INTERNATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS 255TH (MIDYEAR) MEETING October 16, 2011

INTERNATIONAL UPDATE

Pat LeVezu was granted emerita status in the International Judging Program. The charter and chapter membership for the following chapters were authorized: Heart of the Pines, Nacogdoches, TX Route 66 Sound, Albuquerque, NM O Town Sound, Orlando, FL

A Sweet Adelines International logo ring will be offered for sale in Harmony Bazaar. Reserve funds allocated to technology will be used to upgrade the membership database software at International Headquarters. The upgrade will provide more and enhanced online capabilities for members, chapters, and regions. Past International President Diane Huber and her sister, Karen Sanford, have been selected to direct the family chorus in Denver 2012. Recordings from the 2011 competitions will be available on iTunes through an agreement with Naked Voices Records. A portion of the revenue will benefit Sweet Adelines International. The Sweet Adelines International web site is currently being redesigned. The new site will be launched before the end of the year. The Education Center located on the International web site will be promoted using various tactics; the Education Center will be easily accessed on the newly designed web site. International committees will develop criteria for applying for Overtone Society funds for specific new and/or expanded projects and educational opportunities; the Executive Committee will review applications for designated funds annually at the Budget Meeting and determine how those funds will be allocated. The Overtone Society Management Committee will recruit a corps of regional ambassadors to encourage members in their regions to support the work of The Overtone Society. These ambassadors will be trained and supported via vodcast, podcast and email. The Board established minimum donations to The Overtone Society for naming rights of various areas at international headquarters (more specific information to come). Members of the International Judging Program will be provided with the link to the online JCDB gratis. The 2012 A Cappella Harmony Academy will be held at Chapman University, Orange, California. Cochairs Kathy Carmody and Darlene Rogers have planned an outstanding curriculum featuring stellar

faculty. The following registration fees for the 2012 AHA were established: Member early bird registration will be $399, increasing to $549 for registrations received after the early bird deadline of March 30, 2012. Competition policy was revised to allow quartets to compete for evaluation only, by video, beginning with the 2012 regional competition season. A local Denver celebrity will be invited to pilot the concept of celebrity judging at the international chorus finals in 2012. The celebrity judge will present a "celebrity" award following the presentation of the Audience Choice Award. At its March 2013 meeting, the Board will review the efficacy of using celebrity judges. Five additional wild card choruses will be chosen at the conclusion of the 2014 regional contest season, for a total of ten, and added to the international chorus contest in 2015 and annually thereafter. The Board agreed that if a wild card chorus withdraws after the order of appearance is published no replacement chorus will be invited. Competition policy was revised to set a maximum time limit of seven minutes for regional competition performances and International semifinals performances, effective with the 2012 regional competitions and with the International competitions in 2012. In-region training for RMTs affected by boundary changes will be provided annually during the next two fiscal years: May 1, 2012 April 30, 2013; May 1, 2013 April 30, 2014. Regions that are not significantly impacted by boundary changes will receive biennial training, i.e. once, during fiscal years 2012-13 and 2013-14. The Young Singers Foundation will celebrate its 20 th anniversary next year. A beautiful pin has been designed to commemorate the 20th anniversary, and will be given to donors of $100 or more. The pins will be available until April 2013. The Board will ask the YSF Management Committee to consider holding a contest for arrangers to write an original 20th anniversary song. The Board was pleased to learn that 16 barbershop choruses will be competing in the World Choir Games.