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2009 Care-It Responses

Summer is gone... and winter is around the corner.

Sandy Detroit had fun growing some carrots for the Care-It Contest. Her final carrots were rather small, but the planter was adorable.

Like carrots grow with help from the warm sun, fertile soil, waterings, and attention - we had many choruses send us brief glimpses into all they've been doing. Some choruses performed as part of a wide assortment of memorials and celebrations, some did creative and fun fundraising acitivities, and one chorus supported members to receive summer education.

Each entry was a winner in our summer contest, but.....

Central Oregon Showcase chorus does receive
our top "Care It" recognition
for reaching out to three other women's organizations
in their area and working together on
a big musical fundraiser benefiting the four groups.

Central Oregon Showcase is partnering a holiday chorus, Harmony 4 WomenFor this event (two performances -500 seats - at Summit High School in Bend on Saturday, November 21) we are partnering with three highly respected women's nonprofit organizations: Grandma's House which harbors pregnant teens east of the Cascades - grandmashouseofbend.com; Saving Grace (formerly called Central Oregon Battering and Rape Alliance) which harbors families in abused situations from Klamath Falls to Madras - saving-grace.org; and Women's Resource Center of Central Oregon (WRCCO) www.wrcco.org, which helps women in transition. All four organizations are organizing the event.
All four organizations will split the ticket income ($10). All four organizations will have an individual major raffle item -(ours is a quilt done by Sue Couch). Expenses for the event are paid by sponsors (which is how the 3 NPOs stay alive). Our goal for sponsor funds is $10,000. As of this date we are nearly half way there. Our In-Kind Sponsors have been enormously generous. Following is an example - and there are more on the way. All, of course, get mention in the program.

  • $6,000 from our cable company - woman owned. This amounts to about 300 spots (which they produce) and interviews.
  • $3,000 from a major radio conglomerate (4 most popular radio stations - and a badda bing for demographic match). They will produce the spots, include us on their website and in their newsletter to 2400 subscribers.
  • $3400 from Cascade Business News & Arts & Entertainment - well read publications that are owned by a woman. Again - target market.
  • Chorus photography for promo and formal shot on performance day.
  • Sound & Lighting - 9-10 hours of service for $150!
  • Printing of posters, programs, tickets & print ads - still waiting for the offer but 1/2 of budgeted amount is expected.
  • The brand artist who created the logo donated her time.

Tickets go on sale on October 1st and can be purchased on line by going to www.wrcco.org and following the TicketLeap link.

Sea Breeze Harmony. Our new motto this year is "Always be in Performance Mode", so we decided to make one of our regular Tuesday night rehearsals a "Showcase Night" and invited the public to a free music event. A lovely table with Sweet Adeline flyers, chorus photos and a variety of interesting information was set up. Sea Breeze Harmony Chorus, with 93% of its members present, sang numerous Region 24 songs and our contest package. The chorus' two quartets, Jewells and Heartstrings, sang their favorite numbers. The program ended with the chorus singing its patriotic package. We also had a great spread of goodies after the show for a social time with our guests. The photo samplings portray our activities and how much fun we had putting this together. The last photo entitled "Fire The Photographer!" (I can't, he's my husband) is of the entire chorus but is extremely blurry. Is it because we are overly animated when we sing (especially our director, Elaine), or is it because the guy with the camera didn't have the flash turned on and the lens/shutter were too slow? You can guess. Regardless, we had loads of fun!
Sea Breeze Harmony - Blackberry Arts Festival. The ocean breezes were blowing at our first-ever Blackberry Arts Festival weekend in downtown Coos Bay, but is was a smashing success due to the participation of all our Sea Breeze Harmony members! The chorus and its quartets performed on the main stage on Saturday evening after a full day of greeting visitors at our booth and selling raffle tickets for our fabulous prize packages. These items, with a total value of over $1500, were garnered by our hard-working members from gracious and supportive local businesses. We had plenty of brochures and business cards, as well as a contact sheet available for those interested in more information about our chorus and Sweet Adelines. On Sunday, family members "manned the booth" as we meandered the festival streets and sang for hundreds of people at this very popular craft faire. The raffle drawing, of which the proceeds went to our riser and music/education funds, was held Sunday afternoon in front of a large group of hopeful on-lookers. Sea Breeze Harmony members had so much fun at this two-day festival that we hope to make it an annual event for our chorus!
Pride of Portland’s Sing-a-thon. On Saturday, September 12th, in the heart of Portland at Pioneer Courthouse Square, Pride of Portland chorus began a day-long Sing-a-thon called “Barbershop on the Square.” Hourly Pride of Portland performed a 20-minute package, highlighted by a 12:00 (NOON) mass sing of regional songs by all Sweet Adelines new or old from various choruses in the area. Quartets, both men and women, and our local Harmony Rose YWIH chorus sang during the day. There were hourly drawings for free barbershop CDs.
Pioneer Square was also alive with the opening festivities of the new MAX line. Quartets were invited and chauffeured to MAX-line stations to entertain MAX travelers during the day.
It was a fundraiser for the chorus, and also gave the chorus singers a great way to become part of the Portland community and share information about the five Sweet Adeline choruses in the Portland, Vancouver and Salem areas. Many people stopped to ask questions and find out more about our style of singing. 
Northwest Harmony Sings at a 70th Birthday Party. Northwest Harmony surprised Mom Maria Harris with “harmonious” well wishes on her 70th Birthday! Of course, Maria also was part of the performing chorus! Sweet Adelines are not known to sit out of a performance even if it is your Special 70th Birthday. Daughter Camille Lundt catered this fantastic event and shares a proud moment with her Mom – both part of the Sweet Adeline family!
Caption: Maria with Kathy Manning, one of Northwest Harmony’s newest and very active members!
Columbia River Chorus. On Flag Day, June 14th, the Fort Vancouver National Trust in partnership with the National Park Service, City of Vancouver, and the U.S. Army joined in the annual Celebrate Freedom program for the Nation Pause for the Pledge, where cities across the country joined in similar programs and at a specific time recited the Pledge of Allegiance. Celebrate Freedom is a series of community events that inspire all generations to strengthen the community values of leadership, public service, patriotism, lifelong learning and vision. Columbia River Chorus felt honored to be among those invited to participate in the program by singing the patriotic songs “Let Freedom Ring” and “God Bless America.” Ninety percent of our chorus members participated in the event, held at the bandstand on the Parade Grounds of the Fort Vancouver National Site.
Columbia River Chorus. “I don’t know how we have so much fun at workin’ so hard!”
That’s what a member of Columbia River Chorus (CRC) said to a guest one evening at a CRC rehearsal. The guest simply replied with, “I see that!”
Anyone can see that we have fun and work hard, simultaneously, during our Monday evening rehearsals. The many different activities we pack in a two-hour time span lend themselves to productivity and laughter. We can learn a tag (or two), practice choreography, and improve a few songs. Yet, we still have time for a joke, a business meeting, and more singing, perhaps learning a new song. All this sets a pace for the evening that makes some of us wonder, “Is it 9:00 already?”
The fun continues after rehearsal with more singing, a little socializing, and/or eating (There’s always time for food). No one wants to miss any of this so most of us show up for each rehearsal, at least half. With all these bodies involved in all these activities the energy is palpable.
Another important element of our rehearsals is our Maestro, Darwin Scheel. He’s a musical genius who has patience, a positive attitude, and impeccable leadership qualities. He keeps us focused on the singing, but his great sense of humor gives us a well-earned break and even more laughter.
Members of Columbia River Chorus have a hard time imagining our lives without singing, without each other, and without Monday rehearsals. We are often more rejuvenated leaving rehearsal than when we walked into it. We strive not only to entertain, but to share with the audience the same intense appreciation for the barbershop sound that attracted us in the first place. If you think “Variety is the spice of life”, Columbia River Chorus has a slice of that life every Monday. Come join us!
FIVE VALLEY - NACHOS. The “summer” face of Five Valley looks very much like a NACHO! The 2nd week in August each year finds our membership putting on their aprons and comfortable shoes for long days and nights at the fair. We sell Pepsi products, soft pretzels and our famous Super Nachos (handmade with love & harmony by our members). This year, despite cool rainy days, we served long lines of people, smiling, happy and patiently waiting for 45 minutes to get to that window that had the magical food. The upside to the long wait was the opportunity it gave our gals “at the windows” to visit with people sharing our love of the barbershop craft to all who had time to listen. About 65% of our chorus put in 671 hours working our booth at the fair; some were off sight chopping veggies and cooking meat; some running products to and from the fairgrounds and some at shifts to fill the 10 a.m. to midnight or later slots. We all had so much fun visiting with those waiting in line and sharing information about our craft. When they finally reached the windows, the crowds indulged generously on the “best food at the Western Montana Fair” and as usual our favorite fund raiser was a huge success for the Five Valley treasury and membership. The money earned helps our members, through work credits, with their dues and the expenses of our October trip to Nashville. And, in spite of the long hours and hard work there was also the chance to work along side of old friends and the opportunity to make new friends. Once again, we proved that “WE ARE FAMILY”!


Sea Breeze Harmony Reunion Night. Another summer may be on the sunset, but our chorus welcomed back several ladies from the early years of Sea Breeze Harmony and former Coos Shoreline Chorus with some style and pizzazz when we held a Reunion Night last Tuesday, September 8th, 2009. Only one current member was not available for this event. Former members who attended: Mildred Spring, Pat Moen, Andrea Gray, Maxine Tindell, Janet Skinner, Jane Henrickson (former director), Alice Brown; Delores Finkbeiner, June Jones. Guests: Brenda Hodges, Anna-Marie Slate; Vicky and Howard Cooke, Shinan Barcly. Thanks go to Donna Hiserote (a charter member), for providing the costumes from the chorus' history, which inspired much reminiscence and enjoyment by past and present members alike. We further entertained guests with Region 24 standards and a few new songs, with fill in from our active quartets, followed by good food and more conversation. To top off the evening our guests were invited to join our circle for "happy birthday" and a closing song, "That's what Friends are For". What a lovely way to usher in the Fall season!
CRC -- VIVIAN SHAW REMEMBERED. On September 9, 2009 sixty-three per cent of the Columbia River Chorus members sang "Irish Blessing" at the Memorial Service and Life Celebration of former member Vivian Shaw who passed away on September 4th. Vivian was a woman full of energy, ideas, creativity, love and humor and, she especially loved to sing! She was a long time member, served as President and participated in Regional events. She was instrumental in securing exciting performance opportunities for us. In connection with an International Soroptimists program she arranged for a joint concert with Vancouver's Japanese Sister City chorus. She also arranged for a performance in the Summer Music Festival in Leavenworth, WA. She planned many events and started our annual Spring Plant sale, a fund raising project which still continues. She was active in all phases of the chorus and even dyed nylons for us to match a competition costume. She was a terrific hostess and a great cook, and she opened her home for any occasion - costume sewing, Board and committee meetings, parties, etc. Vivian and her daughter Mary Jane (an honorary member of the chorus) remained loyal supporters she retired. We will miss her friendship and her smiling face in the audience.
Oregon Spirit Chorus & Greater Eugene Chorus. On August 30th, 2009, Greater Eugene Chorus joined Oregon Spirit Chorus in a performance at the 2009 Wah Chang Northwest Art and Air Festival at Timber Linn Park in Albany, Oregon. Greater Eugene sang a fun set of '50's and '60's songs, with Sam Steed directing. A special part of this performance was the opportunity to sing with Oregon Spirit Chorus before their performance. Sixty-eight percent of GEC members participated in this event, and we really enjoyed singing on such a beautiful day.
Greater Eugene. Twinkling eyes and a gigantic smile - Sweet Adeline enthusiastic expressions - displayed by a 4 year old girl purchasing a pink My Little Pony at the Greater Eugene Chorus Garage Sale. This excited image remains in our minds as we recall the successful GEC Garage Sale. 79% of our chorus participated in the garage sale that was held in June at the Springfield home of Sue McCaleb.
Northwest Harmony - Summer Activities. Northwest Harmony has been pretty busy this summer. It began with contest in Spokane, which snowballed us into our installation of the "Ship Shape Management Team", setting sail on a new year.
  • Our many performances took us from an Arts Festival where our director (Nancy) was interviewed for the local news, to an Estates Clubhouse and a 70th birthday party.
  • Kris Pederson facilitated our goal setting evening where we did some brainstorming and set our short and long term goals. We had nearly all 28 members present for these events.
  • One of our highlights this summer was performing in Ryderwood, WA while our fearless leader (bless her heart) attended a Directors Workshop. We received 3-4 standing ovations from the audience with our performance.
  • In August there was the Quartet Workshop that was attended by 5 of our members, and a wonderful coaching session with Sylvia Alsbury.
  • We held our first annual Family Picnic with great food and lots of fun games. We’ve moved into our new rehearsal hall, the Evergreen Staples Funeral Chapel in Vancouver, WA. Our new location makes for some interesting smiles as guests arrive.
NW Harmony attends Harmony College NW. Ten of our members had the opportunity to attend the Harmony College NW, which proved to be a great experience and we hope to see more women attending next year. There was a variety of classes to choose and a wonderful show. We also got to sing barbershop harmonies with other men and women which was a very rewarding opportunity for us.
Columbia River Chorus. The City of Ridgefield, Washington celebrated its centennial on August 22, 2009, and invited Columbia River Chorus to participate and to entertain. It was a gorgeous day in the little town of Ridgefield, and about 2/3 of the chorus was available that day for a very enjoyable performance. The community was grieving the loss of 4 of its 2009 graduates in a tragic car accident and the chorus was very mindful of this circumstance. The town went ahead with the celebration in spite of this, and the audience was warm and welcoming. Some of our most memorable performances are for these home town community get-togethers, and we always appreciate the opportunity.
Greater Eugene. On July 11 thirty-six percent of the Greater Eugene Chorus sang for the Falconwood Village July dinner. We appreciated Falconwood Village allowing us to use their Club House this year for coaching sessions, board meetings, our installation dinner, etc. We wanted to show our appreciation for their generosity by presenting a great Sweet Adeline performance of songs that they know and love. Their reaction to our performance showed that we achieved our goal.


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