Couple recognized for 50 years of square dancing, helping community

Kelcy Dolan
Posted 5/26/15

Bill and Norma Barker were a little “disappointed” when the winners of the 2015 Yankee Clipper Award were announced and their names weren’t called.

The award is given every year at the New …

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Couple recognized for 50 years of square dancing, helping community

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Bill and Norma Barker were a little “disappointed” when the winners of the 2015 Yankee Clipper Award were announced and their names weren’t called.

The award is given every year at the New England Square & Round Dance Convention and goes to the dance couple that has been active in the dancing community for more than 10 years and has shown dedicated service not only to the square dancing community but the community at large. This year the convention was held in Concord New Hampshire on April 25.

Although they weren’t expecting it, the couple had hoped to one day win the New England Square and Round Dance Co-Op Committee award after more than 50 years of square dancing. Bill and Norma were then very surprised to hear that there were two winning couples and they would receive a Yankee Clipper Award.

The couple that has been married for 66 years began taking dancing lessons in 1962 after friends encouraged them. They were part of the Friendly Mixer Square Dance Club, and although they aren’t dancing much now, they are still active members of EDSARDA, the Eastern District Square and Round Dance Association.

Bill said the initial interest came from how much fun dancing is, that it is a relatively inexpensive hobby and good exercise to boot.

Norma said, “The biggest draw is the fellowship. We’ve been dancing 50 years now and we still are friends with those we danced with.”

The Barkers still go out once a month with some of the other couples they met through square dancing to see a movie and go to lunch.

When the Barkers first began dancing there were 40 square dancing clubs in Rhode Island. Today, they said, there are only four. Bill said it’s unfortunate the younger generation isn’t interested because square dancing really lends itself to friendship and community.

“People aren’t as social as they used to be,” Norma said. “We went out every Saturday and once or twice a week. It’s more difficult to do that now when people need to work so much. Plus, with TVs and computers as distractions less people are going out when they get the chance.”

The winning couple for the Yankee Clippers Award has to be active outside the square dance community, and Norma and Bill have both been invested in St. Barnabas Episcopal Church and active members in the community.

Bill was involved in the Apponaug Athletics Association, which was active in the 1940s and ’50s hosting spaghetti dinner fundraisers for the local basketball teams, and was a part of the establishment of several credit unions. Norma worked up the ranks of the Girl Scouts as a troop leader then to being a member of the board of directors.

Norma said they never did anything to be recognized and never “analyzed” why they reached out to serve the community, it was just “the right thing to do”

“We don’t do anything short term. We are always in it for the long term; it’s like being married,” she said.

“We had our niche and did what we could with what we had,” Bill said. “It’s something we enjoy doing. It feels great helping the disadvantaged.”

When asked who was the better dancer, the couple laughed and said because the dances are choreographed for four couples they are both “pretty good.”

Bill said, “You have to know what to do. It’s a coordinated effort. It takes both people being in the right place at the right time to have it all flow right.”

Warwick will host the New England Square & Round Dance Convention at the Crowne Plaza for the next two years on the last weekend of April.

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