November 2008

Bee Squares

The Bee Squares Dance Club was founded in the Fall of 1980. The sponsoring Clubs were Allemande Leftovers, Holden Ons, and Harpers Hoppers. In the beginning, eight couples and one single met together to lay the ground work for this new club. In the quest for a caller, they were able to get Kenny Shuttleworth to call for them. The first set of lessons started on September 3rd with an enrollment of 1978. The first dance was held September 10th with the dances being held in the VFW Building in Odessa. The Club was Federated in December of 1980, with 18 couples and 3 singles. After the first set of lessons, they had a membership of 99.
In 1982, the Club moved to the Odessa Senior Center Building, and new caller was Jim McAlpin.

In 1984, the Club was moved to the McQuerry Elementary School. The Bee Squares realized they needed a larger and better place to dance. They were the instigators of building the new Odessa Community Building. They held many fund raising projects, donated much labor and donated much money toward this building. In October, 1984, the ground breaking was held and the new building was started. It was completed and dedicated July 4, 1985. They are still having dances there the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month from September through May.

In 1986 Jim McAlpin retired, and the Club hired Roberta Renicker as their Caller. She is still calling for them and has proven to be very reliable and effective. Due to her good calling, they have many visiting clubs at each dance.

Harold Price of Holden, Missouri, gives lessons for the Bee Squares, as Roberta has other obligations in evenings. Their one money making project is working one day a year at "Worlds of Fun".

At present time they have 46 members. They have one Charter member, Sue Colvin McDonald, still dancing with them. She has been very helpful in writing this history.

Doris Liberg Historian