Message from our President…
Happy springtime fellow shaggers! Seems we’ve had a lot of rain recently, but you know the
saying… April showers bring May flowers! Speaking of May flowers – What do Mayflowers
bring? Pilgrims of course!
If you weren’t with us at the SOS parade, you missed a great time. The weather was kind of
iffy, but at 1:00 PM when the parade started, the rain slacked off and although we started
with tops up on the convertibles, most were down by the end of the parade because the rain
stopped as we proceeded down Main St. I would like to thank everyone who participated in
our parade with their cars, walking and dancing, bringing food and Bloody Marys for the
tailgate party, decorating the cars, marching with flags or the banner, and just having fun.
We won second place again as a shagging troupe! Thanks to John and Katy for planning
another successful entry for our club!
After the parade we headed over to the OD Pavilion for our Spring “free pour.” Ben Hinson
and Bahre Willis did a great job of handling the tickets for our members. Remember this is
one of your benefits of being a member of the SOBS.
Looking ahead, the weather will be warming up and we will continue to have 2 socials a
month. Please read your emails carefully about details for each dance. Please invite any
friends you have to join us for an evening or for the remainder of the year. Our memberships
continue to come in, especially new members.
Keep shagging…
Ellen Wester, President
2015 Society of Brunswick Shaggers Board...
The Official Newsletter of the Society of Brunswick Shaggers
MAY 2015
PO BOX 274, Oak Island, NC 28465
Visit our website at: http://www.societyofbrunswickshaggers.com
“LIKE” us on FACEBOOK at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/115766191843385/
Chuck Boney, Membership
Joe Malinowski, Publicity & Newsletter
Robert Carter, Immediate Past President
DON’T FORGET…
Board Meeting Minutes 2
May Birthdays 2
Visiting DJs Info 3
Meet Some of Our Members 4
Welcome New SOBS & Guests 4
Dance / Party Schedule 5
SOS Parade & Cards Info 6
History of SOBS - Volume 3 7
04/25/15 SOS Pictures 9
SOBS Membership Form 12
The Beach Beat!
Ellen Wester, President
Bahre Willis, Vice President
Pam Bacon, Secretary
Diani Johnson, Treasurer
May 2015 The Beach Beat ! Page 2
Present: Ellen Wester, Pam Bacon, Diani Johnson
Meeting was called to order by Ellen at 6:30 PM.
Secretary‘s Report: A motion to accept the Secretary’s Report of March 4th was made, seconded and approved by the
Committee members in attendance.
Treasurer’s Report: Diani gave the Treasurers report from March 4th. Motion was made to accept March report and
approved.
Old Business: March 13th dance was held at VFW, it was full capacity, good crowd and we raised $600.00 for SOAR.
March 27th dance was held at the Lazy Turtle, there was a small problem with the door entry. If we have it there
again we will need to have a different sign in area.
April 10th dance will be at the VFW, the DJ will be David Harris and door greeters will be Jeff & Pam Duncan. Food
will be Potluck and the Theme is Easter-Spring.
May 8th dance will be at VFW and the DJ will be Jimmy Buffkin. Ellen will ask Brad to do sub sandwiches. This will be
our “Subs on the Club” dance. Theme will be Mothers Day and we will get 35 flowers to pass out to the ladies at-
tending.
New Business: Ellen mentioned that our club had been ask to demonstrate a shag dance at the “Phlock to the Beach”
at the Cape Fear Jet Port on April 18th. We’ve been requested to demo from 5:30-6:00 PM.
There were not committee reports.
Ellen is going to get in touch with John Carpenter to ask if he will come to our next meeting to discuss the sales tax
and tax identification questions that we have about what is the best route for our club to file.
Next meeting will be at Bahre Willis’ house, 1620 Golfers RDG SE Bolivia, phone 910-754-5370.
Meeting adjourned at 7:30 PM.
Minutes Submitted by: Pam Bacon, Secretary
Executive Committee Meeting Minutes - April 1, 2015...
May Birthdays...
2nd… Judy Elledge
11th… Sara Beth Russell
21st… Steve Smith
23rd… Donna Davis
23rd… Bill Loyd
26th… David Rogers
29th… Sandra Bruton
29th… Peter Chesterton
John Clary
May 2015 The Beach Beat ! Page 3
May DJ Information...
Fellow SOBS,
We are having lots of great opportunities to dance this year. SOS was great and
many of us gathered at the OD Resort to listen to DJ Chigger Woods who played for
the SOBS recently at the Lazy Turtle. Our parade entrants sure had a good time at
the “Free Pour” and dancing at the OD Pavilion made for a great Saturday afternoon.
Spinning the discs for our dances this month are:
Jimmy Buffkin at the VFW Friday, May 8th
and
Gene Sistare, Friday, May 22nd at the Brunswick County Southport Senior Center
Jimmy Buffkin was born and raised in the Carolinas. Jimmy now lives in North Myrtle Beach, SC
and is a staff DJ at Fat Harold’s Beach Club at Ocean Drive, North Myrtle Beach. His career
spans the last 15+ years and he has been a member of the Association of Beach and Shag Club
DJ’s for the past 10 years. He loves to take requests and says if he has it, he will play it. Let’s
all look forward to Friday, May 8th at the VFW.
On May 22nd, Gene Sistare will be playing for us. Gene Sistare has played for us before and
keeps the dance floor full. He is from Lancaster, South Carolina. Gene has been involved with
the Lancaster Shag Club since 1993 and began doing DJ work in 1997. Since 2000 he has been
a staff DJ at the Beach Music Cafe and at the Spanish Galleon in the Ocean Drive Beach Resort.
In addition he is a staff DJ at Fat Harold’s Beach club where he plays each month and during
SOS events. Gene is a lifetime member of the Association of Beach and Shag Club DJ’s and is
also a member of the National Association of Rhythm and Blues DJ’s, he has played for over 50
different Shag clubs over the years. Gene is one of the DJ’s on the Embers Band “Making Waves”
cruise. Put it on your calendar and put on your dancing shoes. Hope to see you all on the dance floor!
John Hutton, DJ Selection
From our Friends at Coastal Shag Club...
Our dance this month is on Saturday, May 16, “Flower Power” Shag Dance at The Moose Lodge, 253
Holden Beach Road, Shallotte, NC. Cost is $5/CSC members and members of other Shag Clubs, $8/all
other guests. Time: 7:00 to 10:30 PM, with DJ Terry McPhail. Fantastic, large, wooden dance floor;
50/50; cash bar; please bring a snack or dessert to share, non-smoking dance room. We're located
just 20 minutes north of Ocean Drive and Main Street. Come join Brunswick
County's friendliest shag club!
Any questions, contact Pat Boyd at [email protected]
Visit their website at: www.coastalshagclub.org
May 2015 The Beach Beat ! Page 4
Meet some of our Members ...
Chuck & Gayle… retired in 2008 and decided
to leave NJ and move South into a warmer climate.
After visiting a few different communities they
decided to make Winding River Plantation home.
They lived in one of the area’s condominiums until
their house was complete in 2010. It was a difficult
decision to make to leave their small family and
many friends behind, but also a decision they are
happy they made.
Gayle retired from Verizon just 2 weeks before
moving. Chuck decided to work for AT&T until their
home was completed.
Their most favorite pastime is playing golf and both
are members of Carolina National Golf Club. Chuck
has been playing for many years and Gayle began shortly after their move here.
Now they have a new interest which is Shag Dancing! They took lessons in 2009 without much success and decided to
put dancing on the back burner. However, their friends, Joe & Kathy Malinowski began dancing and joined the SOBS.
Then their friends, George & Jean McVeigh followed their lead. Then Ray & Mary Jane McQuade and Bahre & Brenda
Willis joined! With all of them living on the same street how could they not give it another try? They signed up for the
classes at Winding River Property Owners’ Club House given by Chuck and Sandy Boney, but with a much better
outcome!
They joined the club this year and have truly enjoyed themselves. They even drove a car in the parade during this
years SOS Spring Safari in North Myrtle Beach. They are hooked on being SOBS!
Our April 10th “Spring” SOBS dance was at the Oak Island VFW. This was also the first time DJ David “Hey Boy” Harris
played for us. David is a Tennessee native but, now lives in Cherry Grove Beach, S.C. We had 48 SOBS in attendance,
2 re-ups, 2 new members, 4 members from other shag club, and 2 guests. WELCOME to our newest members, Joy
Langdon and Judy Kelley. We hope to see you at all of our dances. The “potluck” was delicious and plentiful as usual!
Thanks to the members who brought those great dishes and desserts for the potluck!
WELCOME to our New Members & Guests...
GUESTS:
Linda Gary
Kathy Martin
MEMBERS OF OTHER SHAG CLUBS:
Tom & Linda Romero Brent & Sharon Craft
May 2015 The Beach Beat ! Page 5
2015 Dance & Party Schedule (Subject to Change!)...
The Society of Brunswick Shaggers is a proud member of The Association of Carolina Shag Clubs (ACSC) and SOS (Society of Stranders).
The SOS Website can be found at: www.shagdance.com
DATE LOCATION ENTERTAINMENT
MAY 8 VFW POST #10226, OAK ISLAND, NC JIMMY BUFFKIN
MAY 22 BRUNSWICK COUNTY SOUTHPORT SENIOR CENTER GENE SISTARE
JUNE 12 VFW POST #10226, OAK ISLAND, NC ROY CHILDRESS
JUNE 26 BRUNSWICK COUNTY SOUTHPORT SENIOR CENTER BUTCH ADEIMY
JULY 1 OAK ISLAND BEACH DAY
JULY 10 VFW POST #10226, OAK ISLAND, NC “CHIGGER” WOODS
JULY 24 BRUNSWICK COUNTY SOUTHPORT SENIOR CENTER JERRY BURRAGE
AUGUST 14 VFW POST #10226, OAK ISLAND, NC MIKE HUDSON
AUGUST 28 BRUNSWICK COUNTY SOUTHPORT SENIOR CENTER TERRY McPHAIL
SEPTEMBER 11 VFW POST #10226, OAK ISLAND, NC EDDIE BAKER
SEPTEMBER 18-27 SOS FALL MIGRATION - N. MYRTLE BEACH, SC
SEPTEMBER 19 SOBS (FREE POUR) @ O.D. PAVILION, N. MYRTLE BEACH, SC
SEPTEMBER 25 BRUNSWICK COUNTY SOUTHPORT SENIOR CENTER ROBERT CARTER
OCTOBER 9 VFW POST #10226, OAK ISLAND, NC BETTY BROWN
OCTOBER 24 BRUNSWICK COUNTY SOUTHPORT SENIOR CENTER (CLUB FUNDRAISER) “FESSA” JOHN HOOK
NOVEMBER 13 VFW POST #10226, OAK ISLAND, NC BILL RUTH
DECEMBER 12 MOOSE LODGE FAMILY CENTER, OAK ISLAND, NC JERRY BURRAGE
May 2015 The Beach Beat ! Page 6
2015 SOS Spring Safari Parade...
Fellow Club members,
“Thank you” to all SOBS who took a chance on the weather and made the parade such a success. The 2015 SOS
Parade is a great memory. Our tradition continues with our 3rd year in a row of placing ‘Runner Up’ behind the OD
Shag Club which has 800+ members and the “home field” advantage. A slight drizzle didn’t dampen the fun time at
the tailgate. Great food and conversation got the day off right. As folks arrived, the decorations went on the cars,
head scarves were tied, hats adjusted and plates filled. At 12:30 last minute instructions went out, the music started
and the parade began on time at 1PM. The rain stopped just as our “shagging troupe” entry pulled out into the street,
the tops went down, and the fun continued. The cars in our entry were impressive and represented years from 2015
back to 1955. Our flag bearers and walkers handed out beads and pinwheels as they interacted with the crowd. We
would like to especially thank the drivers for taking a chance on the weather and for accommodating last minute
riders as the rain changed the dynamics of walkers & riders. We had over 60 participants this year, so plan to be a
part of the fun in 2016!
Our “Freepour” at the Pavilion was a great time with some great conversation, socializing and dancing in sight of the
ocean. There was a good crowd and some great music right there on the beach “Where it all began!”
If you have any of the decorations: 45’s, CD’s, flags or flag poles, please contact me to make return arrangements.
Thanks again for making this another great event for our club.
John Hutton & Katy O’Neill
Well, your first opportunity to buy/renew our memberships to SOS (Society of Stranders) has gone by with the cele-
bration of the SOS Spring Safari. But, the SOS Fall Migration will be here before you know it. Our President, Ellen
Wester currently has 2015 Cards in her possession for sale for $30 ($35 at North Myrtle Beach).
Below are the 2015 Fall dates for SOS at North Myrtle (better known as Ocean Drive or OD).
Fall Migration - September 18-27 (Fun Sunday 9/20, Fun Monday 9/21)
You will need this Membership Card to enter any of the participating Clubs during the above dates. You may
purchase a one night admission at the door for $10 if you do not wish to purchase a card. No Card is needed for the
OD Pavilion. See Ellen at any of our dances if you wish to purchase a Card. Make checks payable to the Society of
Brunswick Shaggers or simply “SOBS”.
Calling all Shaggers...
May 2015 The Beach Beat ! Page 7
The History of the Society of Brunswick Shaggers...
Butch Underwood has compiled a three volume history of our club that began in
March’s Beach Beat. Below is the last of three volumes… enjoy!
Volume Three
In February of 2000 a meeting of the Executive Board of the SOBS was held, at the home of John and Pam Evans, to
effectively disband the Club. John Hutton and Katy O’Neill attended the meeting and were summoned immediately
upon entering the room. John Hutton was told that if he did not take over the Club at that time (along with the Treas-
ury of $25 and six Members), that the Club would cease to exist! John agreed to take the Presidency and he and Katy
set upon the task of reviving the Club and search for a home base for it. In other words, the two of them held all of
the Board positions between them.
Our Club history is the least clear between early 2000 and February 2002. The following is known for sure: (1) The
Club was under the direction of John and Katy; (2) The Club was moved from Shallotte to Oak Island (Long Beach at
that time); and (3) The Club danced when and where it could and everyone had a good time! The SOBS were deter-
mined to survive and thus resorted to meeting and dancing at various places. The listing at the end of this article
documents most of the bars and private homes that were used. It sounds like a lot of work and effort went into a fun
time.
The SOBS were first involved with the NC 4th of July Festival in 2002 by officiating a Shag Contest. One of our mem-
bers, Phil White, put the contest together and it was held during the Breeze Band break. We even had some Club
Members place second! We have since run the Shag Contest for the last ten years.
A place to call home was finally found in January of 2004. The Oak Island VFW was anxious for the SOBS to become a
regular party. The second Friday each month was designated to be the party night on the Island. This meant that we
no longer had to compete with the general public in the local bars. The Club also voted to institute a $2 cover charge
for Members and $5 for guests to defray the cost of food and DJ’s.
Later on that year discussion arose concerning a second dance each month, at least on a trial basis. The Membership
approved the additional dance and plans were made to move forward on a second dance at the Moose Lodge in 2005.
In the interim, the VFW had grown into disrepair and there was a question as to the continuation of the SOBS relation-
ship. Cooler heads prevailed and the VFW management upgraded the facilities and assured the Club that they would
do what was necessary to keep it there.
In 2004-2005 the Club made a grand step into the computer age by publishing the Newsletter on the Website (thank
you Ken Koehly). There had been an earlier attempt, but the Club was not quite ready for it. The old reliable Phone
Tree was still in place and snail mail delivered the Newsletter to those without computers. Since 2005, the Club has
operated pretty much as it does presently. That is to say that the Executive Committee meets once each month; we
generally meet to dance twice per month; our parties are open to the public, but are controlled by the Club; we have
our selected charities; and the purpose of our Club remains: “to perpetuate and preserve the Shag Dance; to perpetu-
ate and preserve Beach Music and the atmosphere surrounding the Dance; and to create and maintain an environ-
ment conducive to the Dance.”
May 2015 The Beach Beat ! Page 8
The History of the Society of Brunswick Shaggers (Cont’d)...
Volume Three
SOBS, consider yourselves fortunate to belong to as strong a Club as the Society of Brunswick Shaggers. Our Mem-
bership has fluctuated from 70 in 1993; 6 in 2000; 217 in 2010; and hovering at 192 at the present. This short his-
tory cannot approach the complete story of our 20+ years. I am sure that I have overlooked some elements, but I
have attempted to include those of importance. Take a look at listings of Presidents, dance venues (including private
homes), charities, awards, and teachers from the past. Remember: You can’t have fun if you aren’t there dancing!
My thanks to those who kept records in the past years for the Club and those who offered their input so that I could
remain as accurate as possible.
Butch Underwood
Footnotes 1 & 2: The first President Charles Smith (1993) was not the same person as the eleventh President Charles Smith (2003).
Imagine that, two Presidents with the same name!
Club Presidents
Charles Smith (1) 1993
Roy Hunter 1994
Gerri Floyd 1995
John Evans 1996
JD Dutton 1997
Irene Shreve 1998
Vic Gillespie 1999
John Hutton 2000
John Hutton 2001
John Hutton 2002
Charles Smith (2) 2003
Bill Ruth 2004
Lynn Moore 2005
Ken Koehly 2006
Chuck Boney 2007-2008
Butch Underwood 2009-2010
Rock Hall 2011
Mamie Brown 2012-2013
Robert Carter 2014
Ellen Wester...
Teachers of the Dance
Phil & Bonnie White
Henry & Johnnie Webster
Johnnie Webster
Susie Harvey
John Hutton & Katy O’Neill
Chuck & Sandy Boney
Awards
Bronze & Sliver Certificates-VFW Operation Uplink
Carolina Beach Music Award Nomination for Operation Uplink
5 placements in SOS Parade
Places Where We Have Danced
Public Bars
Meeting Street
Brierwood Clubhouse
Lockwood Folly
DAV Building
American Legion
Steamers
Iris’s
The 19th Green
Fat Harold’s
Betty’s Waterfront Restaurant
Captain Willie’s
Greenbacks
Chasers Beach Club
Shucker’s
Oak Island VFW
Oak Island Moose Lodge
The Whale
Duffers
MCR Entertainment
Oak Island Elks Lodge
Jimmy’s Café
Dry Dock
Turtle Island
OD Pavilion
Private Homes
Kuhnemann Residence
Forsey Residence
Capra Residence
Rhyne Residence
Kowalchuk Residence
Mammay Residence
Hedgepath Residence
Charities We Support...
VFW Operation Uplink
Mooseheart Child City and School
New Hope Clinic
Southport Oak Island Animal Rescue
VFW Women’s Auxiliary
Coastal Shag Club Activities
Toys for Children of Oak Island
Brunswick County Food Bank
May 2015 The Beach Beat ! Page 9
Pictures from 04/25/15 “SOS Spring Safari” Parade & Free Pour...
May 2015 The Beach Beat ! Page 10
More Pictures from 04/25/15...
May 2015 The Beach Beat ! Page 11
More Pictures from 04/25/15...
May 2015 The Beach Beat ! Page 12
SOBS Membership Application Form (PLEASE PRINT!)…