What type of "Personality" does your club have? (Callerlink CL216 June 2014)

 

What type of "Personality" does your club have? Is it warm and inviting? Or is it moody and non-trusting? I have seen both types many times over the years and I often wonder why we have such a difference in club personalities. I also wonder how these personalities were formed. While I don't know what causes personalities to form, I do believe that we, as callers, can influence the forming of our clubs personalities.

 

I suggest you do an analysis of your club personality. Below are some sample questions you can use. I'm sure you can suggest more:

 

Q1. When dancers, who have missed a few weeks or months, come back – do you:

• Say "so you to finally drop in to see us?" Or

• Treat them like prodigal dancers welcome them with open arms, and make a fuss of them.

 

Q2. Is your club:

• Mostly quiet. Or

• Mostly noisy.

 

Q3. If numbers are slightly down due the dancers migrating to warmer climates for winter – do you:

    (1) Act discouraged, and let it show with your calling.

    (2) Put more effort into your calling and give remaining dancers a real good time.

 

Q4. If a dancer tries to argue with you from the floor, do you:

    (1) Engage them in an argument then and there. Or

    (2) Suggest that they could be right; and would they like to check the definition together when you both have free time afterwards?

 

Q5. If something goes wrong, and the dancers made the mistake, whose fault was it?

     (1) The dancers. Or

     (2) The caller takes the blame even if he/she wasn't at fault.

 

The bottom line is, your duties as caller extend to building on, and improving on, the overall group personality of your clubs.