Links to Other Clubs and Organisations

The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society was established in 1923 by Mrs. Ysobel Stewart of Fasnacloich and Miss Jean Milligan ... to protect and promote the standards of Scottish Country Dancing. Today it is an international organisation with 170 local branches and 21,000 members around the world. Through its local branches the RSDCS offers opportunities to learn and practise the country dances of Scotland. Each branch has RSCDS qualified teachers to provide training for all standards of dancers, and holds social events throughout the year. For members wishing to improve their technique there are workshops and day schools as well as the Society's Summer School.

Scottish Country Dancing thrives today because of the work of the RSCDS. This includes collecting traditional dances, publishing new dances, publishing dance music, standardising dancing technique, and training dance instructors. The RSCDS imposes a uniformity which ensures that dancers from anywhere in the world can enjoy Scottish Country Dancing together. Clubs and individuals benefit from using RSCDS instructions, dancing to RSCDS recorded music, and receiving instruction from RSCDS qualified teachers.

The RSCDS provides training courses for dancers, tutors and musicians. The largest of these is the annual Summer School at St. Andrews. Over a four week period, 1,000 dancers attend classes at all levels from beginners, through fully qualified, to courses for instructors. As well as Country Dancing, students can take classes in Highland Dancing or Ladies' Step, attend social dances, perform in the Ceilidh, show off their talents to the public and enjoy any number of social gatherings.

The RSCDS publishes and sells a wide range of videos, books, recordings, and accessories.

The Berkshire/Hampshire/Surrey Border Branch was set up in 1977 to complement the existing clubs in the area by providing a focal point and offering facilities such as graded classes, teacher training, instruction and day schools. The Branch covers a wide area centred on Camberley in Surrey, and encompassing parts of Berkshire and Hampshire. The Branch runs a wide selection of events each year:

- Autumn and Christmas Social Dances: dancing to recorded music with a bring-a-plate supper
- Day School: classes for all standards of dancing with RSCDS teachers and live music, with an evening social and on alternate years, a Musician's Day School
- Annual Ball
- General and Advanced Classes: instruction from RSCDS teachers throughout the dancing season
- Branch Shop: carries a stock of items including RSCDS Pocket Editions, Pilling's and Card Cribs, CDs and tapes published by the RSCDS and others, and RSCDS accessories.

Prices for annual membership of the RSCDS through the BHS Branch are available from the BHS Branch website. By joining you will receive the following benefits as well as helping to safeguard and promote Scottish Country Dancing:

- RSCDS Publications containing information about what is going on inside the RSCDS
- Opportunity to attend the RSCDS Summer and Winter Schools
- BHS Branch Newsletter giving news and views from the BHS Branch and details of forthcoming functions
- Reduced entry to many BHS Branch functions
- Discount on RSCDS items (and selected non-RSCDS CDs) from the BHS Branch Shop

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