****
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD OUR MEMBERSHIP FORM ****
On March 15, 1993, a group of people (Shaggers, obviously!) met at
Meeting Street (logical place) in Shallotte, NC, with the purpose of
forming a Shag Club.
They stated the following reasons:
1) Promote Shag Dancing, 2) Social Interaction, 3) Meet with
other Clubs, 4) Sponsor a Charity, and 5) Form a Club for Fun and
Charity.
The organization would form with a minimum of 25 Charter Members.
Any new members would have to make a commitment to attend the
meetings at their new home base, Meeting Street.
Everyone joining would also be asked to serve on a committee
or in some capacity.
It was decided on March 29, 1993, that the Club name would be the
Society of Brunswick Shaggers, also known as the “SOBS”.
The aforementioned slate of officers was installed and the
By-Laws were accepted.
There is no mention of who authored the original By-Laws. By the
April 19, 1993 meeting, there were 42 members!
(No Socials YET!)
All of the new members had to be “sponsored” by a current member and
voted in by a majority of the members present!
The first Club social was held on May 15, 1993.
There were 65 to 70 in attendance and everyone was thrilled.
The SOBS were officially out of the gate.
The purpose of our Club in 1993 was – and remains today:
“to perpetuate and preserve the Shag Dance; to perpetuate and
preserve Beach Music and the atmosphere surrounding the Dance; and
to create and maintain an environment conducive to the Dance.”
For a complete history of our club thru March 2013,
click here...
SOBS History
For the recently approved SOBS By-Laws (April, 2016),
click here...
SOBS By-Laws
Our Current Board Members...
Chuck Boney, President
I'm
a transplant from Pennsylvania. My wife Sandy and I have always
been dancers. We settled In North Carolina 17 years ago and
fell in love with the Shag dance. We have been teaching the
dance for the last ten years. I have 4 children and 5 grand
children. I'm a Past President of the club and a member for the
last 12 years. We dance every chance we get.
Vice-President
I
was born in Charlotte and spent the later part of my childhood
in Germany. After high school I joined the Air Force and
served 4 years active duty and 5 years in the NC Air National
Guard. I recently retired after 24 years in public
service. Three and a half years ago I didn't know how to
dance. What sparked my interest was a family wedding where
I knew there would be plenty of dancing and I wanted to be able
to participate in the festivities. So I started taking
lessons with my lovely wife April who already had more rhythm
than I. Shortly thereafter we joined the SOB's and try not
to miss a dance. It is a wonderful group of people willing
to share their experiences and love of shag.
Karen Critcher, Secretary
I
was born in Virginia but spent my high school and college years
in Fayetteville,
NC going to the Azalea Festivals, OD and practicing my shag
dancing with door knobs. My husband Bill and I were in
Dallas, Texas for 40 years. Twenty of those years I
spent working for Southwest Airlines in Public Relations and as
a flight attendant. The latter 20 years I spent raising
our only son. We moved to Oak Island in 2013 when Bill
retired from United Airlines. SOBS was a great way to meet
new friends, connect to our new community and introduce Bill to
the world of shagging.
I
was born and raised in West Texas, growing up with Country and
Western music dancing to the Two-step, Schottische, Cotton-Eyed
Joe, etc.
Even taught my girlfriend
Lainey from Ohio how to do a little country dancing.
Yep, she hung around and
married me and yep, there’s still a pair of boots in a corner of
my closet, but I can’t wear the tight jeans anymore….
After 30 years of living in all of the unusual places the United
States Army could think of sending us, Lainey and I settled
here.
My duties had me making trips
to Sunny Point over the years, so we fell in love with the area.
Never heard of Shag dancing until we made our way to Coastal
Carolina for good in 2007.
We were introduced to the dance
of the South at free lessons given by John and Katy at “Chasers”
(now the Lazy Turtle).
We’ve continued to attend
classes at different venues most every year, but never seem to
graduate, which is fine…I need the practice.
We have found that our closest circle of friends is the Shagger
community and especially the SOBS.
We love going to the dances and
the social events that our club offers.
Joe Malinowski, Newsletter/Webmaster/Membership
My
wife Kathy & I both grew up in Detroit, MI. After the
USAF and a deployment to Vietnam, I saw that staying in Michigan
was not an option any more. After 30+ years in information
technology with the IRS and a government contractor, we retired
to Winding River Plantation here in Bolivia, NC. It was
our vacations to North Myrtle Beach and seeing the incredible
dancing at the OD Pavilion that we got hooked on shag dancing.
After taking
lessons from Henry & Johnnie Webster, John Hutton & Katy
O'Neill and Chuck & Sandy Boney, it was inevitable that we would
join the Society of Brunswick Shaggers. It has been one of
the best things we have enjoyed since moving down here in 2010. I'm the
Membership Chair, Newsletter Editor &
Webmaster. Hope you enjoy both!
Society of Brunswick Shaggers
P.O. Box 274
Oak Island, NC 28465
