Welcome to LHSC!

The Officers and Directors and the general membership extend you an invitation to become a member of our club. We would like to let you know what we have accomplished and what we hope to accomplish in the future, how our club operates, and how you as a new member can help your club continue to grow. We believe you will come to feel, as most of us do, that the Lake Hickory Shag Club will become a second family for you and an important part of your life. If at any time we can answer any question for you, your officers and directors stand ready to serve you.

The goal of the Lake Hickory Shag Club is to promote and preserve shagging and the heritage of beach music. We will provide a place and opportunity to learn shagging and organize activities for the membership to enjoy music, dancing and fellowship.

A Bit of History

Lake Hickory Shag Club was organized in March, 1987 by Ann Sigmon and Jim Dingler who were lovers of Shag dancing and who wanted to share this love and experience with others in the Hickory area. For seventeen years Shaggers and "beginning" Shaggers have gathered at Lake Hickory Shag Club for dancing and fellowship. Over the years people have come and gone and the meeting place and times have varied. Association club members now number 100. Lake Hickory Shag Club meets at Godfrey's, located at 2039 Center Street (Hiway 127 North).

Organization and Finances

Lake Hickory Shag Club is incorporated in the State of North Carolina. The Club is a member of the Association of Carolina Shag Clubs, an association of 93 Shag clubs located throughout the southeastern US. Activities of the Club are planned and directed by five Officers and four Directors who are elected annually from the membership. An annual budget which includes expenses for parties, some DJs (not each) at functions, and other overhead costs are funded by member annual dues of $20 per person and income from our annual Foothills Winter Boogie. Financial reports and minutes of meetings are reported in Boogie Business, our monthly newsletter.

Shag Lessons for All

One of the Club's missions is to introduce others to Shagging and one way the Club accomplishes this is to periodically offer Shag lessons on Wednesday night of each week at Sgt Peppers, located at 2039 Center Street in Hickory. The cost is $20.00 per person for five weeks of lessons, plus the $20.00 per person LHSC membership dues. No reservation is necessary, just show up because there is room for all. Ann Sigmon and Norman Mills are instructing the classes and amaze us all with their enthusiasm. For specific dates, check the LHSC calendar on this website or call the HOTLINE at (828)323-3818.

Dances & Parties

A second mission of the Club is to provide a place for dancing and music for shagging and, as such, give Club members and their friends the opportunity to practice their shagging and meet for fellowship. Unless notified otherwise, the Club has a dance on the first and third Saturday of each month at Godfrey's from 8:00 PM to midnight. On these nights you will find a live DJ spinning shag tunes for your dancing pleasure. Throughout the year there will be special parties which have become annual occurrences. These include a Lake Party in the Summer and a Christmas Party.

Keeping You Informed

Members of Lake Hickory Shag Club are privileged to receive each month the Club's newsletter, "Boogie Business." This informative and entertaining document is created, assembled, printed and distributed by a multi-talented group of Club members, dedicated to keeping you informed of the happenings of Lake Hickory Shag Club and the Shag world beyond Lake Hickory.

The Lake Hickory Shag Club HOTLINE can be accessed by dialing (828) 323-3818. You will hear a message informing you of the current schedule of Club meetings and events.

Foothills Winter Boogie

The Foothills Winter Boogie is 19 years old. The Shag Club has organized and sponsored this event during the first weekend in February. Held at the Holiday Inn Select in Hickory, this is THE event of the year and brings together close to 500 Shaggers from all areas of the Southeastern United States.

The party starts on Friday night and continues on Saturday with special events and performances, and closes on Sunday afternoon. Throughout the three days there is near non-stop music and dancing with plenty of food and refreshments. Funds are raised through registration fees, donations from local business and a "half and half" raffle. Part of the funds raised are used to help with Club expenses throughout the year.

A portion of the funds raised is donated to Camp Kemo, a camp for children afflicted with cancer. The camp is sponsored by the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders of Children's Hospital at Richland Memorial, and is held the first week of August at Camp Kinard in Leesville, South Carolina. Over the past eleven years, Lake Hickory Shag Club has donated $70,000 to Camp Kemo.

Download our Foothills Winter Boogie flier and registration form.

S.O.S.

Twice each year in April and September, Shaggers of the world migrate to Ocean Drive, South Carolina for ten days of dancing and partying at the member clubs in OD. This gathering of close to 8,000 brings back the fun of the beach years, "where it all began."

Founded in 1980, the Society of Stranders (S.O.S.) is an organization that enjoys, upholds and perpetuates the traditions of beach and shag music and shag dancing. S.O.S. is widely recognized for its two yearly adult parties (the Spring Safari and the Fall Migration) at North Myrtle Beach, SC. Both annual S.O.S. events are ten days in length, and encompass the majority of the local lounges within walking distance. Inside these participating lounges, the best DJs from all over the East Coast play the hottest new and old beach and shag tunes.

It is non-stop fun from early in the day until the wee hours of the morning. People go to these events to have fun, enjoy the beach and see old friends and make new ones. Started as a small reunion of friends, they are now attended by more than 8,000 members. Lake Hickory Shag Club members and friends get together for a Friday morning brunch and a Saturday afternoon party. Go once, and you will find that yearly return trips become a time-honored tradition.

Membership

Membership in the Lake Hickory Shag Club is unbelievably easy. Just fill out the Membership Application and pay the annual dues of $20. Membership renewals will be held during the January 7, 2006 party. Membership entitles you to receive our monthly newsletter, Boogie Business, as well as attend club events at no cover (unless, of course, we assess the membership for an event to help defray costs), plus get discounts on club-sponsored activities (e.g., dancing lessons).

Your involvement in the club is as much as you choose to make it, but we guarantee that the more involved you are, the more fun you'll have! Our member volunteers help LHSC to maintain its excellent programs and activities.

Election of Club officers and board members are held in January of each year. Those elections will next be held on January 21, 2006.

Ready to join the fun? Download our Membership Application today, fill it out, and bring it plus $20 to our next function. You won't be sorry! You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open this document.