Club History
On August 11, 1957 eight couples decided that square dancing was an ideal way to spend an evening of good clean fun. The first hall used for dancing was the Four Oaks Grange on Bailey Hill Road where the club danced for several years. They elected Newton Roark as their first president, and decided that dues would be $1.00 per couple per month and dancing was 50 cents per couple per night. By 1958, membership increased to 14 couples and dues were increased to $2.00 per couple. Lyman Windheim was the first club caller and this group called themselves the Belles and Beaus.
Charter members: Barry and Reitha Bauman, Robert and Etta Dunlap, Alan and Betty Halbrook, Fred and Laura Hawley, Max and Flossie Larkin, Claude and Cleo Simpson, Larry and Marlene Thompson, and Lyman and Ann Windheim.
In October 1959 the club reorganized and a constitution was drawn up and the name was changed to Whirl-A-Ways. The club pin was designed and made by the members of seasoned Rhododendron wood with the club name, member’s name, city and state printed on by wood burning.
Eighteen new couples formed the first class, taught by Lyman Windheim and wife Ann. Lyman stayed with us until September 1963, when he felt he should devote more time to his business. Ivan Koehn came to call for the club at this time.
Several special dances are held throughout the year and a picnic and campout are planned for each summer. Years ago an annual Night Owl Dance was held the fourth Saturday in June, drawing dancers from all the area clubs, with breakfast served at 1:30 a.m. and then more dancing until 3 a.m. or so. The Night Owl dance was discontinued some time in the mid-1970s. In the late 1990s we had many activities including campouts, Pie and Ice Cream Social, Progressive dinner, mystery trip, campouts, and visitations to other clubs.
The Whirl-A-Ways started dancing in a barn owned by the Baumans. We have also danced at Ward Hall on Second Avenue 1963-67, Westmoreland Community Center 1967-80, Gerlinger Hall on the UO campus 1980-82, Santa Clara Grange 1982-2003, and since April 2003 at the Square Dance Center in Springfield. When the club moved from Gerlinger Hall we danced briefly at the Lorane Grange and a building on Olive St. near 13th Avenue. All these places were in the Eugene area.
We are members of the Oregon State Federation of Square and Round Dancers, the Emerald Empire Area Square and Round Dancing Council, and the Emerald Empire Square Dance Center in Springfield.
In November 1992, when the club celebrated its 35th birthday, the Whirl-A-Ways had 120 active members. In September 2000 we had 115 members enjoying the fun, recreation, sociability, and friendship of our club.
In April 2003 the club moved from the Santa Clara Grange to the Emerald Square Dance Center in Springfield.
Ivan Koehn retired as caller in June 2007 after about 44 years of calling for the club. That September we celebrated 50 years of dancing with a special dance in September.
Then in January 2008 we hired Bob Ewing as our caller; he called his first club dance our the Whirl-A-Ways in April 2008. Bob resigned as our caller in June 2013.
Christina Corelli and Sharon Greenman have alternated as our round dance cuers for many years. Sharon retired from cuing in June 2014 and Christina assumed cuing for both of our dances.
The Whirl-A-Ways stopped having club-specific lessons when Ivan retired as our caller. Bob taught lessons when he was our caller but they were not club-specific as the lessons were held in conjunction with the Single Trees. Graduates were encouraged to join one of the clubs in the area rather than being encouraged to join a specific club.
We hired Mike Kious as our caller in the summer of 2013; he called his first dance for us in September of that year.
At the beginning of 2018 we have approximately 90 members. Most are active in dancing and take part in many other activities we enjoy as a club. We have several former members who are no longer dancing, but still occasionally attend club functions.
Past Presidents
1957 Newton Roark
1958 Max Larkin
1959 Max Larkin
1960 Gene Brown
1961 Gordon Barron
1962 Dick Hickenbottom
1963 Bill Olsen
1964 Matt Mathews
1965 Clyde Joiner
1966 Bob Steinmetz
1967 Unknown
1968 Ben Ramey
1969 Dick Davis
1970 Clyde Henager
1971 Betty Speck
1972 Harold Bender
1973 Floyd Bard
1974 Everett Blais
1975 Keith Possman
1976 Sherm Nordquist
1977 Kelly Nobles
1978 Fred Beisse
1979 Jerry High
1980 Elaine Nordquist
1981 Scott Stefasen
1982 Scott Stefasen
1983 Ron Shirmer
1984 Jill Bard
1985 Denny Alldredge
1986 Don Koons
1987 Marv Baker
1988 Bill Mosier
1989 Bill Mosier
1990 Harry Bonham
1991 Leo Weninger
1992 Harry Bonham
1993 Hugh Womack
1994 Larry Reetz
1995 Floyd Bard
1996 Floyd Bard
1997 Don Westphall
1998 Don Westphall
1999 Gary Smith
2000 Gary Smith
2001 Ron Lown
2002 Ron Lown
2003 Todd Jensen
2004 Ron Lown
2005 Gary Smith
2006 Gary Smith
2007 Larry Reetz
2008 Gary Smith
2009 Tom Johnson
2010 Tom Johnson
2011 Ken Cornelius
2012 Paul Cunningham
2013 Paul Cunningham
2014 Paul Cunningham
2015 Larry Reetz
2016 Larry Reetz
2017 Paul Cunningham
2018 Paul Cunningham
2019 Michael Burt