Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

The annual meeting of the Sacred Harp Musical Heritage Association (SHMHA) was held at Jefferson State Community College on Saturday, November 24, 2018. Approximately 40 association members were present. David Ivey, President, called the meeting to order at 2:17 p.m. David welcomed the assembly and introduced the other Board members present: Judy Caudle—Minutes Secretary; Pam Nunn—Treasurer; Jeannette DePoy—Secretary (by telephone). The board members not present were Henry Johnson—Vice President; Lauren Bock, Terry Wootten, and Sam Sommers—Board Members. David thanked them for their service this year.

David presented a general overview of SHMHA and its purpose. He provided and reviewed an information sheet that summarized 2018 activities and the 2017 financial summary. He stated that SHMHA, as a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, files an IRS Form 990 report annually. A full financial summary will be available at the Jacksonville singing in February, 2019. David reported that SHMHA received grant funding in 2018 from the Alabama State Council on the Arts for the fifteenth year. He expressed gratitude to the Sacred Harp Publishing Company for its continued financial support, and recognized the Publishing Company board members who were present. The Publishing Company has given annual grants to Camp Fasola since 2005. David stated that SHMHA now supports financial management for the National Convention, United Convention, State Line singing, Alabama State Convention, and Young People’s Singing.

Judy Caudle provided a report for the “Directory and Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings” (Minutes Book) project. The estimated expenses for the project, including printing and shipping in 2018, were $6,871.45. Judy stated that =287 singing events had submitted minutes as of November 20, 2018. This includes =234 one-day singings, =49 two-day conventions, three sessions of Camp Fasola, and one three-day convention. There have been =121 singings requesting not to receive Minutes Books next year. For those singings that do request Minutes Books, the cost of the books will remain the same per singing day for 2019. Judy praised her team who assists her with the Minutes Book publication: Sam Sommers, Chris Thorman, and Carolyn Deacy. David thanked Judy and the entire Minutes Book team for the contribution of many hours of work to produce a high quality publication that is greatly valued by the Sacred Harp community.

David reported that SHMHA completed its sixteenth year of Camp Fasola operation in 2018. Thirty-one camps have been held since 2003. SHMHA has offered both Youth and Adult Camps for the past eleven years. Four sessions of Camp Fasola Europe have been held: 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018. This session of Camp Europe was dedicated to Steve Helwig, who played a large part in the success of Camp Europe and singings. There will be another Camp Europe session in 2020. Adult Camp had seventy participants and Youth Camp had one hundred participants, and Camp Europe had eighty-eight participants. Camp Europe was more heavily promoted this year, resulting in a substantial increase in campers. In response to a question David said that Camp Europe will remain in Poland in 2020. David stated we need to promote Adult Camp this year. If attendance is low, we may go back to having one camp. The camp dates for 2019 were announced: Adult Camp—June 9-13, and Youth Camp—July 1-5. The fees for camp were last raised in 2017, and will remain the same in 2019.

Jeannette DePoy stated that a total of thirty-eight scholarships totaling $10,000 were awarded in 2018: twenty-eight for Youth Camp ($6,250), one for Adult Camp ($300), and nine for Camp Europe ($3,450).

David reported that Aldo Ceresa was given a $5000 grant for research regarding the 1942 Alabama State recording. He has applied for another grant to continue his research on Paine Denson. Next year, 2019, is the Bicentennial year for Alabama statehood. There will be a special Alabama Bicentennial singing on Sunday, June 30, hopefully at the courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama, in honor of this celebration. David expressed his gratitude for all of camp’s teachers.

The members were given additional opportunity to provide input on SHMHA’s programs and operations. There being no further business brought before the members, David Ivey adjourned the meeting at 2:45 p.m. SHMHA is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization, incorporated in Alabama, whose purpose is the perpetuation and preservation of Sacred Harp singing and its traditions. SHMHA produces the Directory and Minutes of Sacred Harp Singing, operates Camp Fasola, sponsors the fasola. org website, and supports Sacred Harp conventions and singings and other activities related to Sacred Harp music.

President—David Ivey; Vice President—Henry Johnson; Secretary—Jeannette DePoy