48th CALLERLAB Convention
Milestone Award
Tuesday, April 25, 2023
Presented by Dana Schirmer
Tonight I will be presenting a CALLERLAB Milestone Award. I am very excited to do so for several reasons. First, it is a CALLERLAB Milestone Award. Second I know the recipient and feel honored to make this presentation. Third, I finally get to make this presentation. This award was unanimously approved by the Executive Committee in the Fall of 2019 and was to be presented at the 2020 CALLERLAB Convention at this location. Due to the pandemic, that convention was canceled. It was rescheduled to be presented in 2021 but again, that convention was canceled also. It was considered for presentation at the 2022 convention, but after talking to the recipients’ spouse, it was noted that Reno was a special location for them and we decided to defer until this convention.
As most know, the CALLERLAB Milestone is the highest award presented by CALLERLAB. Due to time restraints, I will not read the requirements and will simply get on with the presentation. But first, I would like to recognize those individuals in the audience tonight that have previously received this high honor and ask that they stand as I read their names and remain standing until I have finished reading all names. Please hold your applause until I have finished, Milestone Recipients Attending Convention
Vic & Debbie Ceder, Barry & Pam Clasper. Wade Driver, Ed Foote, Betsy Gotta, Jon Jones, Deborah Carroll-Jones, Melton Luttrell, Tony Oxendine, Mike Seastrom, and Dottie Welch.
On a dare, our recipient started calling in November of 1973. The club he was dancing with conducted an amateur night, and members persuaded him into a slot. After that evening he was hooked; records couldn’t be made quick enough for him to learn. He started conducting “Dance Parties” for local organizations, and soon thereafter obtained his first club, another step into the world of square dance calling.
In October of 1987 he devoted all his energy toward square dance calling on a full time basis, touring extensively across the United States and into Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, England, Finland, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Norway, and Sweden. He was on the staff of various resorts, dance festivals and as an accredited caller coach, on staff of many caller schools and caller training seminars. There was more to it than just calling dances; a lot of professional training and education was needed to maintain his calling abilities, which ranged from Basics through Challenge 1.
He shared his talents with many other callers and dance groups. He was a true visionary who presented innovative and passionate leadership to CALLERLAB and the square dance activity. He was a showman of many talents and his unique style of entertaining is still emulated by many other callers today. Having performed in several jazz choirs in college, our recipient was a trained musician and developed many twists to his singing routines. His enthusiasm was overflowing! He served 18 years on the Board of Governors, eleven years on the Executive Committee and three terms as Chairman of the Board. He was instrumental in the creation of the CALLERLAB Foundation by assisting in preparing the business structure and 501- c-3 tax exemption status. He was also instrumental in promoting the CALLERLAB Foundation, serving four years as Vice Chairman and three years as Chairman of the CALLERLAB Foundation Fund Raising Committee. During this time he helped coordinate fund raising events that brought in more than $100,000 to the CALLERLAB Foundation.
He attended 31 CALLERLAB Conventions and was a presenter at most all of these conventions. The Mainstream and Plus Teaching Hints documents, that he co authored, twenty years ago are still utilized today. He was co-author of the Condensed Teach Method. He was always willing to share any information he had with any caller that would ask. He published many square dance articles and documents on his website that were available to callers and dancers without cost. These documents have now been donated to CALLERLAB and appear on our website.
On August 29, 2016, CALLERLAB lost a dedicated leader, square dancers lost a remarkable talent and many of us lost a dear friend.
Ladies and Gentlemen it is my great honor and privilege to present the CALLERLAB Milestone Award to Tim Marriner. We are happy to have Tim’s wife Donna with us tonight who will be accepting the award