RULES | DUTIES | IDEAS | VOWS | ANGELS | TEN COMMANDANCE GRADUATION CERMONY
SETTING: Four tables (card tables are nice) should be placed around the the hall, usually in the four corners. A candle will be placed on the table. (Don't forget the matches) Usually one of the club officer couples will be stationed at each table. If an officer is not available it is always good to honor an "angel" couple that has helped thoughout the class. The club can have the graduates in another room or outside the hall where they can file in as couples or individual while a marching record is being played. Some clubs have the club's membership form lines on either side of the aisle as the new graduates enter. The new graduates will form a simi-circle in front of the callers stand.(The club president and partner is usually the escort.)
ITEMS NEEDED: 1. FOUR TABLES. 2. FOUR CANDLES WITH MATCHES. 3.DIPLOMAS FOR EACH OR AS COUPLES. 4. BADGES (if they are to be given for those that join the club)
CLASS, IT'S GRADUATION NIGHT AND YOU HAVE REACHED AN IMPORTANT
STEP IN YOUR SQUARE DANCING. AS ANY CLUB OR ORGANIZATION HAS AN IDENTIFYING
SYMBOL, SO IS THE INTERLOCKING SQUARE THE UNIVERSAL SYMBOL OF SQUARE DANCING.
IT NOW BECOMES OUR PLEASURE TO ESCORT YOU ON A JOURNEY TO THE OUTER EDGES
OF THE SQUARE.
PLEASE LOWER THE LIGHTS, (Pause until the lights are lowered)
PLEASE FOLLOW
The escort will lead the graduates from the callers platform to the first table. When they arrive he/she will say:
YOU HAVE ARRIVED AT THE FIRST STOP OF YOUR JOURNEY. _____(name)______ PLEASE LIGHT THE FLAME OF FRIENDSHIP.
The people stationed at the first table will light the candle, then read:
FIRST STOP
SQUARE DANCING IS A COMMON BOND BETWEEN US AS
FRIENDS. WHEREVER YOU SHALL VISIT, OR WHOMSOEVER SHALL VISIT YOU NEVER
LET IT BE SAID THAT YOU WERE NOT FRIENDLY. SQUARE DANCE IS "FRIENDSHIP
SET TO MUSIC". GREET OTHERS, BE COURTEOUS TO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE
THEM DO UNTO YOU. IN SQUARE DANCING YOU CAN DEVELOP LIFETIME FRIENDSHIPS.
_______(name)______ PLEASE TAKE THE GRADUATES TO THE SECOND
STOP OF THEIR JOURNEY.
The escort will now lead the group to the next table where he/she will read:
YOU HAVE ARRIVED AT THE SECOND STOP ._______(name)_____ PLEASE LIGHT THE CANDLE OF DUTY.
After the candle is lit, one of the couple stationed at that table will read:
SECOND STOP
AS A CHILD NEES LOVE, AS A TREE NEEDS WATER, SO
DOES A SQUARE DANCE CLUB MEMBER WITH A COMMITMENT TO DUTY. GLADLY TAKE
YOUR TURN WHEN CALLED UPON TO SERVE YOUR CLUB IN ANY CAPACITY WHETHER IT
IS AS AN OFFICER OF THE CLUB OR CLEANING THE HALL AFTER A DANCE. A WILLINGNESS
TO SHARE THE DUTIES HELP KEEP OUR ACTIVITY HEALTHY. WHEN YOU ARE ON DUTY,
NEVER LET IT BE SAID THAT YOU WISHED TO BE ELSEWHERE. MAY YOU AND THOSE
WHO FOLLOW YOU, KEEP THE FLAME OF DUTY BURNING BRIGHTLY.
______(name)_______ PLEASE ESCORT THE GRADUATES TO THIRD
STOP ON THEIR JOURNEY.
The escort will now take the graduates to the third table where he/she will read:
YOU HAVE ARRIVED AT THE THIRD STOP OF THE SQUARE.
After the candle has been lit, one of the couple stationed at the third table will read:
THIRD STOP
AS OUR FOREFATHERS, HAVE DONE, SO DO WE FOR THE
GREATEST GOOD FOR THE GREATEST NUMBER. IT NOW BECOMES YOUR DUTY TO OFFER
IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS. BUT IT IS ALSO BECOMES YOUR DUTY TO ABIDE BY THE
GROUP'S DECISION. YOU MAY NOT GET YOUR WAY EACH TIME, BUT THE DEMOCRATIC
WAY IN SQUARE DANCING AS IN ANY DEMOCRACY, THE MAJORTY RULES. ONCE A DECISION
HAS BEEN REACHED, SUPPORT THAT DECISION.
(The following is opional depending on availability) AS A TOKEN
OF THIS STOP, WE ARE PRESENTING YOU WITH A COPY OF THE CLUB'S CONSTITUTION
AND BY-LAWS.
_______(name)______ PLEASE ESCORT THE GRADUATES TO THE FOURTH
STOP ON THEIR JOURNEY AROUND THE SQUARE.
The escort will lead the group to the fourth table where he/she will read:
YOU HAVE ARRIVED AT THE FOURTH STOP OF YOUR JOURNEY. ______(name) PLEASE LIGHT THE FLAME OF ENJOYMENT.
The people stationed at the fourth table will light the candle, then read:
FOURTH STOP
TO ACHIEVE YOUR PURPOSE OF UNITING WITH US, A
HIGH LEVEL OF DANCING ENJOYMENT SHOULD BE YOUR GOAL. WHEN YOU COME TO A
SQUARE DANCE, LEAVE YOUR WORRIES BEHIND. COME WITH THE ATTITUDE THAT YOU
ARE GOING TO ENJOY THE EVENING AND ADD TO THE ENJOYMENT OF OTHERS. ALWAYS
REMEMBER THAT SQUARE DANCING IS A RECREATION. THE PURPOSE IS TO HAVE FUN,
A NIGHT TO RELAX AND FORGET ABOUT THE WORRIES YOU FACED TODAY AND MAY FACE
TOMORROW. EACH DANCE NIGHT IS TO BE WITH FRIENDS, FOR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL
RELAXATION, AND TO HAVE FUN. WITH THESE GOALS IN MIND, YOUR SQUARE DANCE
LIFE CAN BE VERY REWARDING.
NOW FOR THE BIG MOMENT _______(name)______ PLEASE LEAD THE
GRADUATES TO THE FRONT TABLE TO BE AWARDED THEIR DIPLOMAS.
CALLER
THE FOUR CORNERS YOU HAVE VISITED REPRESENTS THE SQUARE. THIS POSITION REPRESENTS THE FINAL POSITION IN SQUARE DANCING, HOME. EACH TIME YOU REACH YOUR HOME POSITION, YOU CAN TAKE PRIDE IN YOURSELF AND THE OTHER DANCERS IN YOUR SQUARE. I WILL NOT LIGHT A CANDLE FOR THIS POSITION. YOU ARE THE SYMBOL OF THE ETERNAL FLAME OF PRIDE. FOR IN YOU, I AND THE CLUB TAKE PRIDE. IN YOU WILL LIVE THE PRIDE OF SQUARE DANCING.
YOU SHOULD TAKE PRIDE IN YOURSELF, YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS, YOUR ATTIRE, YOUR FRIENDLINESS, YOUR ABILITIES, YOUR DESIRE TO HAVE FUN AND TO SHARE THAT FUN WITH OTHERS. YOU WILL TAKE PRIDE IN YOUR FELLOW DANCERS, YOUR CLUB AND HOPEFULLY YOUR INSTRUCTOR. IF YOU ARE FRIENDLEY, FUN LOVING, HAPPY, COOPERATIVE, AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE DESIRIOUS, SO WILL YOUR CLUB BE KNOWN.
WITHOUT RESERVATION, I TAKE GREAT PLEASURE IN PRESENTING YOU WITH THESE DIPLOMAS OF GRADUATION.
AS I CALL YOUR NAME, PLEASE COME FORWARD: