All about Friendshipbook & Friendshipbadge
What is the Friendshipbook? Why does the Friendshipbook exist? And how does it benefit me as a dancer?
Exchange visits between clubs enhance friendships in square dancing, round dancing, clogging, and contra dancing, as well as foster human and cultural ties worldwide. The EAASDC has supported this since 1970 by encouraging the collection of signatures as a cherished memory in the FRIENDSHIPBOOK and by awarding FRIENDSHIPBADGES.
Every time you visit a club for the first time, you can have it confirmed by adding another entry to your FRIENDSHIPBOOK. Once you've collected a certain number of entries, you'll be rewarded with a FRIENDSHIPBADGE. This is the visible reward for you. But getting to know other dancers and making new friends is much more valuable.
Obviously, every club is happy to welcome guests to its special event, but not every club is able or willing to host such a (large) event. A new entry in your FRIENDSHIPBOOK can be a welcome reason to get off the couch at home and visit fellow dance enthusiasts—both those you know and those you haven’t met yet. But please remember to let them know you’re coming so you don’t make the trip for nothing—just in case, for once, the club night is canceled. You can find the clubs’ contact information in our Directory or on our website, among other places.
So remember the words spoken at your graduation for a long time to come, and always consider yourself an ambassador of this spirit of friendship when you visit other clubs and collect your signatures. It’s up to you how great the reward you receive for this will be: will it stop at the signature and later the badge, or will you take part in the friendship that constitutes the true value of our hobby?
If you don't have a FRIENDSHIPBOOK yet, just ask at your club. Your president knows how to get one from us for you.
Here are the instructions for using the Friendshipbook:
Collection of Signatures
1. Visit clubs around the world on their club nights.
2. Before the end of the evening, present your FRIENDSHIPBOOK to the board or the leader (caller, cuer, instructor, prompter) so that your visit can be registered in it.
3. Only one entry per club counts, regardless of how often you visit that club and regardless of whether the club offers different dance styles or programs.
4. If you’d like, check the countries in the space provided. The idea of visiting other countries has historical roots and is intended—especially for dancers from the European continent—as an additional incentive to visit clubs in other countries. However, it is not mandatory, and whether you want to and are able to do so depends entirely on your personal ambition and circumstances.
5. Take your book back after it has been signed.
6. For 26, 52, 104, 208, 416, 500, 750, and 1,000 signatures, you'll receive a FRIENDSHIPBADGE in various colors.
If you have collected enough signatures and your club is a member of the EAASDC, proceed to Part II.
Requirements
Check to see if you have collected enough signatures in the proper manner. You will receive the following badges for the corresponding signatures:
· WHITe/GOLD = 26 Clubs
· BLACK/SILVER = 52 Clubs
· BLACK/GOLD = 104 Clubs
· BLUE/SILVER = 208 Clubs
· GOLD/RED = 416 Clubs
· GREEN/GOLD = 500 Clubs
· BLUE/GOLD = 750 Clubs
· GOLD/BLUE = 1.000 Clubs
EAASDC Support for Members is responsible for checking and signing your book and issuing the badges .
Receiving the Badges
There are three ways to receive a FRIENDSHIPBADGE:
1. In person at Jamborees
The easiest—and, for me, the nicest—way is to hand in the FRIENDSHIPBOOKS in person at the jamborees for review and—usually—pick up the FRIENDSHIPBADGES right then and there. Or just ask if you see me at a Special; I can often take care of it right on the spot.
2. Submission by mail
· Schicke mir einen an Dich adressierten Rückumschlag zu.
· Achte bitte darauf, dass dieser Briefumschlag groß genug ist und sich für den Rückversand gut zukleben lässt, damit er nicht seinen Inhalt beim Versand verliert! Eine Versandtasche in DIN C5 oder ein fester Umschlag C6 eignet sich hierfür am besten.
· Klebe den Rückumschlag bitte nicht zu!
· Frankiere den Rückumschlag nach den aktuellen Postwerten. Dabei berücksich¬tige bitte die Tatsache, dass auf dem Rückweg neben dem Buch auch noch das Badge und ggf. die Verleihungsurkunde in dem Umschlag liegt.
· For FRIENDSHIPBOOKS from outside Germany: Please contact me before shipping to discuss the return process, as I need German stamps for the return shipment, which are difficult to obtain outside of Germany.
· Then place the book (the original or a copy; if there are 208 or more signatures, please include all FRIENDSHIPBOOKS) and the return envelope in another envelope.
Please also include a note with your name and the name of your club, as well as your phone number and/or email address in case we have any questions.
· Seal the outer envelope carefully, make sure it is properly stamped, and send it to
EAASDC Support for Members
Andrea „Andie“ Lang
Erwin-Hageloh-Strasse 22a
D-70376 Stuttgart
You can find the current address of the relevant board member in the “Board” section on the EAASDC website eaasdc.eu .
You'll receive your book with the badge back in the mail soon.
3. Submission by email
If you don't want to part with your FRIENDSHIPBOOK, you can also submit a scan of it to us via email at
Please include your phone number and the name of your club in the email. I also need to know whether you'll be sending a self-addressed, sufficiently stamped envelope (SAE) or if you'd like to transfer the money for the envelope and postage to us.
When you send the return envelope, you'll receive your FRIENDSHIPBADGE along with a confirmation of the award. Please follow the procedure described in step 1.
If you'd like to transfer the money for shipping, we'll send you an invoice first. Your FRIENDSHIPBADGE and the confirmation will be sent out once we receive the payment.
The following applies to all variants:
The bulletin regularly publishes the names (and clubs) of those who have been awarded badges. If you do not wish to be listed, please let us know when you submit the FRIENDSHIPBOOK.