Ruthilda Grand Squares in Zone 1, recently passed a motion to disband our square dance club at the end of this 2017-2018 season encouraging members to join other clubs if at all possible.   The club originally danced in “The Old Hall” in the tiny hamlet of Ruthilda ‘in the middle of nowhere’ for many years.   It was originally comprised of members who were willing to drive many miles on some questionable roads in the dead of winter from many different locations – Landis to Biggar to Rosetown and Dodsland to join a regular crowd of five squares in the 1980’s.  

Ruthilda Grand Squares club has what we consider to be a storied reputation.  We are not certain how long it has been in operation.  Information indicates that the group began dancing to records before 1970, when Ken & Eileen Brownlee agreed to make the drive from Unity to teach and call to folks on the 1^st, 3^rd and 5^th Thursdays October to April for these many years.  Some may remember dancing at our February Valentine Special in the complex at Landis.

This club has spawned at least four other square dance clubs (Dodsland, Biggar, Rosetown, Fiske) over the years as well as callers Wes McCarthy and Dale and Katherine Olson.   And we have always prided ourselves on being able to show visitors a good time with some of the friendliest members and best lunches around. Now we have shrunk to about a dozen members and we feel forced to recognize that we are too few, too often, to continue.             Contributed by Carmel Waddington