MANITOULIN—After 28 years of ladies in frilly dresses swirling across the dance floor in the company of stately Stetson coiffed gentlemen, the Hawberry Hoedowners squaredancing club is calling it a night.
As club chronicler Jack Ferguson noted in his history brief, “decreasing numbers over the past few years due to health issues, aching joints and sore muscles (process of aging) it became increasingly difficult to have enough for one square of dancers, which requires eight people.”
So it came to pass that during a May 9 executive meeting called to discuss the future of the club, following a great deal of reminiscing and discussion, the 16 dancers in attendance decided with great regret to pull the plug.
The club kept their decision under wraps until the executive could finalize the disbursement of the club’s assets, some $4,000 that remained in the kitty raised from the numerous jamborees and fundraising events held over the past two and a half decades. In the end it was decided to divide the funds into four, with one part each going to the Mindemoya Hospital Auxiliary, the Angel Bus, the Little Current Hospital Auxiliary and the Manitoulin Centennial Manor.
The Hawberry Hoedowners will be a big loss to the Island. Over the years hundreds of square dancing enthusiasts from across Manitoulin, the North Shore and beyond came to their local events, sometimes resulting in 32 dancers forming four squares. But when it came to the 11 jamborees held by the club over the years, enticing as many as 500 dancers from all across North America to Island shores to stay in local hotels and motels, campgrounds and resorts and dining in local restaurants across Manitoulin.
There are a lot of fine memories recorded within the back issues of The Expositor and captured within the pages of numerous photo albums the club will be donating to a local museum.
The club’s first instructors were George and Claire Beaudion from Espanola, then Art Vondette from McKerrow stepped up. Fred Hunter of Tehkummah has been the club’s caller (the person who calls out the dance moves to the couples on the floor) for over 20 years.
Charged with the duty of winding down the club were the present executive consisting of long-standing president Bruce Gibson, vice president Dave Harper, secretary Lynda Olsen and treasurer Mike Ewart.
The club started in the old Sheguiandah Hall in September of 1989, then moved to the United Church in Little Current before settling in for a long haul in the basement of the old St. Bernard’s Roman Catholic Church. When the old church was replaced, the group moved to the Little Current Rec Centre and then finally to Little Current Public School. Every Tuesday evening at 7 pm the dancers would arrive dressed in their square dancing regalia to kick up their heels.
Through the Hawberry Hoedowner’s efforts over the years funds have been raised and donated to the Manitoulin Lodge nursing home, the Gore Bay medical building, the chemotherapy room in Mindemoya and Centennial Manor in Little Current.
Jack Caldwell of Gore Bay created the club’s familiar banner.
The group has shared their love of square dancing at countless demonstrations over the years, with some of the most enthusiastic students being the members of Manitoulin Community Living (MCL). Caller Fred Hunter will continue to work with the MCL crew, whose efforts can usually be seen at the annual Bluegrass in the Country festival in Providence Bay.
