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News from the American Harp Society, Inc.
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September 2015
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As Mildred Dilling wrote to her friends in that 1950 letter from California, it is "humanly impossible" to write all of our members a "nice chatty letter", but we hope in some small measure this monthly e-newsletter will let you know how much you are appreciated, and keep you informed about news of AHS and the harp world. And along with Mildred, the "Queen of her Domain", we wish you all a most happy new year - that is, the new 2015-2016 AHS membership year
which started September 1st.
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Thank you for your support and your membership in the American Harp Society, Inc.! We have been so grateful for the flood of renewals coming in by mail and PayPal in the last few weeks! If you mailed a check but don't see yourself in the online member directory, please just check back in a day or two. Our outstanding Membership Secretary Barbara Sooklal is working late every night to get your renewal updated in the database, but we are literally receiving hundreds of checks right now.
A special thanks goes to several members who have recently upgraded to a Life Membership! Hate having to renew every year? There's your answer! Our new two-year membership has also been very popular, and assures we won't remind you to join again until 2017.
If you haven't renewed your membership yet, you are getting this first e-newsletter of the new year as a courtesy, since many renewals are still coming in. But please don't wait, go online to harpsociety.org/Membership/JoinRenew.asp and be sure you will get the October and future newsletters, The American Harp Journal winter 2015 issue, and the opportunity to attend the 2016 National Conference in Atlanta. You will also be eligible to apply for the AHS Grants Program - deadline October 15th - and maintain your discounted instrument coverage with Anderson Insurance. Thank you!
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Membership Questions?
Please contact Barbara Sooklal
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Grants Program Deadline
October 15th
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The American Harp Society, Inc. welcomes grant applications for projects that will further the mission statement of the Society. The AHS is excited to be able to offer a grants program and we encourage you to be creative in promoting the harp!
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Online Membership Database
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Atlanta Conference 2016:
Celebrate ~ Inspire ~ Empower
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 "We would love to be selected as the host chapter for the 2016 National Conference." This was the enthusiastic response from Georgia chapter members in the summer of 2014 and that enthusiasm has continued. Conference co-chairs Carolyn Munford and John Wickey immediately began work on site selection, conference focus, and programming.
They found a beautiful venue a few miles east of downtown Atlanta - the Emory Hotel and Conference Center. Located on a 26-acre forest preserve, the Center has a relaxing ambiance and is like a retreat. Green space and nature trails are abundant, and shopping and restaurants are also within walking distance. The hotel features 325 guest rooms in addition to all of the meeting  and exhibit space needed for an AHS Conference. Amphitheater-style classrooms are geared toward a studious atmosphere. Hotel rooms come equipped with a fridge in each room, which will be convenient as there is an organic grocery store a short walk away. The hotel also offers free wi-fi, an indoor pool, fitness center, cafeteria, bar, and even a bowling alley!
Recently John and Carolyn, Committee Secretary Mary Ann Flinn, National Exhibit Chairman David Kolacny, and AHS Executive Director Kathryn McManus spent a day touring all of the facilities, from workshop and exhibit spaces to concert venues and dormitories. One member of the team shares his reflections on the visit:
"A favorite part of my job as National Exhibit Chairman for the AHS is the site visit. I make a trip to the upcoming conference site to see for myself how everything is going to work. Floor plans and drawings of rooms are nice, but sometimes misleading. It is great to walk around in the space, check out the areas for loading and unloading, sneak around behind the scenes and really figure out the best way to do things.
I recently made a trip to The Emory Conference Center in Atlanta. I came away feeling very good about the upcoming conference. The center itself is beautiful. It is full of Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired design. Even though the Center is relatively close to downtown Atlanta, it feels like you are in the woods. I had a hard time finding a window that didn't offer a view of beautiful trees. The loading dock is not super close to the exhibit area, but it is all on one level and shouldn't offer any trouble. We have ample storage for harp trunks and boxes. Exhibits will end up in one large and two smaller rooms. They are all in the same area and should work well, not unlike the layout at many World Harp Congress meetings. Every employee I came into contact with was super friendly and helpful.
Just a short walk away there is a retail area with an 'Earth Fare' market featuring lots of healthy options, a dine-in deli and a well-stocked wine and beer department. There are pubs, restaurants and a pharmacy all very close. I am looking forward to coming to this conference both as a committee member and as an exhibitor. Hope to see you there."
-David Kolacny Over the coming months we will profile the performers, presenters, our hosts and volunteers, facilities and city, and share more of the behind-the-scenes preparation for your exciting National Conference. Stay tuned and plan to join us in Atlanta!
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Save the Date for "Giving Tuesday"
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Many members and AHS Chapters give back to their communities with scholarships, lessons, and free performances, embodying our mission values of "inspiring excellence" and "empowering the next generation of harpists". Individuals and organizations across the world do the same every day.
Just after Thanksgiving, a day of celebration, we have two days to "grab the deals" - Black Friday and Cyber Monday. A world-wide campaign called "Giving Tuesday" was created in 2012 by the New York 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation as a follow on for giving back with gratitude. Last year over 30,000 organizations participated, and the American Harp Society, Inc. will join them this December 1st.We ask you as harpists and Chapters to think about how you can give back locally and nationally. While we will encourage you to offer your individual financial support to AHS, Inc.'s important programs, we also hope you will find ways to tap your own and AHS's resources to give back in your community. Perhaps it's to use the Concert Artist or Winners Outreach programs to offer a great recital to your community. Maybe there are students in your area who would benefit from the Music Education Auditions & Evaluations, or you would like to personally underwrite a student registration at the 2015 AHS National Conference. We will have an opportunity to share with the world how AHS and its members give back. Please make your plans now and join AHS for "Giving Tuesday" on December 1, 2015.
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Celebrating Our Legacy in the Archives . . .
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As we focus this month on membership, do you know who was at the first meeting of the American Harp Society, Inc.? Some of these names may be familiar . . .
We have quite a lineage! This excerpt is from the complete minutes available in the International Harp Archives, along with most of the AHS administration records in Dorothy Remsen's Archive. Dorothy served as Executive Secretary for 27 Years, as well as Los Angeles Chapter President, Western Regional Director, National Secretary, and National Competition Chairman & Assistant. She is also an AHS Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient.
Newsletters in the early days were a bit simpler than this one. Thanks to Dorothy's archive, you can read the very first national AHS newsletter, published 53 years ago this month.
Last month we featured a unique harp-shaped vial and asked for possible identification. Several folks wrote that it is a perfume bottle! Take your own journey into the International Harp Archives and tell us what you find!
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 If you haven't explored www.harpsociety.org lately, start on the Resources tab to visit the Archives, but don't miss the other wide variety of offerings on that page. In particular, take a few moments to listen to some of the "Harp Talk" Radio Interview Series. There are thirteen fascinating audio interviews, including musical excerpts, with a diverse group of harpists. The series was produced by the New Orleans Chapter of the American Harp Society, Inc., and would make great additions to a Chapter meeting. Enjoy!
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As you shop for back-to-school needs, and begin to plan that holiday vacation, don't forget about using AmazonSmile and GoodShop. Both generate donations  to AHS, and often have coupons and special offers that will make you smile. And always make your internet searches with GoodSearch (powered by Yahoo), earning pennies each time for AHS. If every member participates, the pennies will become dollars in no time. Thanks!
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Copyright � 2015. All Rights Reserved.
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