Sun Coast Wranglers

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Location: Tampa, FL, USA

Started: 1991

Admitted to IAGSDC: 04 Jul 1992 as Full Member

Status: Folded, 1994

History: Club founded by Ron Smith and Jim Dykes

From the Program Book of the 10th IAGSDC Convention, held in Seattle, WA in 1993:
Sun Coast Wranglers began in October 1991, when a group of gay people, several of whom had previously square danced came together at Moody's Cafe, in Tampa, Florida, to start a gay and lesbian club for the Tampa Bay area. Ron Smith, who was an experienced square dancer agreed to call for the club. While the club learned square dancing, Ron learned calling.
The South Florida Mustangs, gave The Wranglers an immediate sense of being part of the community of the IAGSDC. During the first cross over from basic to mainstream, in January, 1992, The Mustangs came to Tampa to celebrate with The Wranglers. Also during that January, a second class was started.
In July, 1992, The Wranglers were admitted to full membership in the IAGSDC, attending the convention with three dancers. During the preceding months, the strength and quality of both the dancing and calling grew, as the first class graduated to full mainstream dancing and the second class crossed over from basic to mainstream class.
In October, 1992,The Wranglers, hit two milestones: its first anniversary as a club, and a major public exhibition. The Tampa Bay Pride Film Festival is a major event every year, bringing together a large number of the members of our community. At the Sunday afternoon dance, marking the end of the Film Festival, The Wranglers, with caller Ron Smith, did several exhibition calls which were greeted with thunderous applause from the hundreds of spectators. This exhibition resulted, not only in additional dancers for the Fall, 1992 class but over two squares for the following January class.
As The Wranglers come up on their second anniversary, the club plans to start its first plus level class and looks forward to sending dancers to REMAKE THE CIRCLE in Seattle.

Classes:

Club Caller[s]: Ron Smith

Levels:

Dance Location[s]: Moody's Cafe

Fly-Ins Hosted:

Conventions Hosted: