About Stanford Quads

by Bill van Melle, October 23, 1994 and April 2, 1995

Club History

The Stanford Quads was conceived in the summer of 1983. It was patterned somewhat after MIT's Tech Squares, a club Victoria Pigman (now Gilbert) had belonged to. Victoria spent many hours over that summer convincing John Sybalsky to teach a beginners class, which started in October, 1983. That season saw a second class in the Spring, and since then we have run a new class every Autumn, making the current one our fourteenth. We used to dance in the Old Union ballroom on the Stanford campus, but we lost that hall in the Pretty Big Quake of '89. We also used to be an official ASSU-affiliated organization, but now we're an independent anarchy.

Our name, "Stanford Quads," was chosen by a vote in early 1984. The only close runner-up was "Cardinal Squares" We commissioned Scott Kim to do the logo that you see on the red club badges.

Club "Organization"

We are sometimes asked, "What do I have to do to join Quads?" or "How much are dues?"

As we already mentioned, Quads is more or less an anarchy. To "join" Quads, just come and dance often enough to keep your name on the attendance roster. You can think of the quarterly rate as "dues".

We have no constitution or bylaws, and no elected officers. Pat serves in the non-elected office of Despot (what might be considered Treasurer in a more formal organization). She keeps the books, and makes sure we charge dancers enough to pay for the hall and the caller and other incidental expenses.

If you look around, you'll find there are other offices that people select themselves into. Someone tends door (coming a little early every week to open the hall, and gathering money from dancers). Someone brings the water jug every week. Other people (sometimes the same people) make sure we have insurance; secure substitute callers when John is out of town; plan the annual hoedown; construct flyers and advertising for hoedowns and classes; and no doubt other things I'm forgetting right now.

There is nothing sacred about who does these things. The folks who do them now, especially the ones with weekly duties (door and water), would probably welcome eager volunteers to serve a stint at the job. If you would like to pitch in, see me or Pat.

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Last updated Thursday 20 December 2007