[From the Ontario District's newsletter, The Trillium, issue 61-02, April - June, 2007 , Waldo Redekop, editor.]

Harmonizing for speech in Ottawa

By Brian McGurrin, Ottawa Chapter Harmonize For Speech chair

Last month I attended two beautiful events on behalf of the Capital City Chorus. The first was an informal awards breakfast at the Ottawa University, where Satin & Suede performed and presented achievement awards and textbooks to appreciative students.

The second was a more sedate Ceremony of Excellence at which Play It Again! wowed a prestigious group of scholarship donors with outstanding performances.

For our many new members it may be helpful to know that Harmonize For Speech is a registered charity, founded and managed by Ontario Barbershoppers, and that it has raised over $4,000,000 in aid of those afflicted with speech and hearing disabilities.

In Ottawa, H4S grants have been focused primarily on the students enrolled in the (two-year, postgraduate) Audiology and Speech Pathology program of Ottawa University. By helping these students at the outset of their careers we are making contributions that will be multiplied many times over.

Do the students appreciate our efforts on their behalf?  “As a mature student who has often struggled to meet the conflicting demands of full-time study and family life, I greatly appreciate the financial support and recognition,” wrote one student. “You can be assured that my H4S plaque will have a place of choice on my office wall when I begin to work as a speech-language pathologist.”

Does our community take notice of our efforts? When we are called upon to participate in a Ceremony of Excellence with the Health Sciences student body and their families, and chorus president Chris Brand and myself are invited up on stage with University of Ottawa President Gilles Patry to award the Barbershopper’s bursaries, then I would say that the community is taking notice.

When I informed Chris in January that I would not stand again for the post of chapter secretary, he said OK, as long as I would continue to serve as chapter chair of H4S.  I assured him not only that I would be pleased to do so, but that I would resist to my dying breath any efforts to displace me. And so, as chair for life, I heartily congratulate all Ontario Barbershoppers for their  efforts on behalf of Harmonize For Speech.     k