Tuesday Report from Canada

There were two more sessions of at the CALLERLAB mini-convention in London, Ontario.

The first of Tuesday was a choice between "Winning Ways" and "Showmanship." I opted for the latter with Tim Marriner and John Marshall. In a nutshell, it was a session on managing one's public appearance & perception and being professional before, during and after the dance. There was also ideas on how to establish a stage presence, handle surprises and deal with issues with grace. As with some other sessions, it's stuff I've heard before at one caller school or another, but the reminders were useful and the war stories were a hoot.

The final session was a general closing session. Thanks were offered to the volunteers, organizers and staffers; the floor was then opened to general discussion on any topic desired. There were lively and forceful comments in support of competitive square dancing and raising the profile of square dancing via the media. I was tempted to declare my own opinion that any public profile made showcasing the dated drag outfits of some 1950s fantasy world would utterly undermine any attempt at recruitment; I suspected, however, that this wasn't the time or place, choosing to bite my tongue.

When the conference wrapped up at noon, I gathered my papers, packed my backpack and headed to Drumbo to spend some time with my maternal grandmother.

As expected, she's doing well. We caught up on family gossip then went out for a short drive to visit with a handful of other relatives in the general community. One cousin's lawn maintenance business seems to be doing well; an uncle's back surgery seems to have been successful but it's too soon to tell definitively; another uncle is building a new house, etc, etc.

Towards 6 PM, I headed back to London and drive directly to the home of bearfinch in the north end of the city. For the first time this trip, I was able to dine at Swiss Chalet! Woo hoo! OK, it's not that big a deal really, but I like Swiss Chalet and it's a small indulgence when I get a chance.

When I strolled into the lobby of my hotel later in the evening, I was surprised to find the same motley crew of CALLERLAB attendees playing board games in the lounge. Had I not been already thoroughly exhausted and facing a 6 AM alarm clock, I would have happily joined them. Sleep beckoned, however, and I could not resist its siren song.

Tuesday Report from Canada

There were two more sessions of at the CALLERLAB mini-convention in London, Ontario.

The first of Tuesday was a choice between "Winning Ways" and "Showmanship." I opted for the latter with Tim Marriner and John Marshall. In a nutshell, it was a session on managing one's public appearance & perception and being professional before, during and after the dance. There was also ideas on how to establish a stage presence, handle surprises and deal with issues with grace. As with some other sessions, it's stuff I've heard before at one caller school or another, but the reminders were useful and the war stories were a hoot.

The final session was a general closing session. Thanks were offered to the volunteers, organizers and staffers; the floor was then opened to general discussion on any topic desired. There were lively and forceful comments in support of competitive square dancing and raising the profile of square dancing via the media. I was tempted to declare my own opinion that any public profile made showcasing the dated drag outfits of some 1950s fantasy world would utterly undermine any attempt at recruitment; I suspected, however, that this wasn't the time or place, choosing to bite my tongue.

When the conference wrapped up at noon, I gathered my papers, packed my backpack and headed to Drumbo to spend some time with my maternal grandmother.

As expected, she's doing well. We caught up on family gossip then went out for a short drive to visit with a handful of other relatives in the general community. One cousin's lawn maintenance business seems to be doing well; an uncle's back surgery seems to have been successful but it's too soon to tell definitively; another uncle is building a new house, etc, etc.

Towards 6 PM, I headed back to London and drive directly to the home of bearfinch in the north end of the city. For the first time this trip, I was able to dine at Swiss Chalet! Woo hoo! OK, it's not that big a deal really, but I like Swiss Chalet and it's a small indulgence when I get a chance.

When I strolled into the lobby of my hotel later in the evening, I was surprised to find the same motley crew of CALLERLAB attendees playing board games in the lounge. Had I not been already thoroughly exhausted and facing a 6 AM alarm clock, I would have happily joined them. Sleep beckoned, however, and I could not resist its siren song.