Cypress Swingers

The Cypress Swingers Dance Club was organized in 1971 and held their first anniversary dance in 1972. Several couples wanted to form a club and contacted a local caller, Berry Medford. Medford said he would give square dance lessons if they could get 100 couples to participate.

A head square was formed by the Puddles, Copelands, Kings, and Moormeons. They began calling everyone they knew and came up with 100 couples; and lessons began. Berry Medford was to be the club caller; but after 15 lessons he left to do recordings. Wayne Baldwin, Lem Gravelle, J.D. Norris, and Pat Barbour continued the lessons.

After graduation, officers were elected and it was voted to remain a "guest caller" club, and a "couples only" club. Dances were to be from 8 to 11 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays at Arnold Jr. High School in the Cypress Fairbanks School District.

Pat Barbour taught lessons for several years, as did Moe Odom, Bernie Youngblood, Pat Kotal, and Paul Foster.

None of the original group of square dancers remain with the Cypress Swingers.

The Cypress Swingers joined the Houston Square and Round Dance Council (HSRDC) in 1976. The practice of banner stealing did not begin until 1979. From July 1984 to June 1995, a visitation program was started to visit every square dance club in the HSRDC. Cypress Swingers visited 61 clubs or square dance functions that year with at least one square or more. From 1983 to 1987, Cypress Swingers were the best in ticket sales for the Houston area for the Texas State Festival.

The first annual hot dog special was held June 21, 1983. It was always held as a pre 4th of July dance, being the last dance in June. The club got the idea of having a dance at that time because the National Square Dance Convention was always on that day; and this gave those who did not attend a special dance also. That first Hot Dog Dance included a half-time skit and a belly dance performance while people ate their delicious dogs.

The last hot dog dance was held at Cook Jr. High on the 4th Sat. of June, 1995. Attendance had gone down and by then everyone was having hot dog dances, so it was decided to call it quits.

In 1991, the Cypress Swingers voted to change the bylaws to allow the surviving spouse of a club member to remain with the club as an active member. The surviving spouse would pay ½ the dues, not be required to be a head host/hostess, and could serve as an officer of the club if he/she so desired.

In 1995, the club made another change to the bylaws; the time of the dances was changed to 7:30 - 10:30 PM. One other major change took place in April 1995; the Cypress Swingers moved their dances from Cook Jr. High to the Square Dance Center.

Sometime between 1995 and 1999, the time was changed to 7:00 - 10:00 PM. At the annual meeting in June 2000, the club voted to change the bylaws to allow singles to join the club; also, he/she would be required to serve as head host/hostess.

On Sept 14, 2008, the Square Dance Center was flooded with 2 feet of water in a rainstorm following Hurricane Ike. Dances were temporarily moved to the Memorial Lutheran Church, while the search for a new permanent home was conducted.