Wrap up report for Jamboree 2009
1.
Jamboree 09 was a great success & we are very
happy with the results.
2.
Our vision in promoting Jamboree 09 was to provide the
dancers with the best possible dance experience. When looking at the results we believe our vision was
achieved.
3.
In excess of 400 dancers registered making it
financially successful.
4.
Dancers appreciated the hardwood floors & good
sound.
5.
Dancers really enjoyed the contracted callers Jerry
Jestin and Barry Sjolin.
6.
Dancers enjoyed the round dance cuers Ron & Donna
Baba.
7.
Not to be forgotten were the 3 volunteer callers who
donated their time and talents to help make Jamboree 09 the success it
was. Gary Winter, Murray Few and Jerry
Pierce.
8.
Or Adele Brewer who donated her talents for the
cloggers.
9.
The Trail Out dance started at 9 am with 18 squares;
at 11 am when the dance finished 25 squares were still dancing and asking for
more! (After about 20 hours of
dancing.) There were at least 60
dancers who stood in line to personally thank the callers for a great weekend.
(According to the callers this was a first.)
1.
We promoted the Jamboree with ribbon dances where we
sold about 20% of our registrations.
2.
We also had the June Bug dance, which Jerry Jestin called.
This was not a ribbon dance; the 15 squares in attendance got a taste of what
they could expect at the Jamboree.
3.
Not only did we sell a lot of registrations at these
dances but we generated enthusiasm, while making almost $300.00 through 50/50’s
and dancers who were not registered.
4.
The Edmonton Journal did a great front-page
advertisement on opening day for the Jamboree.
If you missed this write-up, the EDSDA website has a link to it and a
video demo. There is also a link to my
closing remarks at the Jamboree.
5.
The Fort Record had a very good article along with
pictures.
6.
I asked the dancers at the Sun. night wrap up if they
would support another Jamboree and received a huge applause.
7.
Marlene & I received numerous e-mails, cards,
& personal thank you’s from many happy dancers. Comments like awesome weekend, when is the next one, just let us
know and we will help, we had a great time etc.
8.
Jamboree 09 committee wants to host another weekend
soon. We think the next one will be easier since we have 400 dancers out
there advertising for us.
9.
The dancers appreciated the caller’s abilities to
provide a dancing experience they will remember for a long, long time. This was
our objective when we started planning Jamboree 09. Our Vision came true!!
1. I think we have
lost our vision and we need to focus on the dancers.
We will surely fail if the dancers decide that their
needs are not being met. If we don’t
have dancers who will the callers have to test their
skills on.
2. We know a few
Edmonton callers were asking dancers not to attend the
Jamboree. We also know that dancers in Calgary were
asked not to attend from the microphone. How can we move forward with these attitudes expressed by the
callers?
3. I can’t help but
think what the numbers would have been with the
callers and Federation on board.
4. Jerry and Barry
were hired to satisfy the dancers request for better callers in the mainstream
hall at Conventions.
5. The dancers are
paying all the costs in the square dance world, not
the callers or Federation. We received a huge message
from the dancers who attended the Jamboree so lets
take this message and go forward by giving dancers
what they want and keeping them on the floor.
1. While it is important
for callers/cuers to have an
opportunity to show case their skills, it is essential
that dancers needs be met if our activity is to thrive
and survive. Without dancers, our
callers will become redundant.
2. We believe
callers/cuers can be showcased as guest
callers at the club and association level.
Those interested in expanding their calling area can
let associations in other zones know of their ability,
availability and interest in calling for clubs in
their area.
3. Remember
conventions should be something special, and bring the dancer something above
and beyond what is available locally.
4. Dancer comfort by
arranging for hardwood floors should not be compromised solely to increase
financial viability.
5. Mr. Lowther
declined our offer on more than one occasion to host the AS & RDF annual
general meeting, where a larger number of dancers would be available to learn
about Federation activities in favour of Wilton Park. Dancers must have a voice and be part of the decision making
process.
6. We believe it is
now time for Federation to re-evaluate its Convention
Guidelines with the outlook to becoming more flexible
and dancer orientated.
7. Since we had such
strong support from Alberta dancers and these are the folks we must satisfy; I am recommending to the EDSDA
that they submit and offer to AS & RDF to host Convention 2011 with the
same format as Jamboree 09.
8. Times change and so must we.