Tribute to Allan Frost Square Dance Caller S.A.

Allan Frost called for around 30 years & was one of Australia’s finest square dance callers. This year he would have turned 100 years old on the 20th March. Allan started calling in S.A. when square dancing was in its infancy & getting on its feet. One of his clubs was the “Southern Cross” which he started & ran for 20 years. He then took over the “Seacliff Weavers” club in 1973 from Roger Weaver & it was renamed “The Weavers” square dance club, where he called for some 18 years. That same year he was asked to run a dance for the YMCA at Elizabeth, where a club was formed not long after & became known as the “Shooting Stars”. Allan called for this square dance club on a fortnightly basis for about 10 years.

I started my first club in S.A. in 1973 which was the Wild Frontier Square Dance Club. With a lot of help & guidance from Allan, I got my new club off the ground & running. Allan gave me encouragement & helped me as a new caller which I have never forgotten. But it was Allan who really put S.A. on the square dance map by introducing a higher standard of calling & a higher level of dancing in this state. Allan was highly regarded throughout the country & a great draw card at our Australian National Conventions with his smooth style of calling & clear melodious singing voice.

A founding member of the South Australian Callers Association, the S.A. Square Dance Society & the Australian Callers Federation. He was a Life Member of all three bodies. He was also the convenor of the 1974 - 14th Australian National Square Dance Convention here in Adelaide.

I have invited Allan’s son Raymond to add his personal tribute to his father & this has been attached to mine.

Jeff Seidel.

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A personal tribute by Raymond John Frost, son of Allan Raymond Frost

On March 20th 1914 Allan Raymond Frost was born in Broken Hill New South Wales and if alive today he would, this year, be celebrating his 100th birthday. It is with this in mind that I would like to briefly reflect on his life as I knew it.

I have just turned 70 and it was only the first 21 years of my life that I actually lived with my parents Allan and Lorna Frost at our home in Adelaide. I will always remember as a kid growing up in Australia in the 50’s, it was a dream of mine, as it was with many others of my generation, to travel to England on a working holiday.

My Father and indeed my Mother, always supported me in this dream, even though I always knew that they would have preferred that I stay at home. In all of the years that I lived away from home, neither of them once applied any pressure upon me to return home. This I really appreciated. I have spent the past 50 years living abroad, 9 of those years in England and the remainder in Canada.

Dad was always a pillar of strength for me and was blessed with the type of personality that people related to. His personality and ease in relating to others enabled him to become the successful Square Dance Caller that he was. Prior to his calling career he did of course participate in this activity as a dancer. Although young at the time I will always remember his introduction to square dancing in 1952.

Dad was never the type of person to attend dances but I remember an Aunt of mine collaborated with my Mother to have both of their spouses to attend an evening being held at a local Church in Lockleys. Dad and my Uncle were just told that it was a Church event. Dad came home that evening absolutely elated with this new found activity (Square Dancing) and was really looking forward to return the following Saturday. Many of you know what that Saturday evening back in 1952 eventually led to, a second career as a Square Dance Caller. I would be remiss if I did not mention the incredible help and support given to Dad by my Mother, which greatly contributed to his overall success in this endeavour.

I will not go into detail on this as I know that Jeff can provide much more insight than I.

Over the years my Dad made 8 trips to Canada to stay with me and I returned to Australia many more times than that. These trips enabled us to stay close and in touch.

When Dad became stricken with Cancer in 2000 I returned immediately to Australia and spent the last two weeks of his life at his bedside in Hospital. During his hospitalization Dad was more concerned about others close to him than he was about himself. He was particularly concerned that I had travelled all this way just to spend most of my wakening hours at his bedside. I told him many times that he had cared and nurtured me for the first 21 years of my life and it was an honour and a privilege for me to take care of and be with him in his final days.

Bonne Fete Papa Happy 100th Birthday

Je Taime. I love you.

Your Son.

RAYMOND JOHN FROST

March 2014