Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, May 24

The 40th Midwest Convention was held at St. Paul and the Redeemer Episcopal Church Chicago, Illinois, on Saturday before the last Sunday in May. The Saturday session was called to order by Mary Rogel leading 77b. Will Fitzgerald offered the morning prayer.

Leaders: Brady Santoro 37b; Jim Swanson 33b; Jim Helke 83t; Ginny Landgraf 82t; Carolyn Deacy 208 (for Kathy Williams); Paul Wyatt 420t (ShH); Cecelia Kramer 264b (ShH); Kathy Krug 81t; Anne Missavage 217; Liz Patton 443b (ShH); Bess Fitzgerald 32t; Eleanor Haase 454.

A business meeting was convened to elect the following officers: Chair—Brady Santoro; Vice Chair—Erik Schwab; Secretary—Mary Rogel.

RECESS

Brady Santoro called the class together leading 484. Leaders: Martha Beverly 140b (ShH); Scott Stieg 455; Derek Buckland 126; Charlotte Zelman 312b; Mike Mullin 361; Kerry Cullinan 195; Lisa Grayson 411; Gillian Inksetter 456; Erik Schwab 498; SK Swanson and Samantha Adioetomo 163t; Lucy O’Leary 546; Anne Heider 528; Rosemary Wexler 335; Myles Alexander 143; Inga Buckland 368; Karen Swenson 158b (ShH); Brad Baughman 128.

RECESS

Randy Neufeld called the class to order leading 36b. Leaders: Marian Mitchell 213b; Debra Barford 313b; Will Fitzgerald and Bess Fitzgerald 425 (for Carol Steiner); Matthew Siefert 10 (ShH); Harkin Massopust 56b; Mary Rose O’Leary 203; Susan Geil 474; Erica Hsieh 183; Fred Wilkey 12b (ShH); Dave Barford 385b; Aubrey Hemminger 276; Dan Nickel 504; Rachel O’Leary 384; Mark Bowman 485; Samantha Adioetomo and Gillian Inksetter 162. Will Fitzgerald offered the prayer before lunch.

LUNCH

Brady Santoro brought the class back to order leading 503. Leaders: Jim Swanson 69 (ShH); Marjorie Harrington, Becca Harrington, and Marian Mitchell 159; Jonathon Smith 428; Molly Whedbee 77t; Will Fitzgerald, Jessica Baker, Ally Bloom, and Teresa Turnage 47b; Hannah Resnick 122; Eileen Ferguson 472; Casey Doe 410t; Carolyn Deacy 112; Paul Wyatt 266 (ShH); Cecelia Kramer 444; Anne Missavage 242 (ShH); Liz Patton 186 (ShH); Eleanor Haase 422 (ShH); Martha Beverly 310 (ShH); Scott Stieg 50t.

RECESS

Lisa Grayson called the class to order leading 29t. Leaders: Erik Schwab 162 (ShH); June Murphy 334; Ally Bloom 551; Joshua Velez 35; Derek Buckland 308; Charlotte Zelman 101t; Lucy O’Leary and Rachel O’Leary 550; Mike Mullin 58; Kerry Cullinan 105 (ShH); Inga Buckland 462; Dave Barford 137; Gillian Inksetter 404t (ShH); Aubrey Hemminger 547; Mary Rose O’Leary 510; Kathy Krug 48t; Karen Swenson 549; Fred Wilkey 49t; Myles Alexander 371; Marian Mitchell 178; Jonathon Smith 226 (ShH); Randy Neufeld 285t; Matthew Siefert 88t; Brady Santoro and Samantha Adioetomo 323t.

The class sang 347 as the closing song. Ginny Landgraf dismissed the class with prayer.

Sunday, May 25

The Sunday session of the Midwest Convention was held at the Ethical Humanist Society, Skokie, Illinois. The class was called to order by Brady Santoro leading 489. The morning prayer was offered by Ginny Landgraf.

Leaders: Gillian Inksetter 63; Eileen Ferguson 501; Marjorie Harrington and Marian Mitchell 403 (ShH); Kerry Cullinan 70t; Derek Buckland 123b; Martha Beverly 171; Myles Alexander 546; Paul Wyatt 218b (ShH); Liz Patton 192; Marian Mitchell 185; Carolyn Deacy 168; Mark Bowen 344; Anne Missavage 39t; Anne Heider 236.

RECESS

Jim Helke brought the class together leading 496. Leaders: Karen Swenson 398 (ShH); Erik Schwab 266; Inga Buckland 50b; Cecelia Kramer 71; Ginny Landgraf and Judy Hauff 384 (ShH); Eleanor Haase 221 (ShH); Mike Mullin 125; Becca Harrington 117; Terry Cunningham 200; Samantha Adioetomo 542; Rachel O’Leary and Lucy O’Leary 215; Micah Sommersmith 276; JoDell Albi 430; Mary Rose O’Leary 284 (in memory of Jeff Begley); Steve Warner 34b; Erin Campbell 457; Nina Kraus and Randy Neufeld 47b; Brad Baughman and Liz Patton 553; Aubrey Hemminger 107.

RECESS

Brady Santoro reconvened the class leading 213t. Leaders: Lisa Grayson 364b (ShH); Susan Geil 413 (ShH); Paul Bird 181. Dave Barford gave the report from the Finance Committee.

Leaders: Kathy Krug 209; June Murphy 93; Jonathon Smith 214; Fred Wilkey 481; Judy Hauff 504; Debra Barford 198; Jim Swanson 285 (ShH). Ginny Landgraf offered prayer before lunch.

LUNCH

Mary Rogel convened the class leading 125 (ShH). Leaders: Dave Barford 297; Randy Neufeld 99; Sidra Schkerke 300; Maeve Techmanski and Ginny Landgraf 318; Dimitri Glaros 183; Gillian Inksetter 327; Paul Wyatt 464; Kerry Cullinan 486; Derek Buckland 165; Marjorie Harrington and Randy Neufeld 48 (ShH); Martha Beverly 197 (ShH); Myles Alexander 538; Marian Mitchell 268; Carolyn Deacy 212; Mark Bowman 87; Anne Missavage 362; Karen Swenson 299.

Matthew Siefert spoke on behalf of the sick and shut-ins, leading 275t on behalf of Kathy Williams, Susie Kahlmeez, Carol Steiner, Rochelle Lodder, John Stevens, Chris Brown, Judy Whiting, Penny Kujawinski, Lou Kujawinski, Free Woman, Hailey and Samuel, Cacilia Mann, and Greta Holbrook.

He then gave the memorial lesson and led 338 in memory of the following deceased: Buell Cobb and Henry Guthery—Alabama; Johanna Fabke and Mary Owen Grayson—Wisconsin; Jerry Razowsky, Grace Brazil, and Stephen Kirk Wagner—Florida; Jeff Bell and Ken Denzer—Minnesota; Jeff Begley, Tibby O’Leary, Terry Barber, Susan Fetcho, and Brandon Sampson—California; Reed Schilbach—Washington; Chloe Webb—Texas; Rob Mahoney and Steve Biggs—United Kingdom; Linda Siglin—Michigan; Patrick Fleming—Ohio; Heidrun S.—Germany; David Child—Illinois; Bill Fellinger—Vermont; Corrone Bryant and Ruth Ann Bryant—Maine and Florida; Amber Dalrymple—Oregon and Illinois. Ginny Landgraf closed the lesson with prayer.

Leaders: Erik Schwab 313t; JoDell Albi 372; Cecelia Kramer 313b; Joshua Velez 235; Inga Buckland 565; Eleanor Haase 142; Aubrey Hemminger 146; Mike Mullin 480; Judy Hauff 348t; Mary Rose O’Leary 340; Micah Sommersmith 448b; Samantha Adioetomo and Gillian Inksetter 448t; Erin Campbell and Brady Santoro 218; Lisa Grayson 547; Paul Bird 277; Fred Wilkey 29b; Becca Harrington 132 (ShH); Brad Baughman 178; Kathy Krug 155; Anne Heider 189; Terry Cunningham 217; Debra Barford 269.

The Founders of the Midwest Convention who were present (Judy Hauff, Carolyn Deacy, Mary Rose O’Leary, and Terry Cunningham) led 436 as the final song.

Lisa Grayson offered Resolutions. The Chair called for Finance and Secretary reports and for announcements. The class took the parting hand while singing 62. Ginny Landgraf offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chair—Brady Santoro; Vice Chair—Erik Schwab; Secretary—Mary Rogel