This couple began their happy dancing career with their club graduating from classes in 2004. Just shortly after their graduation in 2004 under the watchful eye of Gerry O’Hara they became very vested in the activities of the club and would partake in the many roles of the club over their years of dancing.
Over the years this couple has been active participants in the club. They have held the position of Vice President from 2004 to 2006. They then assumed the role of President couple for two terms from 2007 to 2009. They were a large part of the planning and success of the Oromocto Pioneers 45th Anniversary for the club in 2014. He has taken over the responsibility for arranging club members receipt of dangles since 2010. They both would not stop there they were Club treasurer from 2014 to 2016. Their involvement was not only restricted to the local club, they served as members of the Board of Directors for the Federation from 2010 to 2014 serving a term as President couple as well. They also served on the Central Association for a few years till the inactivity of the group took over. In 2014 they helped spear head the hosting of the Awards Dance and Annual Meeting in Oromocto.
They have been large promoters of dancing as a family activity for quite some time, including making sure their granddaughter graduated from dancing at a very young age. Their granddaughter is one of the charter members of the Teeny Boppers Square Dance Club. She continues to dance today. She graduated from that club in 2012 and continues to dance weekly with the Oromocto Pioneers. Most lessons for the Teeny Boppers took place at this couples place on a Saturday.
This trio has held a few special activities over the years. A special Thanksgiving Dance & Potluck was held at French Lake in the “Man Cave” in October of 2015. This couple has even hosted a couple of Rubber Duckie Dangle Dances at their place letting a few brave souls dance in the lake. Most special occasions are made memorable by this trio’s presence in extraordinary attire suited to the occasion of the day with photographs to prove his claim. Seriously who has not met the Leprechaun of Oromocto Pioneers? This trio are enthusiastic participants in any of the planned Oromocto Pioneers Square Dance Club activities. Some of these include nursing home demonstrations, dancing in the parade at Oromocto Pioneer Days and other dances in the area.
This trio also keeps busy outside of dancing. He has been an instructor for the New Brunswick Bow hunter Education Association for over 25 years. He is also an executive member of this organization as well. His carpentry skills are in huge demand with the local schools. He has built “cubbies” for the grade 5 classroom of the Geary Elementary School. More recently he built fourteen standing desks for Ridgeview Middle School in December of 2016.
She is also involved with the local schools. She has been coordinator of the Geary School Hot Lunch Program as well a member of the Ridgeview Parent School Support Committee. She has been known to stand her ground in the old boy’s club being one of the only women to be President of the New Brunswick Wildlife Federation from 2000-2001. She is currently the treasurer of the French Lake Baptist Church and a leader for the Drop in Youth Group. They also just accepted to be current president of the club where this all began.
Now I will tell you that this award will be a first in the Distinguished Service Awards History that it was felt by members of the Board that this award be presented as a trio as all three are very active in the dancing community as a whole. Therefore, it is our great pleasure to present this trio John Eldridge, Sharon Kingston Eldridge and Alessandra (Ally) Eldridge with the 2017 Distinguished Service Award and thank all three of them for their hard work and dedication to the activity as a whole.