[From the Ontario District's newsletter, The Trillium, issue 59-01, January - March, 2005 , Waldo Redekop, editor.]

Quartet qualifying score announced

By Paul Arnone, Paired NED & ONT Society Board Member

Now that we’ve returned from the “not so warm” Florida sunshine to the snowy northern climes, it is time to communicate some of the happenings from the midwinter convention.

Of course the quartets were all in fine fettle and certainly your Ontario offerings were their usual fine selves during the competition. Always a delight to hear!

Congratulation are in order for your very successful (once again!) COTS Plus venture in January. It engendered much discussion at the convention. Don’t be surprised if  Ontario, again, will be “the” model for other districts.

This was the first time that the Society Board Meeting was opened up in the fashion it was. Over the past few years, much work was done in advance  i.e.: e-mails, committee work, telephone conferencing etc., so that the meeting appeared very streamlined and somewhat sterile.

This time, some of the discussion was done before the District Presidents and the gallery before any action was taken. Comments were welcomed from the attendees. While it made for a longer session than previously, it was well received by most.

I will bullet some of the actions taken that will be of impact to you. A full board report is available on the web site.

• Several bylaw changes were presented in keeping with the use of the policy governance model. These were adopted.
• There will be a fixed 11-riser configuration for the chorus competition in Salt Lake City.
• The registration fee will be raised to $75 for midwinter conventions starting with the 2006 convention.
• The qualifying score for quartets to compete in the 2005 international contest be a score of 1824 (double panel) and 2736 (triple panel).
• That a board committee be established with the Chief Executive Officer as chairman to pursue the future headquarters sites of Nashville TN, Atlanta GA, Dallas/ Fort Worth TX, and Austin TX and that the committee communicate its findings to the board no later than March 20, 2005.
• President Rob Hopkins announced that the Board had adopted a preferred logo and that the staff and Laws and Regulations Committee would be asked to investigate the possibility of obtaining a trademark for the logo.  
• President Rob also presented the Aims for 2005. They were adopted.
• Todd Wilson presented an in depth report on the Membership Campaign in 2005.

Much more will be coming from staff on this endeavor.

As you can see, it was a busy time for all.  I wish you all much good luck in the new year! Sing well and often!  k