Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, September 29

The twelfth Minnesota State Sacred Harp Singing Convention was held in the Town Hall at Murphy’s Landing, Shakopee, Minnesota on the fifth week-end in September.

Co-Chairs Matt Wells and Darlene Dalton promptly called the convention to order by leading 147t. Charles Wells offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Kit Pfau 47t; Christine Stevens 542; Stephen Parker 171; Kathy Wallace 112; Walter Graff 39b; Jim Goetz 159; Charles Wells 38b; Mirjana Lausevic 95b; John Bailey 218; Kristin Irving 370; Pierre Gingerich 497; Cindy Kissee 191; Paul Landskroener 547; Kathy Kaiser and Dale Gardner 122; Myles Alexander 34b; Jim Pfau 300; Susan Green 157.

RECESS

Paul Wyatt brought the class back by leading 37b. Leaders: Gordon Olsen 163b; Kim Bahmer 39t; Dick Levine 66 (commemorating 100 people from his New Jersey community who were killed in the attack on the World Trade Center); Carol Buche 143; Robin Fox 142; Martha Henderson 67; Roger Geroux 40; Reba Windom 224; Denise Kania 217; Louis Hughes and Steven Schmidgall 270; Val Eng 528; Scott Schroeder 65; Jenny Willard 475; Jim Parsons 515; Midge Olsen 454; James Gingerich 455; Claudia Engelhoff 334.

RECESS

Steven Levine brought the class back to order leading song on page 29t. Leaders: James Solheim “Joyful Noise: An Anthem”; Jeanette Nelson 128; Jeffrey Bell 340; Jane Wells 228; James Page 216; Todd Mitchell and Monica Mitchell 160b; Cathy Lutz 378 (t? b?).

Chairman Matt Wells then called for a brief business session to elect next year’s Co-Chairs, Steven Schmidgall and Cathy Lutz. A motion was also adopted setting dates for the next four conventions: in 2002 we will convene on the fifth Sunday of September and the Saturday before, September 28-29; 2003—September 20-21; 2004—September 25-26; 2005—October 1-2.

Officers and committees for this year’s convention: Co-Chairs—Matt Wells and Darlene Dalton; Treasurer—Walter Graff; Corresponding Secretary—Kathy Wallace; Secretary—Stephen Parker; Assistant Secretary—Denise Kania; Arranging Committee—Jim Pfau and Midge Olsen; Memorial Committee—Ted Johnson, Syble Adams, Melanie Hauff, and Joan Fritz; Resolutions Committee—Julie Vea, Cindy Kissee, and Don Clark.

Kit Pfau offered grace for the noon meal, and the class was dismissed for lunch.

LUNCH

Kathy Wallace brought the class to order for the afternoon session leading 32t. Leaders: Keith Willard 106; Julie Vea 430; Michael Moore 101b; Eleanor Haase 269; Bill Waddington 481; Karen Clark 276; Matt Wells 137; Joan Yeatman 551; Don Clark 186; Melanie Hauff 444; Michael Shewmaker 107; Charles Obert 500; Lou Kujawinski 535; Ted Johnson 368; Syble Adams 99; Tim Eriksen 442.

RECESS

Steven Schmidgall brought the class back to order by leading 68b. Leaders: Hans Guttmann 480; Carol Crawford 74b; Paul Wyatt 182; Wendy Popp 148; Tim O’Brien 178; Richard Popp 441; Janet Crosby 49t; Alice Love 294; Steven Levine 49b; Lisa Grayson 192; Darlene Dalton 489; Louis Hughes 76b; Reba Windom 196; Mirjana Lausevic 274t.

Co-Chairs Matt Wells and Darlene Dalton led 45t as the closing song, and Louis Hughes dismissed the class with prayer.

Sunday, September 30

Co-Chairs Matt Wells and Darlene Dalton called the convention to order leading 47t. Don Clark offered the opening prayer. Leaders: Steven Schmidgall 333; Cathy Lutz 106; Midge Olsen 171; Paul Wyatt 176 (t? b?); Eleanor Haase 352; Scott Schroeder 313b; Penny Kujawinski 448t; Michael Moore 85; Mary Rose O’Reilley 500; Michael Shewmaker 86; Jim Parsons 385b; Melanie Hauff 317; Tim Eriksen 229; Karen Clark 421; Charles Obert 163t; Julie Vea 419.

RECESS

Lisa Grayson brought the class back leading 335. Leaders: Kathy Wallace 107; Lou Kujawinski 63; Carol Crawford 330t; Don Clark 209; Kristin Irving 56b; Richard Popp 436; Cindy Kissee 186; Ted Johnson 48b; Mirjana Lausevic 270; Charles Wells 231; Carol Buche 84; Keith Willard 29t; Kathy Kaiser 504; Bill Waddington 31t; Denise Kania 474.

RECESS

Charles Obert brought the class back by leading song on page 52t. Leaders: Alice Love 344; Jeff Bell 453; Dick Levine 492.

Ted Johnson, Joan Fritz, and Syble Adams presented the memorial lesson. Syble Adams spoke of hope that the privilege of this company and this singing never being taken for granted so that these precious memories nurture us in the times when we must endure illness. Syble Adams read the names of the sick and shut-ins and led song on page 68b for: Beau Caldwell—Arkansas; Mary Brown and Sara Curry—California; Donnie McGraw, Opal Wooten, and Jean Bradshaw—Georgia; Randy Hiller and Stephanie Rubin—Illinois; Lewis Brown—Iowa; Barbara Herr—Minnesoata; Philip Page, Jr.—New Jersey; Ev Yoder—New Mexico; Bob Scorgie and Lilia Springer—Wisconsin.

Joan Fritz read the names of the deceased: Eula Johnson, Woodie Walker, and J. B. Blackmon—Alabama; Sally Murphy—California; Vedie Touchstone—Georgia; Jerilyn Schumacher and Larry Horberg—Illinois; C. Gene Munce—Idaho; George Stevens—Iowa; Judith Ann Caruthers—Louisiana; Richard Hooke—Massachusetts; Eleanor Strait, Brad Johnson, Tom Meyers, and Liz—Minnesota; Ward Carhart—Nebraska; Gabriel Spector—New Jersey; Steve Adams—New York; and Buddy Nelson—Wisconsin. Melanie Hauff led 83t for all victims of September 11, 2001.

Ted Johnson spoke about the role of singing and the arts in recovering from the trauma of the terrorist attacks. He described reading on the fasola list-serve some concerns from people in New York who weren’t sure they could carry out a local singing on September 17th, but people drove in from all over the Northeast to keep the singing. Ted Johnson then led song on page 547 for all the deceased and asked for a prayer from Louis Hughes.

Syble Adams and Darlene Dalton led “My Country Tis of Thee” and “God Bless America.” The memorial was closed.

Todd Mitchell offered grace for the noon meal, and the class was dismissed for lunch.

LUNCH

Midge Olsen brought the class back for the afternoon session leading song on page 36b. Leaders: Wendy Popp 236; Gordon Olsen 277; Walter Graff 297; Martha Henderson 428; Hans Guttman and Jeanette Nelson 267; Stephen Parker 82t; Kim Bahmer 178; Kit Pfau 306; Val Eng 312b; Jenny Willard 318; John Bailey 532; Darlene Dalton 488b (CB).

A raffle was held again this year for a crocheted afghan made by Ms. Eloise Jerome, and was won by Michael Shewmaker.

RECESS

Denise Kania brought the class back leading song on page 128. Leaders: Jim Crawford 522; James Page 505; Jenny Sterne 353; Claudia Egelhoff 556; Louis Hughes and Anne Marie Alden 565; Jan Ketelle 384; Reba Windom 216; Lisa Grayson 222; Syble Adams 203; Julie Vea 208; Steven Levine 350; Matt Wells 503; Jenny Willard, Keith Willard, and Mary Munce 145b; Robin Fox and Mary Rose O’Reilley; Emily and Dana 362; Kit Pfau and Jim Pfau 77t; Steven Schmidgall and Cathy Lutz 473.

The class then attended to final business.

The Treasurer gave his report: we made our budget. (Subsequent recalculations reveal that we fell a little short, but we have since made up the difference.)

Julie Vea, Cindy Kissee and Don Clark, Resolutions Committee, gave the following report. We give thanks to:

(1) Everyone who came, and all who supported the convention in any way with their time, efforts, and contributions.

(2) The officers and resolved that, “This convention is an example of a tradition that stays the same and a movement that evolves, changing to make it more and greater. The Minnesota Convention brings this evolution to new heights.”

(3) The arranging committee for, “managing the flow of leaders with judicial elegance.”

(4) All committees, and those who made this convention a success.

Recording Secretary Stephen Parker reported that we had 162 leaders, 84 on Saturday and 78 on Sunday.

Upcoming singings were announced. The class took the roll of states and countries in attendance. There were singers from 15 states and 1 from Ottawa, Canada. Those states represented were: Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, and Wisconsin.

Co-Chairs Matt Wells and Darlene Dalton led song on page 347 as singers took the parting hand. Paul Wyatt offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

For next year’s schedule: the Minnesota Convention will be the fifth Sunday of September and the Saturday before, Sept. 28 (t? b?)-29, 2002. The Saturday session will be held at a location to be announced and the Sunday session at Murphy’s Landing, Shakopee, Minnesota.

Co-Chairs: Matt Wells and Darlene Dalton; Secretary—Stephen Parker.