Whirl and Twirl

Next Outgoing Raids

August 14th
Allamanders

Next Incoming Raids

August 20th
Space Trackers

Banner raids are a tongue-in-cheek ritual used to promote visits of square dance clubs with each other.
The Banner itself in this context is usually a rectangular cloth replica of the club’s parade banner
(see the Whirl & Twirl 'Blue Bandits' banner above)
A banner is “won” or Stolen when members of one club visit another and the visited club will award their banner.
A banner is then “retrieved” when the visited club likewise visits the visiting club.

The Commandments of Banner Games

Members required to constitute a raiding party are four or more couples attending a regularly scheduled, open square dance of the host club with the intention of retrieving their own banner or capturing the host club's banner.

If two or more clubs desire to raid the same host club at a regularly scheduled dance, either the club having the most members present or the club that came the farthest will be entitled to the host club's banner. This decision will be left to the discretion of the host club. However, to retrieve its own banner, only four couples need to be present.

A club can capture a banner or retrieve a banner on a visit to the host club, but not at the same time. It takes a visit to retrieve, and a visit to capture. If the raiding club's banner is exhibited at the host club dance, the raiding club may only retrieve its own banner.

Couples who may be members of the raiding club and the host club, will not be able to represent more than one club on a given date. The badge of the members will determine the status, and it should be required that general admission be paid to the host club's dance. If you are a paid-up member of the host club, you should pay an extra admission to be a member of the raiding party.

A raiding member must wear the raiding club's badge and pay regular club admission to the host club. He/she must also register as one of the raiding party in the host club's guest book.

If you are going to be a thief, be a good one and abide by the rules. The raiding party is responsible for the care of the host club's traveling banner.

"Take it (square dancing), enjoy it, and keep it wholesome. The activity is yours to protect - not just for the present, but for future generations who will love and enjoy it as you do."

WHIRL & TWIRLSQUARE DANCECLUB

The Commandments of Banner Games

WHIRL & TWIRL
SQUARE DANCE
CLUB