Presented by Wade Driver
CALLERLAB has a special form of recognition for some of its Members entitled “The Gold Card” or Life Membership in CALLERLAB. This recognition of service is awarded those who have “paid it forward” through years of service and devotion both to CALLERLAB and the activity of which it is a part. Today, it is my honor and privilege to present this award to one of our long-standing Members. To date, 23 Members have been presented this award, and I can think of none more deserving than today’s recipient.
This man is known by many names: “Kid Caller;” “Energizer Bunny”; “Tooth Fairy”; “Doc”; and many more. All with love and respect. I know him simply as “friend.”
My friend began actively calling in 1963 at the age of 12. Mentored primarily by Bob Osgood, Bruce Johnson, Bob van Antwerp, his talent and enthusiasm for calling has always been evident. In 1977, he joined CALLERLAB and has been a stalwart Member and activist since that day. He received his 50-year calling recognition in 2013 and has attended 42
CALLERLAB Conventions. He served on the Board of Governors from1984-2002. He served 5 terms on the Executive Committee. He was chairman of the board from 1992-1994 He was the first head of the Guild of Pride and served as chairman of the Basic/Mainstream Committee in 2005 and 2006. He writes for American Square Dance Magazine monthly. As past chairman, he has been chairman of the Ethics Committee. He has also been chairman of the Ad Hoc Multi-cycle Classes Committee, chairman of the Marketing
Committee, and chairman of the Square Dance Issues Committee. He is the first chair of the newly formed Social Connections Committee. He is also a Milestone Award recipient.
Over the past quarter century, he has been involved in many areas of the square dance world. He attended contra callers’ school in 1975, has been a Member of CALLERLAB since
1977, the Lloyd Shaw Foundation since 1980, CONTRALAB since 1990, Western Callers Association since 1992, California Contra Callers Association since 1992, and has been
teaching Multicycle square dance lessons since 1994. He has developed and, has conducted weekly multi-cycle square dance lessons since 1994. This ongoing program
features overlapping classes with three sessions starting each year and with hosting club’s members participating in each weekly session. The sponsoring club, incidentally, is one of the largest and healthiest in the state of California. He has worked untiringly over the years on the broad scale of American square dancing involving the many facets of the activity.
Early on, he recorded square dances for Wild West Records, Thunderbird Records, Global Records, and Sets in Order Premium Records. For the past 40 years, he has been a staff
caller for Rhythm Records. And, by the way, still has a full-time job.
This man has been an ambassador for square and round dancing around the world for well over 40 years. He and his wife are well known and held in the highest esteem in Japan,
Europe, Scandinavia, Australia, and well, all over the world. In each of those places, he has been an especially good representative of CALLERLAB. He has escorted groups to New
Zealand, Australia, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, while also delivering planned impromptu seminars with callers and dance leaders as well.
It is with great respect and humility that I present the CALLERLAB Gold Card Award to my closest friend, Dr. Mike Seastrom.