Brief History of the Happy Hopper Square Dance Club

A non-profit organization, run by volunteers

In 1955, a group of 12 couples took square dance lessons sponsored by the preschool PTA at Roosevelt School, Pinehurst Beverly Park, Everett. The teacher-caller was Mr. Jack Fisher. The class joined a group dancing in the basement of the home of Peg and Laurie Nelson and danced at Recovery Hall.

In the spring of 1957, Jack Fisher talked about the Annual Washington Square Dance Festival. The group wanted to attend, but that required that they be members of a registered group. The Happy Hopper Dance Club was formed. Some of the Happy Hoppers went to the festival in Yakima that year and have been going ever since.

In 1958, Doug & Pat Coleman were among the class of square dance students. Doug took an immediate and enthusiastic interest in square dancing, even to the point of asking if he could try his hand at a singing call or two. His talent was obvious, and Mr. Fisher often asked Doug to call a tip.

In 1960, Jack Fisher suddenly decided to give up calling, which left the Happy Hoppers without a caller. At that time, Doug volunteered to become the caller. The club was in existence for 3 or 4 years before adopting a logo or club banner. After most of the club had seen a sketch of a kangaroo copied from a Jiffy peanut butter promotional item, all agreed, and the kangaroo became the symbol of the Happy Hopper Square Dance Club.

The Happy Hoppers danced at Recovery Hall until 1961, then they moved to the Degree of Honor Hall. In 1963, the club started dancing at Floral Hall at Forest Park in Everett. After dancing there for 13 years, they moved in 1976 to the Tulalip Dance Barn in Marysville. In 1980, the club again moved to the Fidelity Grange in Marysville. In 1999, they moved to the Stillaguamish Senior Center (later, the Stilly Valley Center) in Smokey Point, north of Marysville.

Over the years, the Happy Hopper Square Dance Club has been honored for its participation and promotion of square dancing in and around the community. In 1990, Happy Hopper caller, Doug and Pat Coleman, were honored with the Almon F. Parker trophy. This trophy is given as an inspirational award to a caller/teacher for outstanding promotion of square dancing through years of service.

Doug & Pat Coleman continued to be the club's caller until 1999. Since then, the Happy Hoppers have used guest callers. Shirley and Bernie Cook had been the club's round dance cuer since 1960. In 2013 the club started using guest cuers, as well.

In 2000, Ila Williams was presented with the President's Award for years of exceptional service, because of her further development of square and round dancing within the State of Washington. At her passing, a Memorial Award was established in her honor.

In 2009, longtime Hopper members, Jean Raymond and Frank Rousseau, were awarded the Ila Williams Memorial Award.

For most of the decade from 2010 to 2019, the club continued to flourish. Membership increased with every new year, thanks in part to everyone’s recruiting efforts.

In February 2020, Covid 19 and a worldwide pandemic occurred, threatening the very existence of Square Dancing. Square Dancing as we know it came to a crashing halt, while our local and national leaders tried to figure out what we were dealing with. Businesses, schools, churches, and dance venues closed their doors, making clubs everywhere cancel their dances for the better part of 2020 and halfway through 2021. Even our monthly club business meetings had to resort to video conferencing during the shutdown. As multiple vaccines became available, and the general population became vaccinated, places started to re-open but with more restrictive rules. Our lessons and dances resumed in the Fall of 2021, following the Washington State covid protocols put in place.

In 2025, the Stilly Valley Center, which had been our ‘home’ venue for 26 years, made it clear that they were no longer going to renew our contract past 2027 (new management). So, in the spring, a group of Hoppers went to visit the Carl Gipson Center (CGC) in downtown Everett. It turned out that they would love to be our ‘home’ venue for the coming dance year. Thus begins our ‘trial’ year with the CGC. Looking forward to dancing on their parquet wood floor.