Throughout this past year, our M-AD Operations Team (Ops Team) searched for ways to best serve our membership even though we weren’t singing and sharing our hobby the way we were used to. This included online versions of Leadership Academy, Director Round Tables, Virtual Harmony College East, as well as planning several events before being forced to cancel them. While not visible to many of you, the Ops Team continues to work on events and programs for 2022.
With a goal of serving our District members more effectively, the District Leadership also reorganized the Ops Team. This change includes a re-alignment of the District Vice Presidents and will be accompanied by a District Operations Manual. This guidance document (manual) has been sorely needed for almost a decade.
We will roll out a reorganized structure in the new year consisting of the following four silos:
Community, to serve our chapters, quartets, and members
Events, to plan, execute, and administer our contests and conventions
Education, to grow and develop all barbershoppers
Marketing, to ensure effective and efficient communication to our members and the community
I am confident that these changes will aid in moving our organization forward. Thank you for your support.
submitted by Steve Kirsch, Executive Vice President (EVP)
Anne Bureau has served as Director of the North Pennsmen Chorus since 2005. From 2006 to 2019, Anne led the chapter to six Division first place Championships, three second place and two third place titles. Anne is also the musical director and founder of a Harmony, Inc. chapter and has combined the talents of the choruses at multiple concerts, modeling the spirit of Everyone in Harmony.
Our honoree has coached multiple quartets as they prepared for all levels of contests and has coached local high school ensembles at several large high schools including Souderton and North Penn in the greater Philadelphia area.
Anne with Serendipity Quartet
Anne became the first certified female director in the BHS and has been a strong supporter of MAD youth ensembles, having coached at the Harmony College East (HCE) Youth Camp, and has also given classes and coached adult groups at HCE. She has supported youth adjudications by participating on numerous judging panels. She has sung in two M-AD mixed quartets, Silky Mix who placed 2nd in 2015 and Serendipity who were the M-AD Mixed Harmony Quartet Champions. She is currently Director-at-Large on the M-AD Board of Directors.
Anne is a certified Harmony, Inc. Music Judge and has been called upon by the Society multiple times to judge at both Divisional and District Contests across the Society. Her quartet, Spectrum, won the Harmony Inc. International contest in 1993 with Anne on baritone. She has sung bass, lead, tenor, and baritone in top 10 HI quartets over the last 3 decades. She is a member of the Mixed Barbershop Harmony Association (MBHA), and has served as a panelist at MBHA-sponsored workshops and panel discussions.
She can sing all treble voice parts and has been providing high quality vocal learning tracks to barbershop singers in all organizations since 2008.
Joe Cerutti and Kristin Chenoweth
Joe with Mike Rowe
Our next recipient:
Joe Cerutti has successfully served as the director of the Alexandria Harmonizers chorus for 15+ years, embracing the legacy identity of the chorus and Chapter, while driving change and growth as a regionally recognized community arts organization. Joe has led the Harmonizers to
multiple M-AD Championships and nine International appearances including four top five medals.
Under Joe’s leadership, the Harmonizers have performed in major professional collaborations with the Music Center at Strathmore, as well as the Kennedy Center.
Joe is among the most sought-after coaches in M-AD. He has coached dozens of quartets and choruses before and during the pandemic.
Joe with the Harmonizers at Normandy
Joe has been a regular faculty member at Harmony College East many years.
As Director of Outreach for the Barbershop Harmony Society, Joe has led the continued successes and growth of the BHS Youth Chorus Festival at Midwinter conventions, providing hundreds of youth a positive and fun exposure to barbershop harmony and lifelong singing. He has worked tirelessly to build and strengthen relationships with other choral organizations around the world.
Joe has served on the Faculty of Harmony University (and Virtual Harmony University) for more than a decade and he delivered the keynote address in 2016, one of only a few dozen barbershoppers to have delivered this address in the history of Harmony University.
Joe has served as a Music Judge as part of the C&J program for more than a decade.
Joe is also a prolific coach internationally. He has travelled around the world to coach in Great Britain, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand.
IT IS AN HONOR AND a privilege to recognize Anne Bureau and Joe Cerutti as new members of the MAD Hall of Honor.
_________________________
The Mid-Atlantic Hall of Honor (HoH) recognizes persons who have contributed significantly to the well-being and growth of barbershop harmony in general and have fostered growth among chapters, quartets and choruses, divisions, districts and internationally in the BHS. Each recipient is chosen from nominations sent in by Mid-Atlantic members and must meet certain criteria to be considered.
A committee of MAD HoH members reviews all nominees and meets to determine which (if any) of the nominees merit inclusion in the Hall of Honor.
Each recipient will have their name inscribed on the MAD Hall of Honor plaques and will receive a sterling silver engraved plate which reads:
“Mid-Atlantic District Barbershop Harmony society proudly designates (name 0f individual) as a member of the MAD HOH in recognition of exceptional contributions to the MAD and for encouragement of Barbershop Harmony. “
In additional they will receive a name badge signifying their membership in the MAD HOH.
The Mid-Atlantic District Leadership Development Committee (LDC) is much more than a nominating committee, although that is an important part – maybe the most important part – of what we do. But that’s just one of the many functions this committee performs.
A nominating committee is one of the most fundamental board committees because the District Board performs the most essential duties of the District. Board members work together to set policy and to direct the overall operations of the District. The board bears the responsibility for providing essential oversight and strategic planning, with the necessary due diligence. Putting forward qualified, committed and passionate nominees is critical to the health and future of the District.
The LDC appreciates the positive vote of the House of Delegates to approve the following 2022 slate of District officers and Board members we proposed.
President Brian Schreiner (re-elected) Executive Vice President Steve Kirsch (re-elected) Immediate Past President Bob Eckman (non-elected position) Secretary David Kelly, Jr. (appointed in 2021, newly elected) Treasurer Dave Welter (re-elected) Members at-large Sheryl Berlin (newly elected) Anne Bureau (re-elected) Jay Butterfield (re-elected) Rafi Hasib (newly elected)
What else does the LDC do?
Starting in January of every year, the LDC meets on a regular basis throughout the year to do these things:
Begin to accumulate names, references and background information on potential nominees to the District Board of Directors;
Plan a method of self-assessment for the current members of the District Board;
Identify missing skill sets on the current Board, and strive to identify potential nominees with those skills;
Strive to incorporate the vision of Everyone in Harmony by identifying candidates from varying genders, ethnicities, backgrounds and constituencies to deepen the Board’s appreciation for under-represented groups;
Prepare and present a slate of officers and board members-at-large for consideration by the House of Delegates at each Fall Convention;
The M-AD budget for 2022 was approved at the recent District House of Delegates meeting. It includes a moratorium on dues for 2022. So, there will be no District dues included in your membership invoice that is due in 2022.
The discussion of this topic included consideration of the fact that we have been unable to provide the services that you deserve and are accustomed to during the pandemic (such as conventions and in-person education), and the fact that with events cancelled for 2021 we will finish the year with a funding surplus that is greater than the expected annual dues collection. The Board determined that it is appropriate to waive District dues for all members of the Mid-Atlantic District for the next dues cycle.
For those so inclined, if you still want to contribute to the cause, you can make a tax deductible donation to the M-AD by clicking the ‘Donate’ button on the District website (or mail a check to the Treasurer).
Individuals available to volunteer may sign up by clicking here! They also appreciate and welcome charitable donations of any amount. This camp is free to all eligible singers, so any amount helps greatly with their expenses! You can donate with a credit card or PayPal account by clicking here. The free performance at 6 p.m. that evening is open to the public for all fans of barbershop to enjoy!
