Elin Jones

      Team Captain.       

 Elin Peltola Jones was Ohio State Twirling Champion in 1959, 1961 and 1962. She won 5th place in solo competition at United States Twirling Association’s National Championships at Galveston Texas in 1962. She won approximately 500 trophies and 350 medals in solo competition over an eight year period.

 Elin worked for H. J. Heinz Co. for 18 years. She was the first female Area Sales Manager in that company. Elin’s husband, Jack, is involved with promoting the team, and acts as their announcer during performances.

 Elin dreamed for years of forming her own baton twirling team. After moving to The Villages,  and in March of 2007 she formed the Prime Time Twirlers.

 

   

    
             

  Venise Berube 

                                                                      Lewiston, Maine

Venise Berube is from Lewiston, Maine.  Venise lived there all her life and was a majorette for the Lewiston High School Band, from 1960 to 1964. Venise owned and operated the largest costume shop in the New England area, with over 3,500 costumes and accessories in stock.  Venise sold the company in 2006 and she and her husband Bob moved to the Villages soon thereafter.  Venise has fun with the Prime Time Twirlers and has been part of that group for three years as of 2011.  Once a twirler, always a twirler.

   

   on left, 4th row up                Peggy Walsh

Westchester, Illinois

Peggy  Walsh was a majorette in high school.  Performed for school functions, also the Chicago Christmas parades during her four years.

At one time Chicago had two football teams. The Chicago Bears and Chicago Cardinals.  Peggy was a Cardinal Cadet for the Chicago Cardinals.   During the home game for the Chicago Cardinals, they performed during half time.    They had seats along the 50 yard line to watch the games.

   Now in the Villages, Peggy checked out the Prime Time Twirlers.  Can’t believe I remember how to twirl a baton.  I’m excited to be a member of the group,  looking forward to the next show.

 

                    Kathleen Kennedy         

Kathleen (Hickman) Kennedy started twirling at age 9.  Majorette at Scecina Memorial High School in Indianapolis, IN for 4 years.

She enjoyed many state competition.  Kathy taught baton twirling at several High Schools in Indianapolis after graduation.  Her high school majorettes marched with the Indiana American Legion Band and in the Indy 500 Parade.

After graduation from Indiana University with a Masters in Education, Kathy taught in the Indianapolis Public School System for 37 and was Teacher of the Year in 1998 for work with "The Organization of 100 Black Men" who work and mentor the inner city children in Indianapolis.

                                                                                                          

                                                        Jan Edwards Runyon

                                                                Chester, SC

Jan Edwards Runyon started twirling as a majorette with Chester Senior High School in Chester, SC during her junior & senior years of high school.  She marched & performed in high school sporting events, numerous parades and NASCAR pre-race festivities in S.C.

 Jan worked in Springfield, VA for the Department of the Army for 30 years traveling to Army installations worldwide installing computers and training soldiers & civilians.  Her husband, Toby, retired from the Army and they moved to The Villages in 2006.

 She is delighted to be a part of the Prime Time Twirlers and learning to twirl again after 40+ years of not touching a baton.

                              

                                                                                Maureen Carr

                                           Canandaigua, New York

Maureen McClafferty Carr grew up in Norwich, Connecticut and has been twirling since the age of five. She was one of the lead twirlers in high school. Her greatest joy was getting through a routine without dropping the baton.

She was a high school math teacher and after graduating from William and Mary she was a high school counselor at Midlakes High School for thirty years and lived in Canandaigua, New York.

Maureen was so excited to discover The Prime Time Twirlers, she joined the group two days after moving to The Villages with her husband, Michael, the love of her life. 

She was thrilled to find this sisterhood in twirling and has never been happier.

                                                                       Jeanne Spinks                                    

   Jeanne Spinks joined the Prime Time Twirler in 2009.  She always wanted to be a twirler, and when she moved to the Villages with her husband Charlie, went to the Villages Collage to learn to twirler.  So you see, it's never to late to learn.

 

                     Sandy Plano                          

 

    Sandra Plano definitely feels the expression "life goes full circle" pertains to her since in her youth she spent many nights attending baton lessons, twirling with the town band on the square every Saturday night in the summer, entering twirling competitions, and marching with the Ohio Baton and Drum Corps.  Progressing to the advanced level in competition, she then twirled for her high school from 1964-1967 and became the head majorette her junior and senior years.  Inducted into her high school's Hall of Fame in 2009 for her accomplishments in education, she enjoyed 38 years teaching English to regular and honors Juniors.  In 2000, she was given the Golden Apple Award by her teaching peers.  Never dreaming she would pick up a baton again, Sandy is glad to be a Prime Time Twirler and go "full circle."  


                                                                                                
                                       Kathy Mederios



        
                                                                              Carol Williamson          
Carol joined the team in October, 2011.