Historical Perspective on the Friendly FolkDancers
March 26, 2005
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Noting that the
Friendly FolkDancers have now been in existence almost 20 years, it is
appropriate to review the remarkable and unique achievements of the group. The group came into existence in 1986 when Quaker
folk dancers in Northern Yearly Meeting were inspired to organize a group to
travel into the eastern part of the U.S to help inspire Quakers there to come
to Friends General Conference which was being held for the first time west of
the Mississippi in Northfield, Minnesota. The experience of sharing dancing and
fellowship with the eastern meetings was such a fulfilling experience in itself
that the idea of sharing community with meetings through dancing continued.
Ten-day long tours, as well as shorter inter-visitation programs
(mini-tours and programs), were then organized in each succeeding year. The
tours involved visiting meetings in an area, one each day for a week or more. In this period there have been 28 full tours, 11
mini-tours, and numerous programs at Northern Yearly Meeting and Friends
General Conference. The tours have
taken the message of international folk dancing to hundreds of Friends meetings
(and some non-Friends venues) in most sectors of the U.S. and to 11 foreign
countries (Belgium, Canada, England, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Kenya,
New Zealand, Scotland and Wales). In this way we have had
contact with most major branches of Friends in the U.S.: Unaffiliated,
Conservative, Friends United Meetings, Friends General Conference (but not the
Evangelical Friends International) and with 28 yearly meetings in the world:
Baltimore, Britain, Canadian, East African-North, France, Germany, Illinois,
Intermountain, Iowa Conservative, Ireland, Kaimosa, Lake Erie, Malava, Nairobi,
Nandi, New England, New York, New Zealand, Northern, North Carolina
Conservative, North Carolina FUM, North Pacific, Ohio Conservative, Ohio FUM,
Ohio Valley, Pacific, Philadelphia, South Central, and the Southern Appalachian
Yearly Meeting Association. About 75 persons have been involved and thirteen of
these persons have served as coordinators.
Below is a brief chronological summary of the tour and mini-tour activity accomplishments of the group.
|
Year |
Dates |
Location |
Coordinator(s) |
|
1986 |
3/8-16 |
Eastern – IL, OH, PA, NJ |
Ellen Brooks, Ann Friend |
|
1987 |
3/5-15 |
Midwest – IA, MN, WI |
Ellen Brooks, Ann Friend |
|
1988 |
3/3-11 |
New England - MA VT NH |
Ann Friend, Mark Friend |
|
1989 |
3/16-26 |
Pacific NW - WA OR BC |
Mark Friend |
|
|
5/13 |
Mini – Scattergood, IA |
|
|
1990 |
2/22-3/4 |
Southeast – NC |
Mark Friend |
|
|
3/15-25 |
Eastern - DC NC VA |
Ellen Brooks, Ann Friend, Nancy Schofield |
|
|
12/8 |
Mini - Scattergood/Dubuque, IA |
Ellen Brooks, Dave Hackett |
|
1991 |
3/13-26 |
England, Wales |
Mark Friend, Sandra Hansen |
|
|
5/17-24 |
Midwest - WI IL IN |
Ellen Brooks, Ann Friend |
|
|
6/8 |
Mini – Rochester, MN |
Bruce Cameron, Eli Waring |
|
|
6/28 |
Mini – West Knoxville, TN |
Sharon Bell |
|
1992 |
3/6-15 |
Midwest – IA MN WI |
Ellen Brooks, Ann Fisher |
|
|
3/26-4/4 |
Eastern - NY PA |
Mark Judkins |
|
1993 |
4/28-5/8 |
Eastern – NY |
Mark Judkins |
|
|
6/2-15 |
Scotland |
Ellen Brooks, Dave Hackett |
|
1994 |
2/18-20 |
Mini - Scattergood & Dubuque, IA |
David Houghton |
|
|
3/24-4/2 |
Southeast - NC TN |
Rosemary Coffey, Mark Judkins |
|
|
6/7-17 |
Southwest - AZ CO NM |
Ellen Brooks, Nancy Schofield |
|
1995 |
2/18-19 |
Mini – Winona, MN |
Mark Helpsmeet, David Houghton |
|
|
4/13-22 |
Lake Erie - OH MI NY ON |
Rosemary Coffey, Mark Helpsmeet |
|
|
11/11 |
Mini – FCNL, College Park, MD |
Rosemary Coffey, David Houghton |
|
1996 |
1/25-2/3 |
Western - Southern CA |
Jane Blount |
|
|
5/9-20 |
Kenya |
Rosemary Coffey, Mark Helpsmeet |
|
1997 |
2/22-23 |
Mini – Scattergood/Dubuque, IA |
Sophie de la Mar, Sandra
Helpsmeet |
|
1998 |
2/5-15 |
Western - Northern CA |
Jane Blount, Rosemary Coffey |
|
|
3/7-8 |
Mini – Scattergood, IA |
Sophie de la Mar |
|
|
5/8-19 |
France, Holland, Germany, Belgium |
Elizabeth Cave, Demi Miller |
|
1999 |
2/16-3/5 |
New Zealand |
Zig Dermer, Mark Helpsmeet |
|
2000 |
2/19-20 |
Mini – Scattergood/Decorah, IA |
David Houghton |
|
|
3/9-19 |
Pacific NW - OR, WA |
Mark Helpsmeet, Mendalara Van Meter |
|
2001 |
1/4-14 |
South-central - TX, LA, AK, OK |
Ellen Brooks, Nancy Schofield |
|
2002 |
2/16-17 |
Mini – FLGC Conf., Northside Chicago, IL |
David Houghton, Sophie de la
Mar |
|
|
3/21-28 |
Midwest – OH |
Rosemary Coffey |
|
2003 |
1/9-19 |
Southern TX |
Ellen Brooks, Nancy Schofield |
|
|
3/15-23 |
New England - MA NH VT RI CT |
Mark & Sandra Helpsmeet |
|
|
3/15-23 |
New England – MA NH ME |
David & Barbara Houghton |
|
2004 |
4/14-23 |
Ireland |
Rosemary Coffey, Mark Helpsmeet |
|
2005 |
3/28-4/3 |
Philly tour – PA & NJ |
David Houghton |
|
|
4/8-4/17 |
FWCC tour – Arizona |
Rosemary Coffey |
Total of 28 major tours and 11 mini-tours from 1986-2005
Notes:
- Names: Ann Friend and Ann Fisher are the same person, Mark
Friend, Mark Judkins, and Mark Helpsmeet are the same person, Sandra
Hansen and Sandra Helpsmeet are the same person
- Locations: those in italics
are mini-tours, bold are outside the USA