Purpose and Governance. The Rainier Council promotes square and round dancing and encourages cooperation and coordination among its member square and round dance clubs in Pierce County. Each club has two delegates to the council’s monthly meetings. The council hosts some all-club dances, coordinates promotional activities (e.g., local demonstrations, council website, facebook site, publicity for classes), gives recognition awards to deserving individuals, and represents the clubs of Rainier Council in meetings of the Washington state organization (see below). The council’s monthly meetings are now being held online using Zoom.com, and any Council club member is welcome to participate. Each club’s delegates can provide it members the login information.
The 2023-2024 dance year council officers are:
President: Clare Murphy (e-mail)
Vice President: Lu Simmons
Treasurer: Marsha Sullivan
Recording Secretary: Stephanie Schaewe
Corresponding Secretary: Peggy Hall
Area Council State Delegate to State: Doug Schafer
Delegate to the State Nominating Committee: Lu Simmons
Rainier Council’s formal name is “Rainier Council of the Square and Folk Dance Federation of Washington,” as a Washington state nonprofit corporation. The IRS has recognized it as a tax-exempt nonprofit under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3). Click here for its IRS exemption letter. For its Articles of Incorporation, click here. For its Bylaws, click here. The Council’s regular policies and procedure are collected in a document called “Guidelines.” Click here to download it. Rainier Council is one of eleven area councils that comprise the Square and Folk Dance Federation of Washington (website), that the IRS also recognizes as a 501(c)(3) educational organization.
As stated in its Articles of Incorporation, Rainier Council’s purposes are:
(a) To promote the art and culture of American traditional and modern forms of dance, especially square dance, round dance, line dance, and clogging dance.
(b) To promote education through various forms of teaching and demonstrations of square, round, line, and clogging dance through member dance organizations and to the general public.
(c) To provide for the exchange of ideas and the distribution of educational information among member dance organizations, dancers, teachers, callers and cuers.
(d) To participate in, with other area councils, and support the programs and activities of the Square and Folk Dance Federation of Washington, a Washington nonprofit corporation that is exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Council Awards. The Kenn Trimble Award was established to honor a Rainier Council couple, single, or family who has done an outstanding job of promoting/supporting Square Dancing in our Council. The award is not meant to be a prize for being the best at any one thing, but as recognition for a job well done and all the hard work keeping this great hobby of ours alive. It takes more than one person as we all know. This award is to be kept with the recipient(s) for one year and then passed on to another deserving person or couple to be determined by the immediate past recipient of the award with help from your nominations. Please suggest deserving recipients, with supporting information, to the last recipient(s) of the award.
Past recipients include:
2000 Mark & Jennie Sebree
2001 Tom & Fay Tomlinson
2002 Joyce Sebree & Wayne Patton
2003 Chuck & Joan McLean
2004 Ted & Dee Mazetier
2005 Dave & Nina Pearcy
2006 Steve & JoAnn MacKay
2007 Al & Kathy Tokin
2008 Frank & Kathy Chase
2009 Carol Thompson
2010 Lynn Red
2011 Tony & Sharon Herman
2012 Lillian Davis
2013 Len & Jeanette Howe
2014 George & Linda McIvor
2015 Everett & Carolyn Colglazier
2016 Lorraine & John Rouse
2017 Everett & Virginia Lawrence
2018 Dave & Toni Vigus
2019 Jeff & Stephanie Schaewe
2020 Greg & Sue Weber
2021 Lane & Gail Johnston
2022 Doug Schafer & Sandy Anderson
2023 Patsy & Don Harris
Kenn Trimble was actively involved in square dancing for many, many years. He was President of State, Council and clubs throughout the years. He especially loved the kids. He was a big promoter for kids and square dancing. He was just a doer – anything that needed doing, he was there to help. And he was editor of Footnotes for about 13 years. Because of his love and support for the youth in our activity, in 2005 Rainier Council’s fund to assist our young dancers with their competition expenses was renamed the Kenn Trimble Youth Fund.
The President’s Award. This award was established in 2005 to honor a Rainier Council couple or individual for their outstanding support within the Council. The recipient is selected by the current Council President. The current Council President, Clare Murphy, presented the President’s Award to Peggy & John DeLise for the dance year 2022-23 and to Patsy & Don Harris for the dance year 2023-24.
When awarding Peggy & John DeLise, Clare stated, “Peggy & John DeLise have been Presidents of Roamin’ Tacomans for 6 years. During that time, with perseverance they helped guide the small club through a few major hurdles and have helped grow the club. This included the lost access to their dance hall during & after the pandemic, which had been the community hall of a senior mobile park. After trying a few different locations, the club now works well splitting time between two locations, one for lessons another for dances. Also the club caller and cuer, Tom Tomlinson, was unable to continue. So the club now has two alternating popular callers. And they found a great cuer for the club, and recently, an exciting new replacement. The club also has grown in active members with lively Plus dances! Thank you for your continuing efforts, Peggy & John.”
When awarding Patsy & Don Harris, Clare stated, “Patsy & Don Harris have been Presidents of the Spinners for 3 years. During that time through their efforts, promotion ideas, cooperation with their club team, hands-on event venue preparation, participation in events across the Council, and great attitude, the Spinners have grown and offer a wonderful dance experience for all attendees! Thank you, Patsy & Don.”
