Country Dance Group
How many of us remember the Country Dance Group?
If you don’t know anything about the Scout country dance group, read on. If you know, please also read on, as this may bring back some memories. If you have anything to add, please tell us.
Here’s the story:
The first formal mention of country dancing is in a Parents’ Committee Minute book at a meeting in 1950, noting that the classes took place on the first Saturday of the month. It’s with thanks to Johnny Graham and his wife Margaret, along with piano accompanist Miss McGregor, that country dancing started then became a well-established part of our group.
(If you’ve read the War Years display (yet to be uploaded to the website) Johnny is mentioned in that as receiving a National Service Badge and was also one of the Bengal Rover Crew.)
The baton for teaching and running the country dancing was subsequently passed from Johnny and Margaret to Anne Harvie, assisted by Alex. Like Johnny and Margaret, Anne and Alex had to learn all the dances in advance to ensure the teaching was straightforward and dances could be picked up quickly.
In those days, there was no luxury of iPhones for the music, so the record player and speakers were unplugged from home, records looked out and the whole lot taken to the hall for dance practice, only for it all to be done in reverse at the end of each night.
The look of the dancers had to be spot on, so being Trinity Scouts and always looking smart, a dress code was applied. It was kilt and a white shirt (no tie, just open neck) and the girls wore a skirt and top, or a dress. Footwear for practice night was the height of elegance – sandshoes (or trainers as they are nowadays) for all, but proper dancing shoes were worn for displays.
The dancers were formed into sets of six or eight, or one to one – easy when dancers knew what to do. However, the learning was a big part of it all, so Anne would (very gracefully) demonstrate the steps of the dance. Breaking it down into parts, the dancers would all copy the steps until they got the hang of it (the story goes that some struggled, as they didn’t know their right from left. What?? They’re Scouts, of course they should know their right and left!). Dancers who contributed to the wording for this display asked for it to be noted here that their gracefulness was nowhere near that of Anne’s! Notwithstanding the lack of grace, determination got the better of everyone and, after mastering the steps, the dance was done to the music.
The dancing was absolutely a fun event – there was no chastisement or harsh words, but off-the-cuff comical and funny comments would have everyone in howls of laughter.
Some of the comments were: “guess who has tied their plimsoles together again”; “if it helps, the right foot is opposite the left”; “when you’re doing the skip step, you don’t need to flap your arms” and “it’s ok to hold her hand and remember, she’s just as scared as you are”. Everyone worked hard, and as time went by started to pick it up and got to know their partners better.
One particularly complicated dance, which consisted of 8 dancers, was the Reel of the 51st. Why is this significant for us? That’s because, although we’re 2nd Renfrew, we’re 51st Renfrewshire, so while we can’t claim the dance was for us, its synergy was too good to ignore, as a result of which the Reel was one we had to learn. You can read the the story of the Reel of the 51st here.
Going back to dance practice nights, don’t let the dancers fool you in to thinking it was all hard work. The night generally ran from 7.00 p.m. to around 9.00 p.m., and halfway through they would stop for juice and crisps or biscuits. That gave everyone a chance to split into groups and chat, with the usual topic being who was going to the chippy afterwards (to be fair, everyone would have burned off a fair few calories, so a trip to the chippy would fill the empty space!).
For all dancers, there was a sense of achievement when they could complete a dance and not leave their partner with sore toes. The favourite dances were Strip the Willow, Dashing White Sergeant, Canadian Barn Dance, Pride of Erin Waltz, Eightsome Reel and the Waltz.
Iain ‘Fred’ Wilson, a former dancer, gave us this great story:
“I remember doing strip the willow, with a very enthusiastic guide, so we danced with speed and power, our set being positioned between the Pewit and Cuckoo patrols.
To set the scene – located along the full length of wall were chairs, which were metal framed with wooden seats and back rests. Now the scene – Imagine the momentum building up in the dance, where I’m being twirled with power by my partner. So far, almost good, but not excellent – I’m getting dizzier with each twirl! Unfortunately, the birling was so strong, I was bounced onto the chairs and landed up on the windowsill. No mean feat when you see the height of the windowsills!
“I was stunned, while everyone in the set was laughing uproariously at my expense. Embarrassed? Absolutely, so I immediately jumped down as though nothing happened and carried on. The moment was missed by many as they were busy doing their own sets, but I never forgot it. Scouting in all its forms gives us so many memories.
“On reflection, it was probably the only time in those days you actually spoke to girls as a teenager, so it was really the start of socialising. As the years go by and you’re out there in the wider world and social circumstances and Scottish country dancing is played, you automatically revert to your teenage early years, instinctively going back to what you were taught and shown. Not necessary doing the Pas‑De‑Basque in the right way, but you look as though you do to those who haven’t a clue.”
At different times along the way the dancers took part in country dancing displays – particularly during exchange visits. For example, in 1969 at the opening ceremony of the camp at Ny Hedeby.
We also performed in Denmark, at the camp in North Jutland in Hvalpsund in 1974, then again that year in Frederica where we stayed after the camp. During these displays the music was generally played by the pipe band.
Many dancers have reminisced about their country dance tuition for visits abroad – all with great memories.
Dancing abroad was vitally important, as for all exchange visits there was a night held by the hosts and the guests, which meant no matter where we were in the world, there was a Scottish night, so we had to know Scottish dances to teach our hosts. In the 1980’s new volunteers filled the dance teacher void and, like Johnny and Margaret, and Alex and Anne, took the necessary equipment for the music. By now it was a tape and recorder with built in speakers, so a lot less clobber to carry.
Like their predecessors, boys from the 1980’s still remember the teaching. To be fair, their biggest memory is probably that, at that time, as the dance group was no longer in existence, the Scouts had to dance with each other (no girls around), so they had to learn both the boy’s and the girl’s steps. It all worked though, and the Scottish nights were always a success.
Like many of 2nd Renfrew’s endeavours, the country dancing was not only a memorable learning event, but a time of great fun and camaraderie and, therefore, an important part of our history.
All who assisted with this display asked that we put on record their recognition of the immense patience of Johnny and Margaret, Alex and Anne, and all other teachers.
We didn’t have many photographs in the archive of the Dance Group, but are glad we at least had three, which we believe were taken at the opening of the new church at Inchinnan in 1968. The three pictures are below (the same names apply to all). If you have photos of our Contry Dance Group, please let us know. There were lots of dancers over they ears, so there must be more than three photographs.
Dancers are (left to right):
Back row: Alex Harvie (Jnr), Iain Currie, Kenneth Parker, David Murray
Front row: Christine Manderson, Barbara Harvie, Aileen Manderson, Sandra Cowie
