Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, August 4

The 160th session of the Chattahoochee Convention was held on the first Sunday and Saturday before in August, 2012, at Wilson’s Chapel, Cross Plains, Georgia. Sheri Taylor brought the class to order by leading 142. Henry Johnson offered an opening prayer.

Leaders: Donna Duke 101t; Robert Kelley 28b; Laura Frey 163b; Jeannette DePoy 475; Michael Walker 351; John Kelso 70b; Scott DePoy 277; Aldo Ceresa 203; Hubert Nall 566; Helen Bryson 411; Bill Hollingsworth 296; Jesse Roberts 404; Bea Carnathan 568; John Hollingsworth 460; Rebecca Over 532; Micah Roberts 480; Michael Spencer 393; Mandy Brady 300; Earlis McGraw 558; John Plunkett 492; Ellen Lea 216; Erica Hinton 391; Buck Lea 474; Sue Bunch 354t; Melissa Kelley 114; Richard Ivey 458.

RECESS

Sheri Taylor called the class to order by leading 47b. Leaders: Richard DeLong 396; Phillip Denney 143; Annaliza Cull 448t; Wendy Futral 340; Lori Goode 358; Debora Grosse 107; Harry Eskew 146; Mary Brownlee 556; Jonathon Smith 442; Agnes Roberts 186; Charles Woods 338; B.M. Smith 108b.

A business session was called to order. The following officers were elected for the 2012 session: Chairman—Sheri Taylor; Vice Chairman—Aldo Ceresa; Secretary—Donna Duke; Chaplain—Michael Walker; Arranging Committee—Robert Kelley and Laura Frey; Finance Committee—Lori Goode and Katy Kanfer; Resolutions Committee—Rebecca Over and Eimear O’Donovan; Memorial Committee—Jeannette DePoy and Karen Rollins.

Leaders: Phillip Langley 440; Faye Hollis 168; Bethany Towne 406; George Burnette 81t; T.J. Mauldin 133; Darrell Swarens 198; Judy Mincey 367; The Gilmore Family 35; Christian Webb 294; Richard Mauldin 410t; Kiri Miller 187; Jimmie Gilmore 276; Joyce Heath 127.

LUNCH

Sheri Taylor, Laura Frey, Jena Frey, Lisa Webb, and Christian Webb bought the class back to order leading 405. Leaders: Nathan Berry 273; Sonia Chin 530; Joel Miller 436; James Baumgartner 189; Kelly Kennedy 172; Arthur Gilmore 378t; Eric Saylor 339; Michael Nord 371; Eddie Mash 419; Liz Meitzler 67; James Nelson Gingerich 448b; Ben Cocchiaro 327; Morgan Bunch 501; Katie Kanfer 539; David Brodeur 208; Matt Hinton 432; Jackson Fleder 73t; Larry Brasher 332; Matthew Lind 369; Eimear O’Donovan 38b; Rachel Miller Jacobs 84; Karen Rollins 365.

RECESS

Aldo Ceresa led 128 to bring the class to order. Leaders: Dave Farmer 155; Michael Thompson 56t; Anna Pfau 362; Nora Miller 573; Drew Smith 385b; Jena Frey 178; Jim Aaron 503; Daniel Hunter 85; Reba Windom and Rodney Ivey 182; Oscar McGuire 344; J.R. Hardman 378b; Tony Hammock 148; Kathy Williams 506; Fallon Cook and Hayden Arp 269; Julian Sizemore 192; Lisa Webb 222.

Sheri Taylor and Aldo Ceresa led 323t as the closing. Michael Walker offered the closing prayer.

Sunday, August 5

The Sunday session of the Chattahoochee Convention was brought to order by Sheri Taylor and Aldo Ceresa leading 209. Michael Walker offered the morning prayer.

Leaders: Aldo Ceresa 52t; Donna Duke 425; Michael Walker 41; Robert Kelley 160b; Laura Frey 66; Ellen Lea 486; Buck Lea 212; Joel Miller 48t; Anna Pfau 163t; Nora Miller 283; Jena Frey 408; Kelly Kennedy 306; Michael Thompson and Joyce Walton 392; Katy Kanfer 103; Nathan Berry 480; J.R. Hardman 162; Charlene Wallace 155; Kiri Miller 564; Liz Meitzler 213t; Lisa Webb 528; James Baumgartner 472; James Nelson Gingerich 285t; Kathy Williams 142; Sandra Wilkinson 512; Eimear O’Donovan 380; Annaliza Cull 268.

RECESS

Sheri Taylor, Laura Frey, and Lisa Webb called the class to order by leading 524.

The memorial lesson was conducted by Jeannette DePoy and Karen Rollins. Karen read the following list of names of the sick and shut-ins: Charlotte Walker and Dan Walker, Violet Thomason, Cathy White, Curtis Owen, Eugene Forbes, Leona Haynes, Stella Pratt, Josie Hyde, Tommy McGraw, Eleanor Enger, S.T. Reed, Bud Oliver, Sammie Oliver, Jack Paulk, Pam Nunn, Jeff Sheppard, Shelbie Sheppard, Sharon Kellam, Ellie Soler, Danny Griffin, Carlene Griffin, Lois Bowman, Raymond Hamrick, Karen Wood, and Geneva Pritchard. Karen led 330b.

Jeanette DePoy read the following list of names of the deceased: Lonnie Rogers, Carlton Wilson, Jerry Hackney, Susan Muse, Nick Griffin—Georgia; Julietta Haynes—Tennessee; Joan Fritz—Minnesota; Mark Ferguson—Ireland; Alice Fahrbach—Michigan; Clarence McCool, Marie Ivey, Harrison Creel, Travis Keeton—Alabama; Jim Gibson—Kentucky; John Merritt—Mississippi; Sally McEwen, Dot Garrison, Ray Richardson, Brantley Harwell, and Ita Clenaghan—No state listed. Jeannette led 389 in memory of the deceased. Michael Walker closed the memorial session with prayer.

Leaders: Jane Spencer 548; B.M. Smith 284; Drew Smith 513; Eric Saylor 535; Thomas Ward 125; Erin Mills 430; Jesse Pearlman Karlsberg 396; Anna Hinton 40; Amy Armstrong 299; David Brodeur 475; Tony Hammock 267; Virginia Dyer 63; Matt Hinton 171; Robert Chambless 72b.

LUNCH

The afternoon session was called to order by Aldo Ceresa leading 105. Leaders: Rachel Rudi 208; Richard Ivey 477; Rebecca Over 381; Daniel Hunter 132; Melissa Kelley 383; Fallon Cook 146; Bethany Towne 336; Mark Puckett 384; Richard DeLong 322; Michael Walker 250; Jeannette DePoy 328; Sonia Chin 95; Lori Goode 118; Gene Duke 335; Louise Holland 147t; Eric Saylor 551; Malinda Snow 230; Michael Nord 505; Lauren Bock and Jesse Pearlman Karlsberg 286; Ben Cocchiaro 112; Karen Rollins 347; Jackson Fleder 39t; Jackson Harcrow 448t; Judy Chambless 549; Richard Plunkett 76t; Matthew Lind 145b; Reba Windom 220; Henry Johnson 439; Cecil Roberts 549.

RECESS

Sheri Taylor led 504 to bring the class together. Leaders: Jackson Fleder 192; Anna Pfau 454; Aimee Wilson 86; Rebecca Over 274t; Katy Kanfer and Sonia Chin 123b; Eimear O’Donovan and Laura Frey 145t; Laura Ackerman 434; Eric Saylor 375; Rachel Rudi and Richard Ivey 319; Bethany Towne 124; Melissa Kelley and Nathan Berry 290; Thomas Ward 33b; James Nelson Gingrich 29t; Christian Webb 25.

The convention went into a business session. Committee reports were read as follows: Lori Goode, Finance Committee, reported the collection and that all expenses of the convention were met. Rebecca Over and Eimear O’Donovan, Resolutions Committee, read the following resolutions: “We, the committee on resolutions, make the following report and recommendations: First, be it resolved, that members of this Chattahoochee Sacred Harp Musical Convention give humble thanks to the Creator for the blessings of life, friends, family, and Sacred Harp singing and fellowship. Second, be it further resolved, that we, the members, remember with gratitude the generations of singers, leaders, and composers who have handed this music down to the present day. Third, be it resolved, that the visitors express an appreciation to the church and to the descendants of the Wilson family, for their generous and cordial hospitality, and to those who have graciously housed and fed us for the duration of the singing, as well as putting their time and love into preparing a plentiful and delicious dinner each day of the singing, and to those who carried out maintenance and grounds work in preparation for the convention. Fourth, be it resolved, that we thank the officers, committees, and the keyers for their effort and their service to the singing. Finally, be it resolved, that we meet again the first Sunday and the Saturday before in August, 2013, for the 161st Chattahoochee Convention.” A motion was made and carried that the reports be accepted as read, and added to the minutes.

Announcements for future singings were made. Sheri Taylor and Aldo Ceresa led 62 as the closing song. The class was dismissed with prayer offered by Matt Hinton.

Chairman—Sheri Taylor; Vice Chairman—Aldo Ceresa; Secretary—Donna Duke