A history of our Shag Club indicates that we have been organized as the Rock Hill Shag Club since February 1981.

This birth took place in a dusty basement on a Sunday afternoon, with approximately twenty-five “Charter” members present, to accept the proposed By-Laws, that govern us today, elect officers, and set a limit of seventy-six (76) memberships.

Oh, what a day this would become! We had just fulfilled a dream of a handful of interested and dedicated faithful (old shaggers’ and future shaggers’) that congregated at the A&C Station, on Tuesday nights for our favorite beach tunes and some dancing.

The dance floor was an opportunity for this small group of shaggers’ to demonstrate our love for this music and dance for the other patrons present, which was very few in the beginning, but grew to “Standing room” only after a few months. That faithful group of Shagging pioneers were Buddy Nunn, Ken (two-step) and Linda Hudspeth, Danny Long and “Train-Wreck” (not Linda), Glenn (Lump) Lumpkin, Don and Carolyn Younce, Bobby (Blue) and Nancy Edwards, myself, and last, Peggy, Alias “Ms. Rock Hill Welch” and numerous other titles earned over the past years.

In the following months, clubs began springing up all around us. Columbia Shag Club organized some six (6) months before and the Rock Hill Area Shag Club became the second club in the State of South Carolina. The only group in North Carolina at the time, was a group in Charlotte that were dance students of Shad Alberty, (another pioneer in Shagging) that organized at a later date as the Metrolina Shag Club.

Our role as a gracious host began immediately, as we invited our “sister” club, Columbia Shag Club to a Sunday Social in a new beautiful night club called “Leland’s”. In December, we invited the Columbia Shag Club to our first Christmas Party as our guest. It was a very successful party and inspired our club to take on the task of a State wide party for all of the Shag Clubs.

The following Spring, April 21, 1982, Rock Hill Shag Club created another first in the shag world, a state wide party which became our first “Spring Fling”. It was a Huge Success and set the standards for other statewide parties to come. 

I suppose I should give an “Honorable Mention” to possible situation that could argue against the proceeding paragraph against the first statewide party, but it concerns a re-union of some “Old work buddies” of, an, old Life Guard that worked on the beach in Ocean Drive in the fifties. It really wasn’t a Shag party, and it really wasn’t the initials of S.O.S., but this party (re-union) did make a large contribution to Shag community. I thought it was worth mentioning, just in case someone wanted to argue the point of “who was first” with you.

As, we reflect back to that Sunday in February in 1981, realizing that we have grown tenfold from our original size, we stand amazed at the tasks we have performed and we are very proud of the image that our club portrays in our community and throughout the Association.

Our Club is recognized as an outgoing, friendly, fun-loving group that spreads those infectious “HUG AND KISSES” that has become the trademark among Shaggers.

WOW!!! Another first! We originated that too….

Keep On Shagging!!

Ron