Courting has taken on different faces through the years and today has even moved into online dating. Returning from World War II, Ron Hubbard, of Bountiful would take a different girl dancing up to three times a week in hopes of finding a sweetheart. Girls would line up along the dance floor to be asked to dance, instead of gathering in crowds in the middle of the dance floor, as often happens today. The men in those days would always ask the women to dance. If guys came stag they could cut into a dance in progress if they wanted to.
Often the ladies would come stag and then be taken home by guys they met at the dance.
"We always walked between the girl and the street," said Hubbard. "We always walked the girl to her door and always asked and paid for the date."
People didn't get married until later because of the Great Depression and World War II, according to Hubbard, who was married at age 32 in 1948.
Every once in a while there would be a girls' choice date, but generally guys would ask the girls, Hubbard added.
He said he knew a girl liked him if she was fun to talk to and would sit close to him in the Model A Ford, where there was no gear shift to separate the couple.
In 1970, single adults did some dancing but their activities began to branch out more.
There were a lot of group activities and outdoor trips and events, according to 55-year-old Haldeen Monson of Centerville.
They never watched videos or DVDs on their dates because there were no VCRs at the time. Couples only saw a movie if they went to a theater or drive-in.
Many dances had live bands.
"It was a huge no, no for girls to ask boys out," said Monson. "Girls never called the boys -- the boys always called the girls." She said once a year, however, there was a girls' choice Sadie Hawkins dance instead of frequent girls' choice dances like there are now.
Sometimes the girls would plan the dates, but only after the boys asked. Guy always initiated the hand holding, according to Monson.
"Body language could tell a lot," said Monson. "During the date you could give a special squeeze of the hand to let them know you are interested.
"Almost all of the dates ended in a hug." Monson was 22 years old when she married and her husband was 27 years old.
Dating trends are changing. Girls are asking a lot more than they need to be asking, according to Monson.
"I'm going to blame it on our society and equal rights. I still like to see the guy be in charge. I still like to see them be the head of the house hold. If we give them responsibilities they will rise to meet the challenge," said Monson.
Julie Randle of Centerville says her teens are hanging out instead of dating.
"In our day we dated; it wasn't just hanging out. We dated," said Randle. She said last week a guy came to pick up her 17-year-old daughter and called her on his cell phone to come out to the car.
Randle was married in 1980. She was on a date with another guy when she met her husband.
When the two started dating they would do a lot of outdoors activities such as backpacking, barbequing, water- and snow-skiing.
Disco dancing was popular at that time. A disc jockey was often there spinning record albums.
When Randle was dating the trend was moving away from men getting the door for women. "I liked it when the guys got the door, so I always waited."
For Robin Davis who met her husband at a church function a year-and-a-half ago it took him two months to ask her out and another two months to ask her on a second date.
"We were just good friends for a while. I just kept inviting him to do stuff until he asked me out again," said Davis.
The couple would go to the park and read together for their dates. They also went to plays and operas. Davis spent a lot of time reading while her fiance studied for his classes while he was in medical school.
Davis' husband claimed Robin was the first to hold his hand.
Singles are continuing to see changes in dating trends. Technology has modified dating roles.
"Online dating is very common. There also seems to be less pressure to continue a relationship after meeting an online person for the first time," said Mason Barton, a 29-year-old single from Layton. "Conversations have almost been substituted for text messaging. A guy may ask not only for a girl's number but for her e-mail as well."
"As far as dating rules, I would love for a girl to call a guy after their first date together," said Barton.
Planning for a date is also more pressure than in years past.
"I think dates nowadays are more of a production than they used to be. We have to plan an activity that will be fun for the girl," said a Bountiful single guy.
"In the past I think dating was a little more simple."
sclarke@davisclipper.com
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