Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, October 29

The 143rd session of the Union Musical Sacred Harp Singing Convention was held at Big Creek Primitive Baptist Church, Alpharetta, Georgia, on the fifth Sunday and Saturday before in October. The class was called to order at 10:00 a.m. by John Plunkett leading 39b. The opening prayer was offered by Charles Woods.

Nathan Rees conducted the introductory lesson leading songs on pages 79, 300, 77b, 271t, 275b, 360, and 250.

Leaders: Helen Bryson 172; Jeannette DePoy 475; Darrell Swarens 215;

Judy Mincey 474; Jesse Karlsberg 158; Tony Hammock 102; Faye Holbrook 380 (for her father, James Tolbert); John Hollingsworth 37b; Sharon Strong 195; Buck Lea 522.

A business session was held with the following officers elected or appointed to serve: Chairman—John Plunkett; Vice Chairman—Jeannette DePoy; Secretary/Treasurer—Helen Bryson; Arranging Committee—Jesse

Karlsberg, Leigh Cooper, and Mark Godfrey; Memorial Committee—Scott DePoy and Darrell Swarens; Finance Committee—Hayden Arp and Oscar McGuire; Resolutions Committee—Judy Mincey and Nathan Rees; Chaplains—Blake Sisemore and Tony Hammock.

RECESS

Jeannette DePoy called the class to order leading 129. Leaders: Scott DePoy 448t; Judy Chambless 348t; Charlene Wallace 388; B.M. Smith 389; Robert Chambless 100; Eric Tweedy 78; Faye Hollis 182; George Burnette 101t; Charles Woods 494; Leigh Cooper 225t; Oscar McGuire 573; Ellen Lea 200; Billy Hollingsworth 36t; Tom Ivey 242; Hayden Arp 384; Mark Godfrey 142; Margie Smith 512; Blake Sisemore 498; Mike Castleberry 354b; Reba Windom 276.

LUNCH

The class was called to order by John Plunkett leading 120. Leaders: Judy Mincey 367; Buck Lea 428; Blake Sisemore 567; Molly Ellis 328; Darrell Swarens 341; Sharon Strong 227; Ellen Lea 187; Nathan Rees 398; B. M. Smith 548; Reba Windom 283; Tom Ivey 340; Charlene Wallace 155 (for Carlene, Deke, and Danny Griffin); Violet Thomason 112, 189, 343, 207; Eric Tweedy 442; Robert Chambless 303; George Burnette 117; Faye Holbrook 549; Oscar McGuire 336.

RECESS

Jeannette DePoy called the class to order leading 99. Leaders: Billy Hollingsworth 236; Judy Chambless 540; Tony Hammock 83b; Faye Hollis 168; John Hollingsworth 186; Helen Bryson 213t; Jesse Karlsberg 69b; Hayden Arp 530; Leigh Cooper 318; Mark Godfrey 319; Molly Ellis 133; John Plunkett and Joe Plunkett 45t.

Announcements were made. John Plunkett led 46 as the closing song. The closing prayer was offered by Blake Sisemore.

Sunday, October 30

The Sunday session of the Union Musical Sacred Harp Singing Convention was brought to order by John Plunkett leading 467. Blake Sisemore offered the morning prayer.

Leaders: Jeannette DePoy 176t; Helen Bryson 101b; Tony Hammock 60;

Leigh Cooper 77t; Scott DePoy 201; Jesse Karlsberg 83t; Judy Mincey 274t; Hayden Arp 426t; Blake Sisemore 278t; Nathan Rees 285b; Mark Godfrey 49b; Oscar McGuire 481; Darrell Swarens 36b; Faye Holbrook 455; Jonathan Woods 299; John Kelso 90; Malinda Snow 77b; Billy Hollingsworth 365; Judy Chambless 28t; Charlene Wallace 171.

RECESS

Jeannette DePoy called the class to order leading 89. Leaders: B. M. Smith 143; Robert Chambless 49t; Sandra Wilkinson 170; Sharon Strong 352; John Hollingsworth 460; Shannon Primm 213t; Tom Ivey 269;Jesse Karlsberg 392; Faye Holbrook 67; Scott DePoy 179; John Kelso 52t; Helen Bryson 546; Margie Dietz 34b.

The memorial lesson was conducted by Scott DePoy and Darrell Swarens. Scott DePoy led 72t for the following sick and shut-ins: Lonnie Rogers, Lula Bradford, Raymond Hamrick, Dot Garrison, Violet Thomason, Reuban Ball, James Tolbert, Carlene Griffin, Deke Griffin, Danny Griffin, Joyce Walton, Bud Oliver, S.T. Reed, Rene Greene, Gertrude DeLong, and Pam Nunn.

Darrell Swarens led 267 for the following deceased: Bob Meek—Kentucky; Marie Ivey, Travis Keeton, Myrtle Wootten, Wayne Morgan—Alabama; Sammy Harlan, Mary Florence Smith—Georgia. Blake Sisemore offered prayer.

LUNCH

John Plunkett called the class to order leading 167. Leaders: Hayden Arp 408; Matt Hinton 472; Nathan Rees 193; Sharon Strong 327; Blake Sisemore 550; Anna Hinton 300; Judy Mincey 538; Tom Ivey 254; Darrell Swarens 507; Shannon Primm 250; B.M. Smith 318; John Hollingsworth 164; Erika Hinton 332; Molly Ellis 114; Billy Hollingsworth 376; Tony Hammock 148; Robert Chambless 503; Eli Hinton 268; Oscar McGuire 344; Judy Chambless 531; Sandra Wilkinson 542; John Kelso 397; Mark Godfrey 203; Margie Dietz 276; Johnathan Woods 168; Malinda Snow and friend, Sarah 33t; Matt Hinton 176b.

The convention entered into a business session for the purpose of hearing reports. The Resolutions Committee reported the following: The Committee, on behalf of the Convention, hereby submits the following: We thank our Almighty God for the grace and privilege of meeting in this, the 143rd annual Union Musical Sacred Harp Convention. We thank Big Creek

Primitive Baptist Church for its hospitality, and the officers and committee members for their diligence. We thank the singers, both local and travelers, for each of you has enriched our own pleasure and has improved the praise we have strived to lift to our Creator and Sustainer. We therefore resolve to meet again September 30 and October 1, 2012 [Editor’s note: Saturday, September 29 and Sunday, September 30, 2012.] at Hardeman Primitive Baptist Church in Decatur, Georgia, for the 144th session of the Union Musical Sacred Harp Convention.

The Finance Committee reported that convention expenses were met. The reports were approved, and the business session was closed.

Announcements were made. John Plunkett and Jeannette DePoy led 56t as the closing song. The closing prayer was offered by John Hollingsworth.

Chairman—John Plunkett; Vice Chairman—Jeannette DePoy; Secretary—Helen Bryson