Our Clubs Are Getting Older

by Cal Shaw Past President – American Bop Association

Our last ABA News Letter really highlighted a point that a lot of us are painfully aware of. Our clubs are getting older which is both good and bad – good because the clubs are surviving and bad because we are not attracting the members that we once were – younger. The burning question has always been and remains today – how do we get the younger people involved so our clubs will outlive us. I wish I could say there was a single magic solution but I am not sure there is one and I’m not sure what I am proposing will work either.

Stepping back in time a little, remember when we were growing up? There were no computers, widescreen TV’s, VCRs, DVDs, Playstations, X-Box, I-Pods and all the other diversions that young people have today. American Bandstand was as hot as it got for our dance entertainment and the Recreation Department weekly dances at a rec center were our opportunity to practice what we saw or thought we saw. Then we grew up ( chronologically at least ), entered real life, got married, had kids and rarely danced but our kids heard about it because we talked about dancing and occasionally saw us dance if “our song” came on the radio. Sadly, we didn’t join any club until the children left home and we started to remember those days of long ago. Now we had the freedom to go out and dance and smile and enjoy ourselves. All of a sudden we realized there were no places that played our music or even knew what we were talking about so we had to start our own clubs, etc. Look back to when your own club started and see how old you were and remember what you did to promote and grow your club. Are you still doing those things today?

Now our kids have kids, we are grandparents and have a new wide variety of diversions to occupy us rather than dance. We want to spend the weekends with our grandchildren, preparing for our retirement, vacationing to places we could never afford before, etc., etc. Regardless of our circumstance or reasoning, we no longer devote the same attention to our clubs that we once did and as a result, the clubs are starting to suffer from attendance at functions, membership, and apathy.

With that being said as a preface, let me expand my earlier remedies. There are a number of places to dance that are not age restricted and that are inexpensive or free and that would welcome an opportunity to host a dance session. Just to start your creative thoughts, how about churches, YMCA, YWCA, city or county recreation halls, covered park shelters complete with a picnic, school gyms, private clubs such as German-American or others similar, Senior citizen centers, National Guard Armories, etc. to mention a few.

Developing a program that is fun and affordable is not always the easiest thing to do but it can be done. Perhaps talking to your members’ children could start your process. Perhaps a survey in your newsletter polling your members for their likes and dislikes could give you feedback for design. Let’s face it, we all need to feel needed and if we are asked our input without fear of criticism or negativism or ridicule, we are much more likely to respond. Based on some comments made at Dance Conventions, it appears that often too many Boards take the “my way or highway approach” and that can quickly end member response and ultimately renewals. To define affordable is also very tricky – basically if a lot of people show up, it’s affordable and if they come back, it must have been affordable and fun.

I have been to a local restaurant that also serves alcohol but is Cajun in nature and atmosphere. They have a large covered outdoor dance area and always have a band, usually once a month. The cover is $10.00 per person and for fund raisers can go to $20.00 per person. Each time I have gone, the place has been packed with children of all ages – from strollers to our age so obviously it is not a price issue. The format is simple – They start with 30 minutes of dance lesson (so simple even I learned it) followed by the band. At the band break, the lesson is repeated. So simple but so effective., I have not seen so many people dancing and smiling at one time in a very long time and it makes me feel good. Granted it is not bop, swing, shag or jitterbug but it is structured with real steps. I’m not sure why that principle can’t be applied for our clubs.

The last major ingredient is possibly advertising or lack there of. I suppose it is the question of how much work are we willing to do to insure our club’s future. There are many ways to get the word out to the public. How about doing some dancing including a little instruction, at a mall on a Saturday. Dance, instruct, invite on-lookers ( and there will be plenty ) to join in or come back for the next scheduled instruction time and pass out flyers about your club complete with applications. Perhaps give 15 minutes of ultra basic instruction, then 30 minutes of dance and another instruction time. Span as much time as you can stand.

If there is a favorite local band for your style music, find out where they play and ask to do a demo at their show. Get all the newspaper advertising possible – basic premise being that if you are in the paper, you must be ok and having fun.

These are some of my thoughts, not all but maybe some of the better ones. As an organization, don’t you think we owe it to ourselves and those before us as well as those coming behind us, to do everything in our power to keep our clubs alive, well, and above all dancing forever. Please share this article with your club members as they may be holding the key to your success in their mind.