Harmonize For Speech

FEBRUARY H4S COMMUNIQUE

admin — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:51:24 +0000

I'm extremely impressed with Bruce Dibble's Harmonize For Speech Recognition Book that is alongside the Memorial Book in the Presidents' Room at Harmony Hall. Bruce started parts of it in 2001, with eight colour-coded sections as follows:

CHAPTER HONOUR ROLL
Chapters that average $40.00 to $100.00 per man, yearly, are shown in black ink and the Över $100.00 per man Chapters" are shown in red. You would be surprised as to the number of Chapters that are listed year after year.

CHAPTER MEMBERS
The names of individual members who give a donation and receive a tax-eligible receipt are shown here, Chapter by Chapter and year by year. Again, to see the number of members whose name appears so ofter is encouraging. Of course, many others give through 50/50 draws and other \chapter fund-raiseres.

QUARTETS, OCTETS AND SENIORS'CHORUSES
There's a minimum of $100.00 per year to be listed. This category reached a high of 28 listings in 2007, but has dropped down in recent years. Even so, it accounted for $6,2295.00 in 2011. Year after year, groups such as Handel With Care, Second Career, Back In Time, The Octones, The Graytones, The Barons, Vocal Maturity, Play it Again and Rural Roots and others have contributed generously to our fund, while many Quartets have contributed their time and talents to H4S events. We treasure their support!!!!

INDIVIDUALS
These are non-barbershoppers who know about our charity through our contacts and sing-outs, etc. or through our funding to the field of speech pathology. This category is expanding with 49 such gifts in 2011 – up from 29 in 2010. Many with the same name appear on both years and with many more people realizing that we sing for a great cause, we haven't even scratched the surface. One even donated a stck that is appreciating in value and another indicated that he will be remembering H4S in his will. One other non-member is donating through the United Way (we're on their list) and one widow of a Barbershopper donates $500.00 per year in memory of her husband. Goodwill is out there, but we have to talk it up; steering people to our website is also cricial.

CORPORATE DONATIONS/GRANTS
This is an area that could be a huge source of charitable dollars. Every member has such contacts and our website could be a foot in the door for you. We have had some sizeable donations, mostly through personal contact or "who you know". Trustees are always willing to follow up on a sound lead, but the timing has to be right.

JANUARY H4S COMMUNIQUE

admin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:44:28 +0000

Received an email from my old buddy, Ron Ball, and it reads as follows: "Just received the new website info for H4S. GREAT! I watched the interview you had with Gord Lightfoot and also saw the video that was made at a previous "Happening". It brought tears to my eyes, thinking of Bonnie (daughter). How fortunate that she could communicate with us for her short life. Keep up the good work. It's paying off when you see the results of those three kids".
Knowing that Ron has always been impressed that 97 cents of every dollar raised goes directly to our charity, I thought he might complain that our overhead had reached 4% for 2011, but the updated website obviously impressed him, as did the 13% increase in donations over the previous year.

The big story is our goal of reaching the Five Million Dollar mark in 2012. As of today, we have $152,000 to go. Will champagne be served at our January 2013 "Happening"? Enabling more Ontarians to view our website is one of the keys and you can help by forwarding email addresses of people who might help us to help those with speech disorders. Also, some of your chapter members have email but aren't on the Ontario District Yahoo list (for example, my brother-in-law who is a Charter Member of the East York Chapter), so I expect to be deluged with addresses, either by signing up for our Newsletter on this page to the left, or returning an email requesting that you be added to our subscription list.
Neil Aitchison has offered his expertise in promoting public awareness that barbershoppers sing that they shall speak (do you use it to close your chapter meetings?). As usual, he attended the recent "Happening" and was obviously moved by the "Thank You Barbershoppers" video that Kerry Erle's London Speech & Language Centre provided as part of her moving presentation.We expect to have it on our website soon. Watch for it and if you don't "tear up", I'll be might surprised.
Yours in song & service
George S.

Funeral of longtime Barrie barbershopper Norman Shelswell

admin — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:26:43 +0000

On December 27, I attended the funeral of longtime Barrie barbershopper Norman Shelswell and it was difficult to believe that it was 53 years ago this coming January that Norm, Murray Hall, Fred Christmas, Archie Tait, Eddy Russell, Ron Whiteside and I piled into two cars and headed to the Barbershop Society’s Mid-Winter Convention in El Paso, Texas.
What a time we had – two young guys and five other barbershoppers in their thirties taking a singing adventure of a lifetime. The first thing Norm did was to purchase a large, black cowboy hat and thereafter became known as “Black Bart”. His impersonation of a sleeping Mexican on the old streetcar to Juarez was priceless.
Those who knew “Black Bart” might want to make a donation to Harmonize For Speech in his name, either by cheque to our treasurer, Bruce Dibble, or through the donation link on this page. Norm’s name will be recorded in the Memorial Book at Harmony Hall in Toronto and proceeds will go towards the Harmonize For Speech Language/Hearing Clinic at the new Sadlon Health and Wellness Centre at Georgian College in Barrie.

George Shields