ICWDA Members
News Letter
Idaho Country Western Dance AssociationMembership Letter, August 2007
Recently I have been asked about the status and progress of the ICWDA. Thus, I decided it was time for one of my "Updates From The President" reports. The current Board of Directors (BOD) was elected and appointed in May 2006.
The immediate goal decided by this BOD was to have our organization become more involved with the community. To bring our love of country dancing to the various communities through out the area, via our Demo Team, Dance Workshops and Lessons.
Our first order was to update the Website, which we did effectively with the help of our web master. The Website is now easily accessed with updates, pictures, upcoming events and information. Links to other Websites involving dance are available along with a means for the public to contact us when needed.
Secondly, we needed a better system to contact members with emails for updates and upcoming events. Our secretary, Darcia Johnson, did a wonderful job setting up the ICWDA mailing list, which she sends out monthly updates and notices for upcoming events. This is also used as a way for members and folks on our mailing list to contact us. When Darcia receives input it is immediately forwarded to the necessary individuals. These two steps were very important in order to keep the membership and public updated on what the ICWDA is doing. Both Jay and Darcia have done a great job for us.
As I mentioned before, the main goal of this President and Board was to make the ICWDA more community oriented. In the summer of 2006 we participated in several charitable events. First, we were part of a program for Big Brothers/Big Sisters that raised $30,000 for that particular cause. Our Demo Team danced in nearly 100 degree temperatures, then mixed and talked with various attendees at the event. We also participated in a Glenn's Ferry fundraiser held at Carmela Winery and then up to McCall for the WAAF fund-raiser for their "Y" and Aquatic Center where we had a demonstration by the Demo Team and the ICWDA hosted the Barn Dance. The event was extremely successful for WAAF.
In 2007 we have added more charitable events to our schedule. In February the High School in Middleton was destroyed by a fire, we as a group and "neighbors" of Middleton decided to raise money during our lessons at Shorty's Saloon and also during our lessons at Carmela Winery to help the kids replace personal items lost in the fire. We were able to deliver a check to the Middleton School District on behalf of the members of the ICWDA to help the cause, which in return we received a wonderful note of thanks from the School District and the feeling of being a part of the community.
Around that time period we also had another event happen in the community where a State Trooper, Officer Glenn, was shot and paralyzed during the line of duty, he was taken to St. Alphonsus Hospital for treatment. We delivered flowers and a letter of encouragement from the ICWDA that was given to him and his family. Also the ICWDA delivered Christmas flowers and goodies to the women's shelter, City Light Home for Women, in Boise again with a letter of Seasons Greetings and words of encouragement. In the spring the ICWDA Demo Team was invited to participate at the Heatherwood Retirement Center for their annual Cystic Fibrosis fundraiser. We were able to dance for the residents and attendees and also supplied free dinner certificates for the raffle give away. Next up will be the Labor Day fundraiser again in McCall for WAAF on the evening of September 1st.
The Demo Team has performed at the Western Idaho Fair, Idaho City Western Days, Murphy Outpost Days, USA Dance Western Night, Blue Cross family day at Bogus Creek Outfitters, hosted Best Bath's Western Night for Reps from various states, performed at the ICWDA Christmas dance at the Valley Square Dance Hall, along with all the charitable events fore mentioned.
We have held two annual ICWDA Workshop/Membership drive functions. The first was in 2006 when we brought up an instructor from Southern California for our first Workshop, which was very well attended. This year in 2007 our workshop hosted 12 local instructors from throughout the Valley, teaching Line and Couples dances. We have held bi-annual workshops up in McCall and lessons in Glenn's Ferry at Carmela Winery. We have weekly lessons at Shorty's Saloon in Garden City, on Thursdays, there will be no lesson Sept 13th. We have another workshop coming up in McCall also on Sept 15th, 2007.
We had a Mexico Cruise in which 36 or so dancers from Boise met up with dancers from Southern California for lessons and dancing on board a Royal Caribbean cruise ship to Ensenada Mexico.
We hold our monthly dances on the second Friday of the each month at the Valley Square Dance Hall. Here we have open dancing along with dinner gift certificates given away as door prizes. Thanks to La Tapatia Restaurant (our sponsor) for the dinner certificates for over one year.
So as you can see, we of the ICWDA BOD have been busy in our first year and a few months. Hopefully we have represented the ICWDA to the community in a way our membership would want us to. I, as President, could not be more proud of our Board and Membership for this past year in which we all stepped up for our community.
Cef Decaney, President of ICWDA