RSCDS ROYAL TUNBRIDGE WELLS BRANCH

NEWS SHEET

May 2010

 

 

 

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION AND AGM

 

In the August newssheet you were advised of changes to our financial year.  As a consequence our year now runs from 1st July to 30th June.  Annual subscriptions are due before the end of June with major reductions if you pay before the due date. (The renewal form is attached).

 

Another consequence of this change means that future Annual General Meetings will now be held on the first dancing Tuesday of the new term in September.  this year that is Tuesday 7th (date for your diary!).  The format of the AGM will be exactly as before.

 

The first Tuesday teaching class of the new year will be on 14th September, which will be an ‘open evening’ for new dancers who have been encouraged to come having seen our displays around the town on a previous Saturday (please see below for more details).

 

 

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

 

At the next AGM (on Tuesday 7th September) we will be losing 4 current committee members, this includes our secretary.  The committee was originally made up of 9 members, but in this current year we have been one down because no-one wished to fill the position.  Therefore there are 5 vacant positions to make a full committee.  A committee of 9 is preferable as this lightens the workload for everyone.

 

Over the next few weeks please give serious consideration to standing for election to help run the branch.  the job of a committee member is not an arduous one but it is vital for the continuous smooth running of this branch.  Please support the branch by helping to run it, without a team of people prepared to work for the benefit of you the members, there would be a much reduced calender of events.

 

Ideally members of the committee need to be on email, or have someone in the house who is and who is prepared to accept them on your behalf.  Nowadays a considerable amount of behind the scenes work takes place on email.  having said that, don’t let not having email stop you from joining the committee.

 

Nomination forms are availble at class, so pick up one and get yourself proposed and seconded before the end of June when we stop dancing for the summer break.  Nominations will be accepted by the secretary until the middle of August.  Nominations will NOT be accepted from the floor.  For more information about joining the committee please speak to our Secretary – Sue Bush.

 

 

KASS TEA DANCE

 

The Branch is hosting the KASS tea dance this year.  It will be held at the Goldsmid Hall in Tudeley on Sunday 26th September from 2.00-5.00pm.  The event is free but tea will be served at a one off cost of £1.50.  Bring your own picnic tea.  The programme of dances will be ones you know (see Events page), so don’t not come because you think you won’t know them.  It is a very relaxed event, come and enjoy yourself.

 

 

LONDON BRANCH 80TH ANNIVERSARY BALL

 

Venue: Hammersmith Town Hall.

Date: Saturday 30th October 2010.  Time: 7.30-1.00am.

Tickets: £40 for champagne reception, dinner and dancing to the Craigellachie Band.

 

This is a big event, so if you are interested in going, car sharing could be available. Speak to Colin.

Details of the event are available on www.rscdslondon.org.uk

 

 

DAY SCHOOL REVIEW

 

 

This year’s Day School was again held at Walthamstow Hall School on Saturday 20th March.  The event itself went very well.  We were especially honoured this year because Ruth Beatty, the Chairman Elect of the Society, attended the classes.  Numbers were about similar to last year, which is a shame as this means so many dancers are missing out on learning from some excellent teachers.

 

 

SPRING DANCE REVIEW

 

 

The Spring Dance was held at the Angel Centre in Tonbridge on Saturday 17th April, for the first time.  Being a new venue it inevitably created a few teething problems for us, but on the whole it worked quite well.  Numbers attending exploded in the 4 or so days leading up to the dance, from ‘Oh dear, its going to look a bit sparse’ to ‘will everyone fit in the hall?’

 

The band, Strathallan, were great and many people commented that they really enjoyed their playing. We intend to invite them back for the not too distant future.

 

A presentation of the Society’s Branch Award was given to Vicky Knight, ex chairman, treasurer and committee member, who travelled up from Shropshire, where she now lives, to attend the dance.

 

 

DANCE SCOTTISH

 

 

Once again we intend to do another Dance Scottish promotion in the hope of encouraging more new dancers for September.

 

The plan for this year is much the same as last year.  We will do a couple of dance displays around the town (probably at the Pantiles & Calverley Precinct again) on Saturday 4th September.

For this we are looking for volunteer dancers to give up part of their Saturday morning to show the good people of Tunbridge Wells what they are missing.

 

The displays are not ‘demonstrations’, they are meant to show people what fun dancing is, we only do jigs & reels which we all know well, mostly just 3/4 times through, and no dressing up!

Please let Colin know if you are willing to do this.  We need a minimum of 8 people.  Or come to hand out flyers about the open night below, to the assembled throng.

 

We will also run an OPEN CLASS NIGHT on Tuesday 14th September at St Augustine’s School

in the same way we did last year.  Look out for details about this nearer the time.

 

 

SUMMER SCHOOL

 

 

Is there a dancer in the branch going to summer school at St Andrews this year for the first time?

If so, would you be prepared to write about your classes, teachers, thoughts and experiences for the newssheet, with a ‘first impressions’ viewpoint?  Please contact Colin – details below.

 

 

TEA AT TEA-TIME

 

 

The committee has recently made two very important decisions!

 

First, they have decided to make the tea at classes FREE.

Second, they have decided to no longer provide biscuits to have with your free mug of tea.

 

This will start at the beginning of the Autumn Term 2010.

 

 

RSCDS MEMBERS ACCESS TO HQ WEB SITE

 

 

All members now have their individual ‘username’ & ‘password’ to access the ‘members’ section of the RSCDS HQ web site. www.rscds.org

 

To obtain your initial access details you need to contact Sue Bush.  Thereafter you can change these to suit your own requirements.

 

 

NEXT NEWSLETTER

 

If you would like to say something in the next newssheet please get in touch with Colin by either Tel: 01892 532712 or e-mail : colinsimpson@ubm.com or give it to him at class.  All contributions welcome.  Remember this is your mouthpiece as much as the committee’s.  Deadline for the next issue is mid August 2010.