Author name: Salt Lake City AGO Chapter

Our 2020 SLCAGO Chapter Election is now complete. Thank you for your participation. We had a stunning 72% voting participation! That’s unheard of. Thank you. It is clear that even with a simple retention election, you are engaged in the chapter and that it matters to you. That encourages your board more than you can imagine!

Results Summary

This was a retention election, meaning that all current chapter officers stood for retention with no additional candidates. With 72% of the active chapter members voting, here is your 2020-2022 Chapter Executive Committee / Board of Directors:

• Dean: John Rice
• Sub-Dean: Max Walker
• Secretary: (vacant)
• Treasurer: Kenneth Udy
• Newsletter Director: Janet Folster
• Education Director: Ryan North
• Program Committee Chair: Emily Spencer
• Program Committee Member: Jan Clayton
• Membership Director: (vacant)
• District Convener: Teresa Clawson

We also received write-in nominations and emails from members volunteering to serve in our two vacancies (above). Thank you! We will reach out to these individuals quickly.

Election Process

The 2002 election was run using the secure online voting system, ElectionRunner.com. As of 07 May, there were 83 active members of the chapter (down a little as a few had let their memberships lapse and had not yet renewed). On 09 May, 81 members received electronic ballots. 2 members did not have email addresses in their AGO profile and they received paper ballots. 60 members responded. The election closed 31 May.

What’s Next

The Board is actively working on the program plans for next season. We have envisioned our annual Pedals, Pipes, and Pizza and have confirmed locations for that event. We also have planned the much-anticipated return of our Super Saturday. We have that date confirmed also at the U of U. We have other events envisioned, too, but these are the focus events.

Obviously, the State’s guidelines regarding response to the COVID-19 pandemic continue to change and may still affect how we are able to have these events. For now, we’re holding back on disseminating details about these events. We will share details as soon as we can! Keep your eyes on your email for these details.

Renew Your Membership

Are you one of those few whose membership lapsed in the spring? It’s not too late to renew your membership! Your membership supports these events and keeps The American Organist (TAO) magazine coming to your mailbox or inbox. Stay connected to other organists through TAO, through our newsletters, and through our events. Learn from each other. Share with each other. Take what you learn in the AGO and in the chapter and share it with other organists in your circle of influence.

Click here to find information and links to renew online.

Our Chapter season concludes the end of this month. Sorry we could not have our May membership event with Dan Gawthrop. But he is on notice that he will present at our May 2021 membership meeting. (I haven’t asked him yet, but who has time to ask these days?).

Don’t forget we have an election going on and expect your vote. (If you don’t vote you could end with me again). We will reconvene in August. I express my gratitude to all of you who contributed your time, effort, and money in making our Chapter the Best in the West.

Your outreach to other Chapter members has been met with expressions of extreme gratefulness and thanks. Please keep reaching out. Each of us this coming summer can find a way to touch the life of others and bring a ray sunshine into what otherwise has been a sheltered life. (Sheltered not by choice of course, but then it has been nice to spend some time with the kids, although I’m getting pretty done with that). Call all you know, sing them a song, share some facetime, record an organ solo and send it over. (If you choose to do that, copy me on the recording please!).
Our programs and events this past year were exceptional, thanks to you. From Pedals, Pipes and Pizzas to the Pedals and Potpourri event and all the events between, I believe we as members got the best bang for the buck for membership in any Chapter.
Our programs and events for the coming year are in the works. With the quality of the members of our board and committees you can expect an even bigger bang for your buck. Some of our upcoming programs include a Halloween Ghoulish Pedals, Pipes and Pizza and a February Sweetheart Super Saturday. (I don’t think our board came up with those names, but I like them).

Please consider volunteering your time in one of the open positions on our board, like Secretary or Historian or Membership Coordinator. We could sure use your help and we won’t make you wear a dress.

In closing, again, my deepest appreciation to you all. Remember, you are not a proper organist until you have perfected a withering stare for people who insist on having a chatter during your precious practice hour.

Your Dean,
John K. Rice
john@slcago.org

The AGO announced today in email the cancellation of its National Convention. From the email:

The AGO National Council, the Committee for Conventions, and the Convention Steering Committee for the Atlanta Chapter of the American Guild of Organists regret to announce the cancellation of the AGO 2020 National Convention scheduled for July 6-10 this summer. The uncertainties surrounding the spread of the coronavirus require us to take this action. We felt that we could not adequately guarantee the health and well-being of our convention attendees, performers, presenters, exhibitors, worship leaders, and all others who would have been involved in the convention. We are deeply saddened at having to make this very difficult decision, but we feel it is in the best interest of all AGO members, their families, friends, and colleagues.

Email from AGO 2020.04.16

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic presents severe and unprecedented challenges for our organists and church musicians. Never in our nation’s history have places of worship been faced with indefinite closure and on such a scale. While we are all left to figure out how to navigate this difficult time, the AGO Committee on Career Development and Support would like to offer this page as a resource to members. As the situation evolves, more resources will be added. We welcome any additional resources from members – simply fill out the comment form at the bottom of the page. We send our very best wishes for continued health and peace at this time.

Read more about the AGO’s COVID-19 response and review helpful resources here: https://www.agohq.org/responding-to-covid-19/

With the uncertainty of events and the suggested self-quarantine guidelines in place, the SLCAGO chapter Newsletter might be a good venue to connect with the organ & choir community and our chapter friends.

If you feel that this source (SLCAGO Newsletter) might serve you with continuing news through the summer or perhaps more often or less often, please send feedback.

Input from our readers and members are very welcome:  comments, suggestions, feedback, articles/stories, links to interesting websites, etc.

Bear in mind our community consists of professional organists, professional choir leaders, volunteer organists (young and [I strongly dislike the word “old” – so “experienced” organists], hobbyists, general musicians and probably some composers and likely quite a few dabblers.

In that light, I would like to feature our professional organists beginning with the Tabernacle Organists and acknowledging the recently retired, Bonnie Goodliffe.

I invite other professional members to submit a picture and short biography for future publication.

Contact information:

Newsletter editor:

• Janet Folster, Newsletter editor – jfolster@slcago.org

other board members to contact:

• John K. Rice, Dean – john@slcago.org
• Max Walker, Sub-Dean – max@slcago.org
• Kenneth Udy, Treasurer – ken@slcago.org
• Ryan North, Education – ryan@slcago.org
• Emily Spender, Program Committee – Emily@slcago.org
• Lora Kelly, Membership & Program Committee – lora@slcago.org
• Jan Clayton, Program Committee – jan@slcago.org