A Social Study

By Ralph Wilson, Tampa, Florida

The Tampa Dance News.

 

Looking over the dance clubs in this part of the State we can see the similarity of how they are run. Most people are reluctant to run for office so they sometimes get people that acquiesce to anything and they become the De Jure government.

"Whatever you can do, or dream you can do - start to do it.

Boldness has genius, power and magic in it."

The De Facto government remains in the clique of gossipers in the club with a basis of a "goat social structure," because there are not enough men to go around. At any rate, these groups can be deadly for the clubs and the membership. Fortunately many clubs are shaping up for the better.

   "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones

The failure of our leadership, the smallness of our politics, the ease with which we are distracted by the petty and trivial, our chronic avoidance of tough decisions, our preference for scoring cheap political points instead of rolling up our sleeves and building a working consensus to tackle our big problems have been all there.

We have the opportunity today to face the challenges of this millennium together as dancers and not to quibble about who belongs to what club or does what discipline. We must learn to disagree without being disagreeable and that it is possible to compromise without compromising your principles. We should be willing to listen to each other and learn to assume the best of people instead of the worst.

"Where Did Our Love Go?" by the Supremes

At a time when a world is dancing more, more new clubs will be coming in and many of our local clubs will be losing members. Some start off fast and then begin to get infiltrated with the cliques and taper off. In the attempt to seem democratic they defeat their own purposes and few will do anything for the club.

Everything is clear and the decision as to which part the member would like to be in, should be up to the member and we should respect it. The results should make everyone happy. There could be a maximum size which gives the greatest efficiency. The independent club at about 400 seems more like it but we don't know for sure. All volunteer officers, with only a few perks open and everything above board including any subsidies.

And with all the clubs being friends, the opportunity is there for these clubs to cooperate for any really big occasion. The location is not that important, and it does not have to be concentrated in the centers of big cities. ****