Inside, however, there's only one more nod to the holiday: the page shown below with two Halloween-themed cartoons. The rest of the 78-page issue is filled with square dancing news and tips, plus a robust number of advertisements. It's quite impressive how much interest and money there used to be in this recreational pasttime; I even had square dancing lessons as part of my curriculum at C.E. McCall Middle School in central Pennsylvania in the early 1980s.
Some of the tidbits inside this issue:
- A report that square dancers helped to raise relief funds for those affected by the June 1972 flood in Rapid City, South Dakota, and that efforts had just begun to raise relief funds for Pennsylvania victims of Hurricane Agnes.
- An article on the history of square dancing being depicted in movies.
- A long directory of square dancing youth groups across the nation, including one here in Phoenix, Arizona.
- An article on the business side of calling.
- Sewing suggestions for women's square dancing outfits.
- News of square dancing from such farflung locations as the Panama Canal Zone and Saudi Arabia (the Dhahran Hoedowners, who I think were also called the Arabian Hoedowners).
- Many advertisements for square dancing records, outfits, shoes and sound equipment.
- A list of upcoming conventions and events, including the 14th annual WASCA Spring Festival ("Stairway to the Stars") at the Sheraton Park Hotel & Motor Inn. The event was slated for March 8-10, 1973.
Digital versions of Sets in Order/Square Dancing magazine are available to read at this link, a wonderful online resource.
No comments:
Post a Comment