The following articles appeared in the South Pacific Square Dance Review in 2000.

The Legends of Australian Square Dancing (Part 1)

The Legends Of Australian Square Dancing (Part 2)

The Legends Of Australian Square Dancing (Part 3)

Square Dance Banners

Square Dancing and the Internet

Square Dancer Responsibilities

The Unwritten Rules (Part 1)

The Unwritten Rules (Part 2)

The National Convention Advisory Board

The Dream is Alive

Popularity in every activity is cyclic. All we need to do is "hang in there" and square dancing will indeed grow again. I believe that the reason square dancing has survived for so long and continues to evolve (mature with the times) is that some visionary people laid a solid foundation for us. To start off the 21st Century, I would like to dedicate the first few articles to some of the legendary leaders of our activity. (Note: the information presented about these leaders is accurate to the best of my knowledge, I apologise for any mistakes. If you have information about past leaders who resided outside of NSW that you would like to have included in a future issue, please send it to me via the Coordinating Editor).

Square dancing was introduced to Australia in various ways over a number of years, however the general populace of NSW first became aware of it when the David Jones stores brought Joe Lewis from the USA as a promotion for their goods. Joe made two trips to Australia in 1950 and 1951, and following these successful promotions, Joe taught a class to local enthusiasts made up of ballroom teachers who wanted to include square dancing in their repertoire.

Among those attending Joe Lewis' caller school was Ron Jones. Ron began ballroom dancing as a teenager, and became an instructor by 1940. When square dancing boomed in the 50's "Jonesie" was there to help create a structure that would see the activity survive long after the boom was over. Along the way, Ron introduced Competition Square Dancing to NSW. These were not competitions to find the most accurate or knowledgeable dancers, but as from his ballroom heritage, a competition to find the most graceful and stylish dancers. In recognition of his work, the Competition Society of NSW has named an annual Festival in Ron Jones' honour.

Ron conducted many Caller Schools in NSW and can be proud of the many callers that he has helped along the way. Ron is a life member of the NSW Callers Association.

Wally Cook began calling square dances in 1950 (before the boom), and went on to become one of the pioneers of our activity. Wally attended the inaugural Callerlab Convention in 1974 and was the first Australian to call for an American square dance recording company.

Wally was a Board Member of ACF (the Australian Callers Federation) and held many square dancing executive positions in Victoria. He believed that the caller's primary responsibility was to entertain the dancers. He spoke often about this and said that if the dancers are not having fun, the caller should have a good look at themselves.

Arriving in Australia in 1959, Tom McGrath continued the square dance hobby that he learnt in the USA. He had his first call in 1960 and went on to become one of the great leaders of our time. Tom held many executive positions in square dancing including Editor of the Review, President of The NSW Callers Association and President (and a Founding Member) of ACF. I always considered Tom to be fair when controlling meetings, and he gave honest and considered advice when asked.

Tom had the outstanding ability to express his thoughts in print, and many will fondly remember his informative articles in the Review and Callerlink (the ACF Newsletter). Never considering himself to be an "expert" caller, Tom was able to put common sense into words and mix a little humour with his observations.

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People starting out in square dancing may not be fully aware of the wonderful heritage that this activity has in Australia. Without doubt there are many talented callers today, some of who appear to be breaking new ground, but in many cases it has all been done before.

It's interesting to note that when the pioneers of square dancing were breaking new ground, communications, interstate and international travel were expensive and often difficult. However, the challenges of the time were met with enthusiasm and love for our activity. As with last month, the following people were instrumental in making square dancing what it is today.

You would have read the wonderful tribute to this legendary square dance caller in the Nov/Dec Review. His interests and achievements were many and varied, and although he had not been prominent in the square dance scene for some years, he recently received the highest recognition from Callerlab for his contributions. Incredibly, Dr Ivor Burge called his first square dance in 1928 and during the boom period in the 1950's established what was to become one of Australia's most successful and enduring square dance clubs.

I was lucky enough to visit one of his clubs in the 1070's and the dedication, skill and planning that Ivor put into every call was apparent. I came away knowing that everyone in the hall was proud to be a member of his club.

Jack began his calling career in Victoria in 1952. During that decade he was invited to call at Australia's only Mayoral Square Dance Ball. He also organised another square dance ball at which over 1500 dancers attended. Jack travelled the world on several occasions and called in many different countries. In the 80's his Whitehorse club was held on four different nights dancing Basic, Mainstream, Plus and Challenge.

Jack Murphy's hope was that all callers in Australia would unite for the good of square dancing.

Having learnt to square dance in 1953, Allan commenced calling the following year. His home base was Adelaide and he conducted caller schools in South Australia, coaching many up and comers individually. Allan was Convenor of the 1974 National Convention in that City and has also called in Canada and England. His philosophy was to treat dancers with respect and that they would return this with their loyalty and support.

Another veteran who commenced calling in the early 1950's, Graeme was one of the pioneers of square dancing in Tasmania. Graeme has the rare achievement of having called for a club of visually impaired square dancers. He also Co-convened the 1976 National Convention in Hobart along with Fred Byrne. He was a Board Member of the ACF for his state.

Well known for his outstanding ability with square dance choreography, Eric wrote many articles and conducted "Workshop" sessions, which were always one of the highlights of Festivals and Conventions that he attended. Having his first call in 1957, Eric quickly became a leader and held many executive positions with Queensland and National Square Dance Societies and Caller Associations. He became a Callerlab member in 1981 was an ACF Board member.

One of Eric's unique achievements was that he once ran a club comprising three squares of roller skaters, and called at the World Square Dance Skating Championships in 1962.

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Acknowledgement - much of the information I have presented was researched from Jack Murphy's "Caller of the Month" articles in the ACF Newsletter "Callerlink" in the 1980's.

Les commenced calling in 1949 when square dancing was in its infancy in this country. He first attended a National Convention at Newcastle in 1968 and was Convenor of National Conventions held in Perth in 1971 and 1978. He also called at the 25th National in U.S.A. and was a Board Member of the Australian Callers Federation.

Les was one of the pioneers of square dancing in Australia. He traveled thousands of kilometers in the enjoyment of his calling.

Graham commenced his calling career in 1953, having been a square dancer for three years prior to that. Graham has the honour and distinction of being the only square dance caller who has attended and called at every National Convention held in Australia since inception. Graham says the highlights of his calling career include attending Callerlab in U.S.A. in 1977, being Convenor of the 1961, 1967, and 1972 National Conventions held in Brisbane, and being selected as CALLER OF THE MONTH in the American square dancing magazine "Sets in Order" in 1978.

Graham's advice to callers is to always remember that square dancing is fun, and to enjoy it to the full. Most stages never have enough room for him to move around on. (He has been known to pull the plug out of his microphone when he gets carried away.)

Fred began calling in the 1950's when square dancing was booming in Tasmania, and he was the last caller in Hobart before square dancing died out there. In 1973 the Southern Eights Square Dance Club was formed and Fred returned to the square dance scene, working tirelessly to catch up with modern square dance calling. Fred helped to form the Tasmanian Square Dance Society, and became it's first president and was honoured with Life Membership. In 1976 Fred was co-convenor of the 17th National Square Dance convention.

1956 (the year of the Olympic Games in Melbourne) saw the advent of Ron Whyte's calling career. Ron was the Convenor of four Nationals in Melbourne and he considered the highlights of his career were calling at the 25th U.S. National Convention in Anaheim, being on the staff of the Southern Hemisphere Convention at Christchurch, N.Z. in 1974 and calling in Canada, England and Holland.

Ron suggested that all callers should be continually promoting beginners and considered that all dancers should have a home club, which they should continue to support. The Sunnyside Club was Ron's home club throughout his career, having one of the largest memberships of any club in Australia.

Ron first started square dancing in 1953 and became a member of a well-known exhibition set in Victoria named The Olympians. In 1960 he successfully changed from dancer to caller. He considers his career highlights to be calling his first demonstration at a National Convention, calling at the 1976 U.S. Convention, attending Callerlab in 1981, and being Co-Convenor with Ron Whyte of the 1983 National in Melbourne where over 1400 dancers attended.

Ron was a foundation Board Member of the A.C.F. and his advice to dancers is "keep smiling, keep dancing", and to callers "as long as you pick up the mike, always be prepared to learn".

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Have you ever taken a look around at the wonderful club banners on display at a National or State Convention? The arena is often draped with banners of varying colours and styles, catching the eye of visitors and dancers alike. Thanks to the talents of square dancers, the club banner helps to tell the world a little bit about our activity.

You can't help but notice the great variety in the banners - some are quite large while others are small, some are put together by talented dancers and some look very professionally made.

I have noticed something else interesting in the changing styles of club banners over recent years. For a long time the themes for club names and banners were largely Western such as spurs, boots, wagon wheels and "ranch" style names like B-bar-H and S-bar-B. Square Dance steps were also popular such as promenaders, allemanders, swingers etc. and locations (bays, mountains, city names). Recently this range has been expanded to include animal themes like dolphins, birds, dinosaurs and frogs (of course). Plenty to choose from.

The style and theme chosen for a club banner often reflects the personality of the caller or club leaders. This in itself helps to give the club an identity, and the members something to relate to. There is no doubt that a club banner picturing an attractive young couple dancing conjures up a different image to one with a picture of a hay bale, an octopus or a stallion. Most banners are designed with a desirable image in mind.

It was once popular for clubs to get a group together and pay a visit to another club. Different to individuals paying a casual visit, the club members would pre-arrange with the other club that they were coming, and make a special event of it. And sometimes the visit was combined with a banner raid!

Local rules varied, but usually the visiting club could only claim the banner if they out-numbered the host club members on the night (often determined by counting club badges). This was always done in fun and never as an attempt by big clubs to dominate small clubs. It was a good way to encourage visitation between clubs and to stimulate interest and enjoyment of square dancing. The banner was never really stolen, but handed over by the host to be proudly displayed by the "new owners" at their club.

To retrieve the banner, a return visit had to be made by at least one square from the original club. The return visit was also usually pre-arranged to make it a special night, however any dance held by the club would be eligible under banner retrieving rules.

A lot of fun can be had with inter-club visits, but if any club does not agree with banner raiding, they should not be forced into participating.

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Computers have invaded our everyday lives! In fact, you can't get away from them. They are everywhere you look - microwave ovens, videos, cameras, cars, even in telephones. A few years ago we were worried that computers would take over the world, and even replace humans. Remember when IBM developed a super computer called "Big Blue" that beat the world chess champion? Well even that machine is now obsolete, and who knows what is over the horizon.

However our fears of "future shock" seem to have been allayed, and I think we have embraced computers and what they have to offer us. You wonder if we could ever go back to the days when we did everything manually.

One of the great things about computers is that they have revolutionized communications. Many dancers now regularly use e-mail to keep in touch with friends around the world. The Internet has also made it possible to access information about almost anything, including square dancing. My apology to those who do not have Internet access, but in this article I would like to tell you about some of the many interesting things that can be found (I will try not to use too much jargon).

A "Web Site" is simply an electronic version of a book, magazine or brochure. Each site is created by people who are dedicated to passing on the information contained in it. Think of the Internet as a huge library. To find a book about the subject you want, you ask the librarian, who will look up the reference number and point you to the correct bookshelf. We look up information on the World Wide Web in much the same way - by searching for a category or topic, and accessing the unique addresses (web sites) that contain the information you want. The advantage of the Internet is that you can access information from all over the world, not just what is on the shelves of your local library.

There are literally thousands of "web sites" dedicated to square dancing - clubs, callers, products and dancer organisations. The content and quality of each site varies greatly, depending on the who has put the site together. In general most square dancing web sites look quite good, and it is obvious that many, many hours have gone into their production. Some even include animation and music.

Many dancing organisations can be found on the World Wide Web. Major International organisations such as Callerlab - the International Association of Square Dance Callers (www.callerlab.org). This site provides information about Dance Programs (Basic, Mainstream etc.) and much more. An interesting dancer site is the United Square Dancers of America (www.usda.com), which contains many historical references and links to other sites of interest. There are many other areas outside of America that have interesting sites such as the European Association of square dance Clubs.

Australia is well represented on the web, with some very professional sites. The Australian Square Dance Societies (www.squaredanceaustralia.com) site gives a very comprehensive coverage of square dancing activities in all states, with interesting stories and pictures. The Australian Callers Federation site (www.aussiecallers.org.au) lists all members in each state, their club details, their calling experience and e-mail address.

Everything that you could possibly want to buy for square dancing is available on the Internet. Record companies, sound equipment, dance clothing, shoes, petticoats etc.

There are many hundreds of Web Sites devoted to individual square dance clubs. These sites are often produced by dancers or the caller of the club, and most give details of club venue, coming events, photographs from recent dances, names of club committee members and e-mail addresses. Some even have interesting choreographic information, which is very interesting for callers to see what is being danced in other parts of the world.

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I read with interest the Letters to the Editor from readers who are disappointed by the actions or attitudes of their fellow dancers. There have been stories about the lack of common courtesy, the absence of club loyalty, and a general lack of enthusiasm to promote the entire square dance movement (not just the interest group to which one currently belongs).

Is this because we are not told what is the right thing to do any more? Or is it that we are so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, that we don’t think courtesy and loyalty are as important as they used to be? I sincerely hope that it is the former.

Perhaps we simply need to remind ourselves that just as important as teaching the mechanics of square dancing (how to dance the calls), is teaching the ethics of square dancing (how we treat each other and our responsibilities to the square dance activity as a whole). Over the next few issues, I will attempt to explain what I believe are our ethics and responsibilities. This first part is based on an information sheet developed by the Education Committee of the UNITED SQUARE DANCERS of AMERICA, INC. and provides a general description of the typical responsibilities of a Club Member.

Be socially clean, courteous and pleasant. Arrive at the club early and be ready to dance the first bracket. Know and adhere to your dance level. Accept help from others and be helpful to others. Share dance time - don't be exclusive - no cliques.

Know your club leaders and your club caller. Talk to the caller and club leaders about any dance problems and your desires for the club. They need your input.

Volunteer to help with club functions without having to be asked. Serve in positions of responsibility - it's your duty to help. It is "your" club and surely you want the "best".

Recruit and assist new dancers (be Angels) at class lessons. Stay for the entire dance if possible - dance the first and last bracket - this honours your Caller, Club and fellow dancers. Be courteous to speakers, leaders and callers. Be a good listener. Listen attentively to Club announcements.

Be financially responsible - pay Club dues in advance without being asked. Assist in the set up and clean up of the dance hall. Participate in all club visitations, exhibitions, charity activities and other functions. Wear your club badge with pride and proper square dance attire at all Club functions. Honour your caller and Club.

Form your squares promptly, and welcome anyone who joins the set. Introduce yourself before the calls start. Be tolerant and polite to new dancers and senior dancers. Dance with visitors, singles, the caller's partner - allow them the pleasure of your expertise. Never walk through a square or leave a square before the bracket is over. Join the nearest square that is forming.

Introduce yourself to visitors and guests - make them feel welcome and want to visit your Club again. Get acquainted with everyone at the dance whom you have never met; an unknown square dancer is a friend you haven't met yet.

Guide your partner - do not shove, push or jerk. End each dance bracket with applause and thanks to all in the set and the caller - and mean it. Contribute toward the enjoyment of the dance by expressing friendliness, good humour, co-operation and a real desire to have fun. Refrain from drinking alcoholic beverages before or during the dance.

Forget about business, financial, social and family cares and concentrate on enjoying the fun and fellowship at the dance.

Be loyal to your Club. Set a good example for other Club members to follow.

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Last month I presented a list of things that go towards making a responsible square dancer. The trouble with any set of rules is that sometimes the underlying reasons are not fully explained. The reasons are usually based on long-term experience and historical learning, things we cannot expect newer dancers to know. What I would like to do now is spend a little more time on the reasons why we have unwritten rules (UR).

Anyone who is learning to square dance realises pretty quickly that there is a lot of learning to do! This fact is sometimes lost on experienced dancers who now respond to the calls like it is second nature. Because they love dancing so much, they want their new friends to be as good as they are, but sooner. The first year is the most important of any dancer's life. This is when they build a strong foundation.

UR1: Nothing can replace a good learning experience. Dancers must let the caller do the teaching and to judge when to introduce new calls. If you need more revision, ask the caller!

UR2: Callers must not rush the dancers through their learning experience. This will only cause frustration and incomplete learning.

Again, because some experienced dancers love dancing so much, sometimes they want their new friends to join in all the fun at Festivals, Conventions or Society Dances before they are ready. The logic used is that they will help pull them through. This is a big mistake as it will not only be a traumatic experience for the newer dancer, but it will also lessen the dancing pleasure of the experienced dancers who have come along expecting to dance to a high standard. In addition, if the caller sees that some dancers are struggling, they may be forced to change their program to suit a lower level.

UR3: Don't lose your friends (new and old) by encouraging people to move ahead before they are really ready. Waiting a few months will make the difference between great dancing pleasure and an awkward experience.

UR4: Callers, when advertising any major function make sure that you clearly specify the audience that it is intended for. While remaining tactful, explain that major functions are designed for experienced dancers, and everyone will be able to participate before too long. Be specific when mentioning the dance program (Mainstream, Plus etc.)

Why do we ask the men to wear long sleeved shirts? Why are women asked to wear low healed shoes, petticoats and "frillies"? Although some may think that this is just trying to preserve an obsolete image, there is more to it than fashion. Square dancing is an active sport, and everyone will get hot after a few dances. Just as we like everyone to start the dance fresh (surely I don't need to mention toothpaste and deodorant), we need to take other steps to remain fresh as the night goes on.

UR5: Men generally perspire more than women. Long sleeves can help to absorb perspiration and prevent uncomfortable contact. Men who perspire excessively should also carry a hand towel which can be worn on the belt if you wish (there are plenty of these to choose from).

UR6: Although high-heeled shoes are often attractive, they are not acceptable on the square dance floor. The reason most often given is that they can cause damage to the floor surface. Just as important however is that they can cause damage to the wearer and other dancers if someone falls. This is also why men should not wear boots on the dance floor.

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I usually like to talk about the positive side of square dancing, but as we all know, there is a negative side to everything. Perhaps we need to have a closer look at some of the negative things so that we can know what we need to improve. The Unwritten Rules (UR) of square dancing tell as much about the mistakes made in the past as they do about avoiding them in the future.

Cliques often form unintentionally. It is only natural to want to be with your friends, and they want to be with you too. There is no harm in this as long as it does not become a closed circle. Have you ever walked into a dance hall not knowing anybody and not knowing where to sit? Have you ever had someone come up to you and say that you are sitting in "their seat"?

A dance hall can be a lonely place for a shy person. A sea of unfamiliar faces can be daunting, and not everyone has the personality to just introduce themselves to others.

UR7: Dancers - take five minutes to talk with someone outside of your circle of friends. Do this every dance, with different people.

UR8: Callers - get down off the stage and talk to people. It is easy to get so wrapped up in what you are doing that you can forget that you are dealing with real people. A little pre-planning will help free up the few minutes between brackets so that you can mix and mingle. You will feel better for it.

"My dancers" this, "my dancers" that, etc etc etc. How many times have we heard a caller talking like this? As before, this can be unintentional and is usually harmless. However there are some instances where a caller (or club leader) really acts like the dancers are paying them to boss them around. There are some callers and club leaders "forbidding" people to dance at other clubs, or telling them they "must" attend every week. Worse still, there are callers and club leaders who have told people to visit other clubs with the intention of "bringing back" more dancers for them (too bad for the other club).

Shock! Horror! This couldn't happen in our wonderful square dance world could it? It has.

UR9: Dancers - Club loyalty is a good thing, and thinking that your club is the best is also a good thing. But don't let your loyalty cloud your judgement. All clubs (big and small) need support. If you "poach" the best dancers away from any club, you are weakening it. This weakens the whole activity.

UR10: Callers - you don't own the dancers any more than the dancers own you! If you have to build a wall around your club so that your dancers can't escape, you will eventually be disappointed because they will eventually want to see what's outside the wall anyway. The only honest way to encourage others to dance with you is with your calling ability. Don't put other clubs down, and don't be seen as a dictator. Every club is important to the continuance of square dancing. If others close, how long will yours survive?

Last month I started to talk about why women are encouraged to wear petticoats and "frillies". This is mostly to preserve the modesty of yourself and other dancers. We are fortunate that our square dance fashions look good on nearly all shapes and sizes. We are also fortunate that these fashions cover "a multitude of sins" because nearly all of us do not have perfect bodies.

All I can say is that if a caller can see your "frillies" from high up on the stage when you twirl, imagine what your fellow dancers would see if you were only wearing normal undies? Not a pretty thought unless you are Elle MacPherson.

UR11: Dancers - remember to dress modestly and appropriately for your age. You can look spectacular and be discrete at the same time.

UR12: Callers - lead by example. If you look like a middle aged teenager, you can't expect anything better from your audience.

Having just introduced new dancers to our wonderful activity once again, I can see the joy on their faces as they move cautiously to the music. At the same time I see the reaction of the experienced dancers as they do their utmost to help them. A little thought will make this a happy experience for everyone.

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I look forward to attending National Conventions for many reasons. As a caller there is nothing quite like calling in front of a big crowd that only a convention can offer. But just as importantly (because I don’t get a lot of opportunities to get on the dance floor) it’s a great chance to catch up with old friends. The Convention at Geelong this year was thoroughly enjoyable. There was a great atmosphere, the dance floor was fine, the sound system was good, and the calling standard was very good. And to cater for Plus, A-level, Clogging and Rounds a second venue was also in use during the day time.

National Conventions don't just happen. Behind the scenes there has to be a Committee of willing and capable dancers and callers if there is to be any hope of success. The interesting aspect of this is that some of the committee members may have had no experience at running an event of this magnitude before. Some have no real vision of the daunting task that is ahead for them. It is a tremendous learning curve (believe me). Fortunately, there are those who have gone down this road before. Even more fortunately, the experiences (both successful and otherwise) of other Conventions is available through the National Convention Advisory Board.

The "Advisory Board" is there to help in the planning process for future conventions and to give assistance to the Committee of the current Convention. This is an opportunity for the veterans to help the new comers with advice and guidance for running National Conventions.

The Convenors from many past Conventions make up the Advisory Board, along with future elected Convenor(s), Life Patrons, the Keeper of The Constitution and the Archive Custodian. While the Advisory Board has no official status on the National Convention committee, it is there to offer advice, to sort out old problems, to prevent new problems from arising, and to ensure that future bidding for Conventions is handled fairly. In a shrinking square dance world, the last thing we need is division.

Amongst other things, there are two documents that the Advisory Board are constantly keeping up to date – "The Constitution for The Operation of Australian National Square Dance Conventions", and "The Manual for The Operation of Australian National Square Dance Conventions". This is a massive task in itself, as changes are often needed. Correspondence flows throughout the year to discuss various proposals and requests that are received from interested parties and official bodies such as ARDA and ACF.

Two Advisory Board meetings are held at each National Convention, the first is usually held before the Convention starts (Thursday) and the second is usually after the AGM. The endeavour is to give Convention Committees the tools to make use of the talent, experience, expertise and personality of their members and delegates to the best advantage of the overall program. The Board members sacrifice a large portion of their time to help make the massive job of running a National Convention a little bit easier.

After a thoroughly enjoyable experience at Geelong, we can look forward to next year when NSW will host the National in Tamworth. 2002 will see the National in WA, and in 2003 the Host State will be Qld. I encourage all dancers, callers and cuers to attend these great events if at all possible. Be there or be square.

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Recently I wrote about how the world is changing, and made a comment about driving past the Homebush Olympic site that was still growing out of the ground at that stage. I'm writing this article while the Olympic Games is in full swing. When it is over, we will sit back and ponder in amazement the spectacular event that we have all shared with the entire world, and it will seem like it was just a dream.

In fact, that’s exactly what it was - a dream. But the wonderful thing about it is that this particular dream came true! Somebody had the foresight to think that Australia could actually host the Olympic Games in 2000, and bring the world together to celebrate its sporting champions for two weeks. Two weeks when all the wars and natural disasters that plague the world would take a back seat, while we all stand together as brothers and sisters. Two weeks when ordinary people from all around Australia have volunteered to help make this the best Olympics ever.

Somebody once told me that if you aim low you will never be disappointed - you will score low, and therefore achieve your aim. This statement came from someone who had been disillusioned in the past. He was not particularly bitter, but took on a pessimistic outlook to protect himself from future disappointments. I felt sorry for him, not because of his attitude, but because he had lost faith in people.

When Michael Klim broke the world record in the first leg of our men's 4 x 100 metres freestyle relay team, we were all ecstatic. Next came Chris Fydler and Ashley Callus and we were behind the Americans. When Ian Thorpe swam the final leg of the relay, he came from behind to win! We were all euphoric. The superstars in the team will be remembered for their spectacular efforts in the race, as so they should be, but without the other team members they could not have won.

There were six swimmers in the men's 4 x 200 metres freestyle relay team (gold), six in the women's 4 x 200 metres freestyle relay team (silver), six in the men's and seven in the women's 100 metres medly relay teams (both silver). When Thorpe, Klim and Susie O'Neill were beaten in individual races, did we think any less of them? No way, they had given it their very best, and that was good enough!

We don't all have to be individual superstars to be winners. We cannot all win gold, but we can all participate. Set your sights on making this activity as good as it can be. We don't have to work alone or for the accolades or purely personal gain. Every square is a team of eight dancers. Each club is strong as long as their members give support.

When we march in the Dressed Set Parade at National Convention, does it matter that some clubs are represented by one square and some by three or four? They are all marching together as one anyway.

After thirty years of being part of this activity, seeing the good times, the sad times, the politics and the power plays, I still get a buzz being on stage and on the dance floor. Perhaps I am too much of a dreamer, but I don't see any point in wishing for second best. Even if you don't achieve all your goals, you can certainly give it your best shot. And if you fail to reach the highest peak, at least you tried, and hopefully had some good times along the way. Dreams can come true if you work hard enough to achieve them.

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