"Yellow Rock" (a friendly hug in square dance terms) is a common signal to square dancers. In 1995, our long time class instructor and caller, Lin Jarvis, donated the Yellow Rock Award to Chi-Town Squares to annually honor a club member for outstanding service. Each recipient then chooses whom to pass it along to the following year.   

Chi-Town's president in 1995, Steve Miller, awarded the first Yellow Rock Award to John Pope, the year of our last national convention. In 2005, the award was renamed the Eric B. Calimag Yellow Rock Award, in the memory of Eric Calimag, who died shortly after receiving the award in 2004.

Congratulations to all past and current recipients for their contributions to the success of Chi-Town Squares over the years.

1995	John Pope
1996	Allan Rosen
1997	Ian Henzel
1998	Mike Flynn
1999	Fred Steinhauer
2000	George Nelson
2001	Chuck Pease
2002	Michael Brown
2003	Peter Holden
2004	Eric Calimag
2005	Bob Sundal & Ken Jancy
2006	Larry Tradup
2007	Nancy Vedder
2008	Rob Sierzega
2009	Rick Simkin

2009 Eric B. Calimag Yellow Rock Award

In recognition of his enthusiasm for square dancing and his unending dedication to Chi-Town Squares, whether he is helping out at a Beginner’s class or building your confidence at a Challenge level dance with his quiet, gentle touch and trusting smile, helping set up or clean up at a dance, showing up with a delightful dish of yummy food, his willingness to volunteer whenever asked, writing newsletter articles about recent fly-ins, sending out timely reminders or important Chi-Town news with his e-mail blasts, and acting as our e-mail administrator since 2000; the 2009 Eric B. Calimag Yellow Rock Award is hereby bestowed upon a wonderful guy and Chi-Town Squares member since 1991, Rick Simkin.

May we all be lucky to have him in our square!