Cotton Capers Square Dance Club

Shirley Woodward presented the following  club history at the club’s 65th celebration dance on April 28th.
                                    The Cotton Capers Story 1953 – 2018
65 years ago a movement was sweeping across Western Canada – something called square dancing.  In the fall of 1953, eight couples, who belonged to a ballroom dance club, were invited to attend a Saturday night dance at the local golf club. This was their very first experience with a new kind of social evening – square dancing.  When the eight couples arrived, they found a large group present; all were ready to try this dancing, which was just coming into Western Canada.
Waiting for the dancers was a tall, professional-looking gentleman, attired in western trousers, and western shirt and tie, accompanied by his elegant wife, dressed in a pretty, full-skirted square dance dress that was ankle-length.  This distinguished-looking pair turned out to be the Caller Couple, Gerry and Mary Hawley. No one in the room guessed that this was Gerry’s first attempt at calling an actual dance.
After the evening, the eight couples met to decide – should they rejoin their ballroom club, or organize a square dance club. They took a vote. Although by no means unanimous, square dancing won. It was time to get organized.  Marty and Nic Nicholson did such a good job, that within twelve hours the club was formed. Eighteen couples were recruited; Gerry Hawley was hired; the YMCA auditorium was booked; fees were collected and rent was paid.  The group was all set for their new venture.
On the first dance night members arrived full of expectation and were not disappointed. Gerry struggled manfully to teach this group of greenhorns basics, such as knowing their left hand from their right. Gerry had difficulties, but by the end of the evening, his students were sure that they would all be back to learn more at the next dance.  Little did they know that for that year Gerry was kept scrambling to stay one step ahead of his dancers.
After a few weeks, it was time to name the club. Suggestions were made and considered. Tillie Blake thought of “Cotton Capers”.   She felt it would be appropriate since the dancers wore cotton and some certainly did more ‘capering’ than dancing. The members agreed, so the club officially became the Cotton Capers Square Dance Club.
At the end of the first season the club sponsored a free guest night in the Haultain School Auditorium, and invited the Melody Squares & the Gingham Swing-em Square Dance Clubs. This was a truly happy ending to the first season of square dancing.  As a note of financial interest, their bank balance for the year was three dollars, which was raffled off to a lucky member, at the last dance of the year.
The club, for lack of space, had to change dance venues fairly often. Mary Hawley remembers hearing Gerry on numerous occasions implore that no more dancers be
brought in.  By the end of the second year of dancing in 1954, Gerry suggested that
Cotton Capers sponsor a large jamboree and have as many dancers attend as possible. Gerry took on all the jobs: he was in charge of sound, program, and even financing since the club had no money at all. The big night came and 63 squares danced in the Stadium at the Exhibition Grounds, to the calling of Gerry Hawley and Ivan King.  Club members were impressed and decided that jamborees should continue in future years, to provide an opportunity for clubs from the country and the city to dance together as a grand finale to the season.  At the second jamboree, 73 squares danced and the following year, 114 squares. The number of spectators also increased greatly as the years went by.            By the fourth jamboree, a record 196 squares jammed the Arena, and made dancing virtually impossible. Gerry saved the evening, by asking half the dancers to sit out upstairs while the other half took their turn dancing.  Obviously something had to be done, and from then on, ticket sales were limited to just 150 squares.
Jamborees were held for ten years. By then The Hub City Square and Round Dance Association had been formed.  This group held a workshop and large dance annually, and so took the place of the original  jamboree.
Cotton Capers was an altruistic square dance club. Proceeds from these jamborees, amounting to over $2000 were donated to various charitable organizations, such as the Saskatchewan Council for Crippled Children and Adults, the John Dolan School.
In 1963 a crowing rooster became the club mascot.  A banner was made, membership pins were issued, and the club celebrated being ten years old.  Gerry and Mary remained the Caller Couple of the club for 15 years. Then in the fall of 1968, Gerry retired from calling.  Cotton Capers sent out a committee to ask Ken and Eleanor Wilkinson to be the club’s next caller couple. They found Ken out in the sunshine on his farm making hay.  Lucky for the club, Ken and Eleanor kept us in their sunshine for many wonderful years.  In the fall of 1977, after dancing in school auditoriums had become problematic, the club moved to All Saints Anglican Church Hall.  It was just the right size, and the people of the church made the square dancers feel welcome. In 1984, the Cotton Capers, Odds N Ends, Happy Twirlers, and the Hub City Square and Round Dance Association joined forces to finance and install acoustical improvements. And 20 years later, joint club efforts enabled square dancers to replace the flooring of the hall.  Many dancers have benefited.
Over the years, with Ken and Eleanor as caller couple, Cotton Capers observed many milestone anniversaries: particularly memorable was the huge 40th Anniversary Dance at Perdue, and the 50th Anniversary Dance at Aberdeen, when we danced to a live orchestra, the Rhythmaires.  Even more impressive is the fact that for 40 years Ken and Eleanor Wilkinson called for the Cotton Capers on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the dance season.  But nothing lasts forever and at a dance in March 2008, Ken advised the club that he would end his calling career with our last dance in April. He asked that we let him and Eleanor leave the dance scene quietly, with no farewell dance, so we reluctantly agreed.  That last dance was sweet and sad, as we savoured the hours knowing that we were ending an era.
Ken always thought it was important to be bringing up new callers, and helped several get into calling. In the next years two of his proteges stepped forward. First to take the mike for our club was Monique van Bergen. Two years later, Monique decided that she was unable to continue to call for us, so we were again looking for a caller. Fortunately, Blair Wollms, another protege of Ken’s, was getting back into calling and decided that he could take on the job. Blair started as our caller in September 2010. As of now, he has given us 8 years of splendid calling, and we hope that he can continue for years to come.  As the years have passed, our numbers have dwindled, but those of us who can continue to dance, love to come, to enjoy the music, the exercise, the challenge and the fun as we meet our friends on a Saturday night.  And here we are tonight celebrating the fact that Cotton Capers is now 65 years old. Our gratitude to club members & executives who supported the group and worked with dedication for the club. Our thanks to those who have become recent club members to bolster our numbers. Our thanks to the visitors from other clubs who have joined us over the years for nights of dancing. Our thanks to Lil Brinkman who regularly calls a tip for us.
And now that we are 65 years old, we trust and hope that our club has years of fun and fellowship ahead, as the Cotton Capers dance on.