HISTORY OF
THE MOUNTAINEERS SQUARE DANCE CLUB
Updated 02/07/07
While its beginnings were not as
an actual organized club, the Mountaineers has had a long history. Caller Harold Bauerbaum started a group of square
dancers in 1951 above the Littleton Town Hall.
In 1948, a young man by the name
of George Smith began square dance calling.
About 1951, George, who had recently graduated from college, began
calling for a small group of people interested in square dancing - people who
came together on a Saturday night and were taught calls and danced at the same
time with no real structured lessons.
Sometimes there would only be one square. Different people often came each time so the dancing progressed
slowly. Often it was lucky if the
square got through one dance completely.
In these early times, these
people, who were anxious for a good time, got together for a while at a house
that was located where Arapahoe Community College now stands, at Van Gordon's
barn, or at the Wilson's old buggy barn.
Then it was onto dancing above the Littleton Town Hall, North Elementary
School, and with the opening of Littleton's new YMCA about l955, that location
was used. The idea of becoming a club
had been formulating for a while and materialized when the dancers decided on
the name Mountaineers and officers were elected. Some of the early presidents included Emmett and Vivian Harris,
Elmer and Dorothy Curl, Russ and Mary Dancourt, and Doc and Geneva Hageman.
Emmett and Vivian Harris began
dancing with the group in about l954, and it was Viv who made the first club
banner, appropriately designed with a covered wagon. This banner was made in about l956. By l978, it was decided to adopt a new club banner, the job of
making it being taken on by one of the newer members, Sylvia Collins. Del Villnow had a hand in getting the
materials for this new banner - the familiar green and white banner which
presently identifies the Mountaineers Square Dance Club. In April, l993, Lois Sterling made replicas
of these green and white banners, as well as a matching "stealing"
banner. These green and white banners
match our green and white badges, which were adopted in l977. Prior to then, the badges were most likely
supplied by the club, loaned out to the dancers with interchangeable name tag
tape temporarily attached to each badge.
Lois also made replicas of the original covered wagon banners.
In the beginning, the club was a
banner-stealing club, but around the mid-1970's, this practice was discontinued
until early 1987 when the club elected to again become a banner-stealing club,
due to economic need, and this has swelled our visitor club attendance
greatly. Starting about January, 1969,
guest badges, called Courtesy Badges, were presented to visiting clubs
which brought one or more full squares
to dance, but that was later discontinued.
By 1960, George Smith was teaching
beginner classes and the club began to grow.
He was associated with and called for the club for 12 years, resigning
in March, l963.
While the Denver Area Square and
Round Dance Council was organized January 28, l955, with 40 member clubs, it
wasn't until December, l963 that the Mountaineers became affiliated with the
Council. It was one of the few clubs
south of Denver.
During those early years, most
clubs did not dance during the summer, so it wasn't until the fall of l963 that
Jim Moore began calling for the Mountaineers, remaining for four years. Jim taught at the "Y" and had in
his class couples like Chuck and Thelma Blemler, who are still dancing members
with the club, and Del and Lee Villnow, graduates in that first class of l965,
which consisted of four couples. Like
some other members, Red and Lois Stephens, class of l967, were in the club off
and on over the years. Charter members
Emmett and Vivian Harris were still dancing with the club in l974. 20 years
after starting out in the group. As of
2003, Vivian is still attending some of the dances though Emmett passed away in
March of l995. Marsh and Helen Harris
had celebrated over 20 years of dancing before ending their membership in
l983. Charter member Frank Goris, along
with his wife Ruth, will especially be remembered for being our "Club
Clowns" in full regalia at our Halloween dances.
In commemoration of Western
Welcome Week in Littleton, the Mountaineers had its first annual street dance
on June 26, l965, at the King Soopers shopping center area. Through the ensuing years, the location of
the street dances changed from place to place in Littleton for as long as this
event took place. It helped draw
attention to square dancing and promoted interest for potential dancers.
Our club has been a regular
entrant in the Western Welcome Week Parade for many years and has been
fortunate to get the council float or some type of flatbed vehicle to dance on
in most of the parades. A few times
members just walked the parade route, passing out flyers advertising our
upcoming fall square dance classes. For
a number of years, the parade began on Littleton Blvd. at S. Bannock,
continuing through downtown Littleton and on to ACC. In the early l980's, the parade route was shortened to begin at
S. Gallup, by the Littleton Historical Museum, ending at ACC, with the judges'
stand at the end of Main Street. We
were extremely proud to have been awarded a second place trophy in the parade
in August, l989, for outstanding float in Club, Civic, Religious, or Non-Profit
division, adding to our $50 cash award in the l986 parade and $25 third place
award in l985.
In December, 1965, the
Mountaineers, under the sponsorship of grange members Bill Ford and Ralph
Helphrey, moved to the Grandview Grange at University Blvd. and Orchard
Road. Ralph became the
"keeper" of its lovely wooden floor, making sure no one brought food
or beverage upstairs. Ralph and Mary
Helphrey were married at the grange and they and Bill and Fran Ford were
dancers in the club, the Fords having been presidents in l963. This grange was home to the Mountaineers for
37 1/2 years, until the snowstorm of March 18, 2003 claimed it as one of its
victims, collapsing the roof and buckling the walls. This "Grand Old Lady", construction of which was begun
in l939, was demolished on May 5, 2003, after our having been fortunate to
recover our club supplies and belongings.
The Mountaineers felt very fortunate to obtain as its new home the
Englewood Masonic Lodge at S. Sherman and Hampden, holding its first dance
there on April 19, 2003, celebrating our 52nd Anniversary/Past Presidents
event.
In 1966 out-going presidents,
Harold and Anita Hardy, as a joke, presented the l967 incoming presidents,
Chuck and Thelma Bleemlers, a gavel, complete with ribbon. This gesture has become a tradition with the
club, though not always as ceremoniously as it first was.
During Jim Moore's tenure, one of
the club's guest callers was a newcomer, Dean Stevens. He was first introduced to the club in late
1966, and in April, l967, he and wife Ruby began teaching round dancing at
North Elementary School. Square dance
lessons were also taught at North Elementary during the l966-67 season.
In 1968, Gordon Beckman filled in
as caller while the club searched for a new one. In the fall of l969, Dean Stevens became that new caller. The club was a caller's club, with Dean and Ruby
doing most of the organizing of the dances.
The dancers really enjoyed his brand of calling. The club was enriched by the fact that he
called both round and square dancing.
From the beginning, he would cue a half-hour of rounds, prior to the
start of the squares, on the third Saturday, and it was very popular. By the fall of l970, Dean was calling on the
third and fifth Saturdays, with a guest caller on the first Saturdays. Sometime during the l960's, the fifth
Saturday potluck dances began and continued for the most part until l989,
ending mostly due to lack of attendance.
As a wind-down in the spring when
the dances were about to end for the summer, a dinner-dance was held for
members only. Eventually, dances were
extended to year-round but the traditional dinner-dance continued each spring,
eventually opening to non-Mountaineers, too, until l990. That spring we tried a Spring Fling dance
instead. Since it had become
increasingly costly and difficult to continue the dinner-dance, it was eliminated.
There were often monthly events
during the summer when the club was not dancing. There would be "wild weekends" when Dean and Ruby took
their group and headed out to places like Berthoud, Longmont, or to the
"Y: in Granby where they'd enjoy dinner, dance at a restaurant or
elsewhere, stay overnight in town, have breakfast and head for home. During the summer of l971, Dean sponsored
dances at the grange on Saturdays. In
January, l981, Dean and Ruby sponsored a square dance vacation to Mexico for members
who signed up to go, dancing on top of the pyramids there, among other
wonderful experiences.
The club worked with Dean and Ruby
diligently to build up the club membership and in some years of the l970's, it
boasted a little over 100 member couples, quite a bit more than the 21 member
couples the club had in the l964-65 season.
Dean offered square dance classes twice a year - one class beginning in
March, graduating in August, the next class beginning in September, graduating
in February.
Beginning about 1973, our New
Year's Eve dances were rather unique affairs, with various club members putting
together a wide assortment of entertainment for the attendees. We were one of the few clubs with a New
Year's Eve dance, and tickets were sold in advance. It would be hard to forget the men's chorus line, appropriately
dressed (or UN-dressed) for their routine -
dancing to the strains of
"The Stripper" (New Year's Eve l981). And then there were our Father Time and Baby New Year volunteers,
complete with costumes.
Into the late l970's and early
1980's, member couples paid $2.50 to attend each club dance and $5 yearly
dues. About l984, yearly dues doubled
to $10 per couples, increased to $12 in the mid-1990's and have been adjusted
through the years as needed. Admission to our dances has increased as needed,
also. Visitors' admission is a little
more than members. In l990, $1 tickets
for a 50-50 Pot-of-Gold drawing were offered, half of the winnings to the club,
half to the winner. A Mountaineers pot
was established on October 15, l988, for a $5 drawing, which accumulated each
dance by $5 if the winning member was not in attendance. We are not a family club; we do take singles
in our classes as well as in our club.
Dean Stevens resigned as club
caller in August, l981. In December,
l981, Mike Darrah was voted new club caller by the members. Mike, too, it a great teacher, having one
class per year. At times he was
assisted by John Blessing, Barry Emerson, or "Bear" Miller.
For years, classes were taught at
North Elementary, but when the Littleton school district found it necessary to
close North Elementary, about l987, another site was needed. We tried Franklin, East, Centennial, and
Moody Elementary Schools and then Englewood Recreation Center. In the fall of l994, the Grandview Grange
became available on Monday nights, so classes began being held there, the first
class graduating from the grange on April 17, l995. Around the mid-1980's, beginner dances were introduced for all
the existing class members to get out and dance. In reply to desire to try shorter sessions, in February, 2002,
we had our first mini-sessions - 20 lessons in ten weeks - taught by Mike Olivieri, with students
from both classes combined for one graduation ceremony.
The club has put on club picnics
for many years, getting to do some dancing there, too. They were held in Elizabeth, CO for quite
some time, but when we lost that site, members Wayne and Wanda Minard had the
club to their Sedalia "spread" for the festivities, complete with
hayrack ride. We were able to use Lowry
Air Force Base for a few years and deKoevend Park. The event is for members and their families.
Officers are nominated and
approved by the club members in the fall of each year, taking office the first of
the new year. In 2000, a By-Laws change
was made to split the Secretary and Treasurer offices between two couples
each. The practice of honoring and
recognizing past presidents at a Past Presidents' Dance has been done for many
years and by the mid-1980's, our anniversary celebration was included,
combining both occasions at one dance.
These former presidents are guests of the club for that dance. On April 21, 2001, the Mountaineers
celebrated its 50th anniversary
Our club has received many
compliments on our outstanding refreshments - food each member couple supplies
when attending club dances. Assigned
host/hostess couples serve and clean up at each dance, and for their services,
there were admitted to the dance gratis. For about 20 years, elected officers
paid no admission during their terms in appreciation for all their hard work
and dedication, but since the hall rental costs increased substantially when we
moved from the Grange (at $30 per night) to the Lodge (at about $105 per
night), it became necessary to eliminate this gesture for officers as well as hosts/hostesses. Around the end of l991,
it was decided to have greeters at the building entrance before and after each
dance
Throughout the years, regular
monthly newsletters have kept our members informed of club news and
activities. Officers usually meet
monthly or less, depending on need.
Meetings are always open to club members. We are regulated by official club by-laws and have a code of
conduct.
Written by: Laurie Bendell, Historian April 21, l990
Revised: March 6, 1997; January 12, l999; April 16, 2002; July 14, 2003
Special thanks to the following
for their input:
Red & Lois Stephens Chuck Bleemlers Vivian Harris George Smith
Del Villnow Sylvia Collins Helen Harris
Back issues of DAS&RDC
bulletins in the archives