Greetings, and thank you again for registering for the camp. It’s going to be a great weekend.

What follows is some motherly advice, a working schedule of the weekend and maps and directions to the camp.

Camp ph.#s: office 580-564-2505, cell 580-221-4240

Pillows and All Linens – pillowcases, blankets, towels, wash cloths. Be prepared for rainy or unusually cold or warm weather with raingear, layers for warmth or

Extra T-shirts for sweating in. Bring the extra shirts anyway as everything is heated of course.

Flashlight – there are some floodlights around the grounds at night but I don’t think they illuminate the entire area. You may need it to go back and forth to your cabin. (Remember that your bathrooms are inside your cabins so you won’t need it for that.)

Recorded couple dance music & Song Books – There will be a couple of free, unscheduled slots of time, in which anything could happen so, for instance, bring recorded couple dance music of any kind in case there’s a desire for such a workshop and our musicians don’t happen to play that particular style, or those that do are otherwise occupied. Don’t pack light. Pack heavy. You’re driving.

Snacks – You, who on your registration form, volunteered to bring snacks, be aware that we have exclusive access to two regular and two tiny refrigerators so if you bring something perishable, it will keep until needed. Bring a variety like cheese/crackers, dips/chips, trail mix, fruit, esp. bananas, as well as the cookies, cakes, brownies, etc. Can some of you bring utterly decadent desserts to serve at midnight on New Year’s Eve? Triple Layer Chocolate Cheesecake, anyone? Mark all containers with your name. If more of you would like to bring snacks, that would be nice. Lack of sleep and extra exertion can make folks ravenous.

Your Own Personal Cup? – For between meal drinks. Help reduce trash and my expenses.

Games? – The kids attending might use the games if you don’t. A friend is bringing his favorite game, Pit, and I tell you it’s better than caffeine as a reviver. A few rounds of it and I’ll be wired and ready for even more dancing or jamming.

Tap shoes? Costumes? Baton? – There will be a camper talent show so bring whatever you may need for that. This may just be the most humorous or moving or otherwise memorable part of the weekend. I can’t wait to see the previously unknown talents or personalities within you guys.

Allergy medicine? Unscented insect repellent? – Just in case the vegetation there gets to you or there’s a warm spell that brings out the mosquitoes. Do I sound like your mother yet?

Musicians: bring your tune list! If you don’t have one, get busy. Please! It will be a huge help in coordinating the all-camp band segments as well as making the most of the jamming sessions. And bring tape recorder, extra cassettes and batteries for taking new tunes home with you. It’s a way to benefit all year long from just these three days. Rank beginners and closet musicians, bring whatever it is you have and join a slow jam Mike Head has offered to coordinate.

What NOT to bring: – Remember the camp has a no alcohol policy. They take it seriously, so I do too. If we should want to use the camp in the future, we’ll want to maintain good relations. A festive alternative to champagne is Sparkling Apple Cider, which is available in most supermarkets. Knudsen's is very mellow and apple-ish, Martinelli's is very champagne-ish, and Whole Food's private brand is in between. Also, no pets allowed. And may I request that you refrain from bringing any colognes, perfumes, scented after-shaves or scented body lotions? There are one or two attendees who have physical reactions to scented products such as these to the point where it can ruin their weekend.

The wood floor we’re dancing on is very nice. Pretty. I’m thinking of the future again. It would be smart to minimize the wear on it by keeping in mind the dirt, leaves, twigs, etc. you might be carrying in on your shoes. Try to be conscious of that and perhaps bring two pair of shoes, one clean pair for dancing and one for walking around the rest of the time. Or just clean them off when you come in to dance. I’m sure it gets lots of wear all year but they may not know what a room full of contra dancers over a weekend can do to a floor.

To Parents Bringing Their Children: I said I’d let you all know what other kids are coming. Here is a list of the ages of the non-adults registered so far: 7, 8, 12, 12, 14, 14, 16, and 17. All but the 8-year-old are boys.

Thursday:

5PM Set up of camp. *** You who have volunteered to help with set up take note. I want to put up all decorations ahead of time, set up sound equipment perhaps in two halls, check all the cabins for spider webs and toilet paper, set up check-in/registration table, and who knows what else.

8:00PM – 10:00 PM contra dancing and/or jamming

10:00 PM – Cold supper, for the benefit of latecomers

11pm – 1:00 am contra dancing

Friday:

8am - Breakfast

10:00 - 11:30 DANCE: Guinea Pig Contra, new originals tried out.
MUSIC: Cape Breton Jigs by Julia Harris

11:45 - Lunch

1:15 – 2:45 DANCE: English Country led by? ALSO, Polka & Cross Step Waltz – Barb Smith
MUSIC: Piano back up, other rhythm players should come, too – Allison Hicks

3:00 – 4:30 DANCE: Contra – challenging perhaps?
MUSIC: Scandinavian tunes - Dan Berkowitz

4:30 - 6:00pm Free time (singing, more couple dancing, jamming)

6:00 Supper

7:30 - 11:45 Contra and/or Jamming. There will be one dance slot for an all-musicians band

11:45 - 12:15 Midnight STUFF

12:30 – 1:30am or until whenever. More Contra

Saturday:

8am - Breakfast (yeah, right)

10am – 11:30 DANCE: Contra Choreography on the fly
MUSIC: Old Time Tunes And Style – Gene & Marynell Young

11:45 Lunch

1:15 -- 2:45pm DANCE: Scottish Country ALSO as yet TBA couple dance
MUSIC: Elements of Good Dance Music - led cooperatively, or at least my Mimi

3:00 – 4:30pm DANCE: Contra to Non Contra Music - or isn’t it? - Barb Smith

4:30 – 6:00 Free time

6:00 -- Supper

7:30 -- 8:30 Camper Talent Show

9:pm -- 2am ? Contra and/or Jamming. With another all-musicians’ dance band slot, not in the wee hours

Sunday:

8am - Breakfast (don’t look for me there!)

10 – Noon - last contras

Noon Lunch

2PM Check Out

I may adjust the times a little here and there before the weekend but this gives you the gist of it.

Callers: The evening contra sessions and the Friday afternoon and Sunday morning contra sessions require your services. I’m going to draw names to assign what I think now are one-hour slots. I think there will be enough slots for all callers. You’ll find out what your slot is when you get there and can then trade with each other if necessary. Obviously, if you’re part time, I won’t assign you on Thursday night, for instance. If you have new or old, original, untested dances you’d like to try out, that’s what the Friday morning session is for. The session on Saturday morning is an exercise in cooperative dance writing with the dancers right there to dance them and offer moves and suggestions and comments. We’ll use simple dances as starting points.
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