Dedicated to the promotion and preservation of the Shag dance, and its related music

EDITORIAL FROM THE PRESIDENT’S CORNER:

One of the issues I am passionate about as CSC president is new member recruitment and member retention. As explained above, the trifold was a vision that started almost two years ago. Now we begin Phase II of the trifold project: Distribution and Recruitment. This will involve getting in front of groups with a quick introduction of Charlotte Shag Club and Lynn’s Dance Club. We will leave hard copies or the digital link with these groups. We will be reaching out to professional groups, dance groups, civic organizations, and anyone we can between now and the end of 2026. If you have any suggestions or contacts at any group, and/or if you are willing to help with some of the distribution efforts, please let me know HERE.

We just celebrated Charlotte Shag Club’s 42nd birthday, and most of the 84 shag clubs are around 40 plus years old. We are aging but dancing keeps you young! Obviously, all of us want to leave a legacy, and pass on our love for the dance and the music to the next generation.  Although many are still active and dancing in their 90s like member Virginia Dunham at 91 years young, we’re not giving up yet by any means! But long gone are the days when we might invite a friend once or twice a year to join us to shag. Now, we must do a targeted and deliberate recruitment of new members.  We must make a concerted effort to get the word out about our club and where we dance. The trifold will be one tool in this effort. But think of the ripple effect if every single CSC member recruited one new member or former member.  It would be explosive!

All the shag clubs are dealing with these same challenges. Not only do we want new members of all ages (60 and up), but we also want to recruit those in the 20 to 50-year-old range.  Not only as members but to mentor some as future leaders and Board members. The Carolina Shag Club in Greenville, SC has a new president that is in the 30-year-old range. New members and retention of members provide the growth that is absolutely vital to Charlotte Shag Club for years to come.

Once we have new visitors and members, what else do they want besides fun and dancing? Culture. Community. Social connection. Friendships. Mentorship of volunteers and future leaders. The same thing that most of our existing members want too. All shag clubs deal with the challenge of differences of opinions within clubs. At least half a dozen of shag clubs spoke out to the ACSC about their issues transitioning from old leadership to new leadership, despite elections. But transition resistance only tears down the very clubs we are trying hard to preserve!

Whenever you have people – churches, families, organizations, and boards - there will be disagreements. We must be compromisers, problem-solvers, solution-providers, volunteers, and people focused on what is best for the club. We must be people who will rise above gossip, in-fighting, power struggles, and being hypercritical of those who step up and volunteer.

So, you and I must be that person.  There should be no “taking sides” or being on “team XYZ” in any of our shag clubs.  You and I must be that person that spreads love, respect, acceptance, support, and unity. That is the culture I think all of us want for Charlotte Shag Club.

New members and happy existing members are the key to our success as a club, and our longevity for decades to come. Do your part and I will do mine to create and maintain a healthy shag community and a shag club that, despite our differences, are united by our love of the dance, the music, and the lifestyle.

These are some of my thoughts. What are yours? Reach out to me HERE and share your thoughts and ideas, too.

Vickie