The ArDale Story |
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| It all started with teenagers! The young people invited their parents to
their Holiday Square Dance; and the adults had so much fun, they decided to form a club
and take lessons. They invited all the parishioners from Maternity of Mary Church and the
people in the neighborhood to come. Twenty-two squares attended the first class in January
1963. Although it was awhile before a name was chosen, that was the beginning of the
Ar-Dale Squares! The group met regularly at Maternity of Mary School on Arlington and
Dale, in St. Paul. (Hence the origin of the club name). Fourteen squares of dancers were
graduated from that first class. In the beginning we danced twice a month and had one club caller, Chuck Porter. A transfer to the night shift at work made him unable to call for us; and we changed our program to two alternating callers, Doyle Kirby and Wayne Bergeson, Doyles's retirement brought us caller Bill Briton for a season. Once again, night work and transfers interfered and the club chose the present format of guest callers for each dance night. In April 1986 with low membership and financial hardship the club went to one dance a month on the second Friday. In 1967, ArDales initiated a special dance night into the area BLACK CAT DANCES held on Friday the 13th, (As our regular dances are held on the 2nd Fridays; and if there is a Friday the 13th it will fall on our dance night). Special badges may be earned for attending these dances. 1968 found us moving to a "new home" at Parkview Junior High School in Roseville, where we continue to dance now. The same building though the name has changed a couple times. Today it's Parkview Community Center. ArDale Squares regular season is from September through May with a Picnic dance in August. On occasion we have a Mystery Bus Trip to dance at some club in or out of the Region. We hold our Banquet in May after the last dance of the season; Members are encouraged to attend, often at a reduced rate subsidized by the Club funds. We are Proud of our club and hope that you will be, too! Club members are requested to take an active part, Serving lunch, greeting guests, decorating the hall, and many other committees, After the New Dancers have been members for a year, we would like them to consider volunteering for- one of the Club Officers or a Committee. |
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