Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, March 26

The forty-fourth session of the Georgia State Sacred Harp Convention was held at Emmaus Primitive Baptist Church in Carrollton, Georgia on the fourth Sunday and Saturday before in March. The convention was called to order by Charles Woods leading 31b. Lonnie Rogers offered the morning prayer. Charles Woods led 210.

Leaders: Oscar McGuire 283; Charlene Wallace 99; Lonnie Rogers 225t; Scott DePoy 47b (for his grandmother); Lela Crowder 131b; Don Bowen 37b; Andy Anderson 510; Philip Denney 84; Karen Rollins 34b; Lee Bradley 32t; Jeannette DePoy 56b; Henry Guthery 558; Martha Harrell 218; John Plunkett 365; Helen Bryson 456; Henry Schuman 318; Kiri Miller 383; Bud Oliver 343.

RECESS

The class was called back to order by Charles Woods leading 203. Leaders: B.M. Smith 475; Richard Mauldin 43 (for his dad); Debora Grosse 197; Robert Walker 477; Elise Eskew 480; Andy Morse 284.

A motion was made to go into the business session. The following officers were elected or appointed to serve: Chairman—Oscar McGuire; Vice Chairman—Jeannette DePoy; Secretary/Treasurer—Charlene Wallace; Chaplain—Lonnie Rogers; Arranging Committee—-Scott DePoy, Helen Bryson, and Cecil Roberts; Memorial Committee—Karen Rollins and Kathy Williams; Resolutions Committee—Lela Crowder and Phillip Langley; Finance Committee—Don Bowen and Philip Denney; Locating Committee—Louis Hughes, Sr., John Plunkett, and B.M. Smith.

Leaders: Ellie Soler 277; Tim Reynolds 49b; Mary Brownlee 556; Ed Thacker 432; Sharon DuPriest 196; Danny Creel 269; Daphene Causey 306; Coy Ivey 384.

RECESS

The class was called together by Oscar McGuire leading 155. Leaders: Nathan Green and Norma Green 467; Philip Denney 215; Karen Morris 299; Bobby Jackson 45t; Bridgett Hill 168; Bill Beverly 86; Laura Frey 178 (in memory on Naomi Sailors); Eugene Forbes 546; LaRue Allen 222; Paul Figura 39t.

LUNCH

The afternoon session was called together by Oscar McGuire leading 452. Leaders: Kathy Williams 95; Bobby Watkins and Mercy Watkins 30b; Shirley Figura 278 (t? b?); Martha Beverly 344; Sandra Wilkinson 448t; Rodney Ivey 189; Robert Chambless 145b; Henry Guthery III 108t (in memory of his grandmother); Helen Brown 542; Reba Windom 224; Martha Harrell 198; Judy Chambless 532; Earlis McGraw 132 (for Gladys McGraw); Joan Aldridge 473; Mary L. Smith 171; Arlene Woods 479; Matt Hinton and friends from Morland College 163b; Henry Johnson 425 (for Jeff Sheppard and Shelbie Sheppard); Louis Hughes, Sr. 163t; Kelly Morris 159.

RECESS

Jeannette DePoy called the class together leading 300. Leaders: Faye Hollis 186; Stanley Edwards 76b; Bernard Denney 112; Donna Bell and Paige Gilbert 75; Richard DeLong 422; John Redman 236; Mary Brownlee 66; Helen Brown 430; Sheri Taylor 528; Holly Evans 63.

Announcements were made. Oscar McGuire and Jeannette DePoy led 56t as the closing song. Chaplain Lonnie Rogers offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Sunday, March 27

The convention was called to order by Oscar McGuire leading 415. Henry Johnson offered the morning prayer.

Leaders: Jeanette DePoy 32t; Scott DePoy 410t; Jan House 171; Carol Chapman 143; John Hollingsworth 155; Jimmie Denney 426t; Karen Rollins 178; Myron House 113; Nathan Green and Norma Green 314; John Redman 349; Tony Hammock 148; Belinda Snow 138b; Bobby Jackson 499; Lela Crowder 421; John Plunkett 399t; Lisa Webb 303; David Yeager 64; Lonnie Rogers 389; Phillip Langley 282.

RECESS

The class was called together by Charlene Wallace leading 145t. Leaders: Earlis McGraw 225t (for his mother); Charles Woods 396; Donna Bell 186; Paul Figura 510; Arlene Woods 147t; Kelly Morris 114; Teenie Moody 430; Don Bowen 156; Jerry Creason 268; Kathy Williams 180; Bill Beverly 297; Joan Aldridge 546; Michael Haverty 183; Shirley Figura 385b; Matt Hinton and friend 168; Martha Beverly 498; Coy Ivey, Kristin Jarvis, and Caroline 45t; Laura Frey and Jenna Frey 163b; B.J. Harris 503.

RECESS

The class was called together by Jeannette DePoy leading 82t. Leaders: Judy Mincey 376; Don Clark 99.

The memorial lesson was conducted by Karen Rollins and Kathy Williams leading 80b in memory of Kelly Beard. Henry Johnson led 418 for the following deceased: Otis Hester, Naomi Sailors, Barbara DePoy, Frank Wilson, and Carolyn Snow—Georgia; John Hocutt, G.L. Hinton, Sherry Guthery, Ronny Meadows, and Hershell King—Alabama; Betty Passmore—Missouri; Cliffie Windom—Michigan; Roxanne Mennella—New York; Lois DePoy and Tom DePoy—Indiana; Eric Swenson and Dave Grundmeier—Minnesota; Peter Whitehall—England.

David Ivey led 542 for the following sick and shut-ins: I. V. McWhorter, Jeff Sheppard, Shelbie Sheppard, Violet Thomason, Lynn Allen, Jeanette Lowry, Michael Morse, Runette Jones, Dick Mauldin, Syble Shadinger, Donnie McGraw, Nick Griffin, Bill Green, Joyce Walton, Jap Walton, Eldora Moody, and Kay Tierney. The memorial was closed with prayer by Louis Hughes, Sr.

Leaders: Bernard Denney 222, Laura Akerman 28b, Karen Clark 187.

LUNCH

The class was called together by Oscar McGuire leading 98. Leaders: Stuart Ivey 436; Reba Windom 216; Richard DeLong 328; Kiri Miller and James Baumgardner 442; Rodney Ivey 426t; Helen Brown 142; Louis Hughes, Sr. 408; Karen Ivey 283; Evelyn Harris 47t; Richard Ivey 228; Erica Hinton 501; Philip Denney and Gail Denney 49t, 120; Louise Holland 323b; Martha Beverly 447; Helen Brown 556; Kiri Miller 445.

Oscar McGuire led 340 and dedicated it to the Denny family, with special recognition to Felton and Josephine Denney for their love of Sacred Harp singing and Emmaus Primitive Baptist Church.

RECESS

The class resumed singing with Jeannette DePoy leading 67 and John Wall leading 358.

A motion was made to go into the business session to hear reports from various committees.

The Resolutions Committee (Lela Crowder and Phillip Langley) submitted the following report: For forty-four years the Georgia State Convention has convened on this week-end so that we could raise our voices in song. Some of us have sung at every one of those conventions, while others of us have found our places in the hollow square more recently. Whatever path may have brought us here, we are now part of the history of this tradition. That sense of history and fellowship makes us intensely aware of the importance of places, people, and the past. The Resolution Committee would like to express thanks for those very things. We express our gratitude to the following:

• Emmaus Primitive Baptist Church for the use of the church and grounds and for host-ing the convention this year;
• The officers, committee members, and organizers for their efforts to see that the convention ran smoothly;
• Everyone who contributed to the lovely lunch;
• Singers who traveled from near and far to lend their voices;
• Those singers who were able to support us in thought and spirit only;
• Those who have taught, and continue to teach, us how to “seek the old paths and walk therein”;
• The Lord God for allowing us to gather together freely to meet and sing.

We are especially thankful for the history and tradition that continues to fill our lives with music, and we hope the same satisfaction we find in the hollow square may touch the days that fill our lives between singings. We hope that the Lord will bless and keep us until this time next year when we will sing together again.

The Finance report was given by Charlene Wallace.

The Locating Committee reported that the 2006 session of the Georgia State Sacred Harp Convention would be held at Sweet Water Chapel, Lilburn, Georgia.

All reports were approved as given, and the business session was closed.

Leaders: Shirley Figura 565; Jerry Creason and Ann Sibole 569b; Kathy Williams and Patti Harmon 208; Bill Beverly 77b; Paul Figura 76b.

Announcements were made. Oscar McGuire, Jeannette DePoy, Charlene Wallace, and Lonnie Rogers led 62 as the closing song. John Plunkett offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairman—Oscar McGuire; Vice Chairman—Jeannette DePoy; Secretary—Charlene Wallace.