.
  13. Decorate as appropriate for the theme dance.
  14. Term of service shall be one month.

Hosts Scheduling Committee:

  1. Schedule active members to be hosts on a fair rotation basis. There should be two couples or four people total each month.
  2. Insure that the hosts know well in advance when their turn is scheduled.
  3. Post the "Host Schedule" on the bulletin board.

Newsletter Editor:

  1. Gather items of interest to club members at every opportunity.
  2. Take notes at our business meetings for items to include in the newsletter.
  3. Publish and distribute the newsletter by the end of each month. Note that distribution at a workshop saves us postage.

Nominating Committee:

This committee is appointed by October 1st, and will make a list of nominees of officers to be elected by the October business meeting. Nominations will also be accepted from the floor at that time. Elections of officers will be made by the membership during the November business meeting. No person shall be nominated without personal permission. Term of service shall be one month.

Publicity Coordinator:

Coordinate as much publicity as we can get, using whatever means possible such as free newspaper articles and club listings, free radio spots, and club fliers. Term of service shall be one year.

Telephone Committee:

Contact members as necessary with timely information needed between meetings. Term of service shall be one year.

Sunshine Coordinator:

Keep a supply of greeting cards and encourage members to sign them as appropriate. Mail cards as appropriate.

Article 7 - ADMENDMENTS

Any part of this document may be changed by a simple majority vote of the membership present at any regular business meeting.