[From the Ontario District's newsletter, The Trillium, issue 59-04, October - December, 2005 , Waldo Redekop, editor.]

Big membership night event

By Don Coughlin, Heartland Division Co-ordinator

All chapters are back working hard for various events. A divisional meeting was held October 24, 2005. Here are some of the highlights.

Guelph Chapter

They have finished their two weeks of Town Hall meetings in which they reviewed results of the past and made plans for the future, both musically and financially. Reports indicate that they have had a 100 percent buy-in.

They have booked a good number of Christmas shows already and are working on their annual show for March 2006. A number of members attended the fall convention.

Kitchener-Waterloo Chapter

The chapter had members on stage at the fall convention. One quartet participated in the competition. They have a good number of Christmas shows booked. They have extra practices for their 60th anniversary show that was held on April 29, 2005 with former quartets and directors involved in their show.

Dawg House night was held on November 4, and they had a good turn out of members.

The guest night they held was well run with a good number of new prospects in attendance

Mount Forest Chapter

They held their annual shows  on October 29 and 30 with Family Ties quartet as special quests along with a trio of 12-year-old girls performing by themselves as well as dancing with the chorus. They regret to advise that their charter president, John Laughlin, died. He was buried on October 28. They had 27 members singing at the funeral.

Dave Littwiller is retiring after 40 years of directing. The Mount Forest Chapter held a party on November 12 to honour him. Invitations were sent to previous members of the chapter and to the Kitchener-Waterloo Chapter where he directed for a good number of years.

Grant Lawson, their new director from within the chapter, comes well qualified having directed a number of choruses and also worked as section leader for the Dukes for more than 10 years. It is expected that their usual four or five annual Christmas sing outs will occur again this year. A number of members attended the fall convention and Dawg House in Kitchener.

Owen Sound Chapter

A number of members attended the fall convention. They had 62 people attend their Free Night concert and membership night. They have a number of interested members who have come back the second night. The chapter has grown this year and should reach their goal of 40 members. They attributed this to a lot of sing outs and good participation by all members. They will host the Heartland novice quartet contest in the spring. It is their plan to sing in the spring contest at the convention.   k