A yearbook dated, well we won’t go there, lists her interests as “curling, square dancing and reading” and how true a words are those! Thus began a life-long participation in dancing.
This couple returned to St Andrews in 1974 to set up his dental practice. Dan and Gerry Hastey, patients of his, invited them to dance in Woodland Maine. The next10 years were spent round dancing and square dancing between Woodland Maineand St Stephen NB. In 1985 Ron Lowe and Sydney Bridges encouraged him tobecome a cuer. He followed that advice and has continued to the present day. By the Sea Rounders was formed and they taught round dancing for many years. They both have been long standing members of the callers and cuers associations and even filed in some time as Vice President-President-Past President for the Maritime Callers and Cuers Association.
This couple has attended national conventions and numerous MCCA’s throughout the years cuing and teaching. They are well known by many who have ever hit the floor to dance a round. They have taught in St Andrews, Saint John, Oak Bay and at their home club in St Stephen. They are always interested in promoting dancing and have participated in demonstrations and presentations at special dances. This couple generously donate their time and talents to the varying causes and are always willing to assist in their community as well. As recent as just these past few weeks he has loaned his equipment to help out with the Square Dancing in Schools program being administered by one of our dancers in the St Stephen Elementary School.
They have a fun lively personality that all of us enjoy. His mother often visits the club to talk with everyone and enjoy the music.
Probably one of the greatest showings of what kind of support system they can offer is when the Town and Country Squares lost their club caller Sydney Bridges and his wife Mildred in a horrific car accident back in February of 1998, this couple helped with the rebuilding of a club back from such a loss. This couple along with the President couple at the time set out to find various callers to Hll the weekly schedule till the end of the year. Not such an easy feat but with the help and contacts of this couple they made sure their little club they started dancing with would not shut down. They have since helped when they can with meetings or anything the club asks. This couple has been all around good ambassadors for the activity in that little corner of NB and the province as a whole.
It is with great pleasure that we present this award to Bryan and Belinda Spires for their long standing commitment and contributions to round dancing and the activity as a whole.