[From the Ontario District's newsletter, The Trillium, issue 60-02, April - June, 2006 , Waldo Redekop, editor.]
[ED: John sent some questions with answers about Youth in Harmony. Due to the length, I have broken it into sections. It will be continued in future issues.]

Youth in Harmony (YIH)

By John Kirby, Ontario District YIH Vice President

“The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it” – William James

• Q. Our chapter is very busy with convention and show demands. How can we possibly develop a YIH program?

A. There are many ways you can incorporate YIH activities into your busy schedule. Try some of the following ideas.

• 1. Use pre-existing programs in your region like music festivals.
• 2. Involve students in your sing-outs, annual shows.
• 3. Use music educators as coaches, and choreographic advisors.
• 4. Take student to your convention.
• 5. Use students  as non-singing people involved in technical work.
• 6. Offer scholarships to help students attend recognized schools of music such as Harmony College North, Interprovincial Music Camp or Stratford Summer Student Music Program.
• 7. Take your repertoire out to the schools.
• 8. Volunteer to be guests at school assemblies or evening of entertainment.
• 9. Sell tickets, programs, usher and work behind the scenes.
• 10 Become an audience member and attend school functions.

Your busy schedule must never overshadow the reason why we exist as a musical society. Get creative! You can think of a million ways to promote youth programming within the context of convention and show demands.

• Q. Is their assistance available to help our chapter, and our division get started?

Absolutely! Western Division would like to get started looking at YIH within their Division. I have offered to assist by presenting a day workshop to assist them to create manageable goals and specific programs for their division and their individual chapters. I would gladly assist other divisions. If there is sufficient interest have your division manager give me a call with a date and I will try to work it into my schedule. All we need is a meeting place. I will bring everything needed to present a hands-on workshop for your chapter YIH co-ordinators. A TV and DVD/VHS would be helpful. Once a replacement has been found for Rick Spencer. I feel confident he will want to visit Ontario and make presentations to your area schools. Don’t let the opportunity slip by.

• Q.  I have heard allot about Harmony Explosion Camps, why doesn’t our district offer such a camp in conjunction with our HCN?

A. Money and the lack of chapters making contact with local school educators. As a district we are going to have to find alternative means of raising funds for such activities. The average HEC for approximately 90 students runs about $15,000. This includes three nights and four days of accommodations, food, music, learning CDs, a front line       k