From the Chairman
Youth Services Lorna Ogilvie
I write this at a time when the prospect of returning to the dance floor, here in Scotland, is at last a reality. How envious we have been of those already doing so, in far flung locations such as New Zealand. Additionally, what inspiration we got from the many imaginative ways groups of dancers invented to stay socially distant whilst completing all the figures of cleverly selected dances! The Society has continued to be very active since November, despite the lack of dancing in person, and some very challenging periods of lockdown. The Dance Scottish at Home newsletter, and virtual classes, have provided a highly valuable link with members, as have the many branch newsletters and virtual events locally. Few of us would have believed eighteen months ago how competent we would become at Zoom, Facetime and chat rooms! These new technical skills have been a wonderful way of keeping us in local contact and, equally importantly from a Society perspective, they have brought the RSCDS ‘family’ closer together than ever before. Future communications will build on these foundations as we continue to innovate and find new ways to share news and ideas linked to our love of Scottish country dancing. This has also given me the opportunity to ‘meet’ dancers in far flung corners of the globe, including Hawaii! Many teachers, musicians, and dancers contributed to the 2021 virtual Winter School, Spring Fling and Summer School. Whilst filming in St Andrews for the virtual Summer School I shared in the sheer joy of the dancers, not just at meeting old friends for the first time since early 2020, but also their excitement at dancing together once more to live music. Meeting up in person in Pitlochry and St Andrews in 2022 will be very special.
Marketing will play a large part in attracting new members The RSCDS Board and Committees have been working hard during lockdown and one advantage of this period has been the opportunity to review and update our operational systems as we aim to work more efficiently heading towards our second century. Marketing will play a large part in how we continue to attract new members, and we owe an immense debt of gratitude to Ewan Watt, our Interim Marketing Director, who completed his six months with us in August. Through fresh eyes, he has given us invaluable advice on modernising and simplifying our highly complex decision-making processes. As he hands over to Lyndsay Walker, the new Marketing Officer, we face the challenge of ensuring that we do not lose the tradition which our founders worked so hard to preserve, yet also become more inclusive so that more dancers can enjoy the fun and friendship, in addition to the physical and mental health benefits of Scottish country dancing.
Joana Stausberg This autumn brings you more news about our new virtual dance lifestyle. Malin, Abbie and Philippa are working on a Virtual Dance Display, and by the time this issue arrives in your mailbox/ inbox, you will be able to see the result yourselves on the RSCDS website - fingers crossed!
Contributions to this year’s Virtual Festival requested We are also looking for contributions to this year’s Virtual Festival on the theme of ‘Ceilidh: dancing and beyond’. Pick your favourite ceilidh dance from the Aberdeen Virtual Spring Fling creations, form a display around it and send in your video to info@rscds.org by 20 November. Everyone is invited to vote on their favourite video during Global Youth Week, from Sunday 28 November to Saturday 4 December. Winners will be announced before Christmas. For the centenary year, we will publish a free children’s booklet on Scottish country dance. Peppered with quizzes, colouring-in pages and lots of pictures, it aims at introducing children to the world of Scottish dancing. The ideas of what to include keep coming, and it’s a fun process to think of the best way to present music, key formations, RSCDS history and dancing worldwide. Since this is my last column as convenor, I’d like to thank the office staff, my co-convenors, Management Board members, the DSAH team and the committee for their ideas, support and many interesting, friendly conversations. I wish the new convenor and committee all the best for their work - keep up with the enthusiasm and engaging projects!
I look forward to welcoming many of you to our Autumn Gathering weekend in Perth in November, including those who will watch the AGM meeting remotely. Friendships will be renewed that weekend, as at many dancing gatherings during the coming year. Our Honorary President, Jean Martin, will be retiring and I add my personal thanks to Jean for all she has done for the RSCDS over many years, not just in this role but also as a past Chairman and teaching ambassador. Also retiring is Bill Cant, Treasurer for the past six years. He deserves both praise, and grateful thanks, for managing our finances so calmly and professionally, especially during the budgetary challenges of the last eighteen months. What has been so reassuring, as Chairman over these long months of lockdown, has been the enthusiasm and passion from dancers who have been determined to ensure that the RSCDS will be in good heart when dancing returns, and we approach our Centenary year. Thank you to you all.
www.rscds.org
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