Happy Time Squares Travel Dances and Our Travel Chairs

We would like to introduce you to Happy Time Squares' Travel Coordinators, Ace & Lareeda Hickey

You have probably seen them setting up a display of small banners on the stage at our monthly dances, listened to Ace make announcements of some kind of upcoming travel dance, and the two of them presenting an HTS small banner to a club doing a neat march around the dance floor.  And, wondered what this is all about.

What are travel chairs?  What are travel dances?  Well, the way clubs keep other clubs visiting their dances is first to have a great caller.  We are very fortunate and have a great caller.  We have Vic Perry.  The other way is that we travel to other clubs and "steal their banner".  Most clubs have small versions of their club banner, called a travel banner, and sometimes allow another club to "steal" (borrow) it.  Square dance clubs in our area have a policy that allows a visiting club, with a minimum of six dancers, to take the travel banner home with them.  In order to retrieve your banner you must then visit the club with a minimum of six dancers.  This serves two purposes, it generates income for clubs to have visitors, and promotes fellowship between clubs.

Ace & Lareeda are our Travel Coordinators.  Their duties include scanning through our KSDA Travel On magazine, club flyers, the Internet, etc., to schedule visitations to other club dances.  They then prepare a monthly calendar showing us where and when these dances are.  Besides travel dances you will see other (fun) dances, fund raisers, anniversary, and other special dances, as well as our own club dances.  Happy Time Squares generally travels to 14 clubs in Northeast Kansas each year to steal banners.  Twelve to 46 HTS dancers attend these travel dances.

As you dance more, you'll find it's a lot of fun to visit other clubs, meet new dancers, and dance to other callers.  Now that you have graduated, you have the opportunity to travel with the club.  We wear our club colors: black slacks or skirts, red blouses or shirts, and yellow belts or ties.  If you don't have club attire yet, don't worry.  Wear whatever square dance attire you have.

Lareeda emails the calendar to all members and it is also listed on our club web page where you can download and print for reference.  They also send out emails before each travel dance, giving you more fact about the dance, and carpool information.

Feel free to email or call Ace & Lareeda about any travel questions   LLH4401@sunflower.com or 785-218-6520