The Pitch Pipe - October 2008 - (Page 4) from the president W Journey to Excellence What an amazing summer we’ve had! We saw the end of our yearly International Education Symposium, which has seen 10 great years! In 2009 we will be moving forward in to a new phase of Sweet Adelines music education with director and judge training and then on to Global IES in 2010. Next July, Sweet Adelines International will host “Side By Side” a learning experience for directors and judges. This is a direct response to the directors of our organization, who requested a separate directors function. Pairing them with the judges and their training will bring the two groups together for some discussions I know will be beneficial to us all! The summer of 2010 will kick off a global educational event for all Sweet Adelines, as we will have five seminars held around the world – Global IES. Three of these seminars will be held in the continental United States, with one in the Pacific Rim area (Australia & New Zealand) and one in Europe. We are in the process of planning and look forward to introducing our members to even more fun, enjoyable, creative and fantastic musical education. Trust me, it will be unlike any you have ever seen. It just keeps getting better and I am so thrilled to be at the forefront of the planning and administration. For the past two years the International Board of Directors has taken an active role in strategic planning — planning for the organization’s future and the future of its membership. The Board agreed on seven priority areas for which strategies would be adopted. Those were (in no particular order): the Young Women in Harmony Program, rookie programming, joyful atmosphere at rehearsal, membership programs, member retention, education, director education and finance. I am excited to announce that the strategic planning team is prepared to review each priority and assign further development of individual strategies to various committees, individuals and staff. Read more about our strategies on page six of this issue. Our volunteers and staff are dedicated to providing the best, most fulfilling membership experience available to women singers who want to advance their knowledge in barbershop, learn how to be better singers and build lifelong friendships. In July we introduced you to the first digital edition of The Pitch Pipe magazine. I hope you enjoyed it – I thought it was fantastic. Be sure to check the link on our Web site each quarter to view the online edition. Special features, bonus articles and various rich media content will be viewable only in the digital edition. Next month we will converge in Honolulu for the 62nd annual convention and competition. I hope you are as excited as I am about seeing the world’s best barbershop quartets and choruses compete for the gold in this idyllic setting. Soon you will be able to register for our 63rd annual convention and competition in Nashville, Tenn., next year. Nashville is sure to be an exciting destination as always, but let me tell you, you are in for a history-making experience next October. Top-secret plans are in the works for an event on the day of the chorus finals that will cap off the entire week in the most extraordinary way. You will not want to miss it. Watch for more information in the coming months. It’s a wonderful time to be a Sweet Adeline member, and it’s only going to get better. I hope you will join me on the amazing journey to becoming the best we can be! Real women, real harmony, real fun! 4 October 2008
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