My wife and I were both raised around square dancing and square dance clubs. My parents have been square dancers for more than thirty five years, and were members of the Rose City Squares for a large amount of that time. My wife's Grandparents were square dancers up until shortly before her Grandfather passed away, and were members of the Rivergate Stompers. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of square dance club outings and camp-outs with my parents and their Square dance club. One especially fond memory is the barn at Silver Creek Falls, Oregon, where the club had an annual weekend camping trip. Still, as a youngster I never developed an interest in learning to square dance.

    In June of 1992 my marriage of 9+ years to my first wife fell victim to divorce. I found myself alone, and without any social outlets. One day at work, I overheard a friend having a discussion with somebody about square dancing, so I chimed in to the conversation with the knowledge I had from my youth and having been raised around my parents club. The conversation quickly turned into my friend inviting me to come to square dance class. I declined at first, thinking about the time it would take away from my children, but my friend was very persistent, and asked me every time their was a new class starting if I would be interested. After a year and a half of his persistence, I finally made arrangements with my mother to look after my kids on class nights, and off I went to square dance class.

    I learned Mainstream square dancing from caller Steve Porter, at the Spares & Pairs square dance club in Portland, Oregon. I enjoyed it so thoroughly that I went on to take round dance lessons from Steve's wife, cuer Patty Porter. Steve is one of the nicest people I have ever met, and it didn't take long for us to become fast friends. I got in the habit of staying around after dances and helping him pack and haul out his gear, and then we would hang around and shoot the breeze for a while before leaving to go home. During one of those conversations I remember commenting to Steve "You know, that calling stuff looks like it might be fun." That was all it took. Steve took me under his wing and started coaxing me to give calling a try. The night that I graduated round dance class, after the graduation was I over, I was hanging around and helping clean up and haul outs had become customary. Steve was carrying his record case towards the door, when he stopped, set down his case, opened it, fished out two records, and handed them to me. "What should I do with these?", I asked. "Learn them", he replied. "Why?", I asked. "Because you're going to do them", he said. "When?", I asked. He said "Soon".

    From that night on, at each dance I attended, he asked if I was ready to call a tip. For the first several months my answer was a resounding "No". Shortly after the `94 National Convention was held in Portland, I was at a Spares & Pairs dance. I had just broken up with a girl I had been dating, and was rather dejected about being at the dance alone, even though it was a singles club. Steve asked his usual question, and I thought "What else have I got to lose?". So I surprised him by answering "Yes". He hauled me up on stage before I could change my mind, and I called my first tip. It went well, for a first tip, people smiled and encouraged me, and from then on, I was hooked.

    For the next year I was an assistant teacher in Steve's Mainstream class, learning to call as well as teach. My first advertised appearance was as a guest caller for a Spares & Pairs anniversary dance. After a year or so of guest spots and one-dance engagements for various clubs, I was asked to teach class for the Squaws & Paws square dance club in Canby, Oregon, filling in for their regular caller, who had some time conflicts that year. I taught class for one season and did two successful "New Dancer" dances for the club. The following year the club caller announced his resignation. I was asked to continue teaching the class and call one of two club dances each month, the other was called by Bill Helms, a notable Pacific Northwest area caller. Eventually Bill resigned to pursue another opportunity, and the club asked if I would do all of their dances and classes.

    Since that time I have been asked by other clubs to teach their classes. I taught one season for the Checkerboard Squares while they were looking for a new club caller, and I have taught two seasons for the Country Cut-ups, who do not have a club caller, and am scheduled to do their class again this year. I have also filled-in for a number of club callers when they had to be away from their class for some reason.

    I am now on my fourth year as club caller for the Squaws & Paws, and have become a "regular" on the circuit of clubs in neighboring Oregon and southern Washington cities. I have called for clubs in Tacoma, Vancouver, Salem, Eugene, Roseburg, Grants Pass, Medford, Redmond, Bend, Prineville, racking up approximately 8000 miles last year travelling to dances. I have been on the program at Oregon's Summer Festival for the last four years, and Oregon's Mid-Winter Festival for the last three years, and the Central Oregon Round-up for the last four years. I have been the caller for a number of parade floats, including General Canby Days in Canby, Oregon, the Rose Festival Star-Light Parade in Portland, Oregon, and the Grape Festival in Milwaukie, Oregon. I have also been the caller for the "International Showcase of Dancing" held in Portland each year for the last three years.