No dancing this Wednesday May 30

There will be no dancing at FunDancers in New Braunfels this Wednesday (May 30) ... nor on any other Wednesday.

We are a bit sad because we spent two and a half years building up a nice club, only to have some misguided people tear it down in a matter of weeks.

Looking on the bright side, this same kind of catastrophe can never happen again because ... WE QUIT! We choose to drop completely out of the local dance scene.

You can believe malicious slander, or you can read the truth (kinder, gentler version ... updated just moments ago) for yourself at fundancers.org .

Tell the truth

No dancing this Sunday at FunDancers, in observance of the Memorial Day holiday.

People like to gossip, which is unfortunate.  Facts get twisted and truth gets lost.

Anyone seeking true facts may find them at www.fundancers.org

Good Times on Wednesday, May 23

In many areas of the country, caller-run clubs are the biggest and best. The reason is obvious. You just dance and have fun ... with NO politics. Politics have shut down more clubs and have caused more people to quit dancing than anything else! That's why we did away with all the meetings, voting, bickering, worries and such. However we KEPT all the fun, fitness and friendship which make square dancing so wonderful!

Come try European Style Square Dancing on Wednesday night in New Braunfels.  This is a "limited time offer"! Nasser is in final negotiations to do a big computer programming contract in Dallas.  We've pretty much decided to accept the offer in Dallas but the start date has not yet been decided.  So although we do not know which Wednesday in New Braunfels will be the final one, we do expect that our participation in the local dance scene will end very soon.

Executive Summary:  Square dance on Wednesdays with Nasser and Jeanna from 7 to 9:30 pm.  Continuous dancing for all levels including January Beginners, Mainstream, Plus and Advanced.  Several people who were there last week said it was the most fun they've had in years!

Location:  Westside Community Center, 2932 South I-35 (exit 185), New Braunfels, Texas. It's a two-story building on the southbound frontage road, just past the Presbyterian Church. We dance in the "Classroom" which has its own entrance on the north side of the building, or you can go through the gym.

For more info visit fundancers.com
 

Extras:  "Free Split the Pot Ticket" ... we give you a free dollar toward your Split the Pot purchase!  This makes things more fun and interesting.  Someone's gotta win big-time.  It just might be you!

More Dancing and More Fun on Wednesday nights

We're on a roll!  European Style dancing was a smash hit!  It happens again this coming Wednesday, May 23!
 

If you like square dancing, you'll love a European-style square dance.  You get short tips (and lots of 'em) for all levels from January Beginners through Advanced-One.  Think about satellite TV, where you get far more channels than anyone can possibly watch.  A European-style square dance gives you far more dancing than you ever imagined.  Most local square dance evenings give you 7 tips. Last night we danced 17 tips!  That's a lot of dancing and a lot of fun!  Several people said it was the most fun they've had in years!

 
Important:  We changed the start time to 7 pm.  We dance continuously from 7 to 9:30 pm.

 
Location - Westside Community Center, 2932 South I-35 (exit 185), New Braunfels, Texas. It's on the southbound frontage road, a two-story building just past the Presbyterian Church. We dance in the "Classroom" which has its own separate entrance on the north side of the building.  You can also access it through the gym.

 
For more info visit fundancers.com

 
Who will be the next lucky jackpot winner?  It might be you!  We'll run our "free split the pot ticket" promotion again next Wednesday.  Every paid admission gets a FREE dollar toward your Split the Pot ticket(s). Of course you may buy more tickets if you wish, but your first one is free.  If you have the winning ticket (even if it was a free ticket), the prize money is yours to keep with our compliments.  It's just another way to give a little something back to our friends who help make Wednesday nights so special.

 
We invite you to step into a brave new world of square dancing, European Style, at FunDancers New Braunfels on Wednesday, May 23 from 7 to 9:30 pm!

More info about the Grand Opening Dance on Wednesday

Please come enjoy the first-ever dance at Nasser and Jeanna's new Wednesday club. Here are more details.

Date and Time - Wednesday, May 16 from 6:30 to 9:30 pm. The dance cycle is continuous so it's perfectly okay if you arrive late and/or leave early.

Location - Westside Community Center, 2932 South I-35 (exit 185), New Braunfels, Texas. Other square dance clubs meet there on Monday and (until recently) Friday. We will dance in the "Classroom" which is accessed from the sidelines of the gym.

Refreshments - A drinking water fountain is just outside the dance room. We will supply coffee, cups, etc. You are welcome to bring various other things to eat and/or drink. We have access to the kitchen where ice is available.

Dress Code - "Dancer's choice". We expect most people will go casual. However, you'll feel welcome even if you're all gussied up.

Level of Dance - The event is suitable for our January Beginners, and the nice people in our Advanced group, and Plus dancers, and Line dancers, and everyone in between.

Dance Cycle - The dance cycle of "M - P - M - A1" repeats every 45 minutes or so. Don't worry about keeping track:  signs near the speakers will display "now playing" and "up next". Half the tips are Mainstream ("M") suitable for January beginners. "P" means Plus.  "A1" means Advanced-One. You'll also get Line and/or Round dancing, according to what everyone seems to want.

Partners - Singles and couples are equally welcome.  As soon as one tip ends, find a partner for the next tip which starts almost immediately. We expect that most people will dance with a new partner each tip but that is entirely up to you. You can even dance with one partner for the first half of a tip and a different partner for the second half.

Cost - $7 per person.  That's a little more than other clubs but you get a lot more. You get a continuous non-stop ("European Style") dance party for all levels (Beginner thru Advanced) for 3 hours. At most area dances you get 6 or 7 tips in two hours. At a "European Style" dance you get 12 to 16 tips in three hours. More tips means more dancing and you'll have more fun with more people!

Read the next paragraph:  you could actually get paid to dance. :)
 
Split the Pot - Grand Openings are special, so let's do something amazing. Every paid admission gets a free dollar toward your Split the Pot ticket(s). Therefore, everyone will have at least one ticket in the Split the Pot drawing. Of course you may buy more tickets if you wish. If your free ticket wins, the prize money is yours to keep!

For more info and/or driving directions, visit fundancers.com
 
Square dancing takes a giant step into the future on Wednesday!  We invite you to take many pleasurable steps at the Grand Opening this Wednesday, May 16!

Grand Opening on Wednesday, May 16

Please come enjoy the first-ever dance at Nasser and Jeanna's new Wednesday club.
 
 - Date:  Wednesday, May 16, 2012
 - Time:  6:30 to 9:30 pm
 - Location:  Westside Community Center, 2932 South I-35 (exit 185), New Braunfels, Texas
 - Cost:  $7
 - Featured:  Three-hour "European Style" party for people who dance January Beginner, Mainstream, Plus and/or Advanced-One.
 
Driving directions:  I-35 exit 185.  Southbound: stay on Frontage Road for 1.2 miles. Northbound: cross under I-35, then drive on southbound Frontage Road .5 miles. The hall is a two-story building just past S. Kreuger Avenue and the Presbyterian Church. We dance in the "classroom" which is accessed via the gym.

For more info visit fundancers.com

We will give "diplomas" to the nice people who went through our January Beginner series on Sundays. We fully understand and appreciate that these Very Important People are the "world's least experienced" Experienced dancers. We will treat them with Tender Loving Care during the next several weeks and beyond as they gain confidence and expertise. (If you were in the Beginner Series on Sundays and you just can't be there on Wednesday, let us know and we'll find a way to get your diploma to you.)

We dance "European Style". If you have never danced "European Style" before, you're gonna love it! "European style" gives you continuous short tips. The dance cycle will be "M - P - M - A1" which means a Mainstream tip, then a Plus tip, then another Mainstream tip, then an A-1 tip. We'll have some Line dances as well. Don't worry about keeping track: signs will display "Now Playing" and "Up Next".

As soon as one tip ends, find a new partner for the next tip which starts almost immediately. Although you -could- (if you wanted to) dance with the same partner all night, it's more fun to dance with different people each tip. You can even dance with one partner for the first half (patter) of the tip and a different partner for the singing call.

At most local square dances, you get 6 to 7 tips in two hours. At a "European Style" dance you get 14 to 16 tips in three hours. More tips means more dancing which means more fun.  It also means you get to mix and mingle with more people. The net result is a very nice atmosphere where singles and couples all feel exceptionally welcome.

Come try it for yourself!  Hip Hip Hurray for fun worldwide activities!  Enjoy American Square Dancing "European Style" at the Grand Opening of FunDancers New Braunfels on Wednesday, May 16.

Help celebrate White Collar Crime on Mothers Day

When Nasser (and others) first started FunDancers, they set up a simple rule about the caller schedule.  Nasser calls every Sunday when he is in town.  It's more than just tradition.  It's actually written in the club's by-laws. It's a binding contract.

The club intends to break that contract on Mothers Day, May 13.  The club has talked about breaching the contract for quite some time. So far, it's been all talk.  That will soon change. The club's first actual crime, their very first Breach of Contract, will be committed this Sunday, May 13.  The club will dance to guest caller K O Jeanes on Nasser's calling date.  This directly violates the club's own by-laws.

Nasser has tried every way possible to prevent this crime from happening. He has repeatedly urged the club to do the right thing by honoring the contract terms. Nasser has tried to persuade the club, and also K O Jeanes, to abandon the planned crime. But it's all to no avail.  You can only stop a crime before it happens.  Unavoidably, this crime will happen. The club has repeatedly told Nasser that he is not welcome and that he will not even be allowed into the hall to dance.  Apparently the words "fun and friendship" no longer apply.

The club claims that Nasser makes excessive demands.  Yet in truth, Nasser's only demand is "follow your own written contract!".  The club claims that Nasser was "fired", but that can't possibly be true because Nasser was never an employee.  Instead, he is a full business partner.  You can't "fire" a business partner.  You can only cheat a business partner by performing the crime of Breach of Contract. That's exactly what the club plans to do.

So, come dance on Mothers Day and celebrate the things which make America unique: cheating your business partners, breaking contracts, depriving people of their voting rights, taking away Nasser's and Jeanna's livelihood and just outright stealing a club away from the people who founded it.  These things make America what it is today. You can help celebrate this greatness on Mothers Day.

Square dancing is wonderful but square dance politics are terrible. Nasser (and others) established FunDancers specifically to get away from bad politics. It's ironic that the exact thing we wanted to avoid has now infiltrated our own organization. It's beyond repair. Nasser and Jeanna have chosen to simply walk away from the unfortunate situation. This Sunday, you can make your own choice.  Why not go out and celebrate the crime of Breach of Contract?  But please, do not speak out against crime, or else you'll be banned like we are.

We cordially invite you to our NEW club on Wednesdays starting May 16. There won't be any broken contracts (because there are no contracts). There won't be any board running amok (because there is no board).  We won't deprive people of their voting rights (because there is no voting). We can't default on our debts (because we won't be borrowing from our founders). You can't get mad about what happened at the meeting (because there are no meetings). We won't pressure you to run for office (because there are no offices).
 
Our new Wednesday group is entirely a caller-run club.  We'll still gladly accept volunteer help ... it takes good people to make a club run ... but mainly we will offer great square dancing with absolutely -no- politics.  Just show up, dance, have a good time, then go home and start planning your next visit on Wednesday.

The local square dance world makes a giant change for the better on Wednesday May 16!  Stay tuned for more details.

Save The Date: Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Nasser and Jeanna started the "perfect" square dance club a few years ago. They put much time and money into building up the club. Everything went well until the club started doing crazy things in direct violation of their by-laws. 

When Nasser finally asked the club to follow their own contract and to start paying back some of the money they owed, the club officers held yet another secret meeting. They reasoned that a great way to save money is to simply cheat your business partners.  They voted Nasser and Jeanna out of the business without paying back one penny owed.

Now they plan to continue operating our square dance club with our people and our money, but without following the club's own written rules. Well, good luck with that. We can only hope the old saying is true, "what goes around comes around".

Lessons learned:
- A written contract offers NO protection from people who willfully and repeatedly break contracts.
- When your business partners have no morals or ethics, you cannot expect a pleasant outcome.

Let's face the facts:  we lost our club in a hostile takeover. They managed to rip us off to the tune of $2,700.00.
 

It's time to move on.

It's possible (and also expected) that people will take sides. Some people may no longer want to hear from Nasser and Jeanna. This is entirely up to you. If you get messages which you do not want, it's the world's easiest problem to fix. Just reply to this message and let us know. Immediately after you make your request, we'll remove you from all correspondence, with NO hassle. Just tell us what you want.

Okay, that's more than enough bad news.  Let's hear some GOOD news for a change!

SAVE THE DATE:  Wednesday, May 16, 2012.  That's the grand opening of Nasser and Jeanna's New and Improved Club. Watch for details soon.

The new club is different from anything you've ever seen locally. We'll dance "European Style" on Wednesday nights. You might wonder what "European Style" is.  It's a kind of square dancing which is popular all over Europe and also in a few clubs in the USA.  We'll dance all levels of squares, with continuous short tips at various levels. "European Style" gives everyone much more dancing and much more opportunity to dance with friends. Come try it for yourself! Everyone is welcome (and you will find dancing exactly at your level) whether you dance January Beginner, Mainstream, Plus or Advanced-One.

Here's to happy dancing!

How to solve the problems at FunDancers

As you probably know, websites cost money (and also time, which in this case is donated).  For the first year, FunDancers paid for their website.  The new president refuses to reimburse these expenses.

When I submitted an expense report, the past president just outright called me a liar.  The president made fun of me.  He said that my paying for the club's website was either "generous or stupid".  They refused to reimburse even one penny.

That's just the tip of the iceberg.  There are some VERY serious problems with the new president and board who completely ignore the club's WRITTEN by-laws.  I find it impossible to continue working for the club under these conditions.

For example, I learned that I am paid LESS money than EVERY other caller who ever calls at Fundancers.  The club has a caller pay scale.  All other callers get paid according to that scale.  I always get less than scale.  I have no idea why.  Every time I ask, I either get no reply or the club president mocks me by saying "you accepted the check therefore you agree to the amount".

I suggested that the club start paying me according to their own pay scale, and I would DONATE a portion of that payment each week to retire their debt.  In other words, they would NOT have to actually pay their debt.  If they would just pay me the SAME as other callers (and also start following the club's written rules, which the president has consistently ignored) I would FORGIVE their debt.

They refused.

Your Board of Directors decided that I can only call for the club if I have NO vote, involuntarily forfeit some of my calling dates, forfeit the expenses which I incurred on behalf of the club, and have no say whatsoever in club operations. In addition, I am paid LESS than any other caller who ever calls at FunDancers.  If I want to be paid the same amount as other callers, then I'm fired ...  and they'll pay MORE money to hire other callers instead.

Now I ask you:  is the board REALLY doing what's best for FunDancers?  Are they accurately representing YOUR wishes?

Let's try to keep strong emotion out of the equation.  I am NOT suggesting that the current officers are spiteful.  However, I am very strongly saying that the current officers are NOT CAPABLE of running (or perhaps unwilling to run) the club properly.  The club has written guidelines.  The current officers act as if they have never read the guidelines.  Even though I have repeatedly suggested that the club follow the guidelines, the current president always does the exact opposite of what I suggest.

Clearly, there's just ONE solution.  Here's what you need to do.  Go to the next dance, DEMAND a meeting, and VOTE THE CURRENT BOARD OUT.  That's the only way I know of to salvage the club.  After you get the current board out, you can hopefully vote in a new board who promises to follow the club's rules.  Even better, vote to not have a board at all and to become caller-run (just like most other successful square dance clubs on this planet).

If the above option fails, then just patiently wait for news about my upcoming caller-run club.  It will be the same kind of fun but without all the hassle.  I'm looking for a dance location.  If you know of a good location, please let me know.  I'm also weighing the various options, i.e. do I really want to start over and build a brand-new club, after bad politics and corruption have taken over our previous TWO clubs?  Perhaps the third time's the charm?  I've always had caller-run clubs in other cities and they ran just fine.  Admit it:  dancing is fun but meetings and politics and voting and by-laws take away most of that fun.  Let's do away with the un-fun things and just dance.

Please see the club's website (fundancers.com) for more info.

Here's to happy dancing!