Cardinal District -- Barbershop Harmony Society
Cardinal District -- Barbershop Harmony Society
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Young Men In Harmony2004
Cardinal District Young Men In Harmony Action Plan Submitted
to Cardinal District House of Delegates October
3, 2003 It has been my experience that not many
barbershoppers know much about the Young Men In Harmony (“YMIH”) program. It
is my hope that we will change that in the coming months. This program is
NOT intended to be an active membership recruitment vehicle for students or
their teachers. Our first responsibility is to promote the importance of
finishing their education, with singing as an important activity. Teachers are
busy shaping the minds and viewpoints of their students and their task is a
tremendous one. We never wish to give the impression that we are vying for a
student’s time to the detriment of the school program. If a positive working
relationship is established with the teacher, the teacher will then become a
partner in our efforts for music education preservation. If we have done our
jobs properly, many of the students of today will surely become the adult
barbershoppers of tomorrow. Supporting Young Men In Harmony There
are many ways for your chapter to support YMIH. No one program fits all
circumstances. There are many variables, depending on chapters and individual
resources, teacher expectations and needs, as well as community needs. A chapter
should choose the most appropriate activity (with the assistance of the District
YMIH Committee Chair and District Vice President) to satisfy all the variables
to the best of their efforts. It can be as simple as providing funding to help
purchase music for the school, to as complex as hosting a clinic or music
festival. It can be as involved as sponsoring a high school or college quartet,
or staging a multi-chapter fund raising concert, or as simple as writing a check
to the District specifically designated to sponsor a student to the HX Camp. The important thing is to keep the vision clearly
in mind. Believe in the cause and know it is important. Accept the challenge,
know you can make a difference and remember these two basic precepts: ·
We’re
here to support the idea and importance of music education and
specifically, choral music as part of a well-rounded education – not to
dictate how it is done. ·
By exposing young men to the joys of our art form, we set the
stage for their possible involvement in our hobby at some point in the future. The purpose of the Cardinal
District YMIH program is to encourage and actively promote the joyful experience
of singing in general, and singing in the four-part barbershop style in
particular, among young singers and their teachers across Kentucky and Indiana. The goals of our program are:
Below is our 2004 plan and list of goals. A plan like
this will take time but will pay off greatly in time. You will notice, however,
most of this plan is in the working phase right now.
Our work in Cardinal is moving
forward and is very upbeat. Some chapters are doing an outstanding job and I
appreciate their efforts. Now, we need to get the other chapters “on board.”
Our YMIH Committee Chair, Vic Lovejoy will attend the Leadership Forum
this year to groom him to be the next YMIH VP in another year or two.
We are establishing a functioning, dedicated and enthusiastic Cardinal
YMIH Committee. I would be remiss if I did not
take the time to offer my sincere thanks to our district president, Pat Haley,
and the rest of the Cardinal District Board of Directors for all of their
support and trust in me last year as I got my feet wet in this job.
Last year we got a very late start and struggled to get the program up
and running, largely due to my inexperience.
However, because of Pat’s vision and the conviction of the Board as to
the great importance of the YMIH program, Cardinal District has really turned
the corner this year. With your help, we will have a
very successful program for 2004. I
am looking forward to working with all our Chapters in the next year.
Please refer to the enclosed “Making Contact” document for a detailed
plan for your Chapter to find and sponsor young men and music educators for the
HX Camp. Also included is a form
letter for making initial contact with the music educators in your area, as well
as a form letter for your use in planning and holding a YMIH Open House Night
for your local high schools. Let’s all get excited and make it happen this year!! Respectfully
Submitted, Eric
Craig R.
Eric Craig Cardinal District YMIH VP
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For problems or questions regarding this web contact
Dan Delaney.
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