Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Thursday, June 16

The 37th session of the National Sacred Harp Convention was called to order by Mark Davis leading 81t. The opening prayer was offered by Elder Jesse Roberts.

The Convention business session was held and concluded with the following officers and committees elected and/or appointed as follows: Chairman—Mark Davis; Co-Vice Chairmen—Buell Cobb, Gaston White, and Hubert Nall; Chaplain—Jesse Roberts; Secretaries—Kathy Williams and Cheryl Foreman; Arranging Committee—Helen Brown and Sonny Erwin; Memorial Committee—Mike Hinton and Rick Foreman; Finance Committee—Buell Cobb, Randy Webber, and Ted Brown; Resolutions Committee—Dorothea Maynard and Gary Smith; Location Officer—Hubert Nall.

Leaders: Gaston White 99; Hubert Nall 167; Buell Cobb 75; Cheryl Foreman 492; Jesse Roberts 208; Helen Brown 32t; Sonny Erwin 493; Mike Hinton 495; Randy Webber 195; Gary Smith 66; Robert Chambless 77b; Marlin Beasley 282; Bea Aaron 475; Richard Mauldin, Patricia Adair, and Summer Adair 35; Glenn Keeton 365; Edna Phillips 480; Henry Johnson 109; Gary Padgett 532; Judy Chambless 37b; Jerry Kitchens 30t; Jim Aaron 47b; Becky Briggs 101t.

RECESS

The class was called back to order by Glenn Keeton leading 277. Leaders: Jack Nelson 500; Delone Cobbs 73b; Corissa Sweatt, Hailey Beasley, and Jonathan Sweatt 397; Micah Roberts 383; Patricia Adair 63; Nicholas Thompson 472; Daniel Bearden 184; Zilpha Cornett 488; Karen Clark 534; Morgan Bunch 274t; Amber Davis 380; Elizabeth Gentry 535; Billy See and Vickie See 339; Cora Sweatt 155; Jan May 276; Frank Griggs 546; Beverly Dayton 122; David Brodeur 497; Brenda Dunlap 131b; Sue Bunch 547; Richard Schmeidler 268; Warren Steel 442; Dorothea Maynard 196; Lisa Bennett 312t; Nathan Stewart 411; Dan Brittain 434; Geraldine Sharpton 318; Eugene Forbes 384. Elder Jesse Roberts offered the blessing before the noon meal.

LUNCH

The afternoon session was brought to order by Henry Johnson leading 138t. Leaders: David Smead 324; Susan Cherones 564; Naomi Duiguid 503; Ronni Robins and Karen Matthews 36b; Nathan Rees 176b; Gillian Inksetter 562; Andy Ditzler 280; Ginnie Ely 269; Lauren Bock 291; Aldo Ceresa 91; Ted Brown 391; Scott DePoy 448t; Carol Selleck 70b; Jesse Perlman Karlsberg 224; Jonathon Smith 74t; Becky Strickland 481; Danny Creel 456; Amy Wells 112; Sarah Beasley 129; Mark Davis and Mel Maynard 388; Mark Davis and Chris Parris 206; Ginnie Ely and Chris Parris 454; Kerry Cullinan and Andy Ditzler 68b.

Mark Davis led 549 as the closing song. The closing prayer was offered by Elder Jesse Roberts.

Friday, June 17

The Friday session of the National Convention was opened by Mark Davis leading 295. Elder Jesse Roberts offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Gaston White 148; Hubert Nall 313t; Buell Cobb 52t; Cheryl Foreman 187; Jesse Roberts 242; Helen Brown 411; Sonny Erwin 441; Mike Hinton 400; Susan Cherones 300; Jim Aaron 503; Ann Riley Gray 155; Sarah Beasley 340; Randy Webber 403; Jean Merritt and Carol Selleck 147t; Richard Mauldin 388; Ginnie Ely 502; Rick Foreman 57; Becky Strickland 59; David Carlton 377; Delone Cobbs 354t.

RECESS

The class reconvened with Helen Brown leading 111t. Leaders: Bea Aaron 426b; Phillip Denney and Karis Askin 183; Nate Green 60; April Watkins, Ainslie Allen, and Emma Calvert 196, 76b; Anna Grace Sipe 32t; Peter Trumbore and Levi Trumbore 84; Darlene Reynolds 490; Jesse P. Karlsberg 489; Jim Carnes 440; Karen Rollins 145t; Jonathon Smith 214; Chris Brown 48b; B.M. Smith 72b; Wanda Capps 546; Charles McCravy 428; Lauren Bock 423; Sarah Trumbore 144; Justin Bowen 328; Nathan Rees 348b; Amy Wells 349; Scott DePoy 201; Corissa Sweatt 145b; Henry Johnson 539; Micah Roberts 335; Eugene Forbes 218; Lomax Ballinger 168; Ted Brown 422. The blessing before the noon meal was offered by Elder Jesse Roberts.

LUNCH

Charles McCravy brought the class together by leading 87. Leaders: Judy Chambless 82t; Wendy Anderson 98; Warren Steel 296; Nathan Stewart 304; Cassie Allen 500; Amber Davis 192; Leon Ballinger 195; Judy Whiting 521; Bridgett Hill Kennedy 564; Jenny Acton 112; Dan Brittain 220; Pam Nunn 269; Ann Jett 327; Beth Branscome 477; Sarah Trumbore, Levi Trumbore, and Peter Trumbore 496; Mark Davis 236; Beverly Dayton 86; Mike Nabors 294; Hubert Nall 448b; Mary Beth Garrison 401; Gaston White 178; Larry Brasher 385b.

Mark Davis led 46 as the closing song. The closing prayer was offered by Elder Jesse Roberts.

Saturday, June 18

The Saturday session of the National Sacred Harp Singing Convention was called to order by Mark Davis leading 73t. Elder Jesse Roberts offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Gaston White 66; Hubert Nall 186; Buell Cobb 74b; Cheryl Foreman 556; Jesse Roberts 507; Helen Brown 134; Sonny Erwin 313b; Mike Hinton 288; Ted Brown 29t; Rick Foreman 31b; Robert Chambless 225t; Cora Sweatt 49b; Bea Aaron 175; Micah Roberts 148; Darlene Reynolds 282; Carol Selleck 382; Gary Smith 344; Margaret Gillanders and Sonny Erwin 475; Sue Bunch 107.

RECESS

Jesse Roberts brought the class back to order by leading 48t. Leaders: Marlin Beasley 460; Gary Padgett 377; Pat Morse 147t; Billy See and Vickie See 33b; Jean Merritt 569b; Libby Carpenter and Hubert Nall 63; Jack Nelson 540; Becky Briggs 343; Dick Nail 314; Richard Schmeidler 254; Morgan Bunch 501; Ann Riley Gray 542; Daniel Bearden 275t.

The memorial lesson was conducted by Mike Hinton and Rick Foreman. Rick spoke on behalf of the sick and homebound. He read the list of names, and led 171.

Mike Hinton made remarks and read the following list of deceased: Azalee Adams, Steve Adams, Gib Amason, Vernell Amason, Robert DuPree, Bernice Williams Harvey, Neil Hyche, Elsie Moon, Elder Prichard, S.T. Reed, Sandra Spradlin, Kathleen Doss Traywick, Nellie Mae White—Alabama; Donald Klein—Colorado; Dan Adams—Connecticut; Robert DePoy, C.W. Garner, George Garner, Earlis McGraw—Georgia; Bennett Joel Green—Kansas; Charlie Derleth—Missouri; Curtis Bryant, George Easley, Charles Porter, Henry Reynolds—Mississippi; Ann Henry—New York; Loraine Bayer—Ohio; Oliver Kindig-Stokes—Pennsylvania; Thomas Robinson—Texas; Eileen McDougall—France; David Smith, Michael Spittal, Ian Whiting, Eileen Wilson—United Kingdom. Mike Hinton led 309 in their memory. Elder Jesse Roberts closed the memorial lesson with prayer.

Leaders: Henry Johnson 55; Helen Brown and Buell Cobb 77t (in memory of Amanda Denson); Dan Brittain 481; Eugene Forbes 189. Marlin Beasley offered the blessing before the noon meal.

LUNCH

Sonny Erwin led 113 to bring the class together. Leaders: Dorothea Maynard 361; Chris Parris and Jillian Parris 159; Lori Hinesley 172; Elizabeth Gentry 59; Ila Ingle 436; Nathan Stewart 392; Beverly Dayton 277; Ginnie Ely 228; Samuel Wright 53; Jean Merritt 515; Margaret Gillanders 546; Morgan Bunch and Sue Bunch 203; Pat Morse 551; Billy See and Vickie See 30b; Bunk Beasley 72b; Darlene Reynolds 146; Richard Schmeidler 474; Carol Selleck 58; Mary Beth Harrison 35; Shirley Berry 143; Seth Holloway 236; Dylan Feezell 68b; Rick Foreman and Cheryl Foreman 135; Corissa Sweatt 354b; Mike Hinton 373.

A business session was called to order to hear committee reports. The Finance Committee thanked the class for contributions that were believed to be sufficient to cover expenses.

The Secretary reported that 387 people from twenty-three states, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Finland registered during the convention. There were 107 leaders, who led 219 songs. The numbers by state and country are as follows: Alabama-301; Georgia-26; Florida-10; Tennessee-9; Texas-9; Mississippi-7; Michigan-5; California-2; Kentucky-2; Massachusetts-2; New Mexico-2; Arkansas-1; Colorado-1; District of Columbia-1; Illinois-1; Kansas-1; Maryland-1; New York-1; North Dakota-1; Pennsylvania-1; Vermont-1; Washington-1; Wisconsin-1; United Kingdom-6; Canada-5; Finland-1.

The Resolutions Committee made the following report: We, individually and collectively, as the 37th annual National Sacred Harp Convention, hereby resolve: To thank God for giving us the spirit, will, desire and strength to gather to sing this music and glorify Him; to thank the pastor, staff, and congregation of First Christian Church for opening their doors to us and providing this magnificent place to sing; to thank Chairman Mark Davis and all the officers of this convention for their tireless efforts to make this occasion a thing of seemingly effortless joy; to thank all those who prepared and brought the food which fed our physical bodies while the music fed our spiritual bodies; to offer appreciation to Sarah Beasley, Buell Cobb, and Warren Steel, who were members of the first National Sacred Harp Convention, and have attended every year since; to thank Sarah Beasley, who for the past 23 years, has opened her home to host a Friday night social which almost instantaneously became a tradition within the Sacred Harp community; and, we hereby resolve to gather again next year on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday before the third Sunday in June to renew this convention. Respectfully submitted: Gary Smith and Dorothea Maynard.

A motion was made to rename the convention from the National Sacred Harp Convention to the International Sacred Harp Convention. Following general discussion, a vote was taken on the motion. Since the motion carried by only a slight majority, a second motion was made, and unanimously agreed upon, to postpone taking any action on the first motion and reconsider the first motion at the 2017 convention. A motion was made and carried to accept the reports and add them to the minutes. The business session was closed.

The officers led 62 as the traditional closing song, and those who wished took the parting hand. Elder Jesse Roberts offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairman—Mark Davis; Vice Chairmen—Buell Cobb, Gaston White, and Hubert Nall; Secretaries—Kathy Williams and Cheryl Foreman