Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, September 23

The Saturday session of the seventeenth Minnesota State Convention was held at St. Sahag Armenian Orthodox Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. The class was called to order by Co-Chairs Christine Stevens and Kim Bahmer leading 52t. Paul Wilson offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Paul Wilson 33b; Stacey Berkheimer 84; Paul Wyatt 125; Donna Gunderson-Rogers 565; Martha Henderson 460; Paul Landskroener 440; Karen Edwards 278b; Jim Goetz 312b; Kristie Harju 274t; Michael Moore 311; Claudia Egelhoff 77b; Jeff Bell 47b; Carol Buche 421 (for the wedding anniversary of her sister and brother-in-law); Jim Pfau 112; Margaret Gillanders 203; Scott Schroeder 87; Assunta Overholt 448b; Gordon Olsen, Robin Murie, and John Wenstrom 86; Jenn Dolan 165; John Seaton 47t.

RECESS

Matt Wells called the class back to order leading 106. Leaders: Karen Swenson 391; Tivey 28b; Rosalind Oldham 66; Bruce Rye 475; Charles Wells 38b; Roberta Strauss 49b; Jim Helke and Logan York 43; Nancy Koester 102; James Gingerich 452; Ted Brown 373; Val Eng 362; Steve Schmidgall 73b; Ginny Landgraf 506; Paul Figura 457; Kristin Zoellner 216; Robin Fox 436.

RECESS

Denise Kania called the class back with 63. Leaders: Steve Luttinen 108t; Christine Stevens 542; James Page 268; Jenny Willard 392; Pierre Gingerich-Boberg 148; Kim Bahmer 39t; Cathy Lutz 217.

A business session was held with the following officers elected or appointed to serve: Denise Kania and Steve Luttinen—Co-Chairs of the 2007 fall convention and Cathy Lutz—Chair of the February, 2007, Cooper Book Singing. Bruce Rye offered prayer for the noon meal.

LUNCH

Kristie Harju brought the class to order leading 345t. Leaders: Meg Parsons 142; Katie Moore 124; Keith Willard 144; Susan Turpin 312t; Shirley Figura 145b; Ted Mercer 181; Midge Olsen 454 (for Steven Parker); Laura Densmore 304; Louis Hughes 512; Becky Browne 411 (for Jeanette Lowry); Kit Canright Pfau 128; Julie Vea 430; Steven Levine 344 (for his parents on Rosh Hashana); Lisa Grayson 419; Annie Grieshop 168 (for Aubrey Hemminger); Bruce Rye 208; Margaret Gillanders 228; Eleanor Haase 352; Roberta Strauss 32t; Jim Crawford 49t; Matt Wells 318. Bruce Rye was thanked for leading the singing school on Friday evening.

RECESS

The class was called back by Steve Luttinen leading 129. Leaders: Bob Dixon 448t; Assunta Overholt 171; Jim Helke 532; Rosalind Oldham 503; John Seaton 137; Ginny Landgraf 397; Charles Wells 99; James Page 538; Jenn Dolan 215; Ted Brown 76t; Paul Figura 490; Claudia Egelhoff 556; James Gingerich 29t.

Kim Bahmer and Christine Stevens led 62 as the closing song. The closing prayer was offered by Paul Wyatt, and the class was dismissed.

Sunday, September 24

The Sunday session of the seventeenth Minnesota State Convention was held in the historic Town Hall at Murphy’s Landing in Shakopee, Minnesota. The class was called to order by Co-Chairs Kim Bahmer and Christine Stevens leading 31b. The opening prayer was offered by Paul Wyatt.

Leaders: Steve Luttinen 176t; Paul Wyatt 177; Cathy Lutz 276; Kit Canright Pfau 48t; Gordon Olsen 277; Kristie Harju 159; James Goetz 52t; Karen Swenson 155; James Page 505; Donna Gunderson-Rogers 479; Francis Gurtz 500; Carol Buche 178; Jeff Bell 83t; Val Eng 474; Scott Schroeder 455; Jean Murphy 209; Keith Willard and Louis Hughes 99; Alice Love 551; Jim Pfau 203.

RECESS

The class was called back to order by Matt Wells leading 39t. Leaders: Steven Levine 164; John Seaton 47t; Paul Figura 501; Julie Vea 522; Colette Miller 348b; Jim Parsons and Evva Parsons 77t; Paul Landskroener 453; Nancy Parr 117; Paul Wilson 390; Midge Olsen 66; Roberta Strauss 384; Michael Moore 535; Lisa Grayson 377; Jim Helke 100; Eleanor Haase 278t; Jim Crawford 107; Martha Henderson 396; Anna Pfau 415; Robin Fox 271t; Ginny Landgraf 547.

RECESS

Paul Wyatt called the class back to order with 74b. James Gingerich led 515.

Paul Landskroener conducted the memorial lesson for the deceased and led 566 in their memory: Verla Huckaby—Arkansas; Allan Smith—California; Barbara Foster, Derby and Alice Cole, Sussex—UK; Sgt. Phil Dodson—Georgia; Aurelia Grieshop—Iowa; Fay Kaynor—Massachusetts; Margaret Sihler Anderson, Samantha Hastings, William Hastings, and Helen Stevens—Minnesota; Marino Bianchi—Nevada; Patrick Giles—New York; Mark Seiler—Maine; Deanne Bayer and Sterling Newell—Ohio; Clifford Alan Bell—Pennsylvania; Hibbard Thatcher—Tennessee; Barbara Greenler, Georgie Klatt, and Shirley Vandervest—Wisconsin.

Lisa Grayson conducted the lesson for the sick and shut-ins, and led 340 in their honor: Sara Curry, Jill Gibbs, Helen Brown, Judy Hauff, Ruth Young, Lois Canright, Irene Anderson, Ray Hofsted, Jeanette Lowry, Brian Douglas, Cliff Gillette, Bob Anderson, Dick Dunagan, Peg Pearson, Bob Scorgie, and Lilia Springer. The memorial was closed. Roberta Strauss offered prayer for the noon meal.

LUNCH

The class was brought to order by Paul Wilson leading 144. Leaders: Kim Bahmer 32t; Cassie Lang 284; Steven Schmidgall 333; Rosalind Oldham 127; Jan Ketelle 168; Charles Wells 546; Jenny Willard 434; Shirley Figura 481; Ted Mercer 306 (in memory of Dean Slaton); Margaret Gillanders 68b; Susan Turpin 328; Christine Stevens 352 (in memory of Helen Stevens); Louis Hughes 270; Laura Densmore 383; Becky Browne 299; Ted Brown 163b; Stacey Berkheimer 441; Matt Wells 272. Elouise Jerome, a long-standing friend and supporter of singing in Minnesota, made a quilt which she donated for a fundraising raffle. It was won by Janice Hughes.

RECESS

Keith Willard brought the class back together with 46. Leaders: Karen Swenson and Paul Gilliland 313t; Lisa Grayson 192; Ginny Landgraf 193; Julie Vea 200; Margaret Gillanders 142; Steven Levine 497; Rosalind Oldham 143; Ted Brown 30t; Roberta Strauss 569b; Paul Figura 540; Becky Browne 269; Louis Hughes 34t; Laura Densmore 542; Kit Canright Pfau 475; Midge Olsen 236; Denise Kania, Steve Luttinen, and Cathy Lutz 472.

Announcements of upcoming singings were made. The following reports were presented: Matt Wells, treasurer; Karen Swenson, secretary; and Michael Moore, resolutions.

Christine Stevens and Kim Bahmer led 347 as the closing song, while those who wished took the parting hand. Louis Hughes offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Co-Chairs—Kim Bahmer and Christine Stevens; Secretaries—Karen Swenson and Paul Wyatt.