Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of club membership?
Members of the Smoky Mountain Shaggers receive:
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discounts to club parties (including the annual Christmas dinner and dance a $40 savings);
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free shag dance lessons taught weekly and access to shag lesson videos;
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annual access to reserved Boogie tickets;
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weekly emails about club happenings;
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and invitations to special events and workshops.
What is the ACSC?
The Association of Carolina Shag Clubs, Inc. known as A.C.S.C. is an organization of autonomous shag clubs. Its purpose is to provide for communications among the clubs, to serve as a coordinating body for club activities, to sponsor activities of mutual interest to all clubs, and to manage and operate the Society of Stranders, Inc. ( known as S.O.S.). The goal of the A.C.S.C. is to promote and preserve the heritage of beach music and shag dancing, to inform its members of beach music and shagging activities of wide interest, and to help diminish schedule conflicts among its members' activities. The Association will also assist groups that wish to establish shag clubs.
What is SOS?
The Society of Stranders, Inc. ( SOS ) is owned by the Association of Carolina Shag Clubs, Inc., (ACSC). There are a number of elements that together relate the purpose of SOS. First, SOS provides a means to guide shag dancing & the lifestyle that surrounds it into the future while keeping in touch with the past that gave birth to this phenomenon. Second, we always strive to perpetuate the dance, music, and culture that make up the shag. Third, we provide a framework for discussing, planning, & implementing activities at the beach for all stranders to enjoy. This includes providing information to & communication between shaggers, lounges, dance clubs, & associated organizations for the purpose of enhancing the shag experience.
What is the SOS Spring Safari?
Each year at the end of April the coming of Spring is celebrated by thousands of shaggers from all along the east coast. They hit the road in search of wild life. Their destination is the famous little strip of sand known as the Grand Strand. After the long Winter, shaggers are eager for the first outing of the Summer. They find it at the SOS Spring Safari.
What is the SOS Fall Migration?
The end of summer is marked by the days getting shorter & the nights growing longer, a little chill in the night air, & flocks of birds winging their way south for the winter. This all means one thing to shaggers. The Fall Migration is finally here! Buried deep in the instincts of every shagger is the preferred migration destination of soulful dancers with sand in their shoes & rhythm in their hearts, that is Ocean Drive. Every strander feels the need to get to the beach to catch the last golden rays of the summer sun & feel the warmth in the breath of the final summer breeze. They all meet for the last blast of the season at the SOS Fall Migration.
What is the ABA?
The American Bop Association (ABA) is a non-profit corporation of member clubs who are dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the broad range of dance and music styles more commonly known as bop, all forms of swing, jitterbug, and shag. The association strives to enhance inter-club communication and promotional coordination of activities throughout our membership community.