TSCA Life Members
Jon Jones
The TSCA honored Jon for exceptional contributions to square dancing in the state of Texas on June 7, 1997.
"In Appreciation for Founding and Continued Support of The Texas State Callers Association Jon Jones is Hereby Awarded The Highest Honor Of Life Membership"
Jon helped organize both the North Texas Callers Association and the Texas State Callers Association, and was elected the first President of each organization. He has been a member of CALLERLAB since 1974, was elected to the Board of Governors in 1976 and served a two-year term (1979-1981) as the third Chairman of the Board. He was honored with the highest award from CALLERLAB, “The Milestone Award,” in 1985.
Jon has called dances, festivals, conducted workshops, week-long institutes, callers clinics and colleges in many of the States, Canada and several overseas countries as well. Jon was Chairman of the CALLERLAB Mainstream-Basics Committee for several years. He also served as Chairman of the CALLERLAB Caller Coach Committee for several years. He is a CALLERLAB Accredited Caller Coach.
Throughout the years, Jon discovered that his busy schedule with the activity and the people of square dancing has been a most rewarding experience. He believes that square dancing is the best hobby and recreation in which anyone can indulge: “Square Dancing is an Expression of Joy.”
Jon lives in Arlington, Texas with his wife Deborah Carroll-Jones, who is also a caller and an Accredited Caller Coach. He and Deborah occupy their limited spare time with doing as little as possible.
Jon has recordings with Square L, Kalox, Blue Star and Global.
Ray Smith
The TSCA honored Ray for exceptional contributions to square dancing in the state of Texas. (Date unknown)
Ray has been one of the most colorful callers in the business. A teacher in the public schools for 37 years he started calling squares in 1939. Without a sound system and microphone to project his calls he developed the ability to pitch his voice over the sounds of the crowd so that all could hear. Shortly after the close of WWII, fortunately, Ray became the owner of an amplifier that enabled him to conduct three classes a year, each class averaging 30 squares of dancers.
One of the first callers to hit the traveling circuit, he was featured on many of the giant festivals and conventions. Ray was the author of the “Square Dance Handbook” and widely known for his publications on afterparties, he contributed to the many phases of the square dance activity. Ray’s afterparty workshops at the National Conventions always drew capacity crowds.
Ray recorded a series of calls for Capitol Records, produced his own Circle Eight label and made albums for several other companies.
Ray always insisted that his dancers danced properly. He perhaps gained this feeling about styling in 1947 when he and his wife, Mildred, attended Dr. Lloyd “Pappy” Shaw’s summer institute in Colorado Springs.
Ray was inducted into the Square Dance Hall of Fame in 1961. Ray passed away on March 8, 1996.
Guy Poland
The TSCA honored Guy for exceptional contributions to square dancing in the state of Texas on June 7, 1997.
Guy Poland was the leader that was instrumental to form the TSCA. He contacted all of the caller's associations across the state to get support. He was the first Secretary and was elected President in 1979-80.
Guy and his wife Joan took lessons in the fall of 1967 at the Stonesteppers with Bailey Campbell. In 1968 Guy was contacted about conducting lessons by his friend, John Tipton, to teach a set of lessons for a group at the Walnut Hill Recreation Center. The dancers then created the club Right Angles.
In 1969 Guy was called to Midway Christian Hills Church to call some beginner square dance lessons. After the lessons the Swinging Saints Club was formed.
Guy served as treasurer of the North Texas Callers Association in 1973 and then as president win 1974.
Jack & Ann von der Heide
TSCA, Life Member
Jack von der Heide
Awarded October 25, 2019
Presented by Jon Jones
Jack & Ann von der Heide
You can’t just talk about a single person; I have to talk about a couple. Jack & Ann von der Heide began square dancing in 1967 in Connecticut. They moved to this area a short time later (1972), and danced with several clubs. They took their first round dance lessons in 1979, and became members of the “Dallas Let’s Dancers” exhibition group who did exhibitions at numerous local and State festivals, and several National Conventions.
They began cueing and teaching rounds in 1985, and were featured at many events. They were Director of Workshops & Showcase of Rounds at the 1987 Nationals in Houston, and then again at the Nationals in San Antonio.
Jack served as President of the North Texas Callers Association (NTCA) in 1991, and was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award and membership in 1999.
In June 2001, this couple received the NORTEX Special President’s Award. At the 2012 RoundUp, they were presented the NORTEX Matus Lifetime Achievement
Award.
They were instructors for the Dancing Shadows for 17 years, and at the same time, were cuing for 4 square dance clubs (Circle 8, Texas Reelers, Stone Steppers, and Dixie Chainers. They were involved for several years with Harvest Holiday, including Chairman in 1986. They taught round dance classes for over 20 years, and received the Roundalab 30-year teaching award in 2015. In May of 2017, they celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary and 50 years of
continuous square dancing. Jack has been the secretary if the NTCA for several years. He was the first cuer to join the TSCA and wasTreasurer for 7 years.
Jack is the 4th person to be awarded this highest honor, and all 4 are/were, members of the NTCA. Our TSCA Constitution states: Life Membership shall be the highest honor that this Association may bestow.
Michele Vieira
The TSCA honored Michele for exceptional contributions to square dancing in the state of Texas on June 12, 2021
Michele Vieira has been a Round Dance Cuer since 1996 and became a Square Dance Caller in 2019. She has been an active member of TSCA since 2003. Since first joining the TSCA Board as a Trustee in 2010, Michele has been a stalwart champion of Square Dancing in the State of Texas. She has also made a prodigious impact on the Association: from her enthusiasm and organizational skills as Secretary to her administrative and managerial prowess as Vice President and further on to her steadfast leadership as President, her contributions have been immeasurable during her 12 years, and ongoing tenure, with the Board of the TSCA.
During Michele's time on the board, she has worked tirelessly in cooperation with the Texas State Federation of Square and Round Dancers (TSFSRD) to ensure that TSCA commitments were masterfully executed during Texas State Festivals. She was responsible for coordinating 4 TSCA Caller Clinics, going so far as to hire a CALLERLAB Accredited Training Coach from Europe who presented a fresh perspective of the craft to the entire TSCA Membership. She has received acclaim for articles that she wrote about the need to foster new dancers and some of the ways to do so. Her articles were published and even reprinted in regional, national, and internationally distributed periodicals.
Michele continues to serve on the Board as our Immediate Past President.