Saturday, May 14, 2005 was Tony Saletan's LAST Second Saturday Dance at the Scout House! As you may already know, Tony's family relocated to Tacoma, Washington in the summer of 2005.
Special Message From Tony (May 2005):
After about a decade of being the "home caller" of the Second Saturday series at the Concord Scout House, I will call my last regular dance in this series: this Saturday, May 14, 2005. My family and I are relocating to Tacoma, Washington (about a half hour from Seattle) this summer.
I am grateful to many people who have supported the series and me as your caller. Foremost, the late Ted Sannella who called Second Saturdays at the Scout House, taking over this dance in 1959 when Joe Perkins retired. (Joe had been hired with his orchestra in 1945.) Ted suggested that I should call New England dances before the idea ever had occurred to me, and was a generous mentor and then a partner with me in another series. When, occasionally, he had a conflict preventing him from calling the Second Saturday Scout House series, he often asked me to substitute for him. I was always honored to do that. When Ted died in 1995, several of us shared the calling of this series for a year, and then the committee that runs the dance asked me to call regularly. I am thankful to the committee members for their faith and dedication, to the regular musicians and the many sit-in musicians who add such life to the experience of the dance. I thank each of the dancers who attend, dance, invite newcomers to partner with them, and support the tradition we share.
Many individuals have contributed in special ways, whether it's sharing ideas with me or quietly sweeping the floor or just smiling; I can't mention them all here but will dare to name a few; all of you, however, know who you are. Walter Lob read the music on his fiddle for every tune for many years starting when Ted did, and continuing with me. Cal Howard both plays music and sets up and runs the sound system, as he does for many Boston area dances. Leslie Fuller prepares the music in cooperation with the caller (often gracefully bearing my late notice of program specifics and changes). Jill Rosenthal, who in private life is my wife, has contributed in many unsung ways; the most public is serving as our webmaster. To all of you, named or unnamed here, my deep thanks.
I hope and intend that this is not the end of our contact. I'll be returning to visit friends and for events like the New England Folk Festival, the Channel 2 Auction (this year I'll be on the air Monday June 6), special dances and concerts, and look forward to seeing you and hearing about you.
Love,
Tony
