Looking Back on the 2020-21 Harmonizer Awards Presentation
The 47th Annual Alexandria Harmonizers Presidents’ Awards Ceremony was conducted in March and April 2022 by immediate past chapter president, Stan Quick. Usually this is part of our Presidents’ Banquet and Officer Installation, but when the Board was planning last September, there was no confidence that we could meet in-person as we are now. This presentation was made on the behalf of all former presidents, especially those still active in the chapter – Jack Pitzer, Alan Wile, Terry Reynolds, Brad Jones, Steve Murane, Chris Buechler, Mick Stamps andRandall Eliason. This tradition was started 48 years ago by then-president, Jack Pitzer.
Stan presented the awards at several chapter meetings until all recipients received their awards. He thanked Alan Wilefor his extra efforts in ordering the plaques and helping with the presentations.
The chapter has six Harmonizer Distinguished Service awards traditionally given out each year. The award candidates can be nominated by any member of the chapter, and are voted on by the BHS Chapter Board of Directors. Since we had the “Covies” last year, the qualification period for all of these awards is 2020 & 2021. A seventh award was created this year.
NEW NOTE AWARD
Given to a Harmonizer who has contributed outstanding service to the Chapter in his first year of membership. Attendance, attitude, and accomplishments of duties, both volunteer and assigned, shall be considered.
In early 2020, this recipient volunteered to help with the teaching of choreography. He stepped up frequently during our virtual meetings to provide the bass part during breakout sessions and as part of our work with Jamulus. He is almost always in attendance and is always ahead of schedule learning music. He volunteered for and sang in one of the VLQ’s on the Holiday Show. And he does all this in a low key manner with no agenda other than contributing to the team effort. This year’s recipient is Turner Arndt.
MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARDS
In addition to the Chapter Distinguished Service Awards, it is the president’s prerogative to also give Meritorious Service Awards for exceptional service to the chapter for other deserving members or volunteers.
This year Stan elected to award five.
Meritorious Service Award #1
The first meritorious service award goes to two individuals who have worked in tandem to create the Harmonizers wall of sound throughout the pandemic. They created a combined virtual and in-person rehearsal environment that kept us singing together, despite the incredible difficulties in balancing sound and video, placement of microphones and cameras, schlepping all the equipment from one room to the next in a timely manner – it’s exhausting just thinking about the logistics. Yet those of us rehearsing rarely have guessed how hectic it was thanks to their hard work. One of them created multiple videos – promotional spots for fund-raising, grant applications, the Christmas Coast-to-Coast show with the Bellevue, WA, chorus, and our July 4 “Stars & Stripes Forever” presentation with the Masters of Harmony. The other spent time with the Harmo truck – driving and planning modifications, as well as building things for the chapter shows and contest.
So, in recognition of their years of musical, logistical, and most importantly through the pandemic, video and audio support this year’s recipients are Mike Kelly and Dennis Ritchey.
"DICK HALL" SPIRIT OF HARMONY AWARD
Presented in memory of Dick Hall, long-time member (1965-2018), whose friendliness and encouragement inspired all who knew him. Given to a Harmonizer who during the year best exemplified Dick’s fundamental qualities of congeniality and good character and who worked hardest to encourage participation in vocal harmony by Chapter visitors and members.
This nominee is a relatively new member. He is one of the most enthusiastic and friendly men on the risers. He has served on the chapter board, assisted with the membership team, and currently serves as co-section leader for the leads. His infectious smile, unfailing good humor, and joy of singing exemplify the enthusiasm, good fellowship, and encouragement of other members that this award recognizes. This year’s recipient is Ben Watsky.
MERITORIOUS SERVICE #2
What do you do when you want to hold a concert but none of the performers can sing in person? This next meritorious service award is presented to someone who spent many long hours listening to individual recordings and creating more than one virtual singing performance for our chorus. This year’s recipient is Joel Golden.
HARMONIZER HONOR AWARD
Given to a Harmonizer for service which is above and beyond the usual service expected of members during the past year. It is not intended as a reward for discharging a single specific duty, but for continuous service in several activities.
Since joining the chapter, this nominee has been a valuable member of the music team, contributing his considerable musical knowledge and experience and serving as baritone section leader. But in the past year he has gone above and beyond by heading up the Harmonizer COVID committee, using his public health expertise and devoting a substantial amount of time to help us develop guidelines for a safe return to rehearsal and performance. His work here has been so valuable that other choruses, the Mid-Atlantic District, and BHS have also relied on his COVID-related advice. For his consistent efforts to keep the whole world singing as safely as possible, this year’s recipient is Jason Lee.
MERITORIOUS SERVICE #3
The next recipient is someone who spends countless hours making sure our operations run smoothly, as he has since we first implemented the current Operations Team management structure. It’s no small feat monitoring and/or mentoring the operation directors. He has conducted three extremely successful Spring2ACTion fundraising campaigns, which is even more amazing when you look at fundraising during a time when we couldn’t get community exposure through our performances. And lastly, he offered valuable support to the chapter president.
There aren’t many men or woman who are so devoted to the chorus that they dedicate this kind of time and effort - and in this case – as a volunteer. This year’s recipients is Randall Eliason.
OZ NEWGARD MEMORIAL AWARD
The Oz Newgard Memorial Award, in memory of our musical director during the 1960s, is given to a Harmonizer who has made a significant contribution to the musical program during the past year.
Since joining the chorus, our next recipient has quickly become an invaluable member of the music team. She currently serves as co-section leader for the leads, where her musical knowledge and enthusiasm have made her extremely effective. She participates in all aspects of the music team, including the planning for future shows and for the future development of the chorus. She also has been assisting education director Sheryl Berlin in planning for the resumption of our Youth Harmony Festival once COVID is behind us. This year’s recipient is Tessa Walker.
MERITORIOUS SERVICE #4
Our next Meritorious Service award recipient is for a truly overworked volunteer. He has formerly received the Memorial award in 2002, the Oz Newgard in 1995, the Spirit in 1998, and the New Note in 1993. He deserves recognition for the tremendous work he does every week to make our chorus run smoothly. He’s Joe’s calendar and timekeeper, the Music Team’s coordinator, the finance committee’s “chief budgeting officer” with a giant spreadsheet to keep all the account lines. He is also the corporate knowledge for our organization, knows who and what and when and why we are where we are.
Now, add to that the incredible challenge of trying to create the weekly rehearsal schedule when the COVID committee is changing the rules of the game with a minimum of notice, and you have the makings for a real big headache for the average person – but not him.
We all owe this Harmonizer a huge debt of gratitude for his unwavering dedication to each of these projects, which he champions for all of us. This year’s recipient is Terry Reynolds.
IBIANNE AND WILBUR SPARKS AWARD
Given to recognize the important contribution of Harmonizer family teams to the success and well-being of the Chapter. The award will be made only to a truly outstanding team which has contributed greatly both in volume and quality of services over a period of time. The team can be a Harmonizer and any family member or significant other.
These two honorees were director of shows for a number of years, and as such were our biggest cheerleaders – calling us “Rock Stars!” to let us know we were better than we realized. In addition, they volunteered countless hours making items we needed on stage or off, such as the welcome bags we gave to each member of the Toronto Northern Lights when we hosted them for our 70th anniversary show. This year’s recipients are Joe and Janet Cerutti.
HARMONIZER MEMORIAL AWARD
Presented in memory of those men who died while members of the Chapter. It is the highest recognition which the Chapter can bestow on a member. In many other Chapters this is equivalent to their “Barbershopper of the Year Award. It is given to the Harmonizer who, during his entire period of chapter membership, has devoted himself most unselfishly in rendering outstanding service to the Chapter. The award is made only to a truly outstanding member who has regularly attended Chapter activities and who has contributed greatly both in volume and quality of services over a long period of time.
Breaking with tradition, there are two members receiving this year’s Memorial Award. Both have been essential in helping our chorus navigate challenges of the past two years with creativity, dedication, vision, and hard work – Anthony Colosimo and Joe Cerutti.
Tony’s contributions to the improvement of our rehearsal structure have spanned the years he has been with us, including the most recent moves to changing how we do music learning and performance feedback. His pioneering into the use of Jamulus allowed us to try to overcome the many failings of Zoom when singing together.
Joe’s years of guiding this chorus, not just artistically, but as an organization focused on making a real impact in our community and the world at large, has helped make the Harmonizers a known leader in the Barbershop Harmony Society. His vision and approaches to handling the many challenges of staying together as a chorus are responsible for making us the world-class “Average Person’s Chorus” that we are today.
For their years of devotion to the chorus, but most especially for bringing us out of the pandemic years as a stronger, admired chorus, the Harmonizer Memorial Award recipients for this year are Joe Cerutti, Jr and Tony Colosimo.
A New Award Added – SANDY STAMPS “OPEN ARMS” AWARD
The chapter board of directors also created a new, seventh, Distinguished Service award for this year and the future.
This award recognizes an individual (member or not) who promoted, by words and/or deeds, the Harmonizers’ value of a welcoming and inclusive environment for all singers. It is named for the long-time and beloved member of the Harmonizer family, Sandy Stamps, who always had a smile and a kind word for anyone. Examples may include a welcoming and encouraging attitude regardless of demographics, finding ways to remove barriers to participation (such as economic, physical, cultural, etc.), or perhaps providing training for chorus members to accommodate those with physical disabilities.
The first recipient of this new award was presented to Sandy posthumously. Mick Stamps received the award on her behalf.
Until next time – editorjack!
(This message is prepared for your review if you were there, for your information if you had to miss, and as a historical record for the great things going on each week during the 73rd year of the Alexandria Harmonizer Chapter. - YeEd)
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