About the Hoedown
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Why We Have Conventions


Flags of 5 countries
Photo courtesy of Dave Hayes Mocci, 2001 Sundance Convention, Ft Lauderdale, FL, USA
Flags of Canada, United Kingdom, United States, Germany, and The Netherlands


According to Jerri Goldberg, one of the seven IAGLCWDC's Founding Members new tab/window, the original purpose of our organization was "to foster communication and networking".

This resulted in the establishment of an Annual Convention with the purpose of fulfilling our greater list of purposes as stated in our bylaws:

  1. To promote the culture of and provide education in country western dancing, activities and music to all persons without regard to age, sex, gender or gender identity, religion, national or cultural origin, sexual orientation, disability or HIV status.
  2. To provide opportunities to its individual members for education in country western dancing as well as to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas among the member clubs.
  3. To support and encourage the growth of its membership and improve communication among the member clubs.
  4. To be a non-governing body of individual clubs.
The by-product of all this is that we get to dance and have fun together.

So join in! Get involved! And above all, have fun doing it!
3 Awards



Golden Hoe Award

The Golden Hoe At IAGLCWDC hoedowns and conventions, we're all about dancing and fundraising, but just as importantly, we're all about having fun while we do it.

One of the ways we make sure everyone has a good time is to give an award "to that individual at an I.A.G.L.C.W.D.C. Convention who has been outrageous, noticed, and generally", through this person's actions, made sure that folks "had the best damn time at the convention".

This award is called The Golden Hoe Award.

A ballot box and special ballots will be placed at the Registration Table on Saturday evening during the dance and the winner will be announced at the General Membership Meeting during the traditional Sunday Brunch. Any registered attendee can vote and ballot stuffing is allowed!

Here is a history of the Golden Hoe Award, written by past Chair Tony Fay:

The 1st Toronto Big City Hoe Award was awarded in 1993. In 1999 at the Toronto convention was still called the "Big City Hoe" award as the convention was held at the same time as our usual hoedown event. In 2000 the Big City Hoe Award was awarded in Houston by the CC Wranglers as a continuing tradition as the Big City Hoedown group had disbanded and we (CC Wranglers) were going to continue the tradition until such time as there was no longer a Toronto club. At the meeting in Houston, Allan Blume proposed that the Big City Hoe award become a permanent fixture of the IAGLCWDC and that the award be renamed the "Golden Hoe". Therefore making the 1st official Golden Hoe to be awarded in Provincetown.

Club Service Award

Club Service Award Sample The Club Service Award was created in 2001 at the annual convention in Fort Lauderdale, to be award annually to a member club "for extraordinary effort promoting the spirit of the IAGLCWDC and the gay and lesbian country-western community".

Other criteria are:

  1. Awarded at Annual Convention
  2. Nominees accepted throughout the year, coordinated by the Vice-Chair
  3. Recipient club voted by Executive Board (one club, one vote)
  4. Nominations open to all members of IAGLCWDC, except current office holder
  5. Any individual member of a member club can nominate for the Club Service Award.
  6. Only the DELEGATE from each club may vote.
  7. Service award coordinated by Vice-Chair
  8. Presentation of Award announced at General Membership meeting

Nominations should be submitted new tab/window AT LEAST one week prior to The Houston Hoedown so that the Vice Chair will have time to receive them. If you submit your nomination later than that, you run the risk of not getting it to the Vice Chair in time.

Past awardees are

Annual Club
2019 Seattle Southern Country Chattanooga new tab/window
2018 Louisville no nominations
2017 Miami no nominations
2016 Columbus Club Bolo new tab/window
2015 Montréal no nominations
2014 Denver Rain Country Dance Association new tab/window
2013 Seattle no nominations
2012 New Orleans no nominations
2011 Philadelphia no nominations
2010 Austin Columbus Stompers new tab/window
2009 Washington DC Southern Country Chattanooga
2008 Tampa Southern Line Atlanta
2007 Altanta Club Bolo
2006 New York City no nominations
2005 Dallas Sundance Association
2004 Columbus Othersiders
2003 Montreal Southern Country South Florida
2002 Norfolk none
2001 Fort Lauderdale year created


Dancing Boots Award

Dancing Boots The Dancing Boots Award aka Individual Service Award was created in 2000 at the annual convention in Houston, to be award annually to an individual member "for service about and beyond in fostering the spirit of gay and lesbian country-western dancing and the IAGLCWDC".

Other criteria are:
  1. Awarded at Annual Convention
  2. Nominees accepted throughout the year, coordinated by the Vice-Chair
  3. Recipient voted by Executive Board (one club, one vote)
  4. Nominations open to all members of IAGLCWDC, except current office holder
  5. Any individual member of a member club can nominate for the Dancing Boots Award.
  6. Only the DELEGATE from each club may vote.
  7. Service award coordinated by Vice-Chair
  8. Presentation of Award announced at General Membership meeting
Nominations should be submitted new tab/window AT LEAST one week prior to The Houston Hoedown so that the Vice Chair will have time to receive them. If you submit your nomination later than that, you run the risk of not getting it to the Vice Chair in time.

Past awardees are:
Annual Individual
2019 Seattle no nominations
2018 Louisville no nominations
2017 Miami Dan Poeppelman
2016 Columbus Lori Boldman and Sara Ernest
2015 Montréal Jon Lee
2014 Denver Don Curran
2013 Seattle Tony Labella
2012 New Orleans Charlie Monroe
2011 Philadelphia no nominations
2010 Austin Deron Pardue
2009 Washington DC Shawn Swaithes
2008 Tampa Helen Foshee
2007 Altanta Lee Fox
2006 New York City Jim Chakeres
2005 Dallas Hal Moss
2004 Columbus Dave Hayes Mocci
2003 Montreal Jerri Goldberg
2002 Norfolk Paul Ross
2001 Fort Lauderdale Rebecca Heyman
2000 Houston year created
IAGLCWDC 501(c)(3) Status


The Officers of the Board of Directors of the International Association of Gay/Lesbian Country Western Dance Clubs are pleased to maintain on record that as of June 22, 2006, we were and remain officially recognized new tab/window by the United States Internal Revenue Service as a Charitable Non-Profit Corporation under the provisions of Paragraph 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code.
Q & A


etc
More Info
For any additional information, please contact
Jim Chakeres
Jim Chakeres

Convention Director

Sponsors


Silver Sponsorship $1000 USD
Copper Sponsorship — $250 USD

34 Host Sponsors


In random order: Claude Godbout ~ Jose Martinez ~ Daniel Craigmile ~ Charlie Monroe ~ Jim Coakley ~ Richard Sheftman ~ Alan Gaudet ~ Lori Boldman ~ Rob Ollander-Krane ~ Kimber Keany ~ Chad Graber New Mexico Dance Fiesta ~ Daniel Barutta ~ The LA Wranglers ~ Klint Kendrick ~ Drusilla Steele ~ Terry Chasteen ~ Jim Chakeres ~ Curtis Tutt ~ Scott Roewer ~ Eiki Yoshikawa ~ Cullen Ruff ~ Mark Evans ~ Michael Stevens ~ Keith Manning ~ Neon Boots Dancehall & Saloon ~ Lisa Coopersmith ~ Tony Labella ~ Cross The Line Dancing Houston ~ Ingu Yun ~ Danny Rideout ~ Joan McDonough

23 Clubs Attending


In random order: Club Bolo Danse Country Montreal ~ Gays for Patsy ~ Scandalous ~ Big Apple Ranch ~ Dancin' Divas ~ Rainbow Ranglers Dance Club ~ Big Easy Stompers ~ The Rocky Mountain Sway ~ The LA Wranglers ~ The Sundance Association for Country Western Dancing ~ Dance Ranch Palm Springs ~ Second City Country Dance Association ~ Mavericks ~ Manhattan Mustangs ~ Rain Country Dance Association ~ Toronto Wranglers ~ The Dairyland Dancers ~ Southern Line Atlanta ~ DC Rawhides ~ Southern Country Charlotte ~ San Diego Coasters ~ Columbus Stompers ~