A little Twinkle Club History
Nell Barr started The Twinkle Club in 1959. She brought together about 30 people who were taking ballroom dance lessons from Bill and Payton Ziegler, from Salisbury, MD. Lesson sessions were held at the V.F.W. or the Grange Hall in Georgetown. The first President was Leroy Pepper.
It is unknown how the Twinkle Club name came about.
Some of the early requirements to become a member were that you had to be a Georgetown resident and take dance lessons from the Zieglers. There were ten dances per year, no dances in July and August. Dances were held on the second Saturday of each month at the Laurel Legion Home, starting at 9:00 pm until 1:00 am. Dress code for all dances was long skirts/formal gowns for ladies, a suit and tie for men. Music was provided by Bobby Thomas and his band.
The cost of membership dues was $25 per couple, with no additional payment due for the dance. Two couples would greet people at the door; the club provided the decorations and greeters were responsible to decorate.
There were two special dances each year. First, in May, there was a dinner-dance, free to members whose dues were paid by April 1st. At this dance out-going officers and directors were presented with thank you gifts.
Also, a New Year’s Eve dance was held at the National Guard Armory in Georgetown. It was open to the public; tickets were sold and music was usually provided by Don Howard and his band. This was a big event for years.
A few years later
Notes found from a meeting held on November 7th, 1995 gave us a glimpse into what was happening during that period. Members – Kevin Ryan, Maryann Ryan, Ann Couch, Hilda Parker, Irene Hudson and Mrs. Leroy Pepper, discussed the Club’s history while preparing to write an article for local newspapers to promote The Twinkle Club. Meeting notes indicated that a lot had changed over the years. Hall rental costs had started to be charged, where none were charged previously, and cost of musicians increased, resulting in increased costs to members. By that time cost at the door gradually went up from $2.00 to $10.00 per couple, membership dues were also up to $60 per couple. Membership requirements changed, no longer requiring Georgetown residency or dance lessons. Dances were reduced to nine dances per year with no dances in July, August or September and the dance hours changed to 8:30 pm to 12:30 am. Dress code was more casual, a country dance night allowed for jeans and a June dance allowed for shorts/summer wear.
Going forward
Going into 2026, our 67th year, we look forward to adding our own time information to the history of The Twinkle Club. Please follow our current dance information on our Next Dance page. We want to thank all of our members and guests for supporting us and making our dances fun and socially enjoyable.