The Organizers of the Dances at the Guiding Star Grange met for the 4th time on 10/23/17, organized by the FGD board.

Representatives from most of the dance series were present. We discussed the “Dance Friend” button and introduced the “Wanted” poster that identifies the board members of FGD. Both are designed to encourage people to speak with us if they have any questions or concerns at any of the dances held at the Grange.  We also got agreement from the organizers to introduce the concept of Dance Friends from the stage.

We discussed the issue of how to support all the dancers who dance at the Grange, including those who identify across the gender spectrum. New bathroom signs were proposed and supported by the organizers. The upstairs single stall bathroom is now clearly marked as gender neutral and accessible. The other bathrooms state that gender diversity is welcomed, and people can use the bathroom that best fits their identity. Signs also remind people of the gender neutral bathroom.

Other conversations included whether we wanted to meet more than twice a year. Although it would be helpful to be able to discuss issues in person more often, we acknowledged that more frequent meetings would likely lead to poorer attendance. We opted to keep to twice a year at present, with extra meetings an option.

We spoke about how to encourage attendance at dances. Free passes and other suggestions were discussed. A smaller committee will explore options.

We adjourned after two hours, agreeing the meeting had been productive.