Jet Steppers Square Dance Club

Notice: Jet Steppers, you all received the announcement that Boeing will be closing our facility. We will be moving our club supplies out of the facility after our dance on the 19th. We have to be out by the end of September. Some of us have been investigating possible locations for our club to continue dancing if the vote to remain a club is affirmative. This will be the topic of discussion at the September 19th meeting. In the meantime, please be giving it some thought so that our meeting will not extend into our dance time.

We have decided due to the short notice that Boeing gave us, to try out the Cedar Grange in Maple Valley. Kappie Kappenman had heard rumors about this happening so he kept the first and third Saturdays open in case we decided to rent the grange. It is a very reasonable rent at $60 a night and the first three dances he will only charge us $50. This will also give Chuck and Linda a chance to figure out what they will do if in fact the club votes to fold in November. This is one option and others are looking into other places that we may decide would be better after October. He has Thursday nights open for lessons @ $30 a night.

I did some MapQuest checks on a selected list of members and their distances to our current site compared to the Cedar Grange. It only impacts five or six families or members approximately ten miles more than they already travel and ten minutes. Others are not a great deal further in miles and time than they already commute.

The Stuecks and others in the Normandy Park area go from approximately 8.98 mi. and 19 min. to 20.72 and 30 min. That is of course based on MapQuest. Susan Mullaly is impacted the most at 22.79 miles and 34 minutes. She lives in Tacoma.  Carole would go from 14.19 miles and 22 min to 20.27 miles and 28 min. That is still only 6 miles further and she also lives in Tacoma.  This is just to show a cross section of the club.  I live in Renton and my commute goes from approximately five miles to nine miles.  I wanted everyone to have a chance to talk this over and do some investigating of their own to see if there may be other options beginning in November.  We will need to know this information at the meeting.

We will never find a hall as large as we had and finding affordable rent is difficult as well. Many old grange halls have closed as well as other meeting halls so it's more and more difficult to find anything at a price you can pay. Also remember that we dance twice a month, so everything is doubled. Caller and Cuer fees and hall rent. Plus a lesson day which is four times a month. This may be self supporting based on cost and number of students and caller fees. A negotiable item.

To repeat: We have to vote to decide whether we will try to remain a club, or whether to fold in November. Then we have to agree whether we are going to rent the Cedar grange for the remainder of the year on the first and third Saturday or take a chance on the hall being rented out by someone else.  

Thanks everyone! Linda R. - Secretary