Club History

and the Over 50s Club has stood the test of time.

 

 From right to left, they are Ron Wood, Lori Phillipe, Bev Hart, Julie Tuckey, Valmai Farthing, Mary Culverhouse (who sadly is no longer able to dance) and Stan Bleazard. Also on the far left is our club President Trevor Hook.
 
 

In the late nineteen eighties the State Government started a campaign to get older people more physically active under the banner of Have-A-Go.

 

One such activity was Ballroom Dancing and dances were run once a month for a couple of years until it was decided to seek a committee to run these independently. The committee chosen got to and set up the structure to manage a club, chose our club’s name and ran its first dance on April 4th, 1991.

 

The first formal records we have of ordinary membership commenced on 31st of January 1992 and there are four of those original members still dancing today.

 

 Your current committee decided proper recognition of such dedication to their dancing and in particular to OFBDC Inc. was imperative and a silver 25 Year badge was commissioned for presentation to long-serving members.

 

On Thursday December 6th these members were presented with a badge to the loud applause of fellow members.

 

Most, if not all of this group have been with the club from it’s very beginning in 1990. Regardless of their precise start date, all have been valued, loyal members for well over twenty-five years.

 

Also presented on the day were Julia Tuckey (May 1992) and Valmai Farthing (September 1993).  Genevieve Berry (February 1993) was not present but will be presented later. Together we have a total of eight current members whose 25 years of active participation is a great example of consistency and loyalty. Every club needs such members.

 

Congratulations to them all. We hope they wear the badge with pride and continue to participate in our club for years to come.

 

The Over 50s Ballroom Dancing Club was formed in 1991 after an inaugural meeting in December 1990.  Since then, regular dances and events have been held throughout Perth and some parts of WA.

Currently, the Club holds regular dances at Karrinyup and Cannington with between 120 and 150 people attending each venue every week.

 

We provide dancing to recorded music at these two venues and strive to promote and encourage ballroom dancing. Each week our dance coordinator picks about 18 dances from a list of 70 for the day’s program. These are a mixture of New Vogue, Modern Sequence, Modern Waltz, Foxtrot, Quickstep and Old-Time.

 

Trevor Hook (President)

 
 
I am sure plenty of our members see Over 50s Ballroom Dancing Club Inc. primarily as a fun organization that arranges weekly dances where members get much enjoyment, exercise (for body and mind), social interaction, companionship, etc. They are right; it is that, a very enjoyable afternoon every Thursday. 
 
But it is more! I think most also realize there is a formal/serious side in that we are an incorporated, not for profit body that operates under Section 31 of the Associations Incorporation Act 2015 with a constitution and committee that look after all aspects of running the club, including matters which might not be necessarily obvious. 
 
One such, perhaps less obvious matter, is that every year the club holds a Charity Dance, usually, St Patrick’s Day, where the tone of the day is green, the music is predominately of Irish origin and after a fun day, all the day’s takings are donated to a particular charity. Over 50s have done this for some years but we have sometimes chosen others such as the appeal for victims of the Yarloop fires some years ago. Donations such as this are sanctioned by our constitution under the Act. This year’s charity day was again St Patrick’s Day and a total of $1281.00 was forwarded to Lord Mayor’s (bush fire) Relief Fund. 
 
However, at a recent committee meeting, the question was raised as to whether we should make a further donation of $500.00 this year given the devastation which cyclone Seroja caused to Kalbarri, the North Hampton Shire, and properties throughout the mid-west of WA.
 
On asking members at the dance on 15.4.21 there was enthusiastic agreement in the form of a loud round of applause from right around the hall, for us to make this donation. Our treasurer has now forwarded this to the Lord Mayor’s Distress Relief Fund in response to the Tropical Cyclone Seroja Appeal. 
 
Thank You to the members who have again shown that, just by coming along to have fun, they can also demonstrate their generosity to those needing relief.
 
Trevor Hook (President)
The Christmas Dance 2021 provided an extra reason for enthusiasm as the end of 2021 heralds the completion of thirty years of dancing under the Over 50s banner. To mark this significant milestone, those at this Christmas Dance were each presented with an inscribed pen as a memento of this special occasion.
 
In 1990 the Department of Sports and Recreation (who had been overseeing and supporting fortnightly dances for seniors) handed the baton on and in December 1990 a committee was formed which set up our club and 1991 became Over 50s inaugural year with April being the first dance.
 
We are proud and pleased that a few of the original members still come along each week to enjoy a day among friends. We have maintained many of the ‘traditions’ from early years such as occasional country sojourns, a charity day where all takings are donated to a worthy cause, learning one or two new dances each year which leads to a gradual revision of our programs, holding an annual ball and, of course, depending on members to assist by volunteering with some of the tasks required to provide the service members look forward to.
 
Naturally, the club has evolved. Where originally dances were held about 30 times a year in as many as 12 different venues and to live music, we now dance to recorded music every Thursday (except for a few days over Christmas/New Year) dividing our dances between two venues, one North and one South of the city.

Trevor Hook (President)

 
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