Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

The annual meeting of the Sacred Harp Musical Heritage Association (SHMHA) was held at Jefferson State Community College, Birmingham, Alabama, on Saturday, November 26, 2011. Approximately 30 members were present.

David Ivey, Secretary, called the meeting to order at 2:00 p. m. David welcomed the assembly and thanked the members for their support this year. David shared a handout with a brief history of SHMHA and its purpose. David also provided a summary of the 2010 financial statement provide to the IRS. He stated that as a non-profit organization, each year SHMHA files a 990 with the IRS each year.

For the past four years SHMHA has offered both Adult and Youth sessions of camp. In 2011, our Adult numbers remained the same but our Youth numbers were up by about 15-20 people from 2010. The bulk of the expenses for camp are paid for food and lodging. The teachers accept a small stipend for the wonderful work they do. In 2012, there will be three sessions of Camp Fasola: Adult Camp to be held at Camp McDowell June 10-14; Youth Camp to be held at Camp Lee July 2-6; and for the first time, SHMHA will hold a Camp Fasola Europe session at the Wichrowe Facility near Gdansk, Poland, on September 17-21. Also, David stated that SHMHA has received grant funding from the Alabama Council for the Arts each year, and has again received money from the Sacred Harp Publishing Company for Camp Fasola. Jeannette DePoy, Camp Registrar, shared a summary of feedback received from campers at the 2011 sessions. Michael Walker thanked SHMHA for its efforts to extend Camp Fasola to Europe in 2012, and summarized the current Sacred Harp singings happening in Europe.

Pam Nunn gave a report on finances and stated that a complete report for 2011 would be available in February, 2012. Judy Caudle provided a report on the Minutes Book. She also stated that this year, secretaries have done better in turning their minutes on time, and that the minute book is on track for publication. As discussed last year, there were now 40 singings that requested no books as they occur late in the year when most singers have a copy already. Judy thanked Joan Aldridge for her proofreading of the minutes, and Angela Myers for her work on the camp minutes.

There being no further business, Secretary David Ivey adjourned the meeting at 2:30 pm. The meeting was dismissed with prayer offered by Eddie Mash.

SHMHA is a non-profit501(c)(3) organization, incorporated in Alabama, whose purpose is the perpetuation and preservation of Sacred Harp singing and its traditions. SHMHA publishes the Directory and Minutes of Sacred Harp Singing, operates Camp Fasola, sponsors the fasola.org website, and supports other activities related to the history and traditions of Sacred Harp singing.

President—Jeff Sheppard; Secretary—David Ivey