Wishful Thinking Volume 1
‘Wishful Thinking’ is the officially royal newsletter of Wish Upon A Thar, 23 rd Annual IAGSDC Convention, June 30 th – July 3 rd , 2006, Anaheim California.
FROM THE QUEEN DYKE enjoy your journeys to our realm, and be prepared to enjoy an extravaganza Attention All Ye Peripatetic Dancers! beyond compare! The Queendom Now that the Stars in the firmament of Awaits You! the Silicon Galaxy have turned in a Southernly direction, the Queendom of NEWS FLASH Fairy Tales and In case you missed the royal declaration at Fantasies STSG. Here’s the text from the would bid you a pronouncement; safe journey Queer Ye! Queer Ye! to our magical The Queendom of Fairy Tales and land of palm Fantasies is hereby announcing an trees, golden invitation to a Masked Fantasy Costume Ball and Convention beaches, and mouse Extravaganza! ears. We anticipate with true fervor Commencing on June 30 and Collapsing welcoming you to your next great on July 3 in the year of two thousand adventure. We will amaze and fete you ought six, you are hereby requested to beyond your wildest imaginations. We present yourselves to that Magical Land will offer you dancing opportunities of Anaheim, California to partake of galore. We will surprise you and fun, frolic, and surround you with spellbinders fantasy. extraordinaire who will astound you with their spells and incantations. During the course of this extravaganza, As you draw ever nearer to our land of you will be inveigled Fairy Tales and Fantasies, you will by mesmerizing receive periodic missives from our spellbinders (referred to by mere troubadour of information, who will commoners as Square Dance Callers); herald the news of our land to one and feted by entertainers extraordinaire; and all. So, give your dancing feet a rest,
feasted with fare beyond the ken of dance and frolic till the wee hours of the ordinary mortals. night; your every adventurous fantasy will come true. Our castle of choice for this extravaganza will be the Marriott of On Sunday, you are invited to Anaheim. Located in the beauteous state participate in our Piece de Resistance: of palm trees, golden beaches, and mouse The Masked Fantasy Costume Ball! ears, you will be provided with Come prepared to indulge your every commodious ballrooms in which to fantastical costuming whim (within a twinkle your toes; a pool in which to certain degree of discretion, of course – bathe your royal selves; dining this is a public common, after all). This is establishments aplenty to gorge your golden opportunity to dress up and yourselves to the fullest; magnificent parade before your fellow conventioneers chambers for your repose; and a as well as to dance the evening away in cavernous hall in which to dally between a Fairy Tale Dream. your bouts on the dance floors. As is always due and fitting, there will be a So, Come One, Come All and venture chamber reserved for the exclusive use by forth to the Queendom of Fairy Tales the Amazons amongst us and their ladies and Fantasies. Your faire – The Dykes of Square Dancing presence has been (honorary dykes for the weekend also demanded and your invited). enjoyment has been guaranteed. No excuses During your sojourn to the Land of will be tolerated, so, if Fairy Tales and Fantasies, you are you haven’t already invited to participate in a variety of presented yourselves to adventures. From journeys across the sea the Wizard of Registration, trot right on to the Isle of Catalina, to the cliffs of down and exchange your monies for a the Royal Getty museum, to the wilds of passport to the Extravaganza of the our local clubs of libations and Year. It has been so commanded! debauchery, to the Land of Mouse Ears on Thursday, June 29, where you will
Why a Masked fantasy Ball? – See the article on page 11.
Registrar Magistrate Wizard’s Corner
From the Wizard!
It was wonderful to see everyone at the Silicon Galaxy. I especially enjoyed everyone who visited my apprentices and I at the Wish Castle. We have processed over 194 passports to Wish Upon A Thar which brings us to a total of 410 Wishies! Spectacular! We also have 130 registrants for the Fun Badge Tour. Boy will that be an unforgettable experience for those travelers.
The registration level has increased to $169.00 and will remain so until January 31, 2006. The widow's rate remains at $85.00 until June 15, 2006.
The Counsel would like to remind everyone to stay off of the $149.00 and $159.00 levels on pain of death.
Anyway, I've got to run, the Wish consul is beckoning ... tahh tahh!
Martin L. Funches III Registrar Magistrate
Getting To Know Us! on these answers. In many ways my first convention was comparable to STSG Thanks for the Memories another first I had during my youth. Five summers ago, at a small airpark in Ohio, On behalf of the Southern California I took my first solo flight. For those of dancers who attended this year’s you that don’t know the intricacies of convention in Santa Clara, we’d like to flying private aircraft, the first solo is a thank the El Camino Reelers and the huge, terrifying event for any fledgling other area dancers, who helped make pilot. It usually occurs during a STSG so very special. To thank them seemingly random lesson when the and to introduce the rest of you to one of instructor jumps out of the plane (while your hosts for next year in Anaheim, it’s on the ground) and says “Go, have we’d like to share an article that a first fun!” That’s when you really wish you time dancer wrote for the Golden Stater. had paid more attention to the instructor during previous lessons. Then you take ”I’ve been asked by a lot of people what off and promptly get lost over the I thought of my first convention. Being a endless cornfields that make up the generally poor conversationalist, I Midwest and go veering off toward the usually answer with an inarticulate “It airspace of a nearby Air Force base. was fun” or “I had a good time”. But You wonder why you ever took up this since the first convention is often seen particular hobby. Eventually, you find as a big milestone in the career of a your way home and come in for a square dancer and because I’d like to bumpy landing. You get out of the plane encourage others to go to their first drenched in sweat and shocked that you convention, I’m going to try to elaborate made it back to land in one piece. Then
you go home and tell everyone what a 1997 and we great time you had. became a member of the IAGSDC on So, what does this all have to do with July 11, 1997 at convention? Convention can be an Wheel & Deal in Las intimidating experience for the first- Vegas. timer. You’re not convinced that you are prepared well enough and you make a The first order of lot of mistakes. You get lost and business was a name, and we had sometimes veer into neighboring many before Bloomin' Squares was squares. You leave some tips drenched selected. Pasadena Arroyo Seco in sweat and shocked that you made it Squares (PASS) was one, but we out in one piece. But when it’s all over decided the initials were all wrong. Our you forget all the mistakes and realize logo was designed with the five that it was truly a unique and fantastic founders in mind, thus the five flowers. experience. What you tell your friends Roses where chosen for the obvious and what you remember is the great reason. If you look close, you can see tips, the great people and the great fun. the founding members' initials in the For a while you flew free and it ended all leaves. Over the course of time, we too soon. moved our dance location to the Sunland-Tujunga area and now recruit Thanks for the memories and I’ll see new dancers from the Foothill you all in Anaheim ~ Jennifer (Golden communities of the San Fernando and State Squares)” San Gabriel valleys. We are the northern-most co-sponsoring club of Club Corner “Wish Upon A Thar” and proud to be involved in the rare multi-club sponsored Wish Upon A Thar is being brought to IAGSDC convention. you by five clubs; Bloomin Squares, Empire Squares, Golden State Squares, Bloomin' Squares is dedicated to the Shoreline Squares and Tinseltown idea of a democratic club whose only Squares. This editions’ focus is on agenda is the enhancement of square Bloomin’ Squares. dancing. All club members are urged to attend Board meetings and voice their Bloomin' Squares began in Pasadena opinions on how to meet our goal. over pizza and cokes on May 21, 1997. The five founding members got together In addition to dancing, we plan social at the urging of Kim Nagele, our first events for our members and friends. president. Our thought was to have a Bloomin' Squares is a warm, friendly club whose dances are in a more club where you can enjoy a variety of convenient location. The constitution activities, and make new friends in the and by-laws were ratified on July 4, process.
Travel News
Marion McCarthy c/o European Travel International 6776 Magnolia Avenue Riverside CA 92506-2908 (951) 780-5919 (951) 789-7259 [fax] [email protected]
Convention Schedule
Tentative – Stay Tuned for Changes!!
HEAR YE!! HEAR YE!!
It is hereby declared that, in order to promote the festivities and good humor, and permit all attendees to maximize their dance time, and to reduce the resultant 8am whining, the Council of Dignitaries from All the Kingdoms (IAGSDC Delegate Meeting) will be called to order on FRIDAY, JUNE 30th , 2006, 2:00p.m. - 6:00p.m. All officials, clubs and their delegates must note this change!
Monday - Wednesday, June 26-28, Ceremonies 2006 Honky Tonk Queen GCA Callers School* Country-Western Dance
Monday - Friday, June 26-30, 2006 Sunday, July 2, 2006 Pre-Convention Tours* Dancing at All Levels Banquet Thursday, June 29, 2006 The Masked Fantasy Costume Ball Day at Disneyland® park* Monday, July 3, 2006 Friday, June 30, 2006 Dancing at All Levels Opening Day Festivities IAGSDC General Meeting & Brunch IAGSDC Delegates Meeting Closing Ceremonies Trail-In Dance Tuesday, July 4, 2006 Saturday, July 1, 2006 Happy Birthday America! Dancing at All Levels Day at the Beach & Fireworks* Grand March & Opening
* Optional event, not included with the regular registration.
Registration & Fees
Registration Fees include a convention pin, all dancing, the evening banquet and afternoon brunch and a Magical Square Dance experience you will always treasure. Registration Fees Non-Dancers
$169 Before January 31, 2006 $85 Before June 15, 2006 $179 Before April 30, 2006 $95 After June 15, 2006 $189 Before June 15, 2006 $199 After June 15, 2006 Fun Badge Tour $40
All prices USD$.
Convention Registration Cancellation Before October 31, 2005 -- Full refund less $30 Admin Fee Between November 1, 2005 and March 31, 2006 -- Full refund less $50 Admin Fee After March 31, 2006 -- No refund
Fun Badge Tour Cancellation Before January 31, 2006 Full refund After January 31, 2006 No Refund
Convention registration and Fun Badge Tour reservations can be transferred to another person. Please contact us for details.
OUR CALLERS
Anne Uebelacker Mike Jacobs Dave Rensberger Saundra Bryant David Mee Tim Crawford Deborah Carroll-Jones Tim Pepper Jack Borgström Todd Fellegy Michael Kellogg Vic Ceder Mike DeSisto
OUR VENUE
Anaheim Marriott
Located only one block from Disneyland® park, the Anaheim Marriott is the perfect location for a magical and joyful convention! A constant top award- winning hotel for convention service, the Anaheim Marriott has 1030 rooms (most with balconies), and a great abundance of ballroom dance space off a common foyer.
700 West Convention Way Anaheim, CA 92802-3483 Telephone: 714-750-8000 Toll Free: 800-228-9290
Website: www.AnaheimMarriott.com
Room Rates Single/Double $112/night Triple/Quad $132/night Hospitality Suite $199/night
Reservations may be made after July 26, 2005 and must be made by June 1, 2006. Ask for the “Wish Upon A Thar” group rate.
LOCAL HISTORY the Bolsa Chica Mesa. I've heard that the Mesa served as a place Orange County History: 1400 - 1850
Early History Orange County was first settled by the Native Indians; there were the Gabrieleños and the Juaneños. The names given to these two groups of Indians comes from the Missions that they were closest to: Mission San Gabriel and Mission San Juan Capistrano. They were peaceful people who had great respect for the land. They rarely fought each other. If they did, however, it was because of family feuds that might occur. Mission San Juan Capistrano These would be carried on through where only the high religious leaders many generations. These Indians were able to go. From the Mesa, the also had many sacred grounds, one Indians could see a great view of the of which is really close to my house:
ocean as well as present day Long Francisco Bay, but they got there Beach and the Palos Verdes eventually).
Peninsula. Regular lay-people could The Mission Era not go to the Mesa, since it was sacred. Among the people who accompanied Portolá was Father Junipero Serra. Exploration He looked for carneval 2005 Sometime in the good sites on 1700's, Gaspar de Portolá was which he could commissioned by the Spanish Crown build missions to to explore and map the California work the land Coast and to find viable trade routes. and convert the He entered Orange County along Indians. He did with Franciscan Monks who hoped to see a good site convert the Native Indians. Their on the San Juan first Baptism, performed by Father Juan Crespi and Father Francisco River, and in Father Junipero Serra Gomes, came in the area near 1776, with the present day San Clemente, where founding of the United States, he they have an annual La Christianita founded Mission San Juan Pageant celebration to Capistrano. Father Serra built the commemorate this milestone. mission twice; the first time it was Portolá gave many of the names of abandoned because of word of an rivers, mountains, and valleys in Indian uprising. The fathers buried honor of Catholic Saints. For the church bell and returned to the example, this party named the Santa Presidio in San Diego to take refuge. Ana River. Its full name is Río de la They came back in 1776 to rebuild Santa Ana de los Temblores, the mission. Father Serra named because there was an earthquake Mission San Juan Capistrano after about the time they reached the an Italian Saint whom he admired river. Also, the foothill regions of greatly. The mission was a great South County (around El Toro, etc.) center for activity: there were was originally given a Christian thousands of Indians working the name, but it was nicknamed Trabuco land. Few Indians converted to because a soldier had lost his Christianity, however, but eventually Trabuco (blunderbuss in Spanish, I they did because the Spanish think meaning some sort of gun) government said that Indians could there. The road they traveled on own land if they converted. later became known as El Camino However, with the independence of Real. Today, El Camino Real still Mexico in the 1820's, that exists, and is mostly replaced by proclamation was also gone. The Interstate 5 for most of the county. new Mexican Government was not The party continued on to Los as supportive of the Missions as the Angeles County and later to end up Spanish were, and the Indians were in Monterey (even though they forced to leave the Missions and missed it and reached the San work the land. Before the Spanish
left, however, they divided the land and was able to acquire large into many subdivisions, known as parcels of land in South County. By Ranchos. Most of the Indians were the close of the Mexican rule of Alta not granted land ownership. The California, the Missions were in a ownership was parceled out by way state of disrepair, abandoned. For a of Spanish and Mexican Land while, John Forster used Mission Grants. Among the landowners at San Juan Capistrano as his home. that time were the Yorba family, the Peralta family, as well as John Created by Kenneth Kao, Salinas, Forster. Forster married the sister of CA 93901 the last Mexican Governor, Pio Pico,
CONTACT INFORMATION
Wish Upon A Thar 4335 Van Nuys Blvd., Suite 240 Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 Email: [email protected] Web page: http://www.wishuponathar.org/
ADVERTISERS
Got an upcoming special dance? Like to let the whole world know that you and your honey are celebrating your six months together? Just plain tired of seeing the same d—mned convention newsletters year after year? If you’d like to advertise in an upcoming issue of Wishful Thinking or on our webpage, contact [email protected] .
WISH ATTIRE
The Wish council has declared, “NO person, human, ethereal or otherwise, shall enter our fantastical kingdom without appropriate rainment.” In order to provide for this common need, the council has caused to be created three coverings for the upper body. (FYI – this is not to imply that attire for the lower body is not required!!) Here are typical specimens of these ‘tops’ available for purchase on the Wish Web.
Black Polo Lavender Polo
Sizes Available S, M, L & XL $25.00 XXL & XXXL $28.00 XXXXL $30.00
Black Tee
Sizes Available S, M, L & XL $15.00 XXL & XXXL $18.00 XXXXL $20.00
What exactly is a masquerade ball? And why are we having one?
From Wikipedia, the free ("Burning Men's Ball") was intended encyclopedia. as a Bal des sauvages ("Wild Men's A masquerade ball (or masque) is an Ball") a costumed ball (morisco). It event which the participants attend in was in celebration of the marriage of costume, usually including a mask. a lady-in-waiting of Charles VI of France's queen in Paris on January Such gatherings were based on 28, 1393. The King and five increasingly elaborate allegorical courtiers dressed as wildmen of the pageants and triumphal processions woods (woodwoses), with costumes celebrating marriages and other of flax and pitch. When they came dynastic events of late medieval too close to a torch, the dancers court life. Masquerade balls were caught fire. Such costumed dances extended into costumed public were a special luxury of the ducal festivities in Italy during the 15th court of Burgundy. century Renaissance (Italian, maschera). They were generally John James Heidegger, a Swiss elaborate dances held for members count, is credited with having of the upper classes, and were introduced the Venetian fashion of a particularly popular in Venice. They semi-public masquerade ball, to have been associated with the which one might subscribe, to tradition of the Venetian Carnival. London in the early eighteenth century, with the first being held at They became popular throughout Haymarket Opera House. mainland Europe in the seventeenth Throughout the century the dances and eighteenth centuries, sometimes became popular, both in England with fatal results. Gustav III of and Colonial America. Its Sweden was assassinated at a prominence did not go unchallenged; masquerade ball by disgruntled a significant anti-masquerade nobleman Jacob Johan movement grew alongside the balls Anckarström, an event which themselves. The anti-masquerade Eugène Scribe wrote about in his writers (among them such notables play Gustave III, and which was later as Henry Fielding) held that the made in to an opera Un Ballo in events encouraged immorality and Maschera, by Giuseppe Verdi. "foreign influence". While they were sometimes able to persuade A famous mascarade that was long authorities to their views, remembered as the Bal des Ardents enforcement of measures designed to end masquerades was at best desultory.
Masquerade balls are still held today, though in modern times the party atmosphere is emphasized and
the formal dancing usually less the mixture of grotesque, historical, prominent. Less formal "costume mythological, and fairy figures was parties" may be a descendant of this most attractive and amusing. Then, tradition. when the quadrilles were called, the effect of the clown dancing with a The picturesque quality of the grave and sedate nun, and Romeo masquerade ball has made it a swinging a pop-corn girl, was, as one favorite topic or setting in literature. of the ladies expressed it, "just too Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The cute." Masque of the Red Death" is based on the concept of a masquerade ball THE MASK by Guy de Maupassant in which a central figure is just what (Paris, France before 1892) he is costumed to be. There was a masquerade ball at the Why a masquerade ball at a gay Elysee-Montmartre that evening. square dance weekend? ...... One of them, who had taken his place in the most famous There has been a long history quadrille, as substitute ...... connecting masquerade balls, queer sensibility and square dancing. From a woman's diary, Miami, Indian What - square dancing and queers! Territory, (OKLA) Thursday, Well, actually the longest connection November 24, 1904, "danced is to the quadrille, which is quadrilles and waltzes at the commonly taken as one of the major masquerade ball." contributors to modern western square dancing. This connection Modern day Venice, Italy between quadrilles and masques is Dance Announcement shown in these references from Saturday, February 05, 2005 around the world and for the last GRAN GALA A LA BELLE EPOQUE century or so. - "ALL'OMBRA DELLE FANCIULLE IN FIORE" Winfield Courier , (IOWA) January "as they guide intrigued guests 17, 1884. through fascinating polonaises, contradances, waltzes, and The Masquerade. The members of quadrilles." the Pleasant Hour Club have made Dress code: you are kindly the winter thus far very pleasant in a requested to disguise yourself. social way. Their hops have been well attended, and the utmost good In New York City, and most likely feeling and harmony has prevailed. elsewhere as well, during the Their masquerade ball last Thursday 'roaring' twenties, the not quite so evening was the happiest hit of the closeted Harlem Fag/Fairy Balls season. The floor was crowded with were formal masquerade balls for maskers and the raised platforms homosexual couples. For many a filled with spectators. At nine o'clock New York socialite, not to mention the "grand march" was called, and those whose 'proclivities' needed to
be hid behind a mask, these Harlem vice versa. Raids on these events Balls were the perfect opportunity to were initially rare. It is known that trot out their most outrageous the NYPD's 'policeman's beneficiary costumes and let their libidos run fund' had treasury deposits to free. In fact, the legal charge: guarantee the safety of the events impersonating a woman, or and both the arrival and departure of the attendees. Later raids, despite continued generous donations, occurred to distract the public and press from other, and more important, New York City government scandals. (Nothing ever changes!) These hearty social pioneers were violating not only myriad prevailing social morals and customs, but laws against same sex Carneval 2005, Cologne, Germany anything, cross-dressing, mixed race what was sometimes termed events, and, we assume Prohibition. "masquerading." Although FYI - prohibition ran from January repressive social attitudes forced 16, 1920 to December 5, 1933. "fairies" and "lady lovers" underground in the '20s and '30s, To get an idea of what one of these prompting them to create distinct events was like, picture Paris Is worlds separate from heterosexual Burning but with the elaborate culture and invisible to the untrained costumes of the 20's. Thousands of eye. The "Fag/(fairy) Masquerade drag kings and queens, their escorts Ball," for example, was an annual all dressed to kill, with the thrilling event in which 6,000 queers, danger of arrest in the background. "colored and white," would cavort in private at a location in Harlem, with How could we not have a Fantasy the men dressing as women and Masquerade Ball?