Bringing back memories of days gone by, the 11-piece Lonny Lynn Orchestra wowed the crowd Saturday, Dec. 8 with a blend of waltzes and jitterbug music at the Republican River Valley Event Center. Dancing couples filled the floor from the first tune to the very last.

"Some of the couples from surrounding towns -- including Arapahoe, Culbertson, Curtis and North Platte -- bought tickets just so they could dance to a good band," said Terri Shipshock of the Governor's Ball Committee.

It was good to see Harold and Marion Larmon on the Elks floor again. Harold and Marion were frequently seen at the Elks in years gone by, with Harold ready at a moment's notice to provide piano music.

And what about Don Harpst? He must have danced with 50 different ladies during the Governor's Ball as he reveled in the return of ballroom dancing. He even offered his expertise in advance, giving complimentary ballroom dancing lessons on the Sunday after Thanksgiving

It has been years since the heyday of the Elks dances. In the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, hundreds of couples filled the Elks every Saturday night for dining and dancing. It was like a weekly celebration. Couples flocked to McCook from towns throughout the valley. It was not unusual to encounter people from Oberlin, Benkelman, Imperial, Hayes Center, Trenton, Curtis, Indianola, Cambridge and other area towns in the same evening.

But, times changed. The Elks faded in popularity and Saturday night dances became a thing of the past.

It was the end of an era. Dancing had been a part of the McCook scene for decades.

There was a time -- in the mid to late 1940s -- when some of the most popular dance bands in America played at the Gayway Ballroom in McCook. Groups led by Lawrence Welk, Harry James, Eddy Howard, Duke Ellington and Gene Krupa played here, said JoAnn Corcoran Duke. JoAnn is the daughter of Jim Corcoran, who operated the Gayway.

Until the Governor's Ball, ballroom dancing was a fading memory in McCook. But, now, there's talk of a comeback.

The McCook Area Chamber of Commerce has been approached with an idea. "It's been suggested that we create a dance committee and talk about having dances on a more regular basis," said Pam Harsh, executive director of the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce.

Linda Maiden of State Farm, who sponsored the Lonny Lynn Orchestra, likes the idea. "I've had lots of people approach me, suggesting that we have special dances, at least once a year if not more often," she said.

Sounds to me like we're on to something. If you would like to see more frequent dances in McCook, give the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce a call at (30) 345-3200. They need names for a dance committee. It won't be a lot of work ... in fact it will be fun ... to get together to plan future dances in McCook.

And, in the process, you will bring a bounce back to the steps of dozens of dancing couples in the McCook area.