Page 14 - RSCDS Toronto Golden Jubilee Book

Calvin Social Group – Teacher, Frances Gray (far left)
On Friday, September 23, 2005, they were invited to dance at the eightieth anniversary of Calvin Presbyterian Church. The celebration included a buf- fet dinner and ceilidh.
Despite the many changes during their fifty-year history, the Calvin group have continued to dance enthusiastically and to reach out to new dancers with great kindness.
. . . Douglas Smith
Christ Church
The group who meet at Christ Church United Church, at Truscott and Clarkson Road in Mississauga, are part of the church’s Time Out program. Time Out is "a morning of creative enjoyment and social interaction for men and women of all ages." The program runs for eight weeks in the spring and again in the fall of each year. They offer a selection of activities for each eight-week ses- sion, with the morning divided into two
sections divided by a twenty-min- ute coffee break. A Scottish Country Dance class has been included in the program since the year 2000. Other choices over the years have included Tai Chi,
Bridge, Genealogy and Local History.
For the last seven years, Deirdre MacCuish Bark has taught the Scottish Country Dance class, which lasts about one hour in the second part of the morning. Until fairly recently there
was also a child-care program, so that young mothers could take part in the Time Out activities, but that has been discontinued. In the earlier years there
Social Groups
were several young mothers who came Scottish Country Dancing, but as their children grew the mothers returned to the workforce and now the class is mainly made up of people who are retired.
This is a small but enthusiastic class, usually augmented by some of the Erin Mills Tuesday night dancers.
. . . Deirdre MacCuish Bark
Don Mills
The Don Mills Scottish Country Dance group was founded in 1960 by John Wevers. Several of the early dancers became teachers and later founded their own dance groups.
We first danced in St. Mark's Presby- terian Church and then moved to the Norman Ingram School before our final move to the Banbury Community Centre in 1974. The Banbury Centre had been the clubhouse for the IBM Golf Club and has a beautiful maple floor which is ideal for dancing. It also
had an enthu- siastic audi- ence. Our music attracted the raccoons, who used to watch the dancers through gaps
in the ceiling rafters.
John Wevers taught until 1987, when
Georgina Finlay took over. We were sorry to lose her in 2004 when she had to reduce her teaching load. Donalda McDonald has been teaching us for the last three years.
We dance at 120 Banbury Road every Tuesday evening from 7:30pm to 9:30 and all dancers are welcome.
. . . Peter Wood
Erin Mills
The Erin Mills group was formed in 1972 by Irish-born Wesley Clindinning and his wife, Brenda. The group partici- pated in a mass demonstration of SCD in the 1973 Scottish World Festival at the CNE. This tradition has continued with participation in the "512some," a demonstration which merited inclusion in the Guinness Book of World Records, and in the later attempt to double the number at the SkyDome. In 1980, at Wesley’s invitation, Jean Hamilton took on the Friday class and continues in this role.
In the same year, a separate class was formed, Erin Mills (Beginners and Basic Technique), meeting on Tuesday eve- ning, with Douglas Stephen as teacher. Since 1990, Keith Bark has taught this class.
In 1983, a children’s class was estab- lished with Betty Pellegrin as its first teacher. This later was renamed "Whigmaleeries" and has been taught since 1989 by Keith Bark, assisted
by Deirdre MacCuish Bark and Ishbel Thomson.
The original teaching staff, with the addition of the late Jessie Bryden (of the Bloorlea Group), initiated the West End Workshop, which caters particu- larly to the needs of less experienced dancers. They were also instrumental in establishing a much-needed Hogmanay Ball, which continues to draw a full house each year.
. . . Gordon Hamiton
Deirdre MacCuish Bark
Donalda McDonald
Wes Clindinning, Deirdre & Keith Bark, Jean Hamilton, Douglas Stephen
13