The Swinging Swallows Square Dance Club is a registered not-for-profit Ottawa Valley organization. We have an Executive, a Caller and a fun bunch of members! Our Club Caller is Francois Desmarais, our President is Andre Blais and the Past President is Bill Shields. The Vice President is Kalvin Mitchell and the Treasurer is Renton Patterson. The Secretary is Wendy Shields; the Social Convener is Mary Dament. The Advertizing and Publicity persons are Doug & Gloria Bateman. Please let us know if you have concerns, suggestions or questions.

 

We like to visit retirement and long-term care homes and other community events to dance for their entertainment and our well-being, as a Club and as a person! These dance performances are done strictly on a volunteer basis. We also try to do a couple of ‘demonstrations’ each year to help raise awareness, interest and participation in the activity we all enjoy.

In 2015 we started a new annual ‘tradition’ by hosting the Boys and Girls Club for a dinner and some dancing after. We all had a great time at the first event when Andy gathered old and young together in a big square to start the dancing! We’re planning and looking forward to the next Boys and Girls Club dinner/dance.

 

If you want more information about the Swinging Swallows, visit our nest in the Fellowship Hall of Wesley United Church at 275 Pembroke Street East in Pembroke, Ontario on a Thursday evening, mid September through mid April, from 7:00 pm.

The Swallows dance most Thursday evenings, from 6:30 to about 9:00. Since the Club is comprised of three square dance levels – Basics, Mainstream and Plus – we take turns for the ‘teach’ part of the evening, and then dance to ensure we have knowledge of the new moves. There are no square dance competitions or exams. We dance for fun not for perfection!

There is a publication called “Square Time” that dancers can subscribe to. It provides lots of information, including news from other clubs in the Eastern Ontario Square Dance area, and details about conventions, jamborees and dances. We keep a copy on the Info Table for dancers to look at. 

We have a ‘party night’ nearly every month – Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, etc. -- to which we bring “finger foods”. Mmmmmm. At Christmas and the end of the dance year we have a pot-luck dinner prior to dancing. There is always cold water available, and tea and coffee cost a quarter per cup!