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Teacup Chains Square
Dance Club was organized at a meeting held at the Edmond
Public Library in July of 1991 with 32 members. The club
was formed after the Frontier Pride Club was dissolved.
Slim and Betty Lawson were nominated as caller and taw.
The charter dance was held on August 3, 1991, at the
Just Off Broadway Dance Studio at 520 W. 15 Street in
Edmond.
Richard and Sharon
Cutter were the first President couple and are still
very active members, as is Bill Milner, another charter
member and the first President-Elect. Joan Orman
designed our badge and Slim Lawson suggested our name.
After the death of
our caller, Slim Lawson, Larrie and Joan Orman became
caller and taw in 1993. Larrie and Joan served
faithfully until his retirement in 2001, when Bobby and
Shelley Willis were chosen to be our new caller.
We were saddened by
Larrie’s untimely death on August 19, 2003, and the loss
of two charter members, Sidney Black and Sharon Milner,
who were tireless supporters of our club.
In 2006, the
anniversary dance was held at the MAC Center and hosted
20 squares. By 2008, the Teacup Anniversary Dance drew
dancers from across Oklahoma and surrounding states, and
is known as the largest non-convention dance in
Oklahoma.
Our very special
square dance banners were given to Slim and Betty Lawson
after our club had an exhibition at the Latter Day
Saints Church in Surrey Hills. We have displayed them at
every anniversary dance since 1992.
Founded as a couples
only club, the members voted to change their bylaws to
admit single dancers in October, 2004. The club
continued to grow and became more involved in community
events, such as the Edmond July 4 parade, the Oklahoma
State Fair and a dance in the Round Barn in Arcadia.
Teacup members were active in Oklahoma Centennial
activities in 2007, such as the Centennial Parade in
October and the widely televised Spectacular on
Statehood Day in November, dancing to “The Oklahoma
Swing” sung by Vince Gill and Reba McIntyre.
Realizing we had
outgrown the dance studio, in 2008 a committee of
members searched throughout Edmond for a new location.
The final dance at Just Off Broadway was held on July 19
with a Hawaiian “Aloha” theme, and on August 16, 2008
the club began dancing at Peace Lutheran Church, 2600
East Danforth Road.
Through the years,
Teacup Chainers have remained close and can truly say
that “Square dancing is friendship set to music.”
--Original text
provided by Barbara Randall, longtime Teacup Chains
Secretary, and was published in the August 2004 Grand
Square.
The following
documents and photos were provided by Bill Milner. It is
such a treasure to see how much our founders loved
square dancing and would not let it die in Edmond. They
worked very hard to give this club great roots that
allowed it to grow into the successful club it is today!
It is my honor to be able to share this history with
everyone and preserve it for future generations of
square dancers to know where we came from.
Minutes of 7-15-91
Organizational Meeting
Minutes of 7-22-91 of
"Unnamed Square Dance Club"
Minutes of 7-22-91
Organizational Meeting - We have a name!
Minutes of 8-17-91
Organizational Meeting
Certificate of
Incorporation
Welcome letter from
the Central District
List of Charter
Members
Clippings
Sign in Sheets
from the First Dance - August 3, 1991
PHOTOS FROM FIRST
DANCE 8-3-1991
Other Old Photos
1992 and 1993
Membership Rosters - Names you will recognize!
Slim Lawson
Obituary
Teacup Chains Part
of Arcadia Round Barn Opening
First
Anniversary Dance - 1992
Graduation Dance -
November 1992 |
